HOTELPLANNER

Simplifying hotel selection and booking

HotelPlanner, a prominent player in online travel with over $1 billion in annual bookings, needed to enhance its user experience to stay competitive in search rankings.

Brand Redesign

I began by refreshing the brand identity, introducing a unique “open door” icon to evoke the feeling of entering a hotel room. The brand’s navy palette was brightened, and a modern, friendly typeface was selected.

Research

I analyzed leading online travel sites, such as Airbnb and Expedia, to identify effective design patterns.

Hotel Page Redesign

I used my learnings to address the challenge of managing information density on these complex pages, especially for mobile users:

Emphasized hotel imagery with touch-friendly slideshows for the hotel and each room type.
Simplified inventory data by grouping it into room types with price tiers, enabling users to choose a room type before delving into specific price variations.
Provided previews of main content areas (reviews, property details, maps, photos) with expanded information available in modal windows.

Search Results Page

Designed a hybrid map/list view to show visual previews of hotels alongside their locations relative to the destination.

Search Functionality

Created a fullscreen modal for search, simplifying the selection of destinations, dates, and guests.

Homepage Redesign

Introduced an AI-powered search feature allowing users to type exactly what they were looking for.

The new site design is currently under development, poised to deliver an intuitive and visually appealing user experience.