Redesigning the Digital Platform for a Leading Hotel Resource.
Client Overview
Umi Digital’s partnership with The Good Hotel Guide has spanned nearly a decade, beginning with a strong relationship between Umi’s team and Richard, the guide’s founder, at industry events. Over the years, this relationship evolved into a collaboration that saw Umi take over the management and redevelopment of The Good Hotel Guide’s website to better align with its growing commercial and editorial needs.
The Challenge
The previous website, built on a WordPress infrastructure, struggled to meet the scale and ambitious goals that The Good Hotel Guide had set. As the guide continued to grow and evolve, it became clear that a more robust, scalable technology solution was required. The website’s role had also shifted from simply supporting the published guide to becoming a key commercial tool and content hub for editors, writers, reviewers, and the hotels themselves.
The Solution
After a thorough and complex technical consultancy process, Umi Digital designed and developed a modern static site web application to meet the evolving needs of The Good Hotel Guide. Key aspects of the solution included:
- A Scalable Web Platform: The new platform was built using the latest technologies, capable of hosting thousands of pages while supporting complex authoring workflows. This infrastructure enabled the guide to grow seamlessly as it expanded its property portfolio and commercial operations.
- Content Management and Collaboration: The new web application includes a robust content management system (CMS) that allows editors, writers, and reviewers to contribute efficiently. Hotels can also manage their own profiles and content, ensuring that the guide stays up-to-date and relevant.
- Enhanced Commercial Focus: With the guide becoming increasingly commercial, the website was designed to serve as both a user engagement platform and a valuable administrative tool. It now plays a pivotal role in driving visibility for hotels and generating direct bookings, in addition to supporting the published guide.
The Result
The new website sets a solid foundation for The Good Hotel Guide’s future success. The enhanced scalability and flexibility of the platform have not only improved user experience but also streamlined operations for the editorial team. As the partnership continues to grow, Umi Digital is now exploring additional commercial opportunities to help hotels boost their visibility and increase traffic through direct channels.
Key Achievements
- Designed and launched a scalable static site web application capable of supporting thousands of pages.
- Developed a robust CMS that accommodates complex authoring workflows for editors and hotels.
- Shifted the website’s role from a supporting tool to a key commercial platform, driving hotel visibility and bookings.
- Established a strong foundation for future innovation, marketing, and community engagement.
“Umi does a fantastic job overseeing the management of the Good Hotel Guide website. They are organised and very responsive to requests. They are also strategically strong and very solution-oriented. They have spearheaded numerous projects for us, including thinking about a whole new platform for the website. And their approach to solving day-to-day problems is thorough and timely.
They are also very nice people, which is a real plus! Harry Fielder in particular is a real partner for us, proactive, strategic and solution-oriented all at the same time. And he explains complex issues very clearly.”
The Good Hotel Guide – Richard Fraiman, CEO