Read Our Latest Hotel Case Studies | SiteMinder

SiteMinder Drives 180% Revenue Boost for 眷村 Guest House 1954 in Taipei

Mark Dawson — Mon, 19 May 2025 04:59:26 +0000

The 79 Hospitality Management Group (79HMG)’s 眷村 Guest House 1954, located in Taiwan’s historic Sanchong Air Force Military Dependents’ Village, offers a stay that is genuinely one-of-a-kind and resembles entering a living memory. This boutique guest house is a hidden gem for families, couples, and single travelers looking for a slower, more soulful experience because of its carefully preserved architecture and worn exteriors, which combine nostalgic ambiance with thoughtful modern comfort.

Just a year after it opened, 眷村 Guest House 1954 has already become well-known for its unique idea. The establishment is a part of 79HMG’s new hospitality brand, the “79 Military Village Revival Guesthouse Series,” which aims to connect Taiwan’s rich local history with tourism.

The completely non-smoking guest house offers free WiFi, outdoor seating areas, shared restrooms, and air-conditioned rooms. Additionally, some rooms have private balconies, which are ideal for taking in the tranquil surroundings. In keeping with its goal of creating genuine, memorable travel experiences, the hotel offers a paid airport shuttle service and promotes outdoor exploration.

Every element of 眷村 Guest House 1954 has been carefully chosen to provide more than just lodging. The motto that guides their hospitality philosophy is “Stay in history, discover a story,” which invites visitors to engage, pause, and feel a part of Taiwan’s living past.

Juggling guest experience with operational gaps

The core of everything at 眷村 Guest House 1954 is creating memorable guest experiences. According to CEO Roy Chao, this entails more than just providing a place to sleep; it also entails personal connection, cultural immersion, and storytelling.

“Enjoying the brand, learning about local culture, and making enduring memories are the keys to a positive customer experience,” he says.

The team uses what they refer to as the MEMO theory, a strategic framework based on four pillars—Map the Connect, Ensure Real-Time Update, Minimize Manual Work, and Optimize Performance Data—to inform their service philosophy.

Chao continues, “We particularly value the ‘E’ in MEMO, which stands for both Easy and Efficiency.”

But as the hotel grew and started to serve a wider range of tourists, including families, couples, and leisure travelers, internal procedures started to lag. It was challenging to control room availability across platforms. Rate updates took a lot of time and were done manually. Bookings and the team’s capacity for rapid response were both impacted by system synchronization delays.

“The challenge was clear: our staff needed better tools to respond to customer needs in real time,” Chao continued. “We need a smarter, more connected way to do it, but promptly attending to staff needs allows them to respond to customer demands efficiently.”

The team eventually looked beyond their current configuration in order to find a solution that fit with their MEMO-driven approach to hospitality, as the need for centralized control and streamlined operations grew.

The backbone behind a seamless experience

SiteMinder was more than just another operational tool for 眷村 Guest House 1954; it signaled a significant change toward more intelligent and effective hotel management. According to Chao, the platform is a calculated step to improve overall operational effectiveness and expedite daily procedures.

“Using SiteMinder is a key strategy to enhance hotel operational efficiency,” he said. “It’s not just about channel management, it’s the first step toward intelligent and streamlined hotel operations.”

The team successfully synchronized room rates and availability across all platforms in real-time by utilizing SiteMinder’s Channel Manager. The risk of human error was greatly decreased by this degree of automation, which also enabled the hotel to react swiftly to consumer demand.

“Room inventory management becomes simpler,” Chao explains. “It gives me more time to focus on pricing strategies and revenue optimization.”

Better visibility, enhanced control over all sales channels, and quicker rate adjustment execution were all made possible by this smooth update system.

The hotel’s MEMO service philosophy is perfectly aligned with the transformation. Effective system connection mapping is made possible by SiteMinder, which also guarantees real-time updates, reduces the need for manual intervention, and maximizes access to performance data for improved decision-making. Business outcomes were directly impacted by these operational improvements.

“If we compare the revenue from 2024, the REV growth is over 180%,” says Chao.

Following the hotel’s adoption of SiteMinder’s DemandPlus solution, which increased their visibility on international metasearch engines like Google, Trivago, and Tripadvisor, their growth continued.

“Before, most bookings came from local travelers. Since the switch, we’ve seen a substantial increase in international reservations,” Chao shares.

In the last two months alone, revenue has increased by over 180% and even more than 500%. The benefits were immediate and evident, with more bookings coming from direct and international sources and less time spent on manual updates.

“I can do more things in less time. I’ve seen an increase in direct bookings, reduced errors, and overall, it’s made my job more enjoyable,” he says.

The group is actively looking for platforms that can assist in managing multiple sites at once, something SiteMinder is well-positioned to support, as they look to expand to more hotels and properties in the future.

As 眷村 Guest House 1954 continues to evolve, SiteMinder will be there every step of the way to help them reach new heights!

From Manual Struggles to Smart Solutions: SiteMinder Powers Success at Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen

Mark Dawson — Thu, 08 May 2025 01:46:54 +0000

Just a minute’s walk from Ximen MRT Station, Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen offers a modern stay enriched with Japanese hospitality, right in the heart of bustling Taipei.

Since opening its doors in February 2024, spacious and well-appointed guest rooms as well as proximity to one of the city’s most vibrant areas have rapidly made it win over a devoted following of enthusiasts, with couples being especially smitten with the hotel.

All 200 of the hotel’s guest rooms, which range from basic doubles to luxurious triples, are comfortable. In addition to amenities like Japanese-style nightwear, and a multilingual TV system, every room has premium Serta beds, an air cleaner, and high-speed Wi-Fi.

In addition, visitors can avail themselves of the hotel’s convenient self-service kiosks, which provide a seamless arrival by avoiding delays.

Public areas in the hotel are also of note. Multi-day stays are made easy through the ice machine and self-service laundry, while a minimalist lounge area offers an unobtrusive setting for business or unwinding. Apart from the free coffee at lobby level, customers enjoy the convenient presence of the nearby 7-Eleven store.

With this combination of comfort, effectiveness, and neighborhood accessibility, Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen is a modern stay tailor-made for the modern traveler.

The hidden cost of manual communication

Creating a stay that connects with local culture and is remembered for a long time to come is more important than providing guests with just comfort at Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen. In an attempt to immerse the visitors in Taipei culture, the hotel frequently hosts events in the premises and combines them with interesting internet promotions.

Their usual patrons, mostly couples, enjoy cozy, personalized, and special experiences.

But as bookings grew, the team was confronted with a growing problem: front desk personnel were manually handling guests for a considerable amount of time. Because of this absence of efficiency, the team embarked on finding an alternative.

“We needed a way to streamline communication between the front desk and guests because it takes up a lot of time,” says Jimmy Tang, Revenue Management Manager.

By adding GuestJoy through SiteMinder, the team was able to automate guest messaging, reducing the level of manual effort but still maintaining the friendly, engaging tone.

Elevating revenue and efficiency

To enhance operations and power better decisions, the hotel embraced several SiteMinder products: Channel Manager, Insights, Hotel App Store, and Guest Engagement. Tang, who has worked with various properties, was already familiar with SiteMinder.

“All the hotels I work with use SiteMinder. It’s easy to use, intuitive, and works for both beginners and experienced users,” he says.

One of the clearest wins was automating pre-arrival confirmations, saving over 30 hours of front desk time each month by reducing manual guest communication.

“Even that alone has made a huge difference,” Tang adds. With time freed up, staff can focus more on personalizing service, leading to happier, more satisfied guests.

GuestJoy’s upsell feature has also been a revenue driver, especially for luxury or resort-type hotels. Tang conservatively estimates being able to generate total revenue 1-2% higher with manual upsell offers alone.

“From a return on ad spend perspective, achieving a 10:1 return is not difficult,” he notes.

The staff has also seen solid performance from other Guest Engagement (formerly known as GuestJoy) tools, utilizing it for feedback surveys. Having integrated it with Google Maps, they noticed a huge spike in review activity: receiving 28 new reviews in two weeks, a 200% boost from their usual rate. For lower-rated feedback (three stars or below), guests are encouraged to share their feedback internally so that the team can learn and improve without affecting their public image negatively.

Tang also suggested how the Guest Engagement tool can be beneficial for hoteliers who would like to grow their TripAdvisor reviews, which enlarge their chance to participate in Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Hotels and improve their property image in general.

On the analytics front, SiteMinder Insights has become an indispensable tool for revenue management.

“I keep the dashboard open all the time,” Tang shares. “It helps me monitor real-time booking trends and identify unusual activity, like pricing issues across channels. It’s an essential tool for sharpening data instincts.”

Although the SiteMinder mobile site is easy to use, Tang observes that some basic features are easier to use through browsers. Nevertheless, being able to access it on the go is a plus.

Overall, SiteMinder has streamlined Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen’s ability to operate more efficiently, reduce overbookings, and optimize direct bookings and top-line revenue.

“I can do more in less time. The system has made my job easier, and our guests are happier for it,” Tang continued.

Looking ahead, the hotel is eager to see SiteMinder’s IDeaS collaboration implemented in Taiwan, which they believe will deliver even greater value to operations in the domestic market.

SiteMinder is proud to support Sotetsu Grand Fresa Taipei Ximen on their journey toward even greater excellence and guest satisfaction!

SiteMinder & Edgar Suites : L’alliance parfaite entre hospitalité haut de gamme et innovation technologique

Salima Sair — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 09:38:52 +0000

Créé en 2016, Edgar Suites s’est rapidement imposé comme une référence dans le secteur de l’apparthôtel haut de gamme en France. Nouvelle génération d’apparthôtels, les résidences Edgar Suites allient la flexibilité et le côté cosy d’un appartement au confort et aux services d’un hôtel. Après avoir conquis Paris, l’entreprise s’est ensuite implantée dans d’autres grandes villes de France comme Lille, Bordeaux, Cannes, et bientôt Nice, Lyon et Marseille.

Chaque logement, souvent un T3, combine espace, design et services hôteliers pour offrir une expérience unique.

« Notre force, c’est d’avoir pris le meilleur de l’hôtellerie — la propreté, la qualité de service, la réception 24h/24 — et de l’associer au confort d’un appartement spacieux, décoré avec soin », explique Grégoire Benoît, cofondateur et directeur des opérations chez Edgar Suites.

Avec des séjours en moyenne de 5 jours, Edgar Suites attire une clientèle variée : familles en visite, professionnels en déplacement ou télétravailleurs.

La marque mise essentiellement sur des quartiers situés en cœur de ville. « L’essentiel, c’est que nos clients se sentent bien, comme des locaux, avec des commerces de proximité et un accès facile aux transports.»

Aujourd’hui, le groupe compte plus de 20 résidences, représentant environ 1300 chambres réparties sur plus de 600 appartements.

Nous avons récemment discuté avec Grégoire Benoît, utilisateur du channel manager de SiteMinder.

Une expérience client exceptionnelle

Plébiscité par sa clientèle, Edgar Suites a récemment été élu meilleur hôte de France sur Airbnb et obtient la note de 9,5/10 sur Booking.

Une reconnaissance qui témoigne de la qualité de l’expérience Edgar Suites, aussi bien sur l’aspect humain que logistique.

“Quand vous allez dans un appartement Edgar Suites, vous allez avoir une décoration agréable, un service irréprochable ce qui explique nos bonnes notes. C’est vraiment le retour d’expérience de notre clientèle qui fait la différence par rapport à nos concurrents. Grâce à elle, nos résidences sont souvent bien classées et ce peu importe la ville” déclare Grégoire Benoît.

Optimiser la gestion des réservations avec SiteMinder

L’acquisition du channel manager de SiteMinder en 2020 a considérablement alléger le travail de l’équipe digitale d’Edgar Suites, contrainte à faire énormément de saisie manuelle à ses débuts en 2016.

La fluidité et l’efficacité de la technologie de SiteMinder a permis au groupe de se recentrer sur son cœur de métier, l’hospitalité.

« Nous ne sommes pas une boîte tech, nous sommes des hôteliers. Notre métier, c’est d’accueillir et servir des clients au quotidien. C’est pour cela que nous avons choisi SiteMinder, le meilleur channel manager du marché », précise Grégoire Benoît.

Depuis maintenant 5 ans, SiteMinder assure à l’entreprise une mise à jour fluide et sans bug des disponibilités de ses chambres sur tous les canaux (Booking, Expedia, site internet) en parfaite synchronisation avec leur PMS, Mews.

Simplicité, efficacité et gain de temps

“Le channel manager de SiteMinder répond exactement à nos attentes en actualisant nos disponibilités et nos tarifs au bon endroit et au bon moment sans bug ce qui est rassurant” affirme Grégoire Benoît.

Résultats: plus de surbooking et d’erreurs de réservation, les équipes opérationnelles sont libérées des tâches chronophages.

Là où la réception digitale devait autrefois gérer quotidiennement des erreurs manuelles, elle ne rencontre désormais quasiment plus d’incidents.

Une stratégie tarifaire efficace grâce à Siteminder

Grâce aux fonctionnalités avancées de SiteMinder, Edgar Suites ajuste facilement sa stratégie de disparité tarifaire selon les sites de voyage en ligne. « Notre objectif est de garantir un revenu net équivalent, peu importe la plateforme utilisée par le client. »

Cette gestion dynamique permet également de maximiser la rentabilité du groupe en limitant les commissions excessives.

Plus de réservations directes grâce à Demand Plus

En complément, l’option Demand Plus de SiteMinder permet à Edgar Suites d’augmenter la visibilité en ligne de ses appartements, notamment grâce à un meilleur référencement sur Google, et d’accroître les réservations directes.

« Cela réduit notre dépendance aux plateformes tierces tout en maintenant une belle image de marque. »

Edgar Suites poursuit son expansion avec l’ouverture de 4 à 6 nouvelles résidences par an.

L’utilisation de SiteMinder a permis d’augmenter d’environ 10 % les réservations en garantissant le bon prix, au bon moment, sur le bon canal.

SiteMinder, un partenaire fiable et réactif

SiteMinder propose un service client disponible 24h/24h ce qui garantit à ses utilisateurs d’être accompagné à tout moment.

Grégoire Benoît salue le travail des équipes :

“Le service client de SiteMinder est irréprochable. Peu importe la demande, tout se fait très rapidement, SiteMinder est très réactif.”

Il n’hésite pas d’ailleurs à recommander la solution à ses collègues hôteliers :

“ C’est tout simplement le numéro 1 du marché. Il n’y a aucun regret, cinq ans après notre choix. Si vous recherchez un channel manager fiable, fluide, sans bug, c’est celui qu’il vous faut. ”

Merci à Grégoire pour cet entretien. Nous adressons tous nos vœux de réussite à Edgar Suites pour leurs futurs projets.

Smarter, personalized stays drive revenue at The Regent Grand with SiteMinder

Andrea Cuenca — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:11:20 +0000

With just 25 rooms across 3 to 4 categories, including pool view and oceanfront suites, The Regent Grand in Turks and Caicos offers a personalized luxury escape on Grace Bay Beach. Most guests are leisure travelers, often couples or older visitors seeking a quiet, relaxing stay, while extended families tend to visit during summer and holiday seasons.

We spoke with Maria Piwowarczyk, Reservations/Revenue Manager, and Paul Telford, General Manager, about what sets their boutique property apart and how technology has supported their growth.

Creating a Personal Experience

Maria and Paul shared that The Regent Grand’s strength lies in creating truly personal guest experiences. Guests aren’t overwhelmed by traffic or noise; instead, they enjoy a relaxing stay, and that really shines through in our reviews.

“We take the time to connect with each guest and make them feel special,” says Maria.

Guests frequently mention feeling remembered and cared for, with every need anticipated. This is a key differentiator in a competitive leisure destination.

Before SiteMinder

Before SiteMinder, the team migrated from a legacy PMS with a built-in channel manager to Infor, a more modern PMS that didn’t include this functionality, creating a gap in their tech stack.

That’s when they discovered SiteMinder.

“We needed a platform that could integrate easily with our PMS and helpful tools,” says Maria. “The smooth integration and ease of use made SiteMinder an obvious choice.”

Their old system lacked API connectivity, meaning many tasks had to be done manually. As a result, they couldn’t access the insights they needed to make informed decisions.

Efficiency, Strategy & Smarter Guest Connections

With SiteMinder, The Regent Grand has significantly reduced manual work, especially around rate plan setup. The intuitive interface makes it easy to connect rate plans across room types, saving hours each week.

“It’s the little things like that that make our jobs easier,” Maria shares. “We’re saving time, and now we can focus on strategy.”

That extra time has allowed the team to dig deeper into performance data using the insights tool, refine marketing efforts, and improve their response to demand.

Communication with guests has also evolved. SiteMinder’s Guest Engagement tools, including automated pre-arrival emails, have made a major impact.

