At Golden Country Motel & Caravan Park in Maryborough, Victoria, owners Theresa and Dirk Arnold have built more than just an accommodation business—they’ve cultivated a welcoming, family-friendly escape that blends hospitality with heart.
But as their business grew, they realized that creating that same inviting experience online would require better management tools. Enter Newbook: the secret weapon for parks that want to work smarter, not harder.
Terri and Dirk turned chaos into calm, proving you don’t have to be a tech wizard to run a killer operation. They’ve got bookings on lock, maintenance on autopilot, and guests checking in without a hitch.
Ready to see how they made it happen? Let’s dive in.
The Challenge
A Disconnect in the Guest Experience
For Theresa and Dirk, it was all about continuity—delivering a seamless, professional experience from the first click to the final check-out. But their old property management system was falling short.
“Our biggest issue was the online booking experience,” explains Theresa. “When guests clicked ‘Book Now,’ the branding disappeared. It looked like they’d left our website entirely—it was jarring. People didn’t know if they were still booking with us.”
That confusion didn’t just affect their brand—it impacted trust, conversions, and the ability to present their business the way they intended.
A Balancing Act on the Back End
Theresa handles most of the back end admin and reporting. In fact, she sends a weekly report to their local visitor information center. In the past, she resorted to screen shots and separate reports for each of their accommodation types: caravan lots, cabins, and motel rooms.
While Theresa ran the admin, Dirk was managing the property including a team of housekeepers and maintenance workers. Managing schedule, check-outs, cleanings, and check-ins across teams was a never ending challenge.
The Solution
Booking Interface That Reflects Their Brand
Switching to Newbook transformed how Golden Country Motel & Caravan Park manages bookings and day-to-day operations. One of the biggest improvements Theresa and Dirk noticed right away was how seamlessly Newbook’s booking interface aligned with their branding. Theresa explained,
“The old booking page was very generic and didn’t reflect who we are. Newbook’s interface feels like an extension of our website, which helps guests feel more confident when they book.”
Time Saved with User-Friendly Tools
Beyond the polished booking experience, Newbook also helped Theresa save significant time in administration. The system’s intuitive design meant she could quickly navigate bookings and reports without the steep learning curve of the old platform.
Before, Theresa was sharing disorganized reports that weren’t able to encompass their various accommodation types, but with Newbook,“it takes seconds—not minutes and that’s a huge huge advantage.”
Tech Support That Empowers Non-Tech Experts
Another vital benefit was Newbook’s hands-on support team. You don’t have to be a tech wizard to run an efficient, customer friendly tech-driven business thanks to the responsive and patient Newbook support.
Theresa recounted, “I love the TeamViewer sessions they do with you. I say, ‘I’m still not following,’ the team will slow it down and take me through it again. It’s like they switch into training mode and really make sure I understand. That makes me feel great because it’s not just a quick fix—it’s real help.”
Newbook’s support team uses TeamViewer to visually and verbally walk clients through how our systems work. Our mission is to empower our clients to get the most of their management tools and feel confident in how they’re running their business.
Simplifying Property Maintenance & Housekeeping
Newbook also streamlined property maintenance and housekeeping. The automated task system generates cleaning and maintenance jobs whenever guests check out, eliminating hours of manual scheduling.
Dirk, who handles maintenance, said, “Since we started using Newbook less than a year ago, over 1,200 tasks have been automatically created. That saves us countless hours we used to spend manually assigning jobs.”
This automation not only reduces administrative burden but also ensures that no tasks are overlooked, helping maintain the high standards guests expect. It allows Dirk and his team to focus more on the guest experience rather than juggling logistics behind the scenes.
The Growth
Time Savings, Guest Satisfaction, and Operational Clarity
Since switching to Newbook, Golden Country has seen significant improvements in operations, including:
- Better communication with guests through confirmation letters that include personalized maps and group booking features.
- Streamlined availability reporting—now sent in seconds to the local Visitor Information Centre with a clear, professional look.
- Automated housekeeping and maintenance tasks, with over 1,200 jobs created without lifting a finger.
“The group bookings used to take ages to organize manually. With Newbook, guests can assign their own rooms, which saves us a ton of time. And the housekeeping and maintenance features simplify things by automatically generating tasks so we don’t have to manage everything by hand.” — Theresa Arnold
Dirk agrees: “Before, we were in the business. Now we’re learning how to work on the business.”
Looking Ahead
Building a Smarter, More Personalized Guest Experience
As Golden Country continues to grow, the Arnolds are confident Newbook will scale with them—empowering their team to focus less on admin and more on what matters most: their guests.
Theresa commented, “we’re definitely not tech experts, but Newbook’s support makes it easy and helps us run a smooth operation without the headaches”
With better tools, stronger support, and more time to engage with guests, the success of this caravan & motel park is imminent. And for Theresa and Dirk—the future is looking golden.
Want to learn more?
Want to learn more about how you can use Newbook the same way Golden Country Motel & Caravan Park has? Speak to one of our Market Consultants!
