Fueling Wotif’s mobile growth on the road to a $658M acquisition

/ MOBILE-FIRST ONLINE TRAVEL PLATFORM /

High-performance mobile apps that put Wotif ahead in online travel

years of engagement

$658M

acquisition by Expedia Group

/ SUMMARY /

Founded in 2000, Wotif is Australia’s first and most recognized online hotel booking site. Launched as a small start-up in Brisbane, Wotif revolutionized online travel booking and quickly rose to become a leading travel brand across Australia and New Zealand. Wotif partnered with Orient Software to expand its presence in online travel by developing high-performance Android and iOS applications and optimizing its web platform. Over a three-year engagement, Orient worked as Wotif’s dedicated team to enhance user engagement, drive mobile sales growth, and reinforce Wotif’s leadership in the Australian travel market. This was momentum that culminated in Wotif’s $658 million acquisition by Expedia Group.

Location

Australia

Cooperation period

3 years

Industry

Travel

Engagement model

Dedicated development team

Services used

Mobile app development

Web application development

UX/UI design

/ The situation /

A market leader without a mobile foothold

Wotif had built a commanding position in online hotel booking, but travel was moving fast onto mobile. Despite its success on the web, Wotif lacked well-developed mobile applications across platforms to engage users effectively. This gap left the brand exposed as competitors raced for the mobile traveler. To stay ahead, Wotif needed expert developers who could move quickly: ship cutting-edge Android and iOS apps, sharpen its existing web platform, and integrate advanced features travelers would actually use. That search led Wotif to Orient Software.

No mobile foothold

Despite leading in online booking, Wotif lacked well-developed mobile apps across platforms to engage users effectively as travel shifted to mobile.

A web platform to sharpen

Wotif’s existing web application needed optimization and new features to keep pace with rising customer expectations.

Speed against competitors

Staying competitive meant rapidly developing cutting-edge Android and iOS apps and integrating advanced traveler features seamlessly.

/ THE SOLUTION /

A mobile-first travel experience, built end to end

Orient Software provided a dedicated, experienced team with frontend and backend specialists across ReactJS and PHP to accelerate Wotif’s product development across mobile and web. The team delivered against three core workstreams.

Native Android & iOS app development

Orient’s team built robust Android and iOS applications with clean, user-friendly interfaces, letting travelers book hotels, manage trips, and unlock exclusive mobile-only deals from their phones.

Web platform optimization

The team enhanced Wotif’s existing web application by integrating new features and delivering personalized solutions tailored to customer needs.

Traveler-focused feature set

The team shipped high-value features across the apps: exclusive mobile-only hotel deals; simplified search backed by millions of integrated hotel reviews; saved booking details for faster future reservations; and an interactive map to locate hotels in real time.

/ THE RESULTS /

Mobile momentum that reshaped a market leader

Orient Software’s collaboration with Wotif delivered results that went well beyond the app stores, driving mobile sales, deepening user engagement, and strengthening the market position that made Wotif an acquisition target.