Lonely Planet is one of the most recognised brand names for travel content in the world, giving travellers trustworthy information, engaging opinions and informed perspectives on destinations around the globe. At the start of 2007 they launched Lonely Planet Hotels & Hostels (http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com), an online booking service featuring only those properties which have been reviewed and recommended by Lonely Planet authors. This service differentiates itself from its many superficially similar rivals in two key areas:
- Lonely Planet is an independent travel publisher that is committed to quality writing and editorial integrity. Travellers know that properties recommended in their guides or bookable on their website are extremely unlikely to disappoint.
- The Hotels & Hostels service is geared around traveller-focused principles and is determined to give all recommended properties the opportunity to become bookable online, many for the first time. As a result, many of the properties available on the site are hidden gems that simply don't feature on other websites.
In building Hotels & Hostles, Lonely Planet required a number of key features in their technology platform for the venture; namely the speed and scalability needed to handle the anticipated large traffic volumes, the flexibility to adapt to their unique sales model - including web interfaces tailored to match Lonely Planet's distinctive image and branding - and a comprehensive set of website features which would both give them a significant edge over their competitors and allow them to get to market quickly.
Softwire were chosen to develop this solution based on our travel reservation product - Reservwire. We worked closely with Lonely Planet to agree a functional specification for the enhancements they required, and to then develop and deploy the solution which was delivered on schedule and to budget. Upon launch, the service became an immediate success with thousands of travellers using it to book recommended properties on Reservwire's fast and friendly portal, through Lonely Planet's respected and trusted brand.
Customer testimonial
"We thoroughly enjoy working with the whole team at Softwire. They are a very skilled and talented group. Their commitment and dedication to our business enables us to deliver a unique author reviewed and recommended booking service. Softwire has proven to be a true partner to Lonely Planet."
Troy Suda, Global Head of Hotels & Emerging Online Businesses, Lonely Planet.
