15 November 2011

YHA Website Offers New Booking Functionality

The Youth Hostel Association New Zealand, YHA, have just launched their new website with innovative travel package functionality.

The site shines with a fresh and clear design, making it easier for the user to find what they’re looking for. The new availability screen allows users to flick between availabilities, rates and membership - and family discounts get displayed on the fly.

YHA have reached their goal of providing a next generation booking tool for YHA guests.

The user can now plan their trip entirely online in just one visit. Booking accommodation and travel packages, and checking and updating the membership has never been easier with yha.co.nz.

Along with the new website comes the YHA mobile site that offers a quick and easy booking process. This customised view designed specially for smart-phone access does come in handy for anyone travelling and needing an affordable place to stay.

The website was built and designed by SilverStripe Ltd on the SilverStripe CMS, in collaboration with third-party organisations. The integration of several different solutions into the Content Management System, and having them all work together, was the biggest challenge.

The booking engine SilverStripe created is based on GuestCentrix, a point of sale solution provided by CMS Hospitality (AUS), which holds hostel availability information for all YHA NZ hostels. Other elements working with the CMS are the payment solution, the membership systems and a significant amount of business rules around hostel policies.

“The project has been complex, with high standards of innovation and work quality expected from all of our vendors”, says Daniel Shields, Marketing Director at YHA. “SilverStripe quickly understood the business drivers and worked to bring genuine improvements to travellers looking for a simple, secure and guaranteed accommodation booking”.

ENDS

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