“Knowing when a guest is arriving helps us anticipate their needs and offer a more tailored welcome,” says Maria.

Encouraging post-stay reviews and connecting with guests early has strengthened their online reputation. And by integrating SiteMinder with dynamic pricing and guest engagement platforms, the team is seeing added revenue from upsells and personalizations.

Having full access to guest data has also made daily operations smoother, with the team able to retrieve information instantly without needing to reach out to other systems or departments.

The Regent Grand showcases how a boutique hotel can thrive by blending personalized service with efficient technology. Through thoughtful guest interactions and simplified operations, the team has shifted focus toward strategy and growth. SiteMinder has been instrumental in enabling this transition, helping reduce manual work, enhance communication, and improve decision-making. The result is a refined, guest-centric experience that stands out in a highly competitive leisure market like Grace Bay Beach.

Villa Varosh perfectly balances efficiency and guest experience with SiteMinder’s platform

Chandni Mandlik — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 03:08:37 +0000

Nestled in the heart of Ohrid’s Old Town and surrounded by historic Macedonian churches, Villa Varosh seamlessly blends tradition with modern comfort. This newly renovated apart-hotel offers guests the perfect balance of vibrant local experiences and serene relaxation.

Ideally located, Villa Varosh offers easy access to cultural landmarks, dining, and beaches while providing a peaceful retreat. The property features eight uniquely designed apartments, most with spacious balconies overlooking Ohrid Lake and the Old Town. Each apartment includes premium amenities such as air conditioning, heating, luxurious beds, complimentary Wi-Fi, private bathrooms, and in-room tea and coffee facilities.

Whether guests are visiting for a short getaway or an extended stay, Villa Varosh ensures a rejuvenating and memorable experience.

Table of contents

Leveraging technology for seamless operations

To deliver an exceptional guest experience and optimise daily operations, Villa Varosh relies on SiteMinder’s innovative platform for distribution, bookings, guest engagement, and website management.

“SiteMinder’s channel manager is highly customisable and significantly streamlines our operations,” said Slavica Burnazovska, owner of Villa Varosh.

“With connections to numerous distribution channels, our reach has expanded substantially. The platform’s built-in analytics provide valuable insights that enable us to make data-driven decisions to enhance our business strategy.”

Simplifying distribution with SiteMinder

“The connection with Channels Plus is simple and efficient. All amenities, images, and rates are configured in one place, and the information is seamlessly distributed across various channels. This eliminates the need to manually update multiple platforms, saving us valuable time,” explained Slavica.

Furthermore, SiteMinder’s booking engine facilitates a seamless direct booking and payment process, ensuring a frictionless experience for both guests and the property’s team.

“We have been using Demand Plus since we began with SiteMinder, as it has significantly increased our exposure on platforms like Google, TripAdvisor, and Trivago. This enhanced visibility has resulted in a substantial increase in direct bookings, reducing our reliance on third-party OTA’s.”

Another integral part of Villa Varosh’s success is Guest Engagement, a feature that enhances communication and personalises the guest experience.

“Guest Engagement has been invaluable. The automation options have streamlined communication, allowing us to efficiently connect with guests via email and SMS. This ensures we cater to guests in their preferred manner,” Slavica explains.

To further enrich the guest experience, Villa Varosh has integrated QR codes in every room, providing easy access to a digital guest directory.

“The directory offers essential information, including details about our services, recommended local attractions, and dining options. Additionally, the feedback and survey tools integrate seamlessly with TripAdvisor, contributing to a noticeable increase in our online reviews,” she added.

A flawless online presence and operational excellence

Villa Varosh has also benefited from SiteMinder’s website builder, which ensures a professional and user-friendly online presence. The website integrates effortlessly with the booking engine, remains optimized for SEO, and offers easy navigation for prospective guests. Regular updates are simple to implement, allowing the property to maintain a fresh and engaging digital presence.

With SiteMinder’s comprehensive platform, Villa Varosh has significantly improved its online visibility, operational efficiency, and guest satisfaction.

“Thanks to SiteMinder, we have been able to streamline our workflow and focus more on creating a personalized experience for our guests,” said Slavica. “The platform’s ease of use and automation capabilities have saved us valuable time, allowing us to enhance our services and maintain high standards.”

By using SiteMinder’s platform to its full potential, Villa Varosh continues to thrive, offering an unparalleled hospitality experience while optimizing operations and expanding its reach in the competitive accommodation industry.

14 West Boutique Hotel streamlines distribution and revenue with SiteMinder’s platform

Dean Elphick — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 02:59:52 +0000

Nestled just 200 steps from the shimmering Pacific Ocean, 14 West Boutique Hotel in Laguna Beach offers an exquisite blend of modern comfort and coastal charm within two unique buildings; North and South.

The property provides visitors with a home-away-from-home experience that embraces the local lifestyle. The North building features rooms with contemporary design and convenient in-suite kitchenettes, providing guests with the convenience of a home-like setting. The South building presents a traditional hotel atmosphere influenced by modern Spanish design, offering a classic yet sophisticated lodging experience.

Situated within a short stroll to Laguna Beach’s pristine shores, diverse dining establishments, and vibrant art scene, 14 West Boutique Hotel serves as the perfect gateway to experience the quintessential Southern California lifestyle.

Whether travellers are planning a brief getaway or an extended retreat, 14 West Boutique Hotel offers an invitation to be immersed in the serene beauty and cultural richness of Laguna Beach.

SiteMinder had the chance to speak with Operations Manager Samuel Ajibade, who oversees distribution, website management, and additional operational functions.

“I oversee distribution of our hotel rooms across all distribution channels and manage the hotel website,” Samuel explained. “We were one of the first customers to use Channels Plus,” he added, highlighting the property’s commitment to embracing innovative solutions.

Optimized workflows and increased productivity

14 West Laguna Beach Hotel chose SiteMinder to manage 68+ rooms efficiently, which also enabled them to increase their share of direct bookings.

Manually managing bookings across multiple platforms was consuming valuable time that was taking focus away from the property’s guests.

“It gave us an avenue to use a channel manager built specifically for the hotel industry,” Samuel explained. What impressed Samuel the most was how SiteMinder brought disparate systems together into one single platform.

“All these things were then streamlined, which has been hugely beneficial to us,” he reflected, appreciating how the previously fragmented booking and management processes had been unified into a single, efficient workflow.

Maximized revenue streams

In 2024 alone, West Boutique Hotel saw a surge in bookings through SiteMinder’s platform, securing 1,271 reservations and drawing 611 potential guests to its listing via Demand Plus. By seamlessly connecting with SiteMinder’s booking engine, the hotel enhanced its visibility and conversion rates, fully leveraging the platform to turn more lookers into bookers.

For Samuel, the direct booking functionality with Google Hotel integration stands out as the most valuable feature.

“Being able to display our direct booking rates on Google has proven invaluable for our business,” he explains. This integration has significantly increased the hotel’s revenue, allowing potential guests to book directly without intermediaries.

“Revenue and booking volumes have increased since the adoption of Channels Plus.” Samuel explains.

Samuel relies heavily on SiteMinder’s booking performance reports. These comprehensive insights allow the team to identify trends, optimise pricing strategies, and capitalise on emerging market opportunities—transforming data into actionable business intelligence that drives continued growth.

Samuel stated that “the booking performance report provides essential insights that help inform our business decisions.”

Time saved, complexity conquered with Channels Plus

Setting up Channels Plus was a breeze, according to Samuel, and his team at 14 West Laguna Beach Hotel immediately saw a real shift in how they manage their daily tasks. Instead of negotiating separately with each distribution channel and going back and forth about commission rates, they now have a simpler system.

“Channels Plus is equally impressive, allowing us to list our hotel rooms across multiple platforms without the tedious process of creating and managing separate accounts on each platform. It has helped us reduce administrative tasks and it’s super practical and functional,” he explained.

This change freed up the team’s time, letting them concentrate on what matters—creating better guest experiences rather than getting stuck with paperwork.

The accessibility of Channels Plus has opened doors to new distribution opportunities. The platform’s user-friendly process has encouraged Samuel to venture beyond familiar booking partners, leading to experimentation with channels that might have otherwise seemed challenging to implement. This increased willingness to explore new distribution channels has contributed to a more diverse and robust booking strategy.

“Our pricing strategy will always be different for each channel, that is a must,” Samuel said.

This consistent approach reflects a deliberate choice to maintain stability in their distribution channels, suggesting that once effective channels are identified, the property focuses on optimising these established pathways.

Tapping into new markets, new opportunities and more revenue

Simplifying distribution through SiteMinder’s platform didn’t just streamline operations; it opened up new market opportunities. By making it easier to connect with guests across multiple channels, the hotel expanded its reach and strengthened its competitive position.

“The more channels you have, the better your online presence,” noted Samuel. Samuel added that the volumes will keep increasing with time. “As long as you are visible in other channels, you will get a booking when the time comes.”

This success stems from the property’s expanded reach to two new channels thanks to Channels Plus, Hopper and Traveltino, which generated ten additional reservations. In fact, Samuel’s strategy is to connect to all available channels, maximising the hotel’s digital footprint across the distribution landscape.

14 West Boutique Hotel has also leveraged Demand Plus to enhance its direct booking strategy. “By featuring our property on major metasearch platforms like Google Hotel Ads, Trivago, and TripAdvisor, we’ve seen a notable increase in direct bookings,” Samuel shares. “This exposure has allowed us to reach guests who prefer booking directly, improving our occupancy rates.”

This multi-channel approach has not only diversified the guest mix but also strengthened overall revenue streams, creating a sustainable growth model for the property.

Up to 25% more bookings: How Ariv Apartments maximises efficiency with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 02:49:02 +0000

The modern, community-oriented, Ariv Apartments in Zug, Cham, offer an option for expats and business travellers looking for flexible stays ranging from one night to three months. Ariv features 27 apartments between 22 and 95 square meters, providing a unique combination of privacy and communal areas, including a fully equipped shared kitchen, a gym, conference rooms and a rooftop terrace. This thoughtful blend of personal space and shared facilities fosters a sense of home and belonging, making Ariv Apartments a distinctive choice for those seeking comfort and convenience in a flexible, short-term living environment.

This innovative approach has been implemented by Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Michela Pittaluga and her dedicated team, with help from SiteMinder’s platform to optimise operations, streamline the booking process and enhance the overall guest experience.

We spoke with Michela to find out about the benefits Ariv Apartments has experienced – from simplified channel management to improved revenue strategies, all while achieving a 20-25% increase in bookings.

Optimised workflows and increased productivity

Before using SiteMinder, managing multiple online booking channels was a major challenge for the Ariv team. Bookings were handled manually via direct emails and the process was often tedious and prone to errors, especially when it came to offering short-term stays.

From the start, Ariv recognised the potential of SiteMinder’s seamless system to streamline operations by integrating all booking platforms into a centralised system. SiteMinder’s channel manager was a game-changer for Michela and her team.

“Our main goal was to find a better system for all our booking channels and automate the workflows,” Michela explains. “Now our team can focus more on guests instead of spending time manually updating bookings.”

“We save about 50% in daily operations. We spend much less time confirming bookings and checking availability; instead, we can focus on improving the guest experience.”

By automatically synching prices, availability and reservations across multiple platforms, SiteMinder has minimised the amount of manual work needed and optimised Ariv’s processes. Thanks to this automation, the risk of overbookings or double bookings has significantly decreased, leading to higher customer satisfaction. The time savings on these daily tasks — almost 50% — have allowed the team to engage directly with guests, providing a more personalised experience.

Improved booking efficiency and 20-25% more bookings

Since the implementation of SiteMinder’s platform,, Ariv Apartments has experienced a steady increase in bookings, with an impressive increase of 20–25% in total reservations. With a growing number of bookings coming from Booking.com, Expedia and other online travel agencies (OTAs), the channel manager has become an essential tool for efficiently managing Ariv’s availability, ensuring that listings are seamlessly updated across all booking channels.

“SiteMinder optimises our booking process and ensures that our apartments are visible and available on all platforms,” says Michela. “This allows guests to book with confidence while our team can effortlessly manage the reservations. We now receive more bookings across all channels and SiteMinder’s fully automated processes are handling them independently.”

Before SiteMinder, Ariv managed all bookings manually, leading to occasional delays and missed opportunities. Thanks to automated updates across all channels, the booking process now runs smoothly, contributing to a steady increase in reservations. SiteMinder’s platform has also provided access to new booking channels, such as the Global Distribution System (GDS), expanding Ariv’s reach to an even wider audience.

Effortless setup with reliable customer support

Switching to a new management system is never easy, but the onboarding process and supportive customer service team made the transition seamless for Ariv. Michela praises the smooth setup process and explains how SiteMinder’s clear guidance and responsive support team helped her and her team along the way.

“The onboarding process was efficient, and whenever we had questions, SiteMinder’s support team was there to assist us,” Michela shares. “A reliable support network has allowed Ariv Apartments to maximise the benefits of the SiteMinder platform.”

She emphasises that having quick and knowledgeable support available has enabled her team to focus on delivering excellent service to their guests.

Focus on customer satisfaction

With SiteMinder handling the availability updates and managing the reservations, Michela’s team can now personally handle direct booking inquiries via email — a top priority for Ariv, as 50% of its revenue comes from short-term stays.

“By letting SiteMinder take care of the backend, our team is better equipped to assist guests directly,” Michela explains. “We can now respond to direct booking requests and ensure guests feel valued from the very first interaction.”

For Michela, SiteMinder is more than just a Channel Manager — it’s a tool that aligns with Ariv’s commitment to providing exceptional service. Automation has reduced operational stress for her team, allowing them to focus on the complex details of running Ariv.

The impact of SiteMinder on Ariv Apartments has been transformative: “SiteMinder has provided us with the infrastructure we need for expansion,” Michela concludes. “It is an integral part of our business strategy.”

We’d like to thank Michela for sharing Ariv’s journey with us. We look forward to supporting Ariv Apartments as it continues to grow and sets a new standard for modern, community-focused short-term accommodations.

Tattersalls Boutique Hotel Armidale harnesses the power of integration with SiteMinder and GuestPoint to drive business success

Dean Elphick — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 23:00:47 +0000

Tattersalls Boutique Hotel Armidale is a premium accommodation located in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, just over two hours inland from the popular coastal destination of Coffs Harbour.

The region is rich with spectacular waterfalls, stunning gorges, World Heritage listed national parks, along with hiking and biking trails as well as great fishing spots.

The property is unique for its historic charm, having operated since the 1850’s, and its blend of traditional atmosphere with modern amenities. It is a local landmark that is known for its a la carte restaurant, live music and stunning refurbishment.

Guests will be treated to luxurious comfort and the best facilities after they’ve been out for a day of adventuring and exploring.

Marrying the best technology to create seamless operations

Providing guests with the outstanding service that the hotel is known for starts with what’s happening behind the scenes. Attracting guests, winning their booking, and making the process easy for them is only possible with best-in-class software.

The team at Tattersalls Armidale was quick to recognise this, implementing SiteMinder’s distribution and revenue platform along with GuestPoint, a complete property management system.

Claire Davidson, Hotel Manager, noted that an absence of these leading tech solutions presented significant challenges.

“As a hotel it can be difficult to manage booking from multiple booking platforms, as well as manage and update our rates and availability across all platforms. The [previous] booking process was inefficient and wasted time and resources within the business,” she explained.

“Using SiteMinder and Guestpoint together has led to significant time and resource savings by streamlining hotel management processes. SiteMinder has reduced the manual effort of updating rates and availability and using Guestpoint as a property management system has simplified bookings, check-ins and communication with guests.”

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Perfect integration leads to positive results

When a platform like SiteMinder integrates naturally with a PMS like GuestPoint, the experience for a hotel and its guests is simplified and enhanced, creating more opportunities for the hotel to generate revenue and for travellers to get value for money.

“The integration of SiteMinder with our property management system, Guestpoint, has made it much simpler to manage multiple booking platforms and reduce the risk of over booking or errors,” Claire said.

“It has simplified the booking process for guests and staff and the management of bookings is now much less time consuming. This means staff can focus on guest services and guests have an overall more positive experience.”

On top of this, Tattersalls has seen a positive impact on direct business and its all-important bottom line.

“The use of SiteMinder has had a direct impact on the increase of direct bookings and revenue from the accommodation side of our business,” Claire mentioned.

“The simple and seamless booking process for guests, as well as the ability to easily manage rates and promotions to encourage direct bookings is what has led to this increase.”

An obvious solution to complex challenges

While you still need a great team executing strategies and delivering amazing services, technology can be a powerful enabler – making processes quicker and easier while also providing greater capabilities to drive business success.

That’s certainly what Tattersalls Armidale has found with its chosen providers.

“I would highly recommend SiteMinder and Guestpoint to any hotelier looking to streamline operating processes and increase efficiency,” Claire said.

