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Business accommodation · 2 min read

From a founder's idea to £1.5m in revenue in its first year.

Dion Wright knew exactly what was holding his accommodation business back, but not how to build the software to fix it. We designed and built Booking Hub's platform from scratch: client, partner and admin portals with automated matching, payments and payouts.

£1.5m

Revenue in Booking Hub's first year

Client
Booking Hub
Industry
Business accommodation
Timeline
2026 – present
Services
Custom softwareGoHighLevel CRM
Platform
Client portal, Partner portal, Admin portal
  • Startup of the YearWales StartUp Awards 2026
  • Startup of the YearUK StartUp Awards 2026
Booking Hub client portal: a client submits a booking request for four guests in London, then selects a property from their shortlist.
Client portal: request submitted, then a property chosen from the shortlist (test environment, demo names).

The idea

Dion Wright had the idea for Booking Hub and had already pinned down the problems standing between it and a growing business. What he didn't have was the technical background to build the solution. So we designed and built it with him, from scratch.

Booking Hub is a South Wales company that arranges business, contractor and project-team accommodation across the UK through a network of partner properties. In 2026 it was named Hospitality, Tourism & Events Startup of the Year at the Wales StartUp Awards.

The problem

The idea was clear. The software to run it didn't exist.

  1. Dion had mapped the problems holding the business back, but had no technical background to build the solution.

  2. Requests, offers and payments were coordinated by hand, outside any system.

  3. Growth meant far more properties, partners and bookings than manual work could keep up with.

What we built

A platform built from scratch: three portals and an automated booking flow.

  • Requests to shortlists

    Clients send one request, nearby partners are matched and make offers, and the team shortlists the best options.

  • Payments and payouts

    Card or bank-transfer payments, upfront or every 28 days, with automatic partner payouts through Stripe Connect.

  • Money handled safely

    Prices are calculated on the server, and a booking confirms only when a verified payment arrives.

  • Partner tools

    A property wizard, bulk CSV import with photos, VAT per property and an Approved Partner Network badge.

  • Automated communication

    Transactional emails go out from an outbox, so none is lost or sent twice, and the CRM stays in step.

  • Built to scale

    In load tests, lists load in under two seconds and database queries stay under 6 ms at 10,000 properties.

Role-based portals
3
Automated tests passing before launch
959
Transactional emails automated
34
Properties in load tests (test environment)
10k+
Booking Hub admin portal: property listings on a UK map, then as cards showing partner, area, beds, guests, VAT and approval status.
Admin portal: every partner listing in one place (test environment, demo data).
Booking Hub partner portal: dashboard, requests matched to the partner's properties, submitted offers and confirmed bookings.
Partner portal: matched requests, offers and bookings (test environment, demo data).
Booking Hub partner portal on a mobile phone: the dashboard scrolled from items needing attention to new requests nearby, then requests matched to the partner's properties and confirmed bookings from the menu, using demo data.
Partner portal on a phone: matched requests and bookings on the go (test environment, demo data).

The outcome

What changed for Booking Hub.

  1. Before: An idea, with no technical team to build it

    After: Three portals for clients, partners and the team

  2. Before: Requests matched to properties by hand

    After: One request reaches nearby partners, who send offers to shortlist

  3. Before: Payments coordinated outside any system

    After: A booking confirms only when a verified payment arrives

  4. Before: Partner payouts worked out manually

    After: Partners paid automatically, with itemised breakdowns

The results

  • £1.5m in revenue in Booking Hub's first year.
  • Named Startup of the Year in Wales, then nationally at the UK StartUp Awards.
  • Bookings confirm only on a verified payment, and partners are paid automatically.
  • Built to grow: over 10,000 properties handled in load tests, with 959 automated tests passing.
Milestones from idea to outcome, in order.

  1. The idea

    Dion maps the problems holding the business back

  2. Built from scratch

    Three portals, automated payments and payouts

  3. £1.5m

    Revenue in the first year

  4. National winner

    Startup of the Year, regionally then nationally

  • Startup of the YearWales StartUp Awards 2026
  • Startup of the YearUK StartUp Awards 2026

In their words

What the client said along the way.

From the first plan to launch, quoted word for word.

Dion WrightBooking Hub

6 comments · May – Oct 2026

  1. DiscoverBlueprint review, after a second opinion

    “He was happy with it and felt it was a better spec than projects he has worked on previously, which was good to hear.”

  2. DesignPrototype review

    “I am very impressed with the prototype. Well done again to you and the team.”

  3. BuildFirst look at the test site

    “I've given the test dev site a go, and I'm really impressed. Well done.”

  4. BuildHosting decision

    “Thanks for flagging this early and for testing both options before bringing it over.”

  5. BuildCancellation policy review

    “You're right to have flagged it and I'm glad you looked at it commercially rather than just building to the spec”

  6. Really impressed with the standard of everything. Awesome team effort. Well done, guys, and thank you.

    LaunchUser acceptance testing

Recognition

From regional finalist to national winner.

In 2026 Booking Hub was named Hospitality, Tourism & Events Startup of the Year at the Wales StartUp Awards, then won the same category nationally at the UK StartUp Awards.

The 2026 finalists for Hospitality, Tourism & Events Startup of the Year on screen at the Wales StartUp Awards, including Booking Hub.

Photos: Booking Hub

Built with

  • Next.js
  • React
  • TypeScript
  • Node.js
  • Supabase
  • Stripe Connect
  • Postmark
  • GoHighLevel
  • Xero
  • Google Places
  • AWS

More work

More outcomes we've built.

See all work

Facing the same problems growing your business?

  • You know exactly what's holding your business back, but not how to build the fix.
  • Requests, bookings or payments still run on manual work.
  • You're ready to grow, but your processes can't keep up.

Tell us what's holding your business back. We'll reply with the right next step, from a quick fix to a platform built from scratch.

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