Pacific Spirit Hostel is a fun and affordable hostel located on the safe and accessible campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada.
As part of the UBC Conferences and Accommodations portfolio of properties, the Pacific Spirit Hostel website needed to carve out a unique identity for itself—one that is youthful, adventurous, playful, carefree and budget-friendly, all with a touch of nostalgia and retro warmth. It also needed to appeal as an attractive, reliable alternative to staying in downtown Vancouver, where lodging can be an expensive, mixed bag of offerings.
In order to attract the desired demographic of adventure-seeking, budget-conscious youth to the site, we emphasized dramatic photography, and a colourful pattern inspired by native foliage, to best convey the natural landscape and beauty surrounding UBC.
Specifically, we needed to highlight Pacific Spirit Hostel’s close proximity to the incredible beaches lining Vancouver’s stunning coast and to the amazing forested areas that surround UBC, like the 874 hectare Pacific Spirit Regional Park located on the University Endowment Lands. An “Attractions” page further detailed the Beaches, Park & Gardens, Museums & Galleries, Food & Drink, and Fitness options located within an accessible distance of the hostel.
Navigation was kept simple and booking options were kept readily available via sticky header navigation, main banners, and an interruptor call to action that promotes the hostel’s $49/night starting rate.
An area map and FAQ section (strategically anchor linked to across the site) were built into the footer to ensure easy access to that important information and Trip Advisor and Booking.com widgets were strategically placed throughout the site to build our audience’s confidence in the brand and to provide them with easy access to impartial ratings and reviews.
