Bray Lake Watersports unifies operations and increases bookings with Sailia

Discover how this Berkshire watersports centre saved time, increased bookings, and unified on-water and on-land operations by switching to Sailia.

Set around a 50-acre lake near Windsor and Maidenhead, Bray Lake Watersports is one of the UK’s premier independent outdoor activity centres. Open seven days a week, year-round, the centre welcomes thousands of families, individuals, and groups looking to get out on the water. From stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and kayaking to windsurfing, open-water swimming, and canoeing, the site handles high volumes of equipment hire, launching, and expert tuition. Complete with an on-site café and shop, Bray Lake Watersports is a true lakeside community hub.

The Challenge

Running a high-traffic watersports facility requires seamless coordination behind the scenes. Between managing on-water schedules, equipment rentals, safety logistics, staff rotas, and a busy café and shop, the operational demands at Bray Lake are intense, particularly during peak seasons.

Bray Lake found that their previous booking system created a number of operational bottlenecks:

• Front-Desk Headaches: The old software was rigid and cumbersome, creating administrative hurdles at reception during check-ins and peak hours.

• Peak-Time Vulnerability: Managing busy holiday periods or weekends was a nightmare, with the software failing to scale under the pressure of high-volume traffic.

• Fragmented Operations: Activity bookings and on-site café/shop purchases relied on separate POS systems, leading to duplicate reconciliation workflows.

• Non-Existent Support: When things went wrong with the system, customer service was non-existent.

With the team spending too much time troubleshooting and managing customer queues instead of delivering great experiences, Bray Lake needed a purpose-built system capable of handling the fluid, fast-paced nature of a busy watersports centre.

The Solution

In early 2026, Bray Lake Watersports made the switch to Sailia to centralise their business into a single system. This transition has delivered major operational advantages:

• Unified Booking & On-Site POS: Sailia successfully united all online bookings and on-site sales into a single POS system, eliminating the reliance on fragmented tools while simplifying accounting and reconciliation.

• Slick Customer Journeys: The customer-facing booking process is now seamless, allowing visitors to quickly view availability, secure their slots, and manage their visits online.

• Real-Time Visibility: Staff gained the ability to easily track capacity, handle on-the-day arrivals, and process payments without disrupting the flow of the reception desk.

• Rapid, Expert Support: Unlike their previous vendor, Sailia provide a fast, responsive, and genuinely helpful support team to assist Bray Lake whenever needed.

The Results

By replacing an outdated, fragmented setup with an all-in-one platform, Bray Lake has successfully streamlined its day-to-day operations. Key outcomes include:

• No More Reception Bottlenecks: The front-desk headaches have been eliminated, creating a relaxed, welcoming experience for arriving guests.

• Increased Booking Volumes: The new online booking flow has resulted in an increase in total bookings.

• Unified Management: Café sales, equipment hire, and on-water revenue are now tracked and managed under a single dashboard, giving the management team total visibility over the entire site.
  
  

Testimonial

"Switching to Sailia has changed everything. Managing busy periods was a nightmare with our old system, and when things went wrong, customer support was non-existent. But now we are using Sailia, the booking process for customers is easy, the POS system works everywhere on-site, the support is incredibly quick when we need it, and we have seen a clear increase in online bookings.

There isn’t a system out there that matches Sailia for watersport centres. During a busy school holiday or bank holiday weekend, Sailia is the system you need to be using.”

Cat Derham, Operations Manager, Bray Lake Watersports

Why Bray Lake Watersports Chose Sailia

Bray Lake Watersports needed a platform built specifically for the outdoor industry, capable of seamlessly managing water activities alongside on-site hospitality. They chose Sailia because it delivers:

• Purpose-Built for Watersports: Unlike generic booking tools, Sailia understands the reality of running a busy multi-activity venue, seamlessly handling equipment hire, launch management, and lesson scheduling out of the box.

• Total Integration: By joining online bookings and on-site POS into a single ecosystem, Sailia cut down administrative friction and simplified day-to-day work for their staff.

• Industry-Leading Support: A platform backed by a team that understands the outdoor sector, providing the tailored features and highly responsive, personal support needed to thrive during peak season.

Ready to streamline your operations like Bray Lake Watersports?

Join Bray Lake Outdoors and hundreds of experience-led businesses using Sailia to deliver seamless, professional experiences, from the booking screen to the water's edge. Click here to book a call with the team today.