“SiteMinder and Guestpoint together offer hoteliers a comprehensive solution to increase direct bookings, reduce manual tasks associated with property management, and improve the overall performance of the hotel, allowing focus to be on guest experience.”

Thank you, Claire, for this amazing feedback and we wish Tattersalls Boutique Hotel all the very best in the future!

The Gerald Apartment Hotel powers booking optimisation with SiteMinder and The Hotels Network

Dean Elphick — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 22:09:15 +0000

The Gerald Apartment Hotel is the only luxury accommodation available in the picturesque destination of Geraldton, on the west coast of Australia.

Bringing exemplary customer service and comfort, The Gerald is a hotspot for MICE travel thanks to its conference centre, rooftop bar, tapas, and stunning location.

The award winning hotel boasts 12 room types across seven storeys and is situated in the heart of the CBD, giving guests flexibility and convenience.

Using technology to make all the magic happen

In hospitality the front end is only successful when the backend is running smoothly. That’s exactly the case for The Gerald, which has created a tech stack with strategic focus and clear goals in mind.

Using SiteMinder’s platform to manage key tasks such as online distribution and website optimisation, an integration with Mews PMS to streamline daily operations, and The Hotels Network to power direct bookings, the property is going from strength to strength.

“We were always using SiteMinder, and when we discovered The Hotels Network we knew instantly that this software was what we were looking for to drive direct bookings and reduce OTA commissions,” explained Rachel Finney, Sales Manager.

“The three systems work seamlessly together. Having our PMS, channel manager, The Hotels Network to personalise and target direct bookings is a game changer. We’ve saved time and money on analysing data and implementing retargeting activities.”

Tangible results and a hassle-free experience

Thanks to the powerful integrations between SiteMinder, Mews, and The Hotels Network, The Gerald has been able to enhance its marketing and increase its share of direct revenue.

“We can change our marketing strategy with a click of a button,” said Rachel. “We can move quickly and send out campaigns at any time of day. We can also see real time analytics on a daily basis.”

“As a result we have managed to grow our direct bookings from an average of 30% to 40% month on month.”

Adding to this has been the painless experience of using the tech and seeking support when its needed.

“Everything was easy to setup and the support has been fantastic,” Rachel continued. “We are loving the follow-ups and ideas on what to implement for even better results.”

“It definitely pays to do your research, chat to other hoteliers, and find the best solutions on the market.”

Thank you for your amazing feedback Rachel! We wish you and the team all the best in the future.

Purs Hotel’s strategic expansion with SiteMinder and Relais & Châteaux

Salima Sair — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 23:50:44 +0000

Discover Purs Hotel: A blend of timeless elegance and modern architecture

Purs Hotel is located in the charming town of Andernach, Germany. It is the first hotel entirely designed by Belgian designer and antiquarian Axel Vervoordt, showcasing his distinctive sense of style. Every room, suite, and object within the hotel reflects his unparalleled aesthetic, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere that feels like home.

This unique establishment blends quiet luxury with exceptional architecture. The design is minimalist, timeless, and yet cosy, offering spaces that ensure a truly memorable stay. The hotel consists of 11 rooms, alongside the luxurious Purs Villa, located in a separate building. The villa adds two additional rooms to the overall experience.

What sets Purs apart is that it is the only hotel worldwide to be entirely designed by Axel Vervoordt, making it an exceptional destination. With its unique design and unparalleled atmosphere, Purs Hotel offers an unforgettable stay, combining art, comfort, and luxury in a way that no other property can.

Purs Hotel’s strategic partnership with Relais & Châteaux and SiteMinder

Relais & Châteaux is an international association of luxury hotels, resorts, and restaurants known for promoting excellence in hospitality and fine dining. Established in 1954 in France, the organisation represents over 580 properties in more than 60 countries, each offering a unique and authentic experience rooted in local culture, cuisine, and heritage.

Through its strategic partnership with SiteMinder, Relais & Châteaux provides its members with access to exclusive pricing plans designed to optimise savings and streamline operations. This collaboration also offers valuable industry insights, expert-led revenue masterclasses, and a range of collaborative growth opportunities. The partnership is focused on empowering hoteliers with innovative tools, strategies, and initiatives to boost profitability, improve efficiency, and drive long-term success.

When asked about the decision to join Relais & Châteaux and the value it brought to Purs Hotel, Tim, the revenue manager, explained:

“Relais & Châteaux is a renowned brand representing unique, exceptional hotels, and Purs aligns perfectly with that category.”

The primary objective for Purs Hotel was to expand its visibility and attract a broader, more international audience. Located in a relatively remote town in Germany, the hotel faced challenges in reaching global travellers who might not search specifically for its location.

“International travellers may not search for the town itself on Google, but if they discover our property through R&C, they’re more likely to visit. Our main goal was to significantly enhance our brand visibility,” Tim added.

He also emphasised that Relais & Châteaux places a strong focus on gastronomy, which aligns seamlessly with Purs Hotel’s offering of a fine-dining restaurant. This synergy between the hotel and its culinary experience makes R&C an ideal platform to highlight the holistic luxury and authenticity Purs provides.

Boosting bookings and revenue: The impact of Relais & Châteaux and SiteMinder

Purs Hotel has experienced a substantial increase in visibility, bookings and revenue, thanks to the synergistic impact of Relais & Châteaux and SiteMinder’s channel manager. These platforms have not only expanded the hotel’s reach but also attracted a diverse, international clientele.

In particular, the hotel recorded a significant rise in guests from key markets such as the United States, Belgium and Netherlands last year. This influx of global travelers, coupled with enhanced distribution and exposure through Relais & Châteaux’s prestigious network and SiteMinder’s technology, has directly contributed to increased revenue. The combination of these tools has positioned Purs Hotel as a highly desirable destination, reinforcing its standing in the competitive luxury hotel market.

Seamless onboarding and exceptional support with SiteMinder

SiteMinder provides comprehensive, round-the-clock customer support, ensuring that users can access assistance whenever they need it. Reflecting on his experience, Tim praised the level of support and the seamless onboarding process, stating:

“The support and onboarding experience were excellent. Anytime I encounter an issue, I reach out to the support team, and they’re always very helpful and friendly.”

Tim further highlighted his satisfaction with the platform, noting, “This is my first experience with SiteMinder, and I’m very happy to work with it. The platform is incredibly user-friendly, making it easy to navigate and manage.”

SiteMinder’s combination of intuitive design and dedicated customer support underscores its commitment to empowering hoteliers with tools that simplify operations and enhance their overall experience.

Thank you Tim for your amazing feedback. We wish Purs Hotel and all its guests the very best in the future!

SiteMinder’s partnership with Rezcontrol paves the pathway to success for Brakspear pubs

Amona Brefo — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 10:20:39 +0000

Rezcontrol PMS works with Brakspear across its ‘Honeycomb Houses’ portfolio, while SiteMinder manages their distribution, ensuring visibility and optimised pricing across multiple channels. Since combining forces, Honeycomb houses have gone from strength to strength.

Brakspear operates a large portfolio of British pubs, including a group of ten ‘Honeycomb Houses’, which together account for around 140 bedrooms across seven of these properties – three remain standalone pubs or restaurants. Each property is unique, often housed in listed or historic buildings, oozing character and charm under the ethos “our home is your home.” While each property maintains an independent look and feel, they are run with a consistent structure, particularly regarding their menus and overall approach to hospitality – creating consistency for the brand, which is now being matched in its operational systems and functions.

Brakspear aimed to streamline operations in revenue management and optimise bookings, assigning the task to Sid Kostromin, Bedrooms support for Honeycomb Houses at Brakspear.

“We knew we needed to move to the cloud for greater efficiencies, as well as to enable Rezcontrol and SiteMinder to integrate seamlessly”

Rates and distribution were also handled manually, so rate setting wasn’t optimised and channel choices could be hit or miss. The decision to adopt Rezcontrol and SiteMinder was therefore driven by the need to modernise and move to the cloud, to integrate them fully and so better manage room availability, pricing and distribution.

A game-changing integration

“With Rezcontrol and SiteMinder, Brakspear now has centralised access to all key platforms, allowing for smoother management, reducing the complexity of multiple logins – it is so much more straightforward and reliable.”

Sid explains “Bringing Rezcontrol and SiteMinder together created a single, centralised rate management and bookings hub. The key benefit of this upgrade was the ability for the systems to communicate through a single, centralised hub, eliminating the need to contact each solution provider individually, consistently saving a significant amount of time.

Sid confidently states that, Rezcontrol and SiteMinder’s combined solution has dramatically improved efficiency for Brakspear and tasks that once took hours are now completed in minutes thanks to automation. “For example, setting up a wedding promotion code used to be a lengthy manual process, but it now takes me just 30 seconds,” said Sid. “Automation has reduced the administrative burden, allowing myself and the team to focus on higher-level tasks, such as strategic planning and guest service. I also carry out a monthly review and take care of any exception reporting – much of it essentially runs itself!” Sid also notes the quality of the support they receive. “Onboarding was exceptionally smooth and the support team, if I do need them, are excellent.”

Maximising revenue through dynamic pricing and seamless distribution

“Dynamic pricing means rooms are always sold at the best possible rates.”

SiteMinder provides extensive insights and reporting capabilities that has been key for Brakespears strategy. SiteMinder’s platform have helped ensure that rooms are sold at the best possible rates through dynamic pricing, and that availability is always up-to-date across all channels. While they continue to rely on OTAs like Booking.com, the system has improved overall control and efficiency in managing these relationships. “Managing distribution is much more effective. Availability and pricing are automatically updated across all channels, preventing double bookings or discrepancies between platforms.” Sid explains.

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Embracing innovation with ease

“With training and support, staff now realise how much easier it is to work with intelligent user-friendly technologies.”

Change always involves some level of complexity, and resistance – with the upgrade to Rezcontrol and the integration with SiteMinder this was no exception. Honeycomb Houses do not have dedicated receptionists, so it was imperative that Sid could ensure a seamless off-site reservation process to alleviate pressure on the on-site team. “We did encounter some initial resistance,” said Sid, “particularly from staff who were unfamiliar with technology generally! However, one of the cornerstones of my role is to provide on-site training and hands-on support, especially during the transition, which helped ease any concerns. Now it is fully embedded, they rarely have to call me!” Staff rapidly became more confident, also realising how the new systems reduced their workload while improving accuracy, and created more time for them to spend with their guests.

Sid explains “Eliminating manual processes and the efficiency of systems like Rezcontrol and SiteMinder allow me to work more effectively, freeing up time for other important tasks, In today’s market, embracing automated technology is imperative, and we have finally found the combination that works for us. The benefits of these modern systems are evident in our day-to-day operations.”

Achieving new milestones of success

So, can Brakspear see quantifiable results from the implementation of Rezcontrol and SiteMinder? Using the combined solution with SiteMinder and Rezcontrol has undoubtedly improved productivity and reduced operational costs for Brakspear.

“The return on investment is clear – without the new technology, we wouldn’t be selling rooms as effectively or achieving the occupancy levels we are seeing, while we have increased productivity and reduced operational costs”

Sid didn’t hesitate when asked what guidance he’d offer to fellow hoteliers who are looking to achieve similar results, “I strongly recommend all hoteliers to invest in a reliable Property Management System (PMS) and distribution platform. After working with both Rezcontrol and SiteMinder separately for many years, I see them as the best solutions in the market. In today’s industry, manual management of bookings is no longer feasible. The integration of these two constantly innovating products has brought significant improvements to our operations at Brakspear, streamlining tasks and ensuring smooth business processes. We live in an automated world, so automated hotel tech is essential.”

Sid Kostromin
Bedrooms support | Honeycomb Houses | Brakspear

Gravity Haus has rock-solid foundation for success with SiteMinder and Mews

Dean Elphick — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 23:34:27 +0000

Gravity Haus operates eight exceptional properties across the United States, offering far more than just top-tier accommodation in adventure-filled destinations. Each Haus combines co-working spaces, fitness programs, chef-led dining concepts, and location-specific experiences. Spanning from California to Jackson Hole, the properties are deeply integrated with their local communities, helping to bring customer experiences to life.

“We cannot exist successfully in a seasonal mountain resort town without the local support and integration. This has been fundamental to who we are,” says Ryan Krukar, VP of Marketing and Communications.

Shifting the narrative around hospitality from ‘luxury is a high thread count’ to ‘luxury is spending time as you choose—making memories with the people you care about most’, Gravity Haus has been recognised on a global scale with its Breckenridge property named the 8th best hotel in the world in the 2024 Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards.

“What we’re doing—creating unique and fabulous experiences—really resonated with me when we received that award,” Ryan proudly shares.

It’s not the award or various accolades from Bloomberg, Forbes, Sunset, or Yahoo that means the most to the team. Instead, it’s the journey of building the business from the ground up to what it is today.

“What we’ve accomplished with such limited resources is remarkable,” says Eli Grossenbacher, Director of Revenue.

Beyond serving as a hub for locals and travellers alike, Gravity Haus is committed to helping other accommodation providers achieve their potential via third-party management and collaboration. Hotel owners get the opportunity to repurpose and operate their properties as Gravity Haus locations, elevating the experience for everyone involved.

Underpinning all of this, of course, is the need for cutting-edge technology that provides the performance and reliability to keep everything running smoothly.

Choosing SiteMinder’s platform to manage distribution and revenue

When selecting a channel manager to gain automated, real-time, inventory management, Gravity Haus prioritised simplicity and efficiency – something SiteMinder has long been famous for.

“We chose SiteMinder because we needed something straightforward,” Eli explains.

“When we launched our first property with just 22 rooms, our focus was on finding a system that could be set up quickly and easily.”

After experiencing complicated systems which failed to deliver at previous hotels, SiteMinder was a clear and effective answer to his challenges.

“If something went wrong with other systems I’ve used, I wouldn’t even know where to start fixing it. With SiteMinder, I know exactly where everything is and how it works—it’s incredibly intuitive.”

“The well-designed UX allows us to view and manage all rates and availability in one place and the ability to map channels effortlessly is a game-changer,” he mentions.

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Seamless integration with Mews makes for effortless property management

Being a “tech stack leader”, Gravity Haus doesn’t choose just any solution to integrate into the business and perform crucial daily processes.

“We are very picky with what we choose,” says Eli. “So when we chose our PMS, we based it around the connection to SiteMinder as we certainly didn’t want to go with another system.”

After selecting Mews PMS, which integrates seamlessly with SiteMinder’s platform, Gravity Haus now has a powerful and reliable foundation for success.

“Both Mews and SiteMinder work as an amazing integration hub, and the connection has been incredibly durable – which goes a long way as we navigate from a start-up to a scale up,” Eli continues.

“As we add more channels, create more robust revenue strategies, and build more higher room-count properties, we’re confident that SiteMinder is ready to grow with us and works incredibly well with Mews.”

Mews provides Gravity Haus the ability to give guests a completely stress-free journey from booking to check-out. Luckily, it’s just as simple on the back end.

“There’s no confusion – Mews to SiteMinder, SiteMinder to Mews. It’s just so simple, and that simplicity is what allows us to focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional guest experiences,” Eli says.

Thank you for the valued feedback Eli and Ryan! We’re proud to be working with such esteemed properties and partners as Gravity Haus and Mews. We look forward to continuing our journey together.

Roomzzz on track to reach its full potential with help from SiteMinder’s platform

Dean Elphick — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 23:59:53 +0000

Roomzzz was an early player in the UK aparthotel sector, launching its first property in Leeds as a family-run venture. Today, the brand operates 866 units across cities from London to Edinburgh, each with a distinct identity.

Combining the comforts of a serviced apartment with the luxuries of a hotel, Victoria Curley, Head of Commercial, highlights one such thoughtful touch that is unique to the aparthotel sector:

“We provide a complimentary pastry each morning. It’s just a little extra offering we like to do for our guests, and it goes a long way.”

Roomzzz properties are also deeply connected to the local community, with each location supporting local charities that reflect the unique character of its city. In Edinburgh, for instance, Roomzzz partners with initiatives focused on social housing and food security, even donating surplus pastries from their morning offerings.

In addition, Roomzzz demonstrates its commitment to making a difference on a larger scale through its annual charity week. Hosted across all locations, this initiative recently raised £45,000 to support homelessness efforts through the Parklane Foundation, Roomzzz’s dedicated charitable organisation.

“The human element in this company is so different from big brands. If we can help, we will. My directors always support the decision to give a free room to a good cause, or to give a voucher to a charity,” Victoria emphasises.

Perhaps the crowning glory above all else is the 75,000 loyalty program members, a figure that Victoria says is the group’s “proudest achievement.”

A journey towards success with SiteMinder’s platform

Once upon a time Roomzzz managed all reservations manually – a system that quickly became unsustainable as the brand expanded.

