Hostelworld Travel | CASE STUDY | by Roberto Salodini https://robertosalodini.com/work/hostelworld I led the redesign of the Hostelworld iOS and Android apps and launched its first social features, Chats and Linkups. App bookings grew from 40% to 60% of the total. Role: Senior product designer Platforms: iOS, Android Tools: Figma (https://www.figma.com), analytics, Lottie (https://lottiefiles.com) Live: iOS (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hostelworld-hostel-travel-app/id348890820), Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hostelworld.app&gl=US) THE PROBLEM Hostelworld is one of the largest hostel booking platforms in the world, but its apps worked as a booking tool and nothing more. Travellers booked a bed and then left, even though meeting other travellers is a large part of why people stay in hostels. CALL 1: AUDIT THE STRUCTURE My first task was to audit the structure and user flows of both apps. I made a visual map of the app's architecture to show how sections and journeys were organized. It showed where journeys broke and where there was room to add something. CALL 2: DESIGN SOCIAL FEATURES During my time at Hostelworld I designed several social features: Chats, Events, Profiles and views of who else is in the same hostel. Using the same mapping approach, I defined their structure with detailed sitemaps, UX mockups and early prototypes. CALL 3: PROTOTYPE AND TEST We focused on Chats for cities, hostels and individuals. We tested several prototypes and ran usability studies to see how travellers engaged. This iterative process improved the UX to support real, meaningful connections. CALL 4: RELEASE AS AN A/B TEST Once we had built confidence through testing, we shipped Chat as an A/B test in Madrid and Barcelona. From there we kept iterating, with interviews, surveys and flow analysis. Chats were limited behind a booking, which gave solo travellers a reason to book in the app. CALL 5: LINKUPS We used the same user-centered approach for Events, later renamed Linkups. The feature helps travellers find nearby activities and connect with others. The goal was to make social discovery as easy as booking a stay. CALL 6: PROFILES As a natural next step, we reworked the profile. We redesigned the layout to better show personal details, travel preferences and interests, so people could find common ground and decide who to connect with. CALL 7: MODERNIZE THE CORE Beyond the social features, we modernized the whole app. Booking, Trips and Account were redesigned to be cleaner and easier to navigate, and we added a dark mode for comfort in low light and consistency across platforms. RESULT - 40% to 60% of bookings come through the app channel, in less than 2 years - 67% of bookers, 1.4 million people, joined social features within 18 months - Bookings grew 50% year on year in 2023 - Play Store rating up from 3.8 to 4.5 stars WHAT I LEARNED A feature that sits beside the core product can change how people use it. Adding the social layer changed why travellers opened the app, and the booking numbers followed.