Redesigning Crowne Plaza hotel sites to better meet the needs of both customers and owners
IHG was migrating all hotel websites to a new content platform. This upgrade would bring significant improvements to the web experience and set the stage for continuous enhancements.
For the first time, Crowne Plaza hotels would be able to showcase their unique offers on their websites.
Objective
Utilizing the newly created global component design system, we aimed to redesign Crowne Plaza hotel websites to better meet the needs of customers and hotels.
Target audience: the Modern Business Traveller
CP has historically targeted business travelers, and had updated the persona: while productivity matters, they also seek inspiration, energizing experiences, and moments of downtime.
Scope and constraints
- New page templates for homepage + 5 subpages
- Existing page template for 4 subpages
- Existing components, with Premium styles and updated CP branding
- Utilize existing hotel-provide content
- Ensure Digital Accessibility compliance (WCAG AA standards)
As design lead, my responsibilities included:
- Providing design concepts and detailed design
- Overseeing agency designers
- Collaborating with content strategy, product and engineering
- Managing design timelines and deliverables
- Presenting to senior leadership and UK brand team
Design process
Establishing a baseline
We conducted a usability test of the current homepage to better understand our customers’ needs.
Cleaner design, larger photos, more relevant content
We then iterated on the page design, applying the updated brand guidelines to our new global component system.
Header and intro
With the elevated brand identity, we explored ways to most effectively utilize the brand’s primary plum color.
Hotel highlights
Within the Highlights component, we had some flexibility on top/bottom and left/right designs.
Hotel features
Our goal was to communicate key features at a glance, so I designed the amenities section, displaying global icons used in the booking flow.
International considerations
Crowne Plaza is a global brand, so all designs must accommodate translations in 15 languages, including right-left Arabic designs.
The final design
Upon stakeholder approval, we tested our homepage design with 15 users to ensure the design and content hierarchy met their expectations and needs. The only change needed was decreasing white space between sections, reducing scrolling.
High level benefits
- Modern design that aligns with the Crowne Plaza identity of today
- Research-based content strategy and layout that brings:
- Improved SEO equity
- Additional content for our customers
- More robust navigation and deeper site structure
- Ability for field marketing to create hotel-specific content without development
- Improved accessibility
Homepage
Multi-page hotel website that more clearly highlights the benefits of each property
Hero carousel features large-scale, high-impact photography
Easily scannable using icons to highlight amenities and services
Location info at a glance
Room types overview with link to more detailed info
New hotel highlights design enables hotels to display custom content
New Offers design allowing customers to see more offers at once
New destination teaser to entice the Modern Business Traveller
Additional content and updates to FAQs to improve SEO for hotels
Subpages
Each additional page was designed to best feature Crowne Plaza’s offerings to the Modern Business Traveller and features a hotel-specific hero image with link to view more on the Photos page.
The Amenities page displays detailed hotel information, prioritized via research. Each section is quickly accessed via a jump nav in the top section. (We conducted usability tests to determine the most effective design for the jump nav.)
The Dining page features restaurant and bars, requiring a net-new component to display hours, location, and additional details.
The Meeting & Events page displays an overview for event planners, with a net-new Weddings feature that links to hotel-specific weddings landing pages.
Offers will be filtered to only show meetings & events. Machine learning can be used to target offers to guests based on known data.
Local area pages have been revamped to improve SEO equity.
The Photos page allows guests to dive deep into the hotel experience. Our research showed that after price, photography is the most important factor for travelers and plays a role of 60% in the decision to book.
“Wow… invititing and welcoming…comprehensive… engaging”
— usertesting.com test participants
