Birchwood Majestic: A UX/UI Case Study for Seamless Luxury Hotel Booking
The Product:
Birchwood Majestic is a luxury hotel chain offering high-end accommodations with a blend of British elegance and modern amenities. Located in iconic areas across London, Birchwood Majestic provides an elevated travel experience with options like private in-room spa treatments and fine dining. Birchwood targets discerning travelers who seek exceptional service and exclusive amenities during their stay.
My Role:
UX/UI Designer – designing a seamless booking experience for Birchwood Majestic from initial concept to final implementation.
My Responsibilities:
User research, creating user personas, wireframing (paper and digital), prototyping (low to high fidelity), conducting usability tests, ensuring accessibility, and iterating on designs to enhance user engagement and satisfaction.
Tools:
Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator.
Disclaimer:
All names, images, and content presented here are fictional, created solely for the purpose of showcasing my design capabilities in Figma, with the assistance of AI. Birchwood Majestic, along with any referenced personas, locations, or services, is entirely imaginary and intended for demonstration purposes only.
The problem
Busy, career-driven adults need a quick and seamless way to book luxury stays without dedicating valuable time to trip planning and coordinating extra services.
The goal
Design a Birchwood Majestic app that allows users to effortlessly book rooms, add luxury services, and view transparent pricing in one place, saving time and providing a high-end, tailored experience.
Design process
I started with Emphasize, diving into research to understand what busy, career-driven travelers need from a luxury hotel app. The focus was on creating a seamless booking experience that saves time while providing the high-end services users expect.
Next, in the Define phase, I pinpointed the main problem: these travelers have limited time to plan and want quick, clear access to luxury options. Defining problems in design thinking was crucial for setting a clear goal: designing an app that simplifies the booking process while showcasing premium amenities in an intuitive layout.
Moving into Ideate, I brainstormed features that would enhance the user experience, such as quick room selection, add-ons like spa and chauffeur services, and a transparent pricing display. Each feature aimed to balance luxury with efficiency, reflecting Birchwood Majestic’s brand. You can explore more about ideation techniques in UX/UI to understand the methods used.
I then Prototyped the app in Figma, focusing on a streamlined user flow and elegant visuals that evoke the sophistication of the hotel brand. Prototyping in Figma allowed for interactive elements to simulate the user journey and ensure ease of use.
Finally, during Test & Refine, I gathered user feedback and iterated on the designs to improve usability and address any pain points. Usability testing was essential at this stage to ensure the app not only met functional requirements but also offered a truly refined and luxurious experience tailored to the user’s needs
Persona Summary: Michael & Jessica Carter
Understanding the User
To align the app with user needs, I conducted research to define personas, pinpointed key pain points, and mapped out user journeys. This approach highlighted the need for a seamless booking experience with quick access to luxury add-ons, guiding the app’s user-centered design.
User Journey Map
The journey map for the Birchwood Majestic app reveals how it effectively supports both personas. From browsing luxury rooms and personalized add-ons to seamlessly viewing total costs, the app streamlines Michael’s need for quick, clear steps and Jessica’s preference for curated options. This efficient, intuitive flow allows them to book their ideal anniversary stay in minutes, freeing them from lengthy planning and ensuring a high-end experience tailored to their preferences.
Key Features
Quick Room Selection – Effortlessly browse and book luxurious rooms, with detailed descriptions and visuals tailored to each London location.
Personalized Add-ons – Select exclusive services like In-Room Spa, Private Chauffeur, and VIP theater access, all integrated into the booking flow.
Clear Cost Breakdown – Transparent pricing displayed at each step, helping users manage their budget and see the value of each amenity.
User-Friendly Navigation – Intuitive design with easy access to hotel details, amenities, and booking options, ensuring a smooth, stress-free experience.
Booking Summary & Instant Confirmation – Provides a detailed summary and immediate confirmation, allowing users to finalize plans quickly and confidently.
Interactive Location Map – Explore London’s neighborhoods with an interactive map, complete with clickable hotel pins for easy navigation and discovery.
Refining the Design Process
The design process began with Storyboards, which captured the needs and desires of busy, luxury-focused travelers by visualizing key user scenarios. These storyboards provided a clear understanding of user expectations and helped define the goals of the project.
Next, I created a detailed User Flow to map out every step of the customer journey, from browsing room options to booking add-ons. This ensured a seamless and intuitive experience for users. Using this flow as a foundation, I designed Paper Wireframes, allowing for quick exploration of layout ideas. These were then transformed into Digital Wireframes, where interface elements were refined and aligned with the brand’s aesthetic.
With a solid framework established, I developed a Low-Fidelity Prototype to test core functionalities. This phase focused on validating navigation patterns and feature placement through early user feedback. Incorporating these insights, I progressed to a High-Fidelity Prototype, which brought the design to life with visually rich elements, interactive features, and branding details.
