How BIG4 Caloundra and BIG4 Maroochy River Streamlined Operations and Grew Direct Bookings

Driving guest satisfaction and revenue with Newbook

SEQ Properties, a leading enterprise operator in Australia’s holiday park industry, owns and manages the popular BIG4 Caloundra Waterfront Holiday Park and BIG4 Maroochy River Holiday Park. These parks are renowned for their family-friendly amenities, prime locations, and ice cream pedal carts for that added bit of extra joy. 

To support their commitment to outstanding guest experiences and operational excellence, SEQ Properties relies on Storable’s Newbook platform. The software has been a cornerstone of their growth strategy—enabling efficient operations, personalized guest communication, and a surge in direct, online bookings.

The Challenge

Managing multiple parks with diverse needs, SEQ Properties needed a robust, reliable, and flexible property management system to scale their operations and elevate guest service without overburdening staff. 

Key challenges included:

• Tapping into new streams of revenue without compromising service quality.
• Communicating with guests at scale.
• Increasing direct online bookings to reduce third-party commissions.
• Coordinating housekeeping and operational logistics seamlessly.

There’s no way we could do that alone. So thank god the platform does that. – Angus Booker, SEQ Properties

The Solution

To streamline operations, improve the guest experience, and increase direct revenue across both BIG4 parks, SEQ Properties implemented a range of features from Newbook’s platform.

• Automated guest communications
  SEQ Properties used Newbook’s automated email features to send over 280,000 automatic emails—from quote to confirmation, arrival instructions, and post-stay follow-ups. Angus joked, “it makes me worried that we over-communicate.”
  
• Dynamic pricing to maximize revenue
  “My top three features for Newbook would be dynamic pricing,” said Angus, “what it’s done for squeezing the last bit of demand out of the market has been fantastic.” By leveraging Newbook’s dynamic pricing tools, SEQ has been able to adapt quickly to demand fluctuations and get the most value out of high-traffic periods.
  
• Operational efficiency and housekeeping tools
  On-site staff benefit from streamlined housekeeping management and simplified grounds operations, allowing them to focus more on guest service. Angus shared, “being able to coordinate those operations of the park… that’s also in our top three.”
  
• Improved service through Newbook’s user-friendly interface
  “It’s a wildly sophisticated platform but it’s a wildly usable platform,” said Angus. Newbook’s intuitive design and user-friendly interface give staff the ability to manage bookings quickly and easily—even during busy check-in times.
  
• Robust support and reliability
  “This probably dates back 12 years. We got on board and have never looked back–never once for a moment thought “geez we should look around”. Newbook just keeps continuing to evolve. It’s stable. It’s well supported. There’s someone on the phone within two rings, so there’s never a sense that we’re alone on this.”

The Growth

With Newbook, BIG4 Caloundra Waterfront and BIG4 Maroochy River have achieved measurable, impressive results:

• $90,000 in additional revenue at BIG4 Caloundra through pedal carts, ice cream, late checkouts, and more.
• $45,000 in incremental revenue at BIG4 Maroochy River from similar offerings.
• A combined increase of 1,600 direct online bookings year-over-year, reducing third-party costs and increasing margins.
• Over 280,000 automated guest emails—creating consistent, personalized guest communication while reducing manual workload.

Newbook’s user-friendly interface and powerful automation allow staff to focus more on the guest experience and less on administrative tasks. This operational efficiency contributes directly to guest satisfaction and loyalty.

Looking Ahead

As SEQ Properties continues to evolve its parks and offerings, the team remains confident in their partnership with Newbook to help them scale, innovate, and deliver outstanding guest experiences.

We backed Newbook and got on board and have never looked back and have never once for a moment thought– geez we should look around. It just keeps continuing to evolve. – Angus Booker, SEQ Properties

That long-term trust and commitment to continuous improvement is what positions SEQ Properties—and their BIG4 parks—for even greater success in the years to come.