“We started working with the ASD Team only about 4 months ago now, and the work they have done in that period has been amazing. They knew what we wanted before we even said it.”
Susie Wayne
Book a Motel
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Building an MVP for a Motel Booking System
Book a Motel needed to modernize their Australian motel booking platform. Their existing system relied on manual updates and couldn’t process direct bookings. They sought our expertise to implement their phased development plan, receive guidance on best practices, and have us take control of the technical implementation.
Industry:
Travel & Hospitality
Technologies:
React, Next.js, Node.js, Fastify, TypeScript, MySQL, AWS
Services:
MVP Development, API Integration
Duration:
3 months
Hear from the client
Project Metrics
- Development Time: 3 months from discovery to MVP launch
- User Stories Implemented: 35+ for initial release
- Integration Points: 3 major systems (SiteMinder, rating API)
- Planned Enhancements: 20+ features scheduled for future releases
Initial Request
BookaMotel approached us with several fundamental challenges:
- No way for BookaMotel to communicate directly with travelers
- Travelers could find motels on the website but were redirected to Booking.com or Wotif (which often returned error 500) to complete bookings
- No visibility into booking history or customer transactions
- No user profiles or booking history to keep travelers returning to the platform
- All data updates were performed manually with no automated connections
Their goal was to create a self-contained platform where travelers could search, book, and manage their stays directly while giving BookaMotel better visibility into customer behavior.
Our Approach
We began with a comprehensive project set up to ensure smooth collaboration:
- Project Infrastructure: We established a project management framework including Jira/Confluence workspaces, Slack channels for communication, and regular weekly status meetings with the client.
- Development Environment: We configured development and demo environments with the domain demo.bookamotel.com.au for ongoing testing and client review.
- Integration Planning: Early on, we identified critical third-party systems requiring integration and established timelines for API access to the Property Management System.
- Phased Development Strategy: We created a clear roadmap focusing first on the user interface and core booking functionality, with backend integrations to follow.
Discovery Phase (2 weeks)
Despite some delays, we conducted a thorough discovery process:
- Collaborated with domain experts to understand the motel booking industry
- Reviewed competitor websites to identify best practices and opportunities
- Created user journey maps for both customer and admin perspectives
- Developed a detailed StoryMap to visualize the user flow
- Prioritized features into three release phases
Feature Prioritization
We categorized features using a color-coded system:
- MVP features (Release V1) – essential for initial launch
- Release V2 features – planned for the next phase
- Release V3 features – future enhancements
Development Process
We implemented an agile development methodology:
- Two-week sprints with regular client check-ins
- Continuous integration and deployment
- Regular testing and quality assurance
- Iterative refinement based on feedback
Key Features Developed
Customer Portal (Release V1)
Search & Discovery
- Location-based motel search with filters for dates and guest count
- Interactive map view showing motel locations and landmarks
- Filtering by price, rating, amenities, and distance from city center
- Sorting options for optimized results
- Pagination for navigating large result sets
Motel & Room Details
- Comprehensive motel information with photos and amenities
- Room-specific details including bed types, maximum occupancy, and policies
- Price breakdown with taxes and additional fees
- Real-time availability from SiteMinder integration
- Authentic ratings from partner API
Booking Process
- Streamlined booking flow
- Guest information collection
- Secure payment processing
- Booking confirmation with sharing options
- PDF download and email functionality
User Management
- Account creation and authentication
- Booking history and management
- Cancellation capabilities
- Invoice access and downloads
Admin Portal (Release V1)
Booking Management
- Comprehensive reservation listing
- Advanced filtering by date, status, and other parameters
- Excel export for reporting
- Summary statistics including revenue and commission
Customer Management
- Customer database with booking history
- Detailed view of customer interactions
Booking Flow
The booking process we implemented follows a streamlined, user-friendly flow entirely within the BookaMotel platform – with no redirections to third-party sites:
- User searches for motels by entering location, dates, and number of guests
- System displays search results with filtering and sorting options
- User selects a motel from the results list
- User browses available rooms with detailed information and pricing
- User selects their preferred room
- User enters guest details and any special requests
- User completes payment using a credit/debit card directly on the platform
- System confirms the booking and provides options to download a PDF or share via email
- Booking details are stored in the registered user’s profile for future reference
This end-to-end process keeps users on the BookaMotel site throughout their entire journey, eliminating the previous dependency on external booking platforms and creating a seamless experience.
Implementation Highlights
We integrated SiteMinder for real-time inventory updates and booking synchronization, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring accurate availability information.
Automated Data Synchronization
The system now automatically updates motel information, room availability, and pricing, reducing administrative overhead and improving accuracy.
User-Centric Design
We utilized ready-made design templates for React to accelerate development while maintaining a professional appearance.
Comparative Analysis
Results
In just 3 months, we delivered an MVP that transformed BookaMotel's platform:
- Automated Operations: Eliminated manual data entry through SiteMinder integration
- Direct Revenue: Enabled direct bookings without affiliate fees
- User Empowerment: Provided users with self-service booking management
- Business Intelligence: Delivered insights into customer preferences and booking patterns
- Scalable Platform: Built a foundation for future enhancements