/ Stayaltered

Booking platform for community-based tourism

Travel & hospitality

Services:

Web development

Software modernization

Third-party integration

The team

WordPress Developer

Node.js developer

Project manager

Technologies

Node.js

WordPress

Custom UI components

Integrations

Katanox

Hyperguest

Timeline: 1 year

Website: https://stayaltered.com/

Travel should enhance communities. Yet today, most tourism dollars flow to global chains and middlemen, leaving little behind for the people who make destinations special. Our client’s company, Altering Hospitality was born in 2022 from a simple belief: local travel experiences should benefit locals first. As a close group of American entrepreneurs who traveled around the world, they came up with an idea to change the scene, and started their Stay Altered project to achieve it.

They wanted to create a solution to keep money in local communities while giving travelers richer, more meaningful experiences. This would build connections, reward conscious choices, and ensure tourism benefited the people who made destinations special. At the heart of their platform were going to be three key principles: Independent (personally-run stays), Impactful ( support for local communities), and Rewarding (perks for travelers choosing meaningful stays).

Global OTAs dominated the market with cookie-cutter hotels, making it hard for authentic, community-based tourism to thrive. Stay Altered had built a solution to empower independent hosts and conscious travelers, but to scale their vision, they needed seamless integrations and a more robust technical foundation. With this, they turned to COAX.

When our client came to us in mid-2023, they already had a working platform for their vision, but needed upgrades to turn it into a seamless online travel booking tool. Their existing WordPress site required integrations with Catanox and Hyperguest to automate bookings. They were also struggling with UI constraints, and we needed to enhance the user experience. We brought in specialized WordPress expertise while handling backend integrations in Node.js.

We started by tackling the Catanox integration first. Though delays pushed completion of this community tourism-inspired product into summer, we used that time to refine the UI, making the platform intuitive for hosts and travelers. By late August, we began work on the Hyperguest integration and completed it by early 2025. For faster cycles, we used a rapid, simplified Kanban methodology with clear statuses, regular updates, and post-approval iterations.

As a result of our work, the Stay Altered community based tourism platform now has a smoother booking flow where travelers check real-time availability across partner platforms while still supporting their core mission. Despite tight resources, time limitations, and testing challenges (lean due to budget constraints, requiring quick fixes post-launch), we helped future-proof their platform, ensuring their model could keep growing.

User role

Admin
Admins oversee this platform for community tours and travel, managing hosts and ensuring all listings align with the platform’s values. They verify new hosts, monitor bookings through Catanox and Hyperguest integrations, and maintain the platform’s integrity. A standout feature is their ability to step into any host’s account to resolve issues, keeping the travel ecosystem smooth and trustworthy.
Host
Hosts curate unique local culture-based, adventure, and slow travel destinations, from family-run homes to eco-conscious retreats. Their dashboard lets them list properties, manage bookings (via integrated widgets like Hyperguest), and connect with travelers seeking authentic experiences. By joining the Stay Altered Host Collective, hosts gain visibility among mindful travelers and tools to grow their business.
Guest
Guests discover and book stays that match their values, earning rewards for choosing eligible stays and sustainable tourism initiatives. The platform’s integrations let them check real-time availability across partners like Catanox, then book directly. With every stay, they unlock perks, from local experiences to future discounts, knowing their travel dollars support responsible tourism destinations and the communities behind them.

Key features

/ Features

Host profile

The host profile acts as a personal hub where hosts showcase their unique stays and hospitality style. It displays all their listed properties in one place, making it easy for travelers to discover their offerings. Hosts can update their profile description, photos, and philosophy to connect with guests who share their community based sustainable tourism values.

Places creation and management

Hosts can list their properties through an onboarding process that begins with creating a listing profile — adding property name, location, and accommodation type, along with photos. They can then define amenities, common areas, and services (like workspaces, dining options), and tag relevant styles (e.g., "Good for Couples," "Pet-Friendly"). Hosts also set pricing, availability, and booking policies, and enrich their listing with storytelling elements — philosophy, history, and mission. Finally, they provide host profiles, including languages spoken and local expertise.

Places search

The system features smart search filters by destination, travel dates, property type, and sustainability features. Guests can view property tags like "Good for Couples" or "Pet Friendly" on the listing details page, helping them quickly identify stays that match their needs. Whether they need slow travel destinations or a workation opportunity, they will find it easily.

Place categories

Guests can filter stays by category (e.g., Glamping, Solo Travel) to find properties that match their preferences for specific community tours and travel. Hosts assign a category to their listing during setup, ensuring it appears in relevant searches. This helps travelers quickly locate suitable accommodations while giving hosts a way to highlight their property’s unique features.

Booking stays

The platform provides detailed property profiles with photos, host stories, and local experiences, helping travelers make informed choices that support community tourism. Each listing displays ratings, awards, mentions, and guest reviews to help travelers evaluate the property at a glance. Once guests find their ideal stay, the booking system shows real-time availability, room types, maximum occupancy, reservation & cancellation policies, and the map showing exact location.

Instabook

The Instabook process allows guests to instantly confirm a reservation by selecting available dates, room type, and guest count, with real-time availability and pricing displayed. After reviewing amenities and property details, guests proceed to a secure checkout where payment is processed through an encrypted system. Once completed, the guest and host receive immediate booking confirmation with all reservation details.

Rewards program

Guests automatically earn 9% rewards on standard bookings and 50% rewards when choosing sustainable stays marked with the platform's eco-badge. These rewards accumulate as travel credits that can be applied toward future stays, redeemed for local experiences, or donated to community projects. Frequent travelers unlock additional perks like priority booking and exclusive access to special events.

Ambassador badges

The Ambassadors badge is awarded to hosts in the top 10% globally, based on guest ratings, while the Leaders badge honors those deeply valued by their local communities. Guests can specifically search within this premium category only. A special setup allows guests to search for Ambassador Hosts with additional filters for property types, host specialties, sustainability impact, dietary needs, and accessibility features. For travelers seeking eco friendly vacation rentals, these badges are trusted markers for properties that go above and beyond.

Business outcomes

Our integration of Catanox and Hyperguest booking systems improved Stay Altered’s reservation workflow, enabling real-time availability checks and seamless redirects to partner platforms. The redesigned UI improved conversion rates by simplifying property discovery and making the booking journey for guests faster and more convenient. These enhancements supported the platform's growth to its current scale of 170+ verified properties across 45+ countries.

The platform is expanding to empower tourism organizations, including DMOs, chambers of commerce, and local boards, to amplify their impact. This new “Stay Altered for destinations” the initiative will help destinations implement community service travel programs, adding to tourism’s positive effects on local economies.

Client feedback

‍

I was most impressed by the quality of the end product.

While my ideas formed the basis for the work, they delivered a far more superior product than I imagined with greater flexibility and viability of features. They exceeded expectations so many times it got to the point I couldn't wait to see what they came up with next.

Dan Brooks

President, Krytter

See the project

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