This iterative process ensured a polished, intuitive user experience that reflects the sophistication and luxury of the Birchwood Majestic brand, meeting the expectations of its high-end clientele.
Polished Experience for Luxurious Stays
The high-fidelity prototype will deliver a refined user experience, focusing on seamless booking flows tailored for guests of the Birchwood Majestic hotel chain. This prototype aims to streamline the user journey, ensuring that potential customers can easily navigate through choosing hotel locations, selecting room types, and personalizing their stays with exclusive add-ons. The design will accommodate user needs for a smooth booking process, clear cost breakdowns, and personalized options. The prototype will also support tracking of reservations and add-ons, providing users with a clear overview and a sense of control over their bookings. This attention to detail will enhance user confidence, making the process intuitive and luxurious, aligning with the high standards of Birchwood Majestic.
Crafting Luxury Through Color and Design: The Visual Identity of Birchwood Majestic
The color palette for the Birchwood Majestic design was thoughtfully chosen to convey a sense of luxury, tranquility, and sophistication:
- Deep Forest Green (#1E4D2B): Symbolizes nature and evokes a feeling of tranquility, aligning with the brand’s commitment to elegance. This rich hue is ideal for primary buttons and headers, providing a strong visual anchor throughout the design.
- Warm Birch Beige (#EDE7DC): A soft, neutral shade that exudes calm and sophistication, making it perfect for background sections and maintaining a harmonious balance.
- Rich Gold (#C5A254): Adds a touch of opulence and refinement, enhancing accents, icons, and interactive elements with subtle luxury.
- Slate Grey (#4A4A4A): Serves as a modern and elegant neutral tone, perfect for text or as a secondary background. This color ensures clarity and complements the overall luxurious feel.
- Soft White (#FAF9F6): Provides a clean and fresh backdrop that enhances readability and creates a sense of spaciousness for content-heavy sections.
Fonts were selected to reflect the brand’s sophistication, ensuring an experience that resonates with discerning travellers. The design embodies a blend of classic and modern luxury, combining balanced contrast and readability.
To elevate the visual experience, AI-generated imagery was used to create unique visuals that reinforce the brand’s distinctive look. This approach ensures that no one can claim the photos, maintaining exclusive rights and originality for the project. The overall look and feel were meticulously crafted to deliver an immersive, high-end user experience.
Step-by-Step User Journey: Birchwood Majestic Booking Process
Home Screen
Introduces users to the Birchwood Majestic brand and provides easy access to start browsing or booking.
Key Features: Hero image, primary navigation options, and a brief brand overview.
Location Selection Screen
Allows users to choose from various hotel locations across London.
Key Features: Interactive location cards on a map showing different hotel locations, each with a brief description and image.
Choose Your Date Screen
Enables users to select the check-in and check-out dates for their stay.
Key Features: A user-friendly calendar interface to choose dates, ensuring clarity and ease of use.
Guest and Room Selection Pop-Up
Collects details on the number of guests, rooms, and children for the booking.
Key Features: Pop-up window with dropdowns or input fields for selecting the number of adults, children, and rooms.
Room Selection Screen
Enables users to browse different types of rooms available at the selected hotel.
Key Features: High-quality room images, details like occupancy and amenities, and an option to view rates.
Add-Ons and Services Screen
Provides users with options to customize their stay by selecting additional services such as spa treatments or chauffeur service.
Key Features: Clear choices for each service, brief descriptions, and pricing.
Review Screen
Summarizes the user’s selections, including rooms, dates, guests, and add-ons.
Key Features: A detailed breakdown to confirm before proceeding to payment.
Complete Booking Screen
Facilitates user input for payment details and presents the final booking summary.
Key Features: Secure payment form, review of booking details, and an option to proceed to payment.
Confirmation Pop-Up
Confirms the booking and provides essential information for the stay.
Key Features: Confirmation number, a summary of the booking, and contact details for assistance.
Birchwood Majestic UX/UI Prototype
For the best experience, please view this prototype on a desktop. Some elements may not display optimally on smaller screens.
Takeaways from This Project
Working on the Birchwood Majestic app provided invaluable insights into crafting user-centric designs that balance luxury and functionality. I learned the importance of meticulous attention to user flow and seamless interactions to meet high user expectations. The project reinforced that iteration based on user feedback is essential for refining design solutions and achieving an intuitive, polished final product. This experience enhanced my ability to translate complex user needs into elegant, efficient design solutions, ensuring that each step of the journey aligns with the brand’s premium standards.
This project also provided an opportunity to work on luxurious design elements, blending classic elegance with modern usability. It challenged me to incorporate high-end aesthetics while maintaining clarity and accessibility, enriching my skills in creating experiences that feel both sophisticated and user-friendly.