Case Study - Reach 4 The Alps

Overview

Reach 4 The Alps is a chalet rental platform operating across highly seasonal winter and summer markets. The project involves a full migration from WordPress to Craft CMS, rebuilding the site’s core infrastructure — property management, availability modelling, search logic, and content architecture — within a structured, scalable system.

Rather than applying a redesign to an existing theme, the work focuses on replacing a simplified availability model with a structured system capable of reflecting how properties are actually sold — including flexible dates, capacity rules, and short-break logic.

The migration is being executed incrementally under a monthly retainer agreement. The platform currently operates in a controlled hybrid state, with core search and availability now powered by Craft, and full transition planned ahead of the upcoming rental season.

Availability & Search Architecture

The core of the platform is a custom-built availability and filtering engine designed specifically for chalet rentals.

Each property contains structured availability blocks with defined date ranges, capacity (rooms and beds), status states, pricing data, and flags for short breaks or special offers. This replaces the rigid search constraints of the previous system with a model that reflects how the business actually operates.

Search logic supports both exact-date and flexible-date enquiries. Guests can specify a fixed stay, select an entire month, or apply ±N day flexibility. The engine then evaluates:

• Date overlap and duration rules
• Capacity validation (beds and rooms)
• Property type (catered / self-catered)
• Facility matching using AND-based filtering
• Offer logic using OR-based conditions
• Status exclusions to prevent overselling

Short breaks are handled differently from standard weekly stays, allowing more flexible duration matching without compromising availability integrity.

Outcome & Ongoing Evolution

The platform now operates on a structured availability model that reflects how the business actually sells properties, rather than approximating it through simplified assumptions.

Core search and filtering logic are stable within Craft CMS, providing a controlled foundation for full migration away from WordPress ahead of the upcoming rental season.

Under an ongoing retainer, the system continues to evolve incrementally — refining edge cases, extending capability, and preparing the platform for long-term operational stability.