Victoria and the team chose to implement SiteMinder, confident about investing in an industry leading distribution and revenue platform.

“It caught our attention because it was a nice and easy commercial proposition—clear on pricing and features—and it also allowed us to embrace multi-property functionality,” Victoria explains.

“When setting up a new property, our brand identity is already built into SiteMinder too, so it’s just a matter of adding that extra property as all the main integration requirements are there. It’s a really easy process for us which we really value as a rapidly growing brand.”

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Control and transparency in rate management

SiteMinder also plays a pivotal role in maintaining rate parity – a non-negotiable for Roomzzz.

“We are incredibly strict with rate parity and we do not allow third-parties to control our rates,” Victoria explains.

“If there is ever a discrepancy, we can easily send a screenshot proof directly from SiteMinder saying exactly what rates we want pushed out versus what is being distributed.”

This ensures complete transparency and reinforces customer trust.

On top of this, SiteMinder empowers Roomzzz to make data-driven decisions, a necessity in the modern travel market.

“The restriction display screen shows us every date and every price with options to manage close-to-arrival, stop-sells, minimum length of stay and more. I couldn’t live without it,” Victoria says.

Another benefit is the time saved thanks to the platform’s intuitive design and commitment to simplicity.

“We just have a really easy way of seeing everything, where with some other channel managers, you have to sort through 20 pages to find what you might be looking for.”

Corporate partnerships made simple

Having previously managed corporate bookings manually, a time-consuming process that added unnecessary difficulty, Roomzz has left that frustration behind thanks to SiteMinder’s seamless GDS integration.

These bookings are fully automated, saving staff valuable time and significantly boosting efficiency.

“Our corporate rate is pre-loaded in SiteMinder, so if the availability is there, the bookings come in automatically,” Victoria explains. “It’s a huge relief because GDS represents a significant portion of our bookings.”

Lastly, the support provided by SiteMinder has been a standout feature for the Roomzzz team.

“If we ever have an issue, although rare, the support team is extremely knowledgeable,” Victoria shares.

“Everyone we’ve spoken to seems like a master of the product which is something you don’t get everywhere. Knowing that if a problem arises, you can speak to someone that understands the system and help get a resolution quickly, is really crucial for us as a small, independent company.”

This level of support is particularly important given Roomzzz’s structure. “We don’t have a large IT team to back us up,” Victoria adds. “Having that true partnership of support from SiteMinder is huge for us.”

For Roomzzz, SiteMinder is more than a tool – it’s a catalyst for growth, simplicity, and guest satisfaction. And we at SiteMinder are so incredibly happy to be along for this journey!

The Equeva Group discovers new revenue potential with SiteMinder’s Metasearch Manager

Dean Elphick — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 02:29:08 +0000

The Equeva Group is an innovative, privately owned, hotel group and is the largest 3.5 star accommodation group in the Blue Mountains, Australia, with 180+ rooms on offer.

Offering complete Blue Mountains holiday experiences including dining, attractions and events, the group operates five properties:

The Metropole Guesthouse
Blue Mountains Heritage Motel
Katoomba Town Centre Motel
EchoPoint Village

We spoke to representative, Jack West, about the group’s experience with SiteMinder’s platform and its Metasearch Manager feature.

Empowering hoteliers to take full control

Trying to manage campaigns across multiple metasearch channels independently is a huge challenge for hoteliers and one that The Equeva Group was determined to solve. Given the valuable role that metasearch plays in driving direct bookings, Jack and the team turned to SiteMinder for help.

Metasearch Manager gives hoteliers the ability to effortlessly manage multiple properties across various metasearch channels in real-time, all in one place.

This includes a centralised dashboard to view real-time performance, manage bidding and optimisation centrally across all top metasearch channels, set and automate multiple campaigns, and drive informed insights with customisable reporting, and more.

For Jack and Equeva, the feature has delivered much needed control.

“It’s given us full control over our marketing strategy and detailed areas on changing our campaigns,” he said.

“So far the experience has been great and our direct bookings have increased along with our conversation rate.”

The impact has also been felt in the results of key metrics across Equeva’s portfolio. In just over a month, SiteMinder was able to deliver:

32.8x return on ad spend (ROAS)
69 bookings through the direct booking links on metasearch in 6 weeks
583 clicks to the booking engine through metasearch
2.4x improvement in performance to previous solution

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A step up in capability and support

With the ability to set automated rules, create new campaigns in minutes, and access insightful reports, Metasearch Manager gives hoteliers a flying start to succeeding on platforms like Google, Trivago, and Tripadvisor.

What’s more, Jack and the team have been thoroughly impressed by the level of support provided by SiteMinder.

“It has given us full control over our metasearch strategy in any area we want to target,” he mentioned. “It’s way better than our previous tool; it’s easy and works efficiently.”

A platform to rely on

SiteMinder is the industry’s leading platform, unlocking the full revenue potential of hotels globally.

From distribution and revenue optimisation to guest engagement and market insights, SiteMinder gives hoteliers full control over their business from one central interface.

It’s also perfectly positioned to give groups and chains the unique capabilities they need to drive significant business outcomes and growth.

For brands like Equeva, this is essential because it delivers the power and performance needed to make the right choices quickly – to achieve maximum profit. SiteMinder also plays a vital role in providing a consistently high level of security, support, and reliability, which all enterprise operations require.

“Our experience with SiteMinder has been a very smooth and pleasant journey which can be especially attributed to the fantastic customer service support from the beginning of set-up and integration into our properties and PMS systems,” said Jack.

“SiteMinder’s booking engine has performed exactly as expected and has served to ensure smooth operations for us. Our experience with the set-up and integration of Metasearch has also been an excellent experience with fantastic and constant support.”

Thank you, Jack, for your amazing and valued feedback. We wish you and The Equeva Group all the best in the future!

Automation and efficiency effortlessly achieved at The Beautique Hotels thanks to SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 22:44:49 +0000

The Beautique Hotels is a group based in Lisbon, Portugal, combining beauty with the boutique hotel experience to create unique journeys for guests who visit one of the four properties within the portfolio.

Figueira embodies the beauty of the fig tree, with interior design inspired by its leaves and ripe fruit.
WC invites guests to unplug, refresh, and bask in comfort and cleanliness.
Madalena is a ‘tribute to the feminine universe’.
Dos Reis allows guests to live like kings, combining history with contemporary design.

Whatever choice they make, guests will be in for a magical and memorable stay.

“All our hotels are in a prime location, exhibit exceptional customer care, and provide the utmost comfort to guests,” said João Tavares, Sales and Marketing Manager.

“We believe ‘the beautique experience’ sets us apart from the competition. It quickly becomes a central part of the traveller’s perception of the destination and sets the bar for all the remaining experiences they will have in the city.”

Errors and overbookings prompted the search for a better tech solution

Despite the breathtaking guest-facing experience, the situation for The Beautique Hotels on the backend was not so pretty.

Due to an inferior channel management solution, the group was encountering frequent synchronisation problems between its PMS, channel manager, and OTA connections. This caused data errors and overbookings.

“These issues negatively impacted our relationships with both partners and guests,” mentioned João. “It ultimately prevented us from focusing on our strategic goals and resulted in missed opportunities.”

To rectify these challenges, the team went looking for a best-in-class solution and found that SiteMinder’s platform was perfectly suited to their needs.

Easier management, more revenue, less work

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A night and day change in fortunes

SiteMinder became one of The Beautiques priority investments and the decision to adopt the award-winning platform quickly paid off.

“SiteMinder gives us significantly improved peace of mind,” said João.

Not only has SiteMinder ironed out the integration kinks previously faced, it has opened up a new world of opportunity for the group.

“The ability to connect to a much wider range of channels has provided us with more strategic options and allowed us to successfully pursue leads and partnerships that would have been out of reach with our former system,” he continued.

“Our top priority was automation – so we could be free to pursue new and creative ambitions. We are now in this position thanks to SiteMinder and other strategic investments.”

Improved sales efficiency and smooth enablement

Because SiteMinder possesses an unrivalled ecosystem of partners and integrations, The Beautique Hotels has been able to target specific markets and implement new approaches to sales and marketing – ensuring that the business can grow and flourish.

“The fact that SiteMinder is more efficient to perform actions has also indirectly boosted sales,” added João.

“The increased speed and simplicity of making updates on the platform has allowed us to react more quickly and manage our listings more effectively.”

All of this backed by a support team that is available and ready to help with queries and tasks at all times, so hotels never miss a beat.

“The promised deadlines have always been met,” said João. “Often the response time has been quicker than expected. I’ve also contacted support via phone during more urgent times and the process was smooth and easy to handle.”

So, what does the experience mean when it comes to advising other hoteliers about solutions that are currently available on the market?

“I have yet to find a solution that offers a better price-to-quality ration than SiteMinder,” affirmed João.

“My decision to choose SiteMinder was based on trust in the product and the awareness that it has maintained its dominant position in the market. This reliability kept it top of mind as a preferred option.”

Thank you João for your amazing feedback. We wish The Beautique Hotels and all its guests the very best in the future!

SiteMinder drives 30% booking growth for Batu Karang Lembongan Resort & Spa

Dean Elphick — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 23:24:42 +0000

First established in 2005, the luxury paradise of Batu Karang Lembongan Resort & Spa is a tropical haven just 30 minutes off Bali’s east coast.

Nusa Lembongan is renowned for its natural beauty, including world-class surf breaks like Playgrounds, Lacerations, and Shipwrecks, along with snorkelling and scuba diving in crystal-clear waters. Batu Karang Lembongan seamlessly combines this stunning environment with luxurious villas, breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean, and the distant silhouette of Mount Agung.

Guests are treated to high-quality accommodation, where a team of professional staff ensures that every stay is as comfortable as possible. With 39 rooms, the resort boasts a full range of facilities, including three swimming pools, a spa, gym & steam room, and a variety of dining options serving both Indonesian and international cuisine. Guests can also enjoy a beachfront café, a fully equipped conference room, and outdoor spaces perfect for weddings or exclusive events.

We spoke to the team about how they keep everything running smoothly and the role that SiteMinder’s platform has played in the property’s success.

Facing connectivity challenges

As a resort catering to predominantly international guests, Batu Karang Lembongan Resort & Spa must ensure seamless operations. However, Director of Sales Betti Puji Sulistiyaningsih shared that they previously faced connectivity glitches while using another channel manager. These persistent issues prompted the resort to seek a more reliable solution.

“We decided to switch to SiteMinder because it’s more user-friendly and supports two-way connectivity without disrupting the existing one-way connections to our channels,” Betti explained.

In addition to connectivity issues, Batu Karang required smooth integration with the various platforms that they utilise. The resort connects to as many as 13 online travel agents (OTAs), uses third-party booking engines, PMSs, the GDS, and other systems.

Thanks to SiteMinder, integration across all these channels runs smoothly, even when they add a new channel, such as Luxury Escape recently – an integration that was completed without a hitch.

Increased bookings and seamless connectivity

Since transitioning to SiteMinder, Batu Karang Lembongan Resort & Spa has seen a significant boost in bookings, with numbers rising consistently across all channels.

“There’s been about a 30% increase in bookings from all channels, including OTAs, direct bookings, and more,” said Fitri Kurnia, the resort’s Reservations Manager.

Another advantage the team enjoys with SiteMinder is its ease of use. According to Fitri, “SiteMinder’s UI and UX is quite user-friendly and easy to navigate.”

This has greatly improved the team’s efficiency in managing multiple channels. Moreover, SiteMinder’s rate multiplier feature offers significant flexibility, particularly when adjusting room rates across specific channels.

“The rate multiplier feature is very useful, especially for setting room prices on particular channels. It’s working well,” Fitri added, emphasizing how valuable this tool is in their daily pricing management.

Thank you for the amazing feedback Betti and Fitri! SiteMinder is dedicated to supporting the resort’s ongoing success and long-term growth.

Corporate Living Accommodation simplifies operations and enhances the guest experience with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 05:30:57 +0000

Corporate Living Accommodation (CLA) offers tailored living solutions for professionals, government workers, and project staff across two prime Melbourne locations: Abbotsford and Hawthorn. Each residence is designed with modern, functional amenities, creating a home-away-from-home experience for residents seeking convenience and comfort.

CLA manages over 200 residences, ranging from studios to spacious three-bedroom apartments, under the leadership of Nu Nizam, Head of Operations.

“Our goal is to make every stay feel personal and seamless. We know our residents expect more than just a place to stay—they want a welcoming, functional space where they can live, work, and relax,” he says.

Both locations offer key advantages in terms of proximity to transport, corporate offices, and local attractions.

Nu also mentions that community involvement is at the heart of everything the brand does.

“Our partnerships within our local communities including a choice of charge back dining options and the local fitness centre to provide our residents a full suite of gym and fitness options, allow us to further enrich the resident experience,” Nu says.

“Our prime location is another key advantage, placing residents within easy reach of corporate offices and local attractions, making it ideal for business travellers, whether staying for a short visit or an extended period. The spaciousness of our residences provides ample room for relaxation and productivity, giving residents the comfort they deserve during their stay.”

SiteMinder an efficiency ‘game-changer’

Before adopting SiteMinder, managing bookings and maintaining seamless channel distribution was a time-consuming task for CLA. However, SiteMinder’s suite of tools has transformed how CLA handles reservations, channel management, and pricing strategies.

“We made the switch to SiteMinder when we rebranded, and the platform has been a game-changer – the intuitive interface, quick rate loading, and real-time reporting help us improve our processes immensely,” shares Nu. “We find the platform easy to use; it does help us save time and is efficient.”

One of the standout features for CLA has been SiteMinder’s Demand Plus, which increases the visibility of its residences across multiple online travel agencies (OTAs) and booking platforms.

“Demand Plus is invaluable in helping us elevate our brand awareness. As a newer accommodation provider, getting noticed in a competitive market is crucial, and SiteMinder’s platform ensures that we reach a wider audience.”

The ability to track performance and adjust marketing strategies using SiteMinder’s analytics has further contributed to CLA’s success in optimising its channel mix.

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Data-driven decision-making

With Melbourne’s fluctuating market conditions, staying competitive has been vital for CLA. SiteMinder Insights, particularly its competitor rate tracking feature, have helped the team remain agile in their pricing strategy.

“We closely monitor competitor rates daily, and SiteMinder allows us to make real-time adjustments. This keeps us competitive while ensuring we’re providing our residents with value,” says Nu. “We also like to use the reporting functions of SiteMinder’s platform to easily reconcile travel agent commissions.”

He also highlighted how SiteMinder’s platform is instrumental in streamlining administrative tasks, reducing the manual labour that was previously required to manage bookings.

“We no longer need to worry about double bookings or manual data entry, which has saved us hours of work. The platform is incredibly user-friendly, and our team is now able to focus on more meaningful tasks, such as enhancing the guest experience and growing our brand.”

A platform built for growth

SiteMinder’s integration with CLA’s property management system (PMS) has also been key in improving internal operations. Having SiteMinder fully integrated into their PMS gives them better visibility over their inventory and guest records. It’s not just about making things easier for the team — the integration also improves the guest experience by ensuring that their bookings and check-ins are handled smoothly and efficiently.

Nu has also been impressed with SiteMinder’s continuous updates and innovations, which have helped CLA keep up with industry changes.

“SiteMinder is constantly evolving, and each update brings new features that improve the platform’s functionality. I really appreciate how dedicated the team is to enhancing the product—it feels like they’re always one step ahead, anticipating our needs before we even ask,” he elaborates.

SiteMinder GDS has also been instrumental in the brand’s success, helping connect them with important corporate travel programs and clients.

SiteMinder offers a personalised and service-led GDS experience, ensuring the best outcomes for hotels.

“SiteMinder makes the rate loading process and audits really easy as they are responsive, friendly and very helpful”, Nu says.

“We are grateful for the exceptional support provided by the SiteMinder team. Lata Ghosh consistently goes above and beyond, ensuring our brand stays top of mind with her supportive and helpful approach.”

All of this adds up to greater revenue success for the brand. SiteMinder excels at maximising revenue for hoteliers and helping them unlock the full potential of their business. Going beyond distribution, SiteMinder optimises revenue management, integration, guest experience, analytics and more.

“SiteMinder is a great tool offering convenience in regards to revenue management and online visibility. It is user-friendly and provides the ability to manage all third party websites in one place,” Nu mentions.

“SiteMinder is a platform where we connect to other platforms more efficiently and effectively. The tools that the platform offers for revenue management are great and very useful.”

Confidence in future success

As CLA continues to grow, Nu believes that AI will play an important role in revenue management and guest personalisation. In his words:

“We’re already starting to see the benefits of AI-driven pricing optimisation. Predictive analytics is an exciting area for us, and we’re looking forward to leveraging AI even more in the future to create personalised pricing strategies.”

With SiteMinder’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technology, CLA feels confident that they’ll be able to meet future challenges head-on.

“We’ve built such a strong relationship with the SiteMinder team. Their support has been exceptional, and they’re always ready to assist us with anything we need. It’s clear that they’re as invested in our success as we are,” Nu says.

“SiteMinder has become an indispensable part of our operations. Their platform has not only met but exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration.”

Thank you, Nu! SiteMinder is proud to support CLA and delighted to see the success you have achieved using our platform. We look forward to helping you thrive even more!

Aligned Corporate Residences runs four locations seamlessly with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 00:12:35 +0000

Aligned Corporate Residences offers a unique blend of style and comfort with four distinct Australian locations: Kew and Williamstown in Victoria, and Mackay and Townsville in North Queensland.

Offering tailored accommodation and personalised service designed to meet the unique needs of various visitors, each residence provides a seamless, personalised living experience, ensuring comfort and convenience. The brand’s commitment to exceptional service is reflected in pet-friendly and NDIS-accredited facilities, offering residents the flexibility and support they need.

Aligned Corporate Residences is also deeply embedded in the community, hosting monthly events to foster connections among residents and collaborating with the local communities.

We spoke to Toni Veljanovski, Head of Global Relationships, about what makes the group special and how SiteMinder has successfully supported its operations.

Unwavering personalisation supported by the most powerful platform

Making sure that each individual resident is satisfied is one of the most important things for Toni.

“What sets Aligned Corporate Residences apart and makes us the preferred choice is our unwavering commitment to providing a personalised and comfortable living experience, tailored to the unique needs of our residents,” she says.

“Our tailored accommodation approach caters to individual preferences, offering modern amenities such as coffee machines, rice cookers, and air fryers, alongside a convenient coffee station in reception.”

“Our monthly in-residence events foster a sense of community, ensuring residents feel connected and part of our Aligned Corporate Residences family. Our Residents love our BBQ and dinners, often commenting they have never experienced this level of service in all their years of travelling!”

To help keep operations running efficiently and profitably, the group uses SiteMinder’s leading platform to manage distribution, revenue management, improve their online visibility and use analytics to make informed decisions.

“SiteMinder allows us to connect to various distribution channels and makes the connection easy. The rate loading process and suits are also really easy thanks to the responsive and helpful team.”

With the industry’s most powerful channel manager and largest distribution ecosystem, SiteMinder is perfectly placed to help large properties maximise bookings and revenue.

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Efficiency and insightful data driving business outcomes

SiteMinder has been a key factor in how Aligned Corporate Residences operates day-to-day, providing the essential technology that enables an accommodation business to grow and improve performance.

“SiteMinder provides significant efficiencies in both time and resources. The reporting capabilities have been instrumental in streamlining the reconciliation of travel agent commissions, ensuring accuracy and reducing the time spent on administrative tasks,” Toni explains.

“Additionally, the ability to view and collate multiple reservation details in one place has simplified our arrival management process. These features alone have allowed us to reduce the time spent on these tasks, enabling our team to focus more on enhancing resident experiences.”

SiteMinder user-friendly interface allows the team at Aligned Corporate Residencies to easily adjust room offers.

Impactful features that grow revenue

Some of SiteMinder’s offerings that have made a huge difference to Aligned Corporate Residences include Demand Plus, SiteMinder GDS, and Insights.

Demand Plus enables hoteliers easy access to metasearch engines such as Google, Trivago, and Tripadvisor, to boost direct bookings.

GDS connects to the industry’s biggest and best global distribution systems, to capture high-value reservations.

Insights provides key performance reports and market data to ensure the business can be making the right strategic decisions on pricing and distribution.

“As a new accommodation provider, Demand Plus really helped us grow brand awareness,” Toni says. “It’s increased our visibility and enhanced our revenue and rate management.”

The improved booking performance allowed Aligned Corporate Residencies to enhance their revenue and manage rate distribution effectively.

“SiteMinder GDS has been instrumental in building our corporate and government portfolio by promoting our accommodations to new businesses and clients and increasing revenue. SiteMinder GDS has helped increase revenue for our residences. The efficient management of content and rate distributions by the GDS technical team has significantly enhanced our visibility and booking potential.”

“Insights, particularly the competitor rate reports, has been invaluable in shaping our pricing strategy and allowing us to make informed decisions to enhance our revenue management and understand the market conditions.”

Overall, SiteMinder’s platform has been able to streamline the operations of all properties under Aligned Corporate Residences, boosting bookings and revenue in the process. With a user-friendly interface and one platform to manage everything, any property can maximise their success.

“Our experience with SiteMinder has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Toni. “I’d like to make special mention of the SiteMinder team. We’re very grateful for all the support, technical help, and friendly interactions.”

Additionally, Toni mentions that “all the valuable insights we have gathered from SiteMinder have been crucial in refining our strategies and driving growth. The notable increase in visibility and revenue underscores the key benefits we’ve gained from using SiteMinder’s solutions.”

Thank you Toni for the amazing feedback and we wish Aligned Corporate Residences all the best as we continue our partnership together.

SiteMinder fuels online booking growth and operational peace of mind for Wapa di Ume

Dean Elphick — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:52:19 +0000

Wapa di Ume, originally established as a family residence in Ubud in 1993 with just four units, has undergone significant growth over the years. In 1996, the property expanded to 18 rooms and joined a local hotel chain under the name Waka di Ume. By 2012, Wapa di Ume had decided to become an independent hotel, undergoing major renovations and adding 15 more rooms, bringing the total to 33 rooms.

The resort’s philosophy and architecture is deeply rooted in the Balinese concept of Tri Hita Karana, which emphasises the three fundamental relationships: between humans and nature, among fellow humans, and with God. Over 60% of the property’s land is preserved as gardens, creating harmony between the buildings and the natural environment.

Wapa di Ume actively supports the local community, hosting cultural dinners where children from nearby villages perform traditional Balinese dances, with a portion of the proceeds donated to local foundations. The resort also prioritises hiring staff from the local community, further strengthening its connection to the region.

To provide guests with the ultimate comfort, Wapa di Ume offers a range of facilities, including six room types such as lanai, suites, and pool villas, as well as a gym, two swimming pools, a restaurant, and a complimentary shuttle service for guests wishing to explore Ubud. With its harmonious blend of nature and culture, Wapa di Ume offers guests a tranquil and authentic experience in the heart of Ubud.

Manual rate updates causing headaches

Before adopting SiteMinder in 2015, Wapa di Ume faced significant day-to-day challenges in managing room rates.

“It used to take up to 30 minutes to update rates from the system to the online channels,” said I Gede Nusantara, Assistant Director of Sales at Wapa di Ume.

This manual process required updating each channel individually, up to three times per day. Not only was this time-consuming, but it also increased the risk of errors and inconsistencies across booking platforms. The consequences of this can include double-bookings and guest frustration, leading to a loss of revenue and reputation.

It was clear to the team that they needed to find a better way of distributing and managing the property’s inventory.

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Smooth operations and more control

After comparing several systems, Wapa di Ume ultimately chose SiteMinder to provide a channel management solution as part of its hotel platform – the only software platform that can unlock a hotel’s full revenue potential.

According to Gede, SiteMinder stood out for several reasons. The system’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive features made managing channels easier and more efficient. The dashboard’s clear layout simplified tasks, and SiteMinder’s extensive channel connectivity was unparalleled.

“Initially, Wapa di Ume was only connected to five online channels. But after switching to SiteMinder, we now work with more than 30 channels,” Gede shared.

On top of SiteMinder’s B2B channel connections allowing Wapa di Ume to broaden its market reach, the integration with the resort’s PMS and booking engine was seamless, helping to streamline operations.

The ‘rate multiplier’ was a particularly useful feature in SiteMinder’s platform for automatically mapping room rates across different channels. Additionally, the ‘limit rate plan’ feature allowed Wapa di Ume to control room availability or closures on certain channels automatically, reducing the risk of overbooking.

Results that speak for themselves

Since implementing SiteMinder, Wapa di Ume has seen significant positive outcomes. In the first year, the proportion of online bookings increased dramatically, from just 30% to 60%. Direct bookings also rose by 10% compared to the previous year.

SiteMinder has not only streamlined Wapa di Ume’s channel management process but has also enhanced operational efficiency and boosted overall bookings.

“If asked to rate how likely I am to recommend SiteMinder to other properties on a scale of 1-5, I’d give it a 5. I highly recommend SiteMinder to other hoteliers,” Gede said.

Thank you for the great feedback Gede! SiteMinder is committed to supporting Wapa di Ume in achieving even greater milestones in the future!

Grupo Premium tackles the challenge of portfolio optimisation with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 04:51:59 +0000

Staying at the forefront of the hotel industry is only possible with a combination of high standards, staff engagement and cutting-edge technology.

This is what Estefanía Muñoz, Director of Málaga Premium Hotel, and Álvaro Belber, its Revenue Manager, have firmly believed since the founding of Grupo Premium more than 10 years ago.

What started as a hostel in a prime location in Malaga city, Spain, is now a hotel group with two hotels and two holiday rental buildings, encompassing 232 beds. In addition to this, several restaurants are in operation around the city centre.

Changing with the times

The COVID pandemic brought change to their business model which, together with the constant growth of the group, meant that they needed to optimise the internal operations of each accommodation, and the time spent on it.

According to Álvaro, “Our distribution strategy has always been based on a fairly controlled and healthy channel mix to avoid disparities.”

“Over time, and taking into account market fluctuations and new regulations, we realised that it was time to consider new options to optimise the profitability and productivity of our distribution strategy. To do this, we needed software that was flexible enough to handle the diversity of our business.”

After a brief search for a new technology partner, Estefanía and Álvaro requested a demo of SiteMinder’s hotel software.

“We decided to implement SiteMinder because it is the most suitable option without a doubt: it is intuitive, fast and easy to use, and it allows us to deliver our pricing and distribution strategy more efficiently.”

“We are constantly growing, and we have plans to open more locations. Knowing that we can adapt the tool to our changing needs gives us great peace of mind.”

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Improved operational efficiency is essential for expansion plans

Estefanía and Álvaro told us that “since we implemented SiteMinder, we have seen a great deal of improvement when we need to apply changes in our rates and minimum stay requirements, which now we can do seamlessly and much easier. This is key to improving productivity and profitability for a revenue manager.”

“This allows us to be more productive and to have more time to invest in analysing data and making quicker decisions, which translates into a long term increase in bookings”.

SiteMinder: A technology partner for the future

Focusing on his experience using SiteMinder’s platform, Álvaro highlights that he was surprised by the speed and ease with which he implemented the channel manager.

“The implementation was very easy because the tool is intuitive, and the support team was very helpful. From the beginning, the process was seamless and effective. Whenever we needed something, we only needed to contact customer service. They are always available to help us solve any issues.”

After SiteMinder’s channel manager was set up for the group’s four properties, the team noticed an immediate change in the efficiency of their operations.

“One of the features that we value the most from SiteMinder’s channel manager is the bulk updates”, mentioned Álvaro. “It makes managing the availability, rates, minimum stays and resells much easier. Also having access to all of the channels for all the properties from one place saves us hours of manual work.”

When asked about Grupo Premium’s future plans, Estefanía and Álvaro said that they are already working on opening new properties.

“For us, SiteMinder is a strategic partner for our business, and it is key for our expansion plans. Also, thanks to the many integrations available, we know we won’t have any issues connecting our channel manager with any other technology that we need now or in the future”.

Thank you Estefanía and Álvaro for your time and amazing feedback! We wish you all the best in the future.

Smoky Mountain Resorts finds large-scale business management a breeze with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 23:45:31 +0000

Smoky Mountain Resorts combines family-friendly accommodation with the exhilaration of adventure across three Tennessee locations.

Whether it’s seasonal river tubing at Creekstone Inn located at Little Pigeon River, waterpark action at Country Cascades in the heart of Pigeon Forge, or indoor and outdoor slides at The Resort at Governor’s Crossing in Sevierville, guests are in for a summer to remember.

All of the hotels have stunning views of nature and are located in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

Director of Commercial Strategy, Heather Minyard, takes great pride in creating experiences tailored to meet the unique needs of guests.

“Operating hotels in one of the most saturated tourism markets in the Southeast means that we must always continue evolving and investing in our growth both as a brand and with our offerings to guests,” she explained.

“As a brand, we strongly lean into our unique selling propositions for each property to help us stand out and offer guests a wonderful experience.”

With more than 600 rooms to manage across three bustling properties that also provide a great food and beverage experience, it takes a lot to do it successfully.

Thankfully, SiteMinder’s platform was perfectly suited to ensure the group not only managed operations seamlessly, but flourished.

Crucial ease of use, efficiency, and data

With a complete suite of integrated features, SiteMinder enables hotels and multi-property groups to manage their most important tasks from one interface.

“The remarkable ease of use for the booking engine, channel manager and metasearch and swift issue resolution made my experience with the platform highly satisfying,” explained Heather.

“I greatly value promptly updating rates, efficiently managing various tasks, and maintaining seamless connectivity with the platform. It liberates me from the laborious manual tasks that were once the standard practice, significantly enhancing my workflow.”

With features such as the channel manager and booking engine, hotels can enjoy fully automated inventory management in real-time, take direct bookings seamlessly via their own website, and also attract direct bookings from metasearch sites like Google.

There’s no need to worry about double bookings, manual data entry, or user errors.

“This newfound efficiency enables me to allocate more time and attention to meaningful tasks, secure in the knowledge that any potential issues will receive the swift and effective attention they require,” said Heather.

“SiteMinder’s user-friendly nature is invaluable in optimizing my productivity and overall work experience, making it an indispensable asset to my daily operations.”

It also allows the group to optimize their channel mix for maximum bookings and revenue.

“Our current channel mix has allowed us to reach a variety of guest demographics to maximize our revenue. Similar to how different demographics use different social media platforms to obtain information, we have noticed that different demographics rely on different booking channels to do their travel research and purchase decision-making,” she said.

“For instance, younger families often discover us through social media-driven booking channels, while our mature travelers prefer more traditional OTA platforms.”

On top of this, a feature like SiteMinder Insights means Heather and the team can always ensure they are competitive in the market.

“For our growing marketing and sales department, analytics plays a crucial role in how we approach our pricing strategy and decision-making,” she said,

“We closely monitor competitor rates on a daily basis, allowing us to make timely adjustments to our pricing strategy to ensure we remain a preferred choice for guests.”

With SiteMinder, this process is made quick and simple with unlimited daily rate shops and a user-friendly interface that makes the data simple to digest.

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Three years of excellence and counting

With extensive third-party integrations, including to leading PMSs, SiteMinder has been able to serve Smoky Mountain Resorts well in this respect.

“It is imperative for us at Smoky Mountain Resorts to have our distribution platform integrated into our PMS. We get notified of cancellations through the integrations, which allows better visibility on inventory and guest records,” explained Heather.

“This integration not only optimizes our internal processes but also enhances the guest experience by ensuring smooth booking and check-in procedures and improving overall guest satisfaction.”

The brand has been relying on SiteMinder for over three years, and Heather can attest to the fact that the platform only gets better over time as new and improved features are rolled out.

“It has been a remarkable journey witnessing the continuous evolution and improvements made to the platform. Over this extended period, I have come to appreciate how diligently the SiteMinder team has worked to enhance its functionality and features, leaving me with the distinct impression that there is little, if anything at all, left to be desired,” she said.

“The team’s dedication to refining and expanding the platform has resulted in a robust and highly effective tool that has consistently met and exceeded my expectations.”

SiteMinder is certainly proud to hear this feedback, as it’s our mission to continue to solve challenges for hoteliers as new requirements arise. The industry is not static – technology changes, guest behavior changes, customer service changes. It’s important to SiteMinder that we ensure our customers are always keeping pace with the modern travel market.

Confidence in future success

In a constantly evolving landscape, Heather believes effective revenue management will involve AI in some form and is prepared for it.

“AI has already started to benefit our revenue management through suggested rate optimizations and trend forecasting. We are particularly excited about the potential of predictive analytics and the continued optimizations of AI-driven rate optimization, which we believe will enable even more personalized pricing strategies tailored to each guest’s booking behavior,” she said.

Because of SiteMinder’s willingness and ability to constantly seek and achieve improvement, Heather has no doubts that whatever hurdles she is faced with in the future can be cleared effortlessly with the help of the industry’s leading smart platform.

“My extended experience with SiteMinder has instilled in me a high degree of confidence in the platform’s ability to meet my evolving needs effectively,” she stated.

“It has become an indispensable part of my daily operations, allowing me to streamline various aspects of my work while knowing that any necessary enhancements have been diligently worked upon,” she continued.

“In conclusion, my association with SiteMinder has been nothing short of exceptional, and I am thoroughly content with the current state of the platform. The consistent efforts put forth by the SiteMinder team to refine and improve their product have culminated in a highly reliable and user-friendly solution that I fully trust and appreciate.”

Thank you Heather! We couldn’t have wished for better feedback and we wish Smoky Mountain Resorts all the very best in the future as we continue to work together.

Grün Resorts Bali relies on SiteMinder to support rapid growth

Dean Elphick — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 23:30:29 +0000

When guests think of a ‘Bali Getaway’, there’s a good chance that peace, tranquillity, and a harmonious relationship with nature come to mind. Grün Resorts delivers this serene experience in spades, offering guests a chance to unwind in the heart of Bali.

As a boutique hospitality brand, Grün Resorts offers unforgettable holiday experiences at its properties in Uluwatu, Canggu, Canggu Garden, and Ubud.

Whether it’s stunning private pools, tree house units, or mountain views, guests at every location will have a trip to remember in accommodation that perfectly blends comfort with the surroundings of nature.

The latest addition, Grün Resort Uluwatu, opened in April 2023, offers 45 rooms across seven different types of units.

Meeting the challenges of growth

Managing multiple properties brings a number operational challenges, and a potentially overwhelming workload. To maintain efficiency, Grün Resorts turned to SiteMinder’s platform to help keep every vital task on track.

The switch to SiteMinder was driven by the need for quick integration and to avoid overbookings as the number of rooms, and volume of reservations, increased.

With a single unified platform that incorporates a whole range of powerful features, SiteMinder delivers hoteliers both control over their business and easy ways to maximise revenue.

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All-encompassing support from SiteMinder

Ahmad Zainal Arifin, Revenue & Front Office Manager at Grün, shared that the team uses three key SiteMinder features in particular to enhance their operations: the channel manager, booking engine, and Insights.

“The channel manager has been invaluable as we expanded from three to 11 channels. It made the process seamless,” Arifin explained.

With SiteMinder’s channel manager, hoteliers have access to the biggest network of online booking channels in the industry, increasing reach, visibility, and bookings. In addition, inventory is managed automatically in real-time, meaning the risk of overbookings is significantly reduced.

For Grün Ubud, the booking engine is essential, with M. Aidil Risyad, Performance Marketing Analyst, praising its user-friendliness for implementing promotions.

“Integration with external vendors was challenging, but after setting up the promo code on the booking engine, room allocation became much simpler,” Risyad noted.

With SiteMinder’s booking engine, hoteliers can boost direct bookings via their own website, metasearch sites such as Google, and social media.

It also makes it easy to set up promotions, upsell, and connect with guests to create a stronger relationship.

SiteMinder Insights also aids Grün in data processing, providing key snapshots of the local market, competitors, and helping to produce booking performance and pace reports.

This enables for faster, more informed, pricing decisions that allows the brand to maximise revenue at all times.

SiteMinder is proud to support Grün Resorts on its journey to new heights!

SiteMinder and DidaTravel drive improved revenue results for hotels in Asia

Dean Elphick — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 04:25:48 +0000

DidaTravel is the largest travel wholesaler in China and one of the fastest growing wholesalers globally as it blazes a trail through the Asia-Pacific region.

Offering an extensive portfolio of products that encompass everything from accommodations and flights to tours and activities, Dida is on a mission to simplify access to what can be a complex travel landscape.

“Our journey began with a vision to revolutionise the B2B travel experience,” said Market Manager, Benjawan Phothisit.

“As it stands, we excel in distributing diverse travel products to global source markets, including fast-growing and emerging markets across the Asia-Pacific region. These markets encompass high-value customer segments, including retail travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, and point redemption schemes.”

Being born in the digital age means Dida is naturally driven by technology and data, which ensures efficiency and swift adaptability within a constantly evolving industry, and led by a faultlessly dedicated team.

Providing true B2B value

The last couple of years have been particularly fruitful for Dida and its clients.

“We have a large number of hotels available with various rate models, allowing our customers ample choice,” said Benjawan. “We also provide 24/7 support to quickly respond to pre-sales and after-sales needs.”

“Hotels that have been particularly successful selling to us commonly offer a variety of rate plans that suit a range of our clients. It’s also beneficial if they participate in our initiated marketing activities and work closely with their dedicated marketing manager to optimise opportunities.”

With changing consumer behaviour over the past five years, an outstanding distribution partner like Dida and an industry leading revenue platform like SiteMinder are crucial for the success of hotels.

These changes include:

Travellers becoming more price conscious and sensitive, opting to carefully compare their options
Increased demand for elevated experiences and service at hotels
Demand outweighing supply in popular destinations
Resource and finance shortages in the workforce
Customers becoming more tech-savvy, broadening their research methods and raising their expectations

By combining powerful, diversified, distribution with smart, automated technology, hoteliers are able to unlock their full revenue potential.

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Leading hotels are reaping the rewards of a seamless partnership

By utilising SiteMinder’s platform, hoteliers have access to more than 1,800 third-party connections, including the lucrative DidaTravel.

One prominent property taking advantage of this partnership is Grande Centre Point Surawong in Thailand.

Grande Centre Point Surawong is located in the CBD of Bangkok. Inspired by colonial art culture, it provides guests with a convenient stay that also immerses them in the local scene.

As a 5-star hotel, the property is also equipped with an award-winning Let’s Relax Spa, a well-equipped fitness facility with Technogym technology, a sauna, and a sky pool with an iconic view of the city and stunning sunsets.

Established in 2023 with close to 400 rooms, managing rates and availability was an immediate challenge. It prompted the team to explore software solutions and ultimately choose SiteMinder’s proven hotel platform.

“With SiteMinder, we can eliminate the obvious challenges of managing this many rooms across a number of different booking channels,” said Duangkamol Unaharirk.

SiteMinder allows hotels to automate reservation management in real-time across hundreds of booking channels and distribution partners, increasing revenue generation and dramatically increasing efficiency.

“We use all of SiteMinder’s features to control daily availability, increase our yield, and track booking momentum,” Duangkamol continued.

“DidaTravel is one of the valuable connections we use via SiteMinder. It helps us maximise revenue both from forward bookings and last-minute bookings. Being able to manage additional channels like Dida with no extra effort has allowed us to increase our overall volume of reservations.”

The future promises to be busy for DidaTravel, with some grand plans in the works. Looking to expand both locally and abroad, Dida will focus on entering new markets such as the Middle East and Africa while also doubling-down on local travel retailers, in the effort to increase customer growth and boost the amount of direct contracts they sign with hotels around the world.

With a smart platform like SiteMinder and professional operators like DidaTravel, hotels have powerful revenue management capabilities at their fingertips.

Thank you DidaTravel for your valued partnership, and Grande Centre Point Surawong for your wonderful feedback. We wish you all the very best in the future!

SiteMinder successfully helps Urban Rest expand global footprint and streamline operations

Dean Elphick — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:21:45 +0000

Urban Rest is a serviced apartment provider that is “redefining traditional accommodation with a progressive and next-generation approach.”

Established in Sydney, Australia, Urban Rest’s journey began in 2017 when the founders became frustrated by a lack of accommodation options for business travel and relocation.

Cody Walker, Revenue Performance Director, mentioned that in response, “we created a new category by providing personalised, modern apartments that inspire and promote your wellbeing. Stay for a few nights, weeks or months, the choice is entirely yours.”

With apartments that are larger than the rooms in a conventional hotel, stylish interiors, greater flexibility than long-term rentals, a consistent and exceptional customer experience and 24/7 coverage to rival a hotel front desk, it’s no surprise that Urban Rest has gone from strength to strength.

“We’re leveraging technology to offer guests a 24/7 ‘digital reception desk’ with our around-the-clock customer support and reservations teams,” said Cody.

“This strategic advantage enables us to open properties in highly sought-after lifestyle locations that larger hotels find challenging to enter, with smaller properties where an on-site staff model wouldn’t be profitable.”

What started as a handful of properties has grown to over 700 units globally, and is now supported by SiteMinder’s leading hotel platform.

An expanding business needed best-in-class technology

With even more units in the pipeline, Urban Rest and the team needed a way to manage operations efficiently and effectively to reach more markets and sustain success.

“There was a need to broaden our distribution footprint,” mentioned Cody. “It was challenging to roll SiteMinder out initially, only because we have so many unique properties. Unlike hotels that only have one property, we could have over 200 unique locations.”

It wasn’t long before SiteMinder’s power proved worth the wait, with Urban Rest taking full advantage of SiteMinder’s connection to the industry’s biggest Global Distribution Systems (GDS).

This helped the group increase its visibility among global travel agents, with full technical support provided by SiteMinder’s team. Optimisations sessions were also held to ensure the sales and distribution teams had access to the latest market insights and best practices.

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A promise delivered

Thanks to SiteMinder, the global distribution footprint that Cody mentioned soon became bigger for Urban Rest with increased global visibility, streamlined content and rate loading, and the ability for empowered sales teams to capitalise on market trends.

“The collaboration with SiteMinder’s GDS platform has significantly boosted Urban Rest Group’s visibility among global travel agents and positioned it for continued success,” he said.

“SiteMinder’s technical team provided full support for content and rate loading, while tailored GDS optimisation sessions equipped the sales and distribution team with the latest market insights and best practices.”

SiteMinder is proud to have been a part of Urban Rest’s journey so far and look forward to continuing our collaboration in the future!

Mutiara Carita achieves major direct bookings surge thanks to SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 04:48:07 +0000

For guests who are looking for one of the most pleasant resorts in Carita, Anyer, Mutiara Carita Cottages is the place to be! In operation since the 1990s, nestled in the middle of forests and surrounded by hills and beaches, this eco-resort is an essential escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Mutiara Carita Cottages has 76 accommodation units with a total of 170 rooms. In addition to hotel rooms, the resort offers a number of cottages ranging from 1-bedroom to 5-bedrooms.

Beyond beautiful views, Mutiara Carita Cottages offers exceptional service and a variety of fun activities for family holidays and corporate gatherings including communal areas, banana boat rentals, canoes, ATVs, a swimming pool, a mini zoo, and a vegetable garden where guests can harvest their own produce.

We spoke to Andreas S, E-Commerce & Partnership Manager, about the property’s management and how SiteMinder’s platform has aided its success.

Rate parity and inventory management difficulties

Andreas highlighted rate parity as a recurring challenge for the resort, which sells across a number of different and diverse booking channels.

Understanding and maintaining rate parity is crucial for hoteliers as it influences pricing strategies, revenue management, and the potential profitability of the business.

“Sometimes the problem is that there are some OTA partners who take part in undercutting, which creates an issue for us,” Andreas said.

Andreas explained that his resort also frequently faces the challenge of manually updating prices across various distribution channels.

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Direct booking value surges to IDR 100 million

To address and offset these continual issues, Andreas relies on SiteMinder’s channel manager and booking engine to boost direct bookings.

“With the channel manager, we update the price once and it automatically updates across all our channels. We can also adjust allotments in real-time,” he said.

With the help of SiteMinder’s features, Mutiara Carita Cottages saw a notable surge in direct bookings.

Andreas credits this success to Demand Plus, which enhances the visibility of the resort’s direct website on metasearch sites such as Google and Trivago.

“From January to May, we had almost no direct bookings,” he said. “However, after launching our campaign and adding an incentive discount, we received over 30 direct bookings worth more than IDR 100 million from June to July.”

Driving these results via SiteMinder’s booking engine was a game changer for the business, but it was just as important that the property’s inventory was kept accurate and up-to-date using the channel manager.

Minimising double bookings and streamlining operations

Mutiara Carita Cottages has successfully minimised double bookings, with SiteMinder’s real-time updates ensuring the chance of the same room being booked twice is significantly reduced.

“The incidence of double bookings or overbookings is very low now,” Andreas explained.

Andreas also praised SiteMinder’s platform for its practicality and accessibility, with the mobile app proving to be an invaluable asset for managing operations.

“I can’t always open my laptop, especially when reservations come in late at night. With the app, I can access and manage everything directly,” he explained.

With SiteMinder’s mobile app, hoteliers have the control of their property and the power of the platform in the palm of their hand.

SiteMinder is proud to be part of Mutiara Carita Cottages’ success story and we wish the team all the best in the future!

“The office in your pocket”: SiteMinder and 3RPMS transform everyday operations at Hotel Hirsch 1783

Dean Elphick — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 04:54:50 +0000

Many hotels confidently claim that they uphold tradition. However, this statement applies to the Hotel Hirsch 1783 on Lake Constance like no other. Because, as the name suggests, the hotel has been welcoming guests for over 340 years – in family hands.

When Peter Schöllhorn took over the charming inn from his parents in 2004, he and his family lovingly renovated it. Today, 25 stylishly furnished rooms await guests, delivering a mix of traditional country house and modern comfort.

SiteMinder has been making everyday life easier at the Hirsch 1783 for six years – but since Peter Schöllhorn linked 3RPMS to SiteMinder’s channel manager, day-to-day operations have fundamentally changed. We spoke to him about his work and how SiteMinder and 3RPMS have even improved his quality of life.

A flexible and intuitive platform

When Peter was looking for a new channel manager, his nerves were frayed. His previous provider was not flexible and there were constant disruptions. He looked for an alternative online and came across SiteMinder during his research. He decided to change providers and was quickly convinced by the services.

“The first thing that convinced me was the flexibility of the channel manager. I was suddenly able to easily set different rates and restrictions – for example for arrival and departure – and communicate them across all portals.”

“I also have a huge selection of channels, all of which are included in the price. Here the price to performance ratio is just right. And that is very important for us. After all, we are a seasonal business,” explained Peter, who closes the hotel in the winter months.

While mentioning that he had no regret upon switching to SiteMinder, Peter also praised the onboarding process.

“I can generally get to grips with new things very quickly and that was no different with SiteMinder. The program is logically and intuitively structured. And if I do have any questions, my concerns are resolved quickly and easily by support,” Peter said.

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With 3RPMS and SiteMinder, the office is in your pocket

Operations have not always run as smoothly as they do today. Peter runs the small hotel on Lake Constance together with his wife Yvonne. They don’t have staff who specifically look after the reception and the guests’ concerns. Instead, Peter often had to juggle several roles at the same time: chef, receptionist, service and caretaker. He hardly ever had any free time.

“The work was so time-consuming that I almost dreaded the summer season. While everyone else was getting a tan in the summer, I was as white as a sheet because I didn’t get time to go outside,” Peter recalled.

He knew he had to change something about his processes and initially decided to stop the restaurant business in the evenings so that he could look after his guests better. He then contacted SiteMinder support to ask if they could recommend a suitable hotel software.

“With my previous provider, price maintenance was a real nightmare because it was a database system. I always had to enter the prices twice and sometimes it was a real mess. I also had to have access to my computer at all times when a reservation came in – and I don’t have anyone at the reception,” Peter said.

SiteMinder recommended 3RPMS, which turned his hotel business upside down.

“My day-to-day business has changed fundamentally,” he enthused.

“The integration between SiteMinder and 3RPMS works smoothly. Bookings and cancellations are processed immediately and automatically. I don’t have to do any additional work. On top of that, I only have to enter the base price once into 3RPMS and it is transferred directly to the channel manager,” explained Peter.

An extreme time saver and no more overbookings

It was the simple and flexible handling that ultimately convinced Peter about SiteMinder and 3RPMS. Since he switched his systems, he and his wife Yvonne finally have more time again.

“I can use both SiteMinder and 3RPMS on my smartphone or tablet and no longer need a bulky PC. Today I can even ride a bike or sit by our beautiful lake with a glass of wine and still sell rooms. I basically always have my office in my pocket. Now I really enjoy my work again!”

It’s no wonder that Peter now recommends that other hoteliers switch to SiteMinder and 3RPMS.

“I’m friends with some hoteliers and they keep complaining to me that they’re experiencing overbooking. I haven’t had that problem for years!” And he continued: “I no longer have to keep an eye on countless portals, but can always rely on all rooms being handled – even while I’m at trade fairs.”

Thank you very much for this great feedback Peter! We are pleased that both SiteMinder and 3RPMS have such a positive influence on your everyday life. We wish you and your wife Yvonne all the best and much success for the future.

SiteMinder drives revenue optimization at The Sterling Inn & The Cannery Lofts

Andrea Cuenca — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 21:21:57 +0000

Located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, The Sterling Inn and Spa is housed in a charmingly refurbished factory, offering a romantic atmosphere appealing primarily to couples seeking a retreat. In contrast, The Cannery Lofts feature spacious modern rooms designed for extended stays and families, characterized by industrial-chic aesthetics such as exposed pipes and high ceilings.

We spoke to Michelle Spaeth, the revenue manager of both properties, to learn about how SiteMinder has helped shape their success.

Vital tasks a challenge before SiteMinder

Prior to adopting SiteMinder, Michelle faced significant challenges in online distribution and revenue management. Without a channel manager, the process of managing packages and rates across various booking platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb was cumbersome and limited, hindering the ability to optimize revenue and reach new markets effectively.

Michelle reflected on the situation.

“Before SiteMinder, our online distribution was quite limited. We had no control over rates and packages on different platforms.”

Achieving revenue growth with a smart platform

The introduction of SiteMinder’s hotel platform revolutionized the team’s approach to revenue management and online distribution, enabling them to implement varied pricing approaches, expand into new channels effortlessly, and create more personalized guest experiences to boost guest spend.

“SiteMinder enabled us to build packages, manage multiple channels effectively, and tap into new markets. Airbnb alone has generated over $200,000 in revenue for us, showcasing the platform’s impact.”

Michelle attributes substantial revenue growth at both properties to SiteMinder’s flexibility and efficiency in managing room types and real-time pricing.

Efficiency and a strategic focus

With SiteMinder streamlining operations, Michelle and her team have shifted focus to strategic planning. She describes SiteMinder as a game-changer, drastically saving time, enhancing revenue management, and profitability. Simplified management of multiple channels and strategies empowers both hotels to discover new revenue opportunities, expand market reach, and pursue their goals more effectively.

Deutsches Haus saves three hours of work every day with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 06:09:34 +0000

Deutsches Haus in Bonn, Germany, has been a true institution in the Rhine metropolis for 70 years. The hosts welcome their guests with true warmth and a family atmosphere.

“We operate the hotel as the third generation and attach great importance to our guests feeling comfortable with us,” emphasises Miles Lazaro, who is currently managing the 46-bed hotel with his mother Cora Hübner-Stauf.

Since 2023, the owner-managed city hotel has been using SiteMinder’s industry leading platform to better market its presence online and optimise workflows. We spoke with Miles about the challenges of running a hotel and how the platform supports the team in their daily operations.

Extensive features and better value for money

Before discovering SiteMinder’s channel manager, Miles had been working with a different platform for seven years. Initially, the collaboration went smoothly, but then the company’s support became increasingly worse until it was finally discontinued altogether.

“We could no longer work properly so that’s when I became frustrated and started looking for a new partner. However, I already had SiteMinder in mind,” Miles explained.

It’s a choice he has not regretted to this day:

“SiteMinder’s channel manager is much simpler. SiteMinder uses more sophisticated technology and I have many more options to present our hotel on the booking platforms the way that I want it. In addition, I can use Insights to see all the important parameters directly. I couldn’t do that before. SiteMinder is really ‘state of the art’ in that respect.”

He is also impressed by the value for money offered by SiteMinder’s platform.

“I can now connect a variety of OTAs and have more features than before – and at a lower monthly price. In addition, I have also utilised tools such as the online booking engine and Guest Engagement,” Miles said.

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“Automating workflows saves up to three hours of work per day”

Deutsches Haus has finally found a platform that streamlines accommodation management, automating tasks that were previously handled manually. This has resulted in significant time savings for the hotel, freeing up staff to focus on higher-value activities.

“Everything is now automatically booked into the PMS, which wasn’t the case before,” explained Miles. “A lot of work is being taken off our hands and we’re saving at least three hours every day!”

According to Miles, the hotel’s external perception has also improved, thanks to improved communication and personalisation delivered by Guest Engagement. This, in turn, has had a positive impact on booking numbers.

Smooth onboarding process

The transition to SiteMinder’s platform was nothing but smooth sailing thanks to its intuitive and user-friendly design.

“Anyone with some experience in the field can find their way around the platform quickly and easily,” Miles said. “The onboarding went great and the staff took a lot of time for us. We could come to them with any questions at any time. They even offered us more calls that we didn’t need anymore. All of our questions were answered,” he recalled.

In addition, Miles found the customer service beyond the initial onboarding phase to be just as stellar.

“It almost sounds too good to be true – but SiteMinder has so far kept all the promises it made in advance.”

Thank you, Miles, for this great feedback! We wish you and your family continued success with your wonderful hotel Deutsches Haus.

SiteMinder helps Infinity8 Bali develop easy strategies for success

Dean Elphick — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:25:02 +0000

Infinity8 Bali is a four-star hotel located in Jimbaran, Nusa Dua. Situated near Ngurah Rai International Airport, the hotel is also close to famous tourist attractions such as Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Uluwatu Temple, Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, and Nusa Dua Beach. Guests staying at one of Infinity8 Bali’s 177 rooms can easily access a number of stunning beaches such as Dreamland and Pandawa Beach.

Operating since 2016, the property attracts both domestic and international tourists in large numbers, thanks to high quality service alongside 4-star facilities such as the Infinity Sky Pool, ballroom & meeting room, spa, gym, and free shuttle services.

With diverse facilities and room types on offer, Infinity8 Bali has become a destination for a few different guest segments including backpackers who are looking for budget-friendly accommodation, couples on a romantic getaway, families with children, business travellers, and guests who are looking for an experience that can make them feel right at home.

We spoke to Ulfa Oktafiani, E-Commerce & Revenue Manager, about how the property keeps operations running smoothly when there is so much to manage.

A successful strategy backed by technology

Infinity8 Bali has entrusted its daily operations to a number of features on SiteMinder’s leading hotel platform, such as the channel manager, Insights, PMS integration, and Global Distribution System (GDS).

Ulfa praised SiteMinder’s convenience and clever data that enables hoteliers to identify market demand much easier.

“It can show which source markets have high demand,” she explained. “With that useful information, we can easily develop a pricing strategy.”

Moreover, Insights also contributes a great deal to the hotel’s business strategy.

“Insights helps us increase visibility, due to its fast processing, and also helps us increase ARR (average room rate),” Ulfa continued.

Along with Ulfa, Ryan Tanjung, Director of Sales & Marketing at Infinity8 Bali, stated that SiteMinder’s assistance was perfectly suited to meet his hotel’s needs.

“We exclusively use SiteMinder’s channel manager as we think there’s no better solution to fulfil our distribution needs,” Ryan explained.

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A smooth system with strong integration

Linked to 20-25 online booking channels and having to manage its own site for direct bookings, Infinity8 Bali needed to minimise potential errors.

By relying on SiteMinder’s platform, both Ryan and Ulfa admitted that they rarely had to tackle issues such as double bookings or data entry errors.

According to them, SiteMinder’s channel manager constantly runs smoothly, with seamless booking engine integration, has an easy-to-use interface, and a pleasing user experience.

“I’ve used other channel managers at my previous jobs. And it’s safe to say that SiteMinder’s channel manager is the best one out there. Minimal errors, fast integration, and they can also swiftly upload allocations and in real-time,” Ulfa said.

Thank you both for your valued feedback. SiteMinder is committed to helping Infinity8 Bali reach new heights!

Soy Local Hotels increases direct bookings by 98% with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 04:17:38 +0000

Soy Local Hotels was first established in 2017 in Medellin, Colombia, and it has since expanded its reach to Mexico and Costa Rica. The team’s main goal is to offer great experiences to their customers so they can enjoy the city like locals – by recommending the best landmarks, sharing useful tips and inviting them to events. They want guests to feel like they’re in home away from home, creating a special connection between them and the destination that keeps them coming back. The group hosts both national and international travellers seeking authentic, relaxing, getaways.

We spoke with Juan Sebastián Jiménez Sánchez, Chief of International Openings and Bookings, about the brand’s journey with SiteMinder’s platform.

Challenges before tech upgrades

When they started back in 2017, Juan was the Booking Department Manager.

“We relied on two OTAs and managed all of our channels manually”, he explained.

While seeking solutions that could help control distribution, he tried many options without a lot of success. One of the main issues was none of these platforms had an integrated channel manager which could guarantee seamless connection with the group’s property management system (PMS).

“We were always struggling to get a stable connection and it became very frustrating. When we came across SiteMinder, it was like finding light at the end of the tunnel.”

Taking direct bookings was also a problem, since the team was not able to connect the property’s site to their channel manager, which led to guest dissatisfaction. When they chose to implement SiteMinder’s channel manager, there was immediate improvement.

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Achieving goals with superior solutions

Soy Local has a portfolio of 16 hotels, so agility in operation and optimisation is essential. It has been a game changer to be able to cover every need via single platform with SiteMinder. Thanks to SiteMinder, the group now saves precious time which can be invested into nurturing business relationships and offering the best possible experience to customers.

SiteMinder has provided the team with more time, increased revenue, and peace of mind. They know relying on high-performing technology is essential to achieving guest satisfaction.

“We’ve seen a 98% spike in direct bookings in Mexico City thanks to SiteMinder, and we’ve also grown by 105% at Puerto Vallarta with Demand Plus.”

Cutting costs to boost the bottom line

Juan and Soy Local managed to reduce costs by around 60%, with a particular reduction coming from eliminating the additional effort of managing bookings manually. This has allowed them to focus on boosting their sales and securing more stays.

“It’s not only that we’ve seen a decrease in the time we were spending —it has genuinely transformed our business. What would usually take 8 hours for our staff is now a completely different experience thanks to SiteMinder’s platform.”

Soy Local Hotels has truly found a strategic partner in SiteMinder that has transformed its operations and improved customer experience.

Thank you Juan, for your valued feedback, and we wish Soy Local all the best in the future!

Kupu Kupu Barong teams up with SiteMinder to secure a 50% increase in bookings

Dean Elphick — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 05:32:43 +0000

When searching for the most appropriate accommodation destination on the Island of the Gods, sometimes the best choice is the most obvious. Established in 1989, Kupu Kupu Barong Villas & Tree Spa by L’Occitane is a luxury villa that offers spectacular views of the Ayung River, the longest river on the island of Bali.

Not only is it an exclusive retreat with direct access to the magnificent rice fields and enchanting Ayung River, the service at Kupu Kupu Barong is completed with facilities such as a private pool, L’Occitane Spa Experience, fine dining at La View Restaurant, and activities such as trekking, river rafting, and yoga.

The property is wrapped in a design that reflects Balinese culture, and provides 47 rooms across nine different villas. Kupu Kupu Barong is the first property established by the Kupu Kupu Barong Group, which houses several properties such as Jungle Retreat, Kupu Kupu Jimbaran, and Kupu Kupu Phangan in Thailand.

Business runs smoothly with SiteMinder’s platform

Since 2015, Kupu Kupu Barong has entrusted SiteMinder to enable its success and uses almost all the available features.

Iluh Eka Fibriani, E-commerce & Sales Manager at Kupu Kupu Barong, felt she needed support from SiteMinder, especially because her property is connected to quite a number of local and international online travel agents (OTAs).

“Apart from that, we are also connected to B2B channels,” Iluh continued.

Iluh mentioned that while using SiteMinder, the resort has never experienced any significant problems or obstacles.

“SiteMinder’s channel manager is simple and easy to understand. Overbooking is also very rare, almost non-existent now,” she said.

Thanks to SiteMinder, Kupu Kupu Barong experiences fast, easy and automatic room booking updates, which includes receiving instant booking notifications via email.

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Bookings skyrocket without complication

One of the many benefits of SiteMinder that has convinced Kupu Kupu Barong to remain a long-term customer is the ease of integration with other hotel systems.

In the last year, this resort has also enjoyed a surge in bookings from OTAs and setting prices has never been easier.

“We saw a 50% increase in bookings from our OTA connections,” Iluh said. “Mapping room prices and availability is also effortless because SiteMinder’s onboarding team has explained it all perfectly.”

Furthermore, Iluh and her team are able to perform tasks quickly and easily thanks to SiteMinder’s easy-to-navigate user interface. Iluh also praised SiteMinder’s rate multiplier feature.

“This feature is extremely helpful and easy to use for direct booking strategy,” she continued.

The only dependable partner

Experiencing the benefits of using SiteMinder for the past nine years, Iluh admitted that she continues to recommend SiteMinder to other hoteliers in Bali.

“If there’s an easy solution, why seek something else? Many other hoteliers have used SiteMinder, then changed to another platform. However, in the end they returned to using SiteMinder because it’s always the easier choice,” Iluh explained.

Thank you Iluh! SiteMinder looks forward to overseeing Kupu Kupu Barong’s future success.

Transformative success of Queen Anne Inn with SiteMinder and PMS integration

Andrea Cuenca — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:53:32 +0000

Nestled in the serene coastal town of Chatham, Massachusetts, The Queen Anne Inn Cafe & Lounge was established over four decades ago. With 34 uniquely appointed rooms, this charming retreat caters to an audience seeking tranquility in a vibrant seaside community. We spoke to Dana Weinkopf, the innkeeper, to know more the business and the team’s journey with SiteMinder.

Limitations before SiteMinder

Before adopting SiteMinder’s industry-leading platform, the inn relied on traditional online distribution methods, including online travel agents (OTAs) like Booking.com and Expedia, and word of mouth. Managing bookings across multiple platforms was time-consuming and inefficient due to each OTA having its own system, which often slowed down reconciliation processes. The need for a unified system to streamline distribution and management in one place became pressing.

Driving revenue and adaptability

Joining SiteMinder has transformed daily operations at The Queen Anne Inn. “Automated reservation management has significantly reduced our workload,” Dana explained.

“We can now focus more on enhancing guest experiences rather than managing manual entries and potential booking conflicts.”

SiteMinder offered a streamlined solution integrated with our PMS, ensuring seamless management of inventory and bookings. Since implementing SiteMinder, the inn has seen notable improvements in bookings and revenue. Dana noted:

“The real success lies in our ability to adapt and compete effectively in a dynamic market. SiteMinder’s tools have empowered us to optimize our online visibility and attract more guests.”

Seamless PMS integration

Reflecting on the integration process of their PMS with SiteMinder, Dana described it as a new and smart concept that enabled a smooth transition from traditional systems to modern, comprehensive, channel management. She noted that the integration was fast and straightforward. Dana emphasized this point.

“While other PMS and channel manager integration options exist, they do not match SiteMinder in terms of quality, level of service, or whole-hearted approach.”

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Looking ahead

Dana remains committed to innovation and guest satisfaction.

“Our partnership with SiteMinder has been transformative, it’s not just about managing rooms; it’s about creating memorable experiences that keep guests coming back.”

With SiteMinder as a trusted partner, the inn not only meets but exceeds the expectations of its discerning clientele, ensuring each guest’s journey is as exceptional as the Cape Cod coastline.

Thank you Dana and we wish The Queen Anne the best of luck in the future!

Lloyd’s Inn Bali finds seamless integration and rate parity thanks to SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 07:12:05 +0000

Located in Double Six Seminyak, Lloyd’s Inn Bali is a hidden oasis that combines modern architecture with the natural beauty Bali has to offer. Up and running since 2018, the property offers a relaxing experience away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. With the beach only 300m away, and easy access to various shops and restaurants, Lloyd’s Inn Bali provides guests with the luxury of convenience.

Hosting 101 rooms with 12 room types, the hotel generally welcomes international guests from various countries such as Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and China. Each room type has a different theme, aiming to uniquely depict a connection with the environment.

With a number of facilities such as a swimming pool, spa, restaurant, and WiFi available to access in all public areas, guests will never be short of enjoyable experiences.

The urgency to solve a difficult juggling act

With Lloyd’s Inn being connected to 10 different online travel agents (OTA), Anita Dewi, E-commerce & Sales Executive, admitted that this raised issues related to price parity.

It became a major problem because of the many types and number of rooms that Lloyd’s Inn Bali displayed.

“Each OTA has its own strategy and promotions, so price discrepancy was often arising for us on various channels,” Anita explained.

This can have a negative impact on the trust of guests and can cause a reduction in bookings, ultimately lowering the revenue potential of the business.

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SiteMinder delivers an easy way to set and update room rates

Lloyd’s Inn Bali faithfully uses two features of SiteMinder’s leading platform, the channel manager and booking engine.

Thanks to the channel manager’s real-time and automatic inventory management, Anita stated that issues related to price differences between each OTA were quickly resolved.

“SiteMinder’s channel manager allows us to simply set room rates automatically and easily on each OTA,” she said.

SiteMinder has also helped Lloyd’s Inn overcome overbooking problems and streamline its integration with OTAs.

“So far we’re very satisfied with SiteMinder’s channel manager,” Anita said.

SiteMinder’s booking engine has also aided the property in developing their own website to boost direct reservations.

“Currently, direct bookings are in the top three booking channels for Lloyd’s,” said Anita. “Compared to competitors, SiteMinder’s booking engine is the easiest to set up and use.”

Anita also uses SiteMinder’s Mobile App in helping her monitor Lloyd’s Inn Bali operations without space and time restrictions.

“I don’t need to log in to my desktop when I’m not in the office. That way I can adjust the price and availability of rooms from anywhere,” she concluded.

Thank you for trusting SiteMinder Anita, we will continue to fully support Lloyd’s Inn Bali!

Brady Hotels & Apartments gains game-changing support and success with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 22:55:53 +0000

Brady Hotels & Apartments is an independent hotel group owned and operated out of Melbourne, Australia. With four locations in the heart of the city, Brady Hotels is characterised by its genuine service and authenticity.

Guests at Brady properties will always feel the personal touch and be guided while on their stay to enjoy the best sights, sounds, and dining experiences available.

Founded in 2014, the group quickly expanded to the four locations it holds today, which are all in close proximity to transport, entertainment, restaurants and bars.

We recently spoke to Alexandra Rolton, Strategic Sales & Key Account Manager, about the group’s operations and how it has been utilising SiteMinder’s platform to optimise operations and revenue strategies.

“We provide versatile accommodations which allow us to work with both long and short term guests,” she said. “Our properties excel in the leisure market, delivering exceptional value for those seeking a vibrant city escape. Additionally, our strategic locations make us a preferred choice for corporate clients.”

“We have embraced technology to enhance our guests’ experience, offering pre-arrival welcome emails, online check-in and express check-out services. This innovation allows our staff to focus on genuine, personalised interactions with guests upon arrival and throughout their stay,” Alexandra explained.

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Smart solutions make difficult work easy

Brady Hotels has been particularly impressed by a few of SiteMinder’s most powerful features; the Channel Manager, Insights, and Global Distribution System (GDS).

A channel manager gives hotels unlimited access to third-party booking channels, while automating inventory management to reduce manual work and mitigate the risk of double bookings.

“SiteMinder’s channel manager has streamlined our bookings and inventory management,” mentioned Alexandra. “It’s especially improved efficiency, since it allows us to manage four properties at once by eliminating manual updates.”

“On top of that, it enhances our revenue management through dynamic pricing, optimising room rates based on demand, season, and events,” she continued. “It expands market reach by connecting with various online travel agencies (OTAs), global distribution systems (GDS), and direct booking channels, increasing visibility and bookings.”

“The most important factor for Brady Hotels & Apartments is that we are now confidently able to maintain rate parity, building guest trust with uniform pricing.”

Insights is a business intelligence tool that delivers real-time data so that hoteliers can track market changes, optimise their prices, and keep an eye on the competition.

The GDS is ideal for unlocking business travel success, providing connection to the best corporate travel programs, including the opportunity to join preferred hotel programs and host more meetings and events for corporate clients.

“We collaborate closely with the SiteMinder team to implement effective market strategies via the GDS,” said Alexandra. “This includes creating length-of-stay offers and seasonal promotional rates, which we adjust as needed to align with business and market demands. We also maintain rate parity with our consortia preferred rates and offer a 24 hour cancellation policy.”

“Beyond distribution, we leverage a combination of intelligence reports and data capture to identify and pursue new corporate business opportunities through our business development teams.”

What stands out about SiteMinder’s platform is that it seamlessly integrates its features in one dashboard, allowing hoteliers full control and visibility over their operations. With smart automation, real-time data processing, and two-way communication to a broader ecosystem of connections and partners, properties can effectively optimise time and productivity.

Dedicated support leads to a strong relationship

With the team at SiteMinder committed to ensuring every property is set up for success, the sign-up and onboarding process is critical. We want to make sure hoteliers can hit the ground running with their powerful new features.

For Brady Hotels, things couldn’t have gone better.

“The ongoing support and assistance from the team, with regular meetings to discuss GDS performance has been amazing,” Alexandra said.

“Lata is very responsive with providing ad hoc advice and reporting as required, along with discussing the insights from this data. It has allowed us to feel in control and make the most of the feature.”

Thank you, Alexandra, for your valued feedback and we wish Brady Hotels & Apartments all the best in the future!

Trust in SiteMinder: Bali Mandira experiences a surge in bookings of up to 20%

Dean Elphick — Tue, 14 May 2024 00:33:21 +0000

Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa is considered a classic Balinese hotel with a modern twist. Truly a seaside paradise with spacious grounds, white sandy beaches and beautiful sea views, it’s a holiday destination in “heaven on Earth” that is known for its warm hospitality.

A number of outstanding facilities are available for guests of all ages. From a lagoon-style seaside swimming pool, pool bar, beach club, kids club, exotic spa, to meeting rooms and conference facilities.

The five-star resort also offers entertainment such as live music and DJs, cultural performances, and children’s activities for guests with families.

We spoke to Cluster Ecommerce Manager, Wibawa Yoga, about the property’s operations and how SiteMinder has helped the team find success.

Tackling the high error rate in daily operations

Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa is far from a newbie in the hotel industry. Established in 1981, this 189-room resort has tried various hotel platforms and experienced a number of trials and errors. Wibawa explained that after a long search, the resort now places its trust in SiteMinder.

“We have been using SiteMinder since 2015. We find the channel manager especially useful,” he said.

Wibawa further explained that of all the hotel tech solutions he has ever used, SiteMinder is the easiest one to navigate.

“The margin of error is the smallest. Before using SiteMinder, we experienced a high margin of error.”

This was creating an issue of long time gaps when updating prices and room inventory. However, this was no longer an issue after Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa switched to SiteMinder.

“SiteMinder can update quickly in a matter of minutes,” Wibawa said.

Bookings increased by 20%

Thanks to the ability to quickly update rates and reduce errors, the average daily rate at Bali Mandira has increased. In addition, SiteMinder’s channel manager allows the resort to update inventory automatically and no longer rely on manual work.

“Since using SiteMinder, Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa has also seen an increase in bookings of around 15-20%,” Wibawa continued.

He also praised the channel manager’s functions for managing room prices.

“For example, we can set discounts on certain dates when the room rate is yielding,” he explained. “This is a feature that one of the competitors we tried doesn’t have.”

With the most powerful channel manager in the industry, SiteMinder unlocks and optimises hotel distribution across multiple booking channels. This advantage is one that Wibawa and Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa delights in.

“The channel manager on SiteMinder’s platform is the most complete channel manager. Around 70% of our guests come from Australia and we are currently connected to more than 20 booking channels,” he explained.

SiteMinder is delighted to be part of Bali Mandira Beach Resort & Spa’s successful journey so far!

SiteMinder supports Invergarry Hotel’s improved guest experience

Dean Elphick — Thu, 09 May 2024 06:08:25 +0000

Invergarry Hotel is a multi award-winning accommodation and one of the last historic inns in the Scottish Highlands.

Independent and family owned, the hotel is steeped in character and is the perfect location for those looking to explore the Scottish Highlands or simply take a quiet getaway.

On top of the ultra comfortable rooms, there’s also the brasserie and bar serving rustic highland food and hearty vibes.

We recently spoke to the owner, Nigel Robson, about his journey and how SiteMinder’s platform has helped the property optimise the business.

A new venture with strong foundations

Nigel came to the operation of Invergarry Hotel with no prior hotel management experience, but that’s not to say he was unprepared.

“I actually used to work in the motor trade for Michelin Tyres and had an exciting career in the motor industry travelling much of Europe,” he explained.

“One day I decided I wanted to do something for myself and looked for my own business to buy. I happened to be driving by the Invergarry Hotel and noticed it for sale. I had no experience in the hotel industry, however I knew all about purchasing, great customer service, operating teams of people and as part of my job stayed in many hotels.”

It only took a few days for Nigel to take the leap and start living his dream. Now, the property is aided by SiteMinder’s platform to streamline online bookings, customer communication, promotions, website design, and more.

“It’s easy to use and once you’re set up, it’s a one-stop shop,” Nigel said.

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Simple features that deliver powerful results

Invergarry Hotel is using SiteMinder to support the management of all the crucial aspects of running a hotel.

This includes a channel manager to automate room sales on third-party booking sites, a direct booking feature to maximise direct reservations and profit, and a website builder to create a beautiful, optimised website for the brand.

In addition, the property is utilising SiteMinder’s Insights feature. Insights give hoteliers vital local market data in real-time, making it easy to adjust pricing strategies quickly to maximise revenue.

Last but not least, Invergarry Hotel has been using the Guest Engagement feature to improve customer relationships and communication.

Taking guest interaction to a new level

Nigel was interested in adding Guest Engagement to the mix for a particular reason.

“I was looking for a more proactive approach to managing and communicating with guests,” he said.

Guest Engagement is the perfect solution for this, since it helps to automate and personalise guest communications as well as creating more opportunities to upsell and boost revenue.

On top of this, it can save a lot of time and hassle for both guest and host, according to Nigel

“It definitely saves time on guest check-in and it’s also great for creating in-room directories with the QR code. We’ve been particularly impressed by these two features because it makes it easier for us and the guests find it convenient too.”

Everyone knows how important it is to eliminate unnecessary guest friction and enhance their experience. SiteMinder’s Guest Engagement let’s hoteliers communicate and engage with guests like true professionals, boosting revenue and reputation in the process.

Thank you, Nigel, for your feedback and we wish you the best of luck in the future at Invergarry Hotel.

Golden Collection Hotels partners with SiteMinder to boost revenue by 30%

Dean Elphick — Mon, 06 May 2024 23:25:29 +0000

With four years in operation, Golden Collection Hotels is dedicated to developing innovative strategies to help independent hotels compete with large companies in the travel industry. The brand specialises in boutique hotels and are currently working with more than 20 properties to help increase their sales.

We spoke to Christopher Ramirez, CEO and Managing Director about the mission and his experience with SiteMinder’s platform.

“My passion for luxury hospitality started in 2013. When I discovered SiteMinder in 2017, it all made sense to me in terms of strategy. I saw an opportunity to bring distribution and sales to these hidden gems in Mexico.”

The lack of effective systems

Before adopting SiteMinder’s platform, most of the hotels that Golden Collection worked with were independently owned and lacked an effective distribution system. Many managed their rates, inventory and reservations manually, which was inefficient and increased the chances of making mistakes.

Implementing SiteMinder has proven critical, as they can now launch properties across multiple channels, distribute prices and manage restrictions quickly and efficiently.

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The power of a smart platform

An essential part of the partnership Golden Collection has with its clients is providing hotels with immediate feedback on their performance. The team uses SiteMinder’s Insights to keep hotels up to date with key statistics, such as their production by channel, reservation sources and rate plan performance.

Hotels that have introduced revenue and sales strategies alongside SiteMinder’s distribution have experienced up to 17% growth in occupancy in the first few months. This is mainly because working with SiteMinder is quick and easy. Segment diversification and dynamic revenue strategies are easy to apply with the help of SiteMinder’s data and functionality.

“On average, hotels show revenue growth of up to 30% in the first few months of the year,” said Christopher.

Staying ahead of the curve is crucial for Golden Collection Hotels. Its diverse rate plans, exclusive offers and flexible cancellation policies ensure there’s always something on offer for every market segment. SiteMinder makes creating multiple rate plans easy and channel syncing is almost immediate.

Golden Collection Hotels strives to maintain excellence and efficiency in all its processes. Implementing SiteMinder has also drastically reduced staff learning curves, which in turn has reduced the costs associated with staff turnover and training on multiple platforms.

Excellence in luxury hospitality

Partnering with SiteMinder has allowed Golden Collection Hotels to improve distribution and channel management, providing a seamless booking experience for guests at all hotels in the portfolio. This aligns perfectly with their commitment to delivering exceptional luxury hospitality.

“The support team is quick and efficient, so our staff can be sure that an expert is always just a click away,” mentioned Christopher.

Thank you Christopher for sharing your results and we wish Golden Collection Hotels all the best in the future!

City Oasis Inn finds perfect partner with SiteMinder’s smart platform

Dean Elphick — Fri, 03 May 2024 05:19:46 +0000

A 4-star property, City Oasis Inn is located in the tropical haven of Townsville in the north of Queensland, Australia. Ideally situated at the heart of the thriving tourism hotspot, City Oasis offers spacious comfortable rooms equipped with a kitchenette, free WiFi, an award-winning lagoon style pool, tropical BBQ area, dine-in restaurant, and free access to the nearby gym and memorial baths.

Guests will have all the relaxation they need when they aren’t out wandering the bustling city, hitting the beach or exploring the wondrous natural environment.

“We get a lot of regulars staying with us because they appreciate our friendly, welcoming staff and our customer service,” said Katie Cheetham, Reservations Manager.

“We are a small business with community values, and have been a mainstay in Townsville accommodation options for many years.”

Filling a technology gap

City Oasis Inn had aspirations to streamline and improve guest communications but were lacking the technology to do so, according to Katie.

“We didn’t have a PMS which supported the automation of guest emails,” she said. “We wanted to implement this pre and post-stay.”

That’s where Guest Engagement, an add-on feature of SiteMinder’s powerful smart platform, comes in.

Guest Engagement enables hoteliers to schedule and automate guest communications, personalise their emails, and boost revenue via upsell and extras offers.

In addition to Guest Engagement City Oasis also added Demand Plus, a metasearch feature that helps boost direct bookings by making the property more prominent on Google Hotel Ads, Trivago, and TripAdvisor.

Surrounding all of this is SiteMinder’s industry-leading channel manager, a feature that enables greater online visibility to boost bookings and automates inventory management to reduce manual work.

“The centralised nature of channel manager has greatly assisted City Oasis administratively and operationally – the fact that there is an interface with our CRM definitely helps. It’s a big difference from doing everything manually,” explained Katie.

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Easy processes and accurate data

With the addition of SiteMinder’s guest engagement feature, City Oasis Inn is now able to interact with guests quicker, easier, and more effectively, with manual work also eliminated.

“We are no longer manually sending email to follow-up with guests after check-out. We’re also able to automatically request feedback from guests who have checked out prior to our office opening,” explained Katie.

Another benefit has been the ability to enhance the guest experience by being able to deliver updated information to guests at a moment’s notice.

“The online guest directory has enabled us to give the most up-to-date information to our guests without having to print out new pages and update each room individually.”

“Guests love the convenience of the QR code too – we have so much information to give guests upon their arrival that it’s great to be able to tell them the info verbally and then follow up with the QR code which easily lets them access any information on their phone.”

This is crucial in today’s market, where guests now have higher expectations and want the utmost convenience from their stays.

Thank you, Katie, for sharing your experience and we wish City Oasis Inn all the best in the future!

Nira Caledonia’s mission thrives with the help of SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 06:08:32 +0000

Nira Caledonia, one of many properties in the portfolio of Shanti Hospitality, exists to provide a sanctuary for worldly, well-travelled guests who enjoy a relaxed atmosphere.

Encompassing hotels, restaurants, and other leisure investments, Shanti Hospitality spans four continents with a truly global team contributing to its ongoing success.

At Nira Caledonia, a 27-room boutique hotel located in the heart of Edinburgh, there’s a constant drive towards excellence when it comes to traveller experiences, guest satisfaction, and creating a rich cultural community.

Aditi Secci Moretti, Emea Senior Sales & Marketing executive at Shanti Hospitality, said art lovers and city explorers are a particular focus.

“Our hotel is located in the heart of New Town, which is a UNESCO heritage area. The building itself is a historical landmark, dating back to 1823, and was once the home of Christopher North, the pen name of the Blackwood’s Magazine author,” she explained.

“Our service is personal, cosy, and intimate, providing warm luxury to guests. We believe in the importance of details and a soft touch of personalisation to create a memorable experience for our guests.”

Part of that equation is ensuring backend operations run smoothly and effectively to meet business goals.

We also asked Aditi about how SiteMinder’s platform has helped the team succeed in its mission.

A trusted, long-term, relationship

Nira Caledonia has been investing in SiteMinder’s platform for the past nine years, establishing superior distribution and booking strategies to grow revenue and become more efficient.

Initially, features such as payment processing, metasearch, and business intelligence were being used to great success. Payment processing creates fast, secure, and seamless cash flow, metasearch boosts direct bookings via popular sites like Google Hotel Ads and Trivago, and business intelligence allows access to real-time market and pricing data to enable better revenue strategies.

Aditi explained that these features were an essential part of the property’s strategy.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to attract new guests in the competitive leisure market. Since guests seldom return, it is crucial to target new potential customers who are pre-screened,” she explained. “Metasearch is helping us to establish a connection between our Property Management System (PMS) and our products such as rates and packages, to make it easy for potential customers to go from viewing our offerings to booking them.”

“On the payment side, we’re making it easier for guests to book and pay for their stay by simplifying the booking process and reducing the number of steps involved. SiteMinder’s payment solution is helping us save time for our potential clients, which is a way to make it immediately beneficial for them to stay with us.”

The property recently also added SiteMinder’s Guest Engagement feature to the mix.

Guest Engagement allows properties to establish a closer guest relationship, communicate and personalise more effectively, and increase the revenue gained from each individual guest.

“We were really looking for an easier way to communicate with guests and a better way to push products and information to our guests, while staying on brand,” remarked Aditi.

Thanks to SiteMinder’s simple interface, automated processing, and sophisticated functionality, Nira Caledonia’s requirements were easily met.

Smooth and successful user experience

With SiteMinder’s Guest Engagement bringing unity to guest communication, personalisation, upselling, and relationship management, Nira Caledonia has been able to establish an even stronