Designing a Modern Hospitality Platform for Seamless Booking Experiences
Introduction
Starling is a modern hospitality platform designed to simplify discovering, booking, and managing short-term stays. The challenge was to create a seamless experience that balances ease of booking for travelers with strong property visibility for hosts, addressing the fragmented nature of existing booking platforms.
Project Goals
- Create a clean, mobile-first UI that minimizes cognitive load
- Provide personalized recommendations for users
- Design a smooth booking flow with transparent pricing
- Implement visual-first property cards for better browsing
🚩 Problem Statement
Travelers and guests seeking short-term stays often face fragmented booking experiences. Existing hospitality apps either overwhelm users with too much information or lack clarity in navigation. For hotel owners, showcasing their properties effectively is also a challenge.
Fragmented booking experiences across multiple platforms
Apps that overwhelm users with excessive information or lack clear navigation
Difficulty for hotel owners to showcase their properties effectively
Lack of balance between ease of booking and property visibility
💡 Proposed Solution
Build a hospitality app that simplifies discovering, booking, and managing stays through:
Clean UI that minimizes cognitive load
Personalized recommendations for users
Smooth booking flow with transparent pricing
Visual-first property cards for better browsing
🔍 User Research & Discovery
Research Methodology
Competitive Analysis
Analyzed Airbnb, Booking.com, and Agoda to identify gaps and opportunities
User Interviews
6 frequent travelers and 4 hotel owners to understand pain points
User Surveys
Identified key pain points in existing booking experiences
Key User Insights
Users dislike long forms and hidden charges
Travelers want quick filters (location, price, amenities)
Hotel owners want easy ways to update listings
Research Results
of travelers prefer mobile-first experiences
value transparent pricing over discounts
Hotel owners highlighted the need for simpler listing dashboards
📊 Competitor Analysis
A competitor map showed that while existing hospitality apps focus heavily on bookings, very few provide concierge integration or seamless event planning features — giving Starling a competitive edge.
💭 Empathy Map
Understanding our primary user - the traveler
💭 THINKS
"I want a quick and safe way to find accommodation that meets my needs."
"This booking process should be simple and trustworthy - no surprises."
"I hope this app shows me genuine reviews and real pricing."
❤️ FEELS
• Excited about upcoming travel plans
• Anxious about hidden fees and booking complications
• Frustrated with overwhelming booking platforms
• Hopeful about finding the perfect stay
• Stressed about time constraints
💬 SAYS
"I don't want to waste time browsing irrelevant listings."
"Show me the real price upfront - no hidden costs!"
"Why can't booking be as simple as ordering food?"
"I need to see honest reviews from real guests."
🔍 DOES
• Compares 2-3 platforms before making a decision
• Checks reviews extensively and looks for patterns
• Screenshots pricing to compare later
• Seeks recommendations from friends and social media
• Books on mobile during commute or breaks
👤 User Personas
David Schmidt
Businessman, 45 years
Married • Nigeria
🎯 Goals
- • Find top-rated, business-friendly hotels with excellent amenities
- • Identify family-friendly activities and attractions suitable for his children
- • Efficiently manage travel arrangements to maximize time during short visits
- • Ensure high standards of comfort and luxury in accommodations and services
- • Access quick and reliable information for last-minute travel changes
😤 Frustrations
- • Lack of options for high-quality, family-oriented accommodations and services
- • Inconsistent and unreliable information on hotel and service quality
- • Difficulty finding activities that cater to both business and family needs
- • Time-consuming processes to secure accommodations and itinerary changes
- • Lack of streamlined services tailored to high-end, time-sensitive travelers
📝 Bio
David is a 45-year-old corporate executive who frequently travels for both business and leisure. He appreciates efficiency and thorough planning. David enjoys luxury travel and often extends business trips to explore new places with his family.
"I want a travel tool that is as efficient and reliable as the ones I use for business."
Jessica Lee
Photographer, 34 years
Single • Canada
🎯 Goals
- • Discover unique, safe, and culturally immersive lodging options
- • Provide authentic travel content and reviews for her audience
- • Streamline the planning process with an all-in-one travel app
- • Gain insights into local events and cultural festivals to attend and cover
- • Build a network of local contacts for deeper cultural immersion
😤 Frustrations
- • Difficulty finding current and reliable information on local culture and events
- • Managing travel logistics through multiple apps and platforms
- • Limited access to real-time local support and guidance
- • Overwhelming amount of unverified or outdated travel content
- • Challenges in connecting with locals or cultural insiders for authentic experiences
📝 Bio
Jessica is a 34-year-old travel blogger from Toronto, Canada, who specializes in African travel destinations. She's a photographer and relies heavily on digital tools to plan her trips. Jessica is always looking for new experiences and cultural insights to share with her large following on social media.
"I need an app that not only helps me plan efficiently but also ensures that I'm experiencing the true essence of each location."
These personas guided feature prioritization and user flows throughout the design process.
🏗️ Information Architecture
Mapping the app structure for clarity and simplicity
📱 Onboarding
Quick intro screens
- • Welcome screen
- • Feature highlights
- • Account setup
🏠 Home
Featured stays + search bar
- • Search functionality
- • Featured properties
- • Quick filters
🔍 Search/Filters
Location, dates, price, amenities
- • Location picker
- • Date selection
- • Price range
- • Amenity filters
🏨 Property Details
Photos, description, reviews, pricing
- • Photo gallery
- • Property info
- • Guest reviews
- • Pricing breakdown
💳 Booking Flow
Select → Payment → Confirmation
- • Date confirmation
- • Guest details
- • Payment processing
- • Booking success
👤 Profile/Dashboard
Bookings, saved stays, settings
- • My bookings
- • Saved properties
- • Account settings
- • Trip history
🔄 User Flow
Mapping the journey from discovery to booking confirmation
Primary Flow: Booking a Stay
Open App
Launch Starling → Home screen
Search
Enter location → Apply filters
Browse
View property cards → Tap listing
Review
View details → Check pricing
Book
Payment → Confirmation
✏️ Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Sketching the foundation for minimal steps in search and booking
Key Focus Areas
Sketches focused on minimal steps for search & booking
Card layouts tested for readability and visual hierarchy
Simple navigation tabs for Home, Search, Bookings, and Profile
Straightforward, predictable pathways without unnecessary distractions
Wireframe Priorities
- Layout hierarchy for property cards
- Search and filter placement optimization
- Booking flow simplification
- Navigation structure validation
🎨 Design System
Building consistency and modern appeal through systematic design choices
Color Palette
Calming teal and green tones with neutral accents
Typography
Segoe UI (clean, readable)
UI Components
Buttons, cards, modals, search bars, filter chips
Icons
Line-based for a modern, lightweight feel
📱 High-Fidelity UI Design
Bringing the wireframes to life with polished visual design and brand identity
🌟 Splash Screen
The splash screen serves as the welcoming entry point to the Starling app, establishing immediate brand recognition and setting expectations for the user experience.
Clean, minimalist design with prominent Starling branding
Calming teal color palette that evokes trust and hospitality
Smooth loading animation that engages users during app initialization
🏠 Home Screen
The home screen acts as the central command center, providing users with immediate access to search functionality and personalized recommendations.
Prominent search bar with smart location and date suggestions
Curated featured properties with high-quality imagery
Quick access filters for price, amenities, and property type
Personalized recommendations based on user preferences
🔍 Explore Screen
The explore screen transforms property browsing into an engaging, visual-first experience that helps users discover their perfect accommodation effortlessly.
Visual-first property cards with large, compelling imagery
Intuitive filter chips for easy refinement of search results
Transparent pricing display with no hidden fees
Smart sorting options: price, rating, distance, and availability
📱 Other Screens & Features
Additional screens to complete the user experience
🚀 Onboarding Walkthrough
Clean home screen with prominent search and curated property cards with large images
❤️ Saved Favorites
Filter chips for intuitive refinement and easy access to saved properties
✅ Booking Confirmation
Booking screen with transparent breakdown and calendar sync integration
👤 User Profile & Settings
Complete user account management and personalization settings
🏨 Host Dashboard
Property management interface for hotel owners with simple listing updates
💬 Guest Support
Direct communication channels between guests and property owners
💡 What I Learned
🎯 Simplicity Wins
Users appreciate fewer steps, not more features. Focus on core functionality over feature bloat.
⚖️ Balancing Dual Empathy
Balancing traveler needs vs. host needs requires dual empathy and understanding both user types.
🔍 Early Testing Value
Testing early wireframes helped validate flows before UI polish, saving time and resources.
💰 Transparent Pricing Impact
Transparent pricing builds user trust, which directly impacts conversions and user satisfaction.
Final Reflection
This project reinforced my belief that great design in hospitality isn't just about functionality, but about creating a digital experience that feels human, helpful, and welcoming — just like hospitality itself.