Post by Cath, Senior User Researcher, Welsh Revenue Authority
How do you design a registration service in a way that makes sense to a hotel manager, a campsite provider and a holiday let owner all at the same time? That was the challenge we set ourselves when redesigning the ‘about the accommodation’ section of the new visitor accommodation registration service.
This section is where providers tell us what their accommodation is called, what kind of accommodation they offer, how many units they have, whether those units are named, the maximum number of guests they can host, and when they are available for bookings.
To make sure we got this right, we spoke to a broad mix of accommodation providers in Wales, including self-catering hosts, campsite and glampsite operators, hotel and hostel managers, and festival organisers.
Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
What we heard
One of the main things we learned is that each different accommodation type is unique, so the same questions mean different things to different people.
Some of the language we were using didn’t resonate well across different accommodation types. In particular, terms like ‘unit’ mean different things to different providers. For a hotel it is a room, for a hostel a bed, and for a self-catering let the unit could be a flat, cottage, or entire house. Early designs asked, ‘do you have any named units?’ but we quickly learned that the word ‘unit’ alone was vague for many people, and did not clearly indicate what we were asking about.
Another question we initially asked was ‘how many people can stay at the accommodation?’. We found this was straightforward for someone running a hotel or holiday cottage, but difficult for someone running a campsite where they provide accommodation per pitch, not per bed. A pitch for a tent or caravan could host anywhere between 1 and 10 people, which is a wide range.
Our initial designs also asked some questions at the premises level – for example, when the accommodation is open for bookings – and some questions at the unit level, such as listing unit names. This caused confusion, and some people were unsure how to answer correctly.
What we changed
Based on this feedback, we’ve redesigned the ‘about the accommodation’ section to make it more relevant to each accommodation type.
We’ve updated the language to better reflect the terms that different providers actually use. The service now shows the right language for the right type of user. For example, asking hotels about their rooms, and asking self-catering owners about their self-catering lets.
We’ve also decided to allow users who provide pitches to estimate their maximum capacity. We now ask them first how many pitches they provide, which allows us to calculate a rough estimate of capacity without putting pressure on providers to give a number that does not make sense for them.
Finally, following feedback from both users and stakeholder groups, we now ask providers to tell us how many units they have first, then ask follow-up questions such as names of units and capacity. This structure makes it clearer which questions relate to the premises and which relate to individual units, and it guides users through the process step by step.
These changes are all designed to reduce uncertainty and help people feel confident that they’re providing the right information. We’re still asking the same consistent questions – but in a way that makes sense for each provider’s setup.
Why this matters
The ‘about the accommodation’ section is a key part of the registration process. If it’s unclear or difficult to complete, it can slow people down and make the process feel more complicated or confusing than it needs to be. By listening to users and improving the way we ask these questions, we’re making the service more straightforward and easier to use for everyone.
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Please note: Everything we share is work in progress and may change as we continue developing the service.
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