WebCitz started working with this client in 2011
- Client: Trails End Motel (website offline)
- Platform: Joomla
- Industry: Entertainment / Recreation
- Services: Maintenance / Support, Web Development, Web Hosting
The Challenge
In 2011, the travel industry was shifting rapidly toward online self-service. Trails End Motel faced several digital hurdles:
- Manual Booking Friction: Relying solely on phone reservations was inefficient. They needed an online booking system that allowed travelers to see availability and secure rooms 24/7.
- Dual-Business Identity: They needed to promote the lodging side of the business while simultaneously driving traffic to their attached restaurant, which served both guests and the Sheridan community.
- Local Visual Appeal: As a gateway to the Bighorn Mountains, the site needed to showcase the property’s amenities – specifically their indoor pool and comfortable rooms – to compete with national hotel chains.
The WebCitz Solution
We provided a high-performance Joomla environment that automated their front desk and modernized their marketing:
- Custom Joomla Development (2011): We built a robust, custom-themed Joomla site for the motel. In 2011, Joomla was the ideal choice for its ability to handle complex extensions like booking engines while remaining user-friendly for the motel staff to update.
- Integrated Online Booking System: We engineered a seamless booking interface directly into the website. This allowed potential guests to check room rates, view different room types (King, Queen, Suites), and complete their reservations without leaving the site, significantly increasing their direct-booking revenue.
- Restaurant Website & Menu Integration: We built a dedicated web presence for the attached restaurant. This included digitized menus and professional photography of their dining area, helping to establish the motel as a “one-stop-shop” for travelers looking for a meal and a bed.
- Visual Storytelling: We focused heavily on the property’s unique selling points. By creating high-resolution galleries of the indoor pool area and the exterior of the building, we helped convey the nostalgic yet well-maintained atmosphere that Sheridan travelers appreciated.
- Managed Hosting & Support: For several years, we provided the hosting and technical maintenance for both sites, ensuring that the booking engine was always live and the database was secure.
The Result
The implementation of the online booking system was a game-changer for Trails End Motel, allowing them to capture the growing “digital traveler” demographic. Our dual-site approach ensured that both the motel and the restaurant flourished as separate but connected profit centers. For years, the digital foundation we built helped this local Sheridan institution maintain high occupancy rates and a strong reputation in the competitive Wyoming hospitality market.
