Experience
booking engine
project overview
Problem Statement:
Lodging guests frequently encounter challenges when trying to secure dining and event reservations, which can lead to frustration and the possibility of dining off-property. This issue arises from the absence of a booking system or reserved spots specifically for lodging guests. ​​
It is quite ironic that in a resort that boasts 20 restaurants, it was impossible to get a table for dinner for 2 at 5:30 pm. Impossible. We tried all of them.
- Wynn Las Vegas Guest - February 2024
The Challenge:
Create centralized dining and event reservations into a single, user-friendly platform.
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Help guests plan ahead and build customized itineraries for their stay.
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Offer exclusive inventory to enhance the guest experience.
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Develop an internal admin tool for marketing and business to highlight certain dining venues and events.
My Role:
I was the Lead UX and UI Designer for the Experience Booking Engine, a platform created for Wynn Resorts that unified booking across dining, entertainment, and resort activities. From an initial sketch on paper, I guided the project through research, design, and implementation.
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· Role: Lead UX & UI Designer
· Timeline: 18 months for version 1
· Team: Collaborated with development, QA, marketing, dining, front-of-house, and VP-level stakeholders
· Scope: Guest-facing booking engine + internal admin tool
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The goal was to simplify how guests discover and book experiences while empowering internal teams to manage offerings without developer intervention.
The three legged stool of Product Design
The success of the Experience Booking Engine came from keeping the three legs of the stool—design, business, and development—in balance.
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Design (Desirability): Focused on a seamless, luxury experience that matched Wynn’s brand and made booking effortless.
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Business (Viability): Supported revenue goals by keeping guests on-property and giving teams tools to update offerings instantly.
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Development (Feasibility): Partnered closely with engineers to ensure scalability, reduce maintenance, and eliminate the need for code-driven updates.
By treating each discipline as an equal partner, the result was a product that guests loved, teams could manage independently, and the business could grow sustainably.
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I will outline how I addressed these import three pieces throughout this portfolio project and how it ultimately led to an incredibly successful new product.
Discovery & research
Competitive Analysis
To kick off the project, I conducted a comprehensive competitive analysis of best-in-class booking apps and websites, focusing on those that provide a seamless and integrated experience for users. This analysis included a deep dive into platforms such as Open Table and Ticket Master, which are known for their ability to allow users to book multiple services and experiences in one go. I evaluated their user flows, interface design, and how they handle complex bookings to identify key elements that could be adapted and improved for our platform.
Benchmarking
I also benchmarked key features, such as ease of use, visual design consistency, and personalization options. This helped me set a standard for what a top-tier booking experience should feel like. By understanding what works well in the industry, I was able to identify gaps in our current system and areas for improvement that would not only meet user expectations but also align with our brand’s luxury positioning.
Stakeholder Interviews
Since user interviews and surveys were not feasible for this project, I leveraged stakeholder interviews to gather insights. I engaged with teams across marketing, dining, and front-of-house operations to understand their goals and constraints. These conversations helped me ensure that the design would meet both user needs and business objectives, such as driving reservations to high-priority dining venues and promoting exclusive experiences.
Design Strategy
Based on this research, I developed a strategy that focused on simplifying the booking process, ensuring consistency across touchpoints, and integrating promotional elements in a way that felt natural and unobtrusive. This strategic foundation guided the design process and ensured that every decision was rooted in both user experience and business outcomes.
Design Process
Design is rarely a straight line. For this project, I approached the work as an iterative cycle — moving fluidly between mapping user flows, testing wireframes, refining interactions, and building a scalable system. Each phase informed the next, but I stayed flexible, revisiting earlier decisions whenever testing or feedback revealed new opportunities to improve the experience.
Project outcomes
2.2K
Reservations in first 3 months
With minimal marketing
Facilitated over
$500K
Revenue in first 3 months
With minimal marketing
Fully functional customer facing tool and admin tool
Priority access to reservations
After booking a room at Wynn or Encore Las Vegas, guests gain priority access to dining reservations directly from their confirmation page. The Experience Booking Engine was introduced to allow guests to secure exclusive dining reservations and additional experiences, enriching their stay. This tool ensures that guests have access to unique Wynn experiences that may not have been available to them previously, further enhancing the overall guest journey.
Plan your perfect stay
Guests can easily plan their ideal stay by browsing dining options based on meal period, guest count, date, and time. The Experience Booking Engine was developed to allow guests to seamlessly book additional experiences and activities. All reservations are automatically integrated into the guest's itinerary, ensuring that dining preferences and special occasions are captured at the time of booking. This system enhances the overall guest experience by providing a streamlined and personalized reservation process.
Experience booking engine
Features
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View Venue Details and Images
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Options, Information and Menu Tabs to make an informed booking
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Available Times for your selected venue and meal period
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Dietary Restriction and Special Occasions
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Modifiable Booking to cancel or change any reservation details
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Keep track of all itinerary bookings.
manage bookings
Within the Experience Booking Engine guests are empowered with complete control over their stay by enabling them to view, modify, and add reservations at any time. Whether adjusting dining plans or booking additional experiences, the intuitive interface allows for seamless updates. All changes are instantly reflected in the guest's itinerary, ensuring a smooth and personalized experience throughout their stay.
Stay updated
Guests receive timely email communication, from booking confirmations to reminders and cancellations. These updates keep guests informed and help manage their reservations, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience throughout their stay.
internal admin tool
The internal admin tool for the Experience Booking Engine empowers employees to efficiently manage guest itineraries, view and modify bookings, and control which venues appear on the booking tool. This tool streamlines operations by allowing updates and changes to be made without the need for coding, ensuring a more responsive and adaptable system.
