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Case Study

Coworking Space Booking Portal

A self-service booking portal for coworking operators that shows real-time desk and room availability, handles Stripe payments, generates time-limited smart-lock access codes, and gives members a full booking history dashboard.

⏱ 5 weeks implementation 💰 ROI in 10 weeks
Coworking Space Booking Portal
1

Browse & Select

Member selects a desk or room from the live availability calendar and picks a date and time slot.

2

Stripe Checkout

Secure Stripe payment is completed; a VAT invoice is automatically generated and emailed.

3

Booking Confirmation

Instant confirmation email and SMS with booking details and the unique access PIN code.

4

Smart-Lock Access

Member enters the PIN at the door; the lock verifies the time window and grants entry.

5

Operator Reporting

Daily utilisation and revenue report automatically sent to the coworking operator.

Project Scope & Capabilities

Real-Time Availability

Live calendar showing desk and meeting-room availability, updated instantly as bookings are made or cancelled, preventing double bookings across all member sessions.

Stripe Payments & Invoicing

Seamless Stripe checkout with automatic VAT invoicing emailed to the member, and a reconciliation report for the operator generated daily.

Smart-Lock Access Codes

Time-limited PIN codes generated per booking and sent by email and SMS, activating only during the booked slot and automatically expiring afterwards.

Implementation Timeline

Phase Duration Description
UX Design & Planning Week 1 Booking flow design, Supabase schema, Stripe account setup, and smart-lock API evaluation.
Backend Development Weeks 2-3 Supabase real-time availability engine, Stripe integration, access code generation, and notification services.
Frontend Development Weeks 3-4 Astro booking portal, member dashboard, admin panel, and mobile-responsive design.
Hardware Integration & Testing Week 5 Smart-lock API integration, end-to-end booking flow testing, and production deployment.
Launch & Onboarding Week 5 Member onboarding emails, operator training, monitoring setup, and handover documentation.

Cost Analysis

Development

$6,500

Full-stack booking portal, Stripe integration, smart-lock API, and member dashboard.

Infrastructure

$75/mo

Supabase hosting, Stripe fees, SMS costs, and smart-lock API subscription.

Maintenance

$120/mo

Feature updates, new space onboarding, monitoring, and technical support.

Return on Investment

Self-service 24/7

Booking Efficiency

Members book at any time without staff involvement, reducing front-desk enquiries by 70%.

+28%

Space Utilisation

Real-time availability and easy online booking drive higher desk and room fill rates.

15 hrs/week

Admin Hours Saved

Automated payments, access codes, and reporting replace manual administrative tasks.

4.7/5 rating

Member Satisfaction

Members rate the seamless self-service experience highly in post-booking surveys.

Testing & Quality Assurance

Automated Testing

  • Concurrent booking stress test with 80 simultaneous users
  • Stripe payment and webhook reliability validation
  • Smart-lock access code generation and time-window expiry tests
  • Real-time availability sync accuracy across sessions

Manual Validation

  • Full member booking journey tested on mobile and desktop
  • Smart-lock door access validated on-site with five test bookings
  • Operator report reviewed for accuracy against Stripe dashboard
  • Member dashboard acceptance testing with three pilot members

"We cut our front-desk workload in half the first week. Members love being able to book a desk at midnight if they need it, and the smart-lock codes just work every time."

James Whitfield · Operations Manager, a coworking operator · Implemented May 2025

Ready to Launch a Self-Service Booking Portal?

Let's discuss how a real-time coworking booking platform can increase utilisation and deliver a frictionless experience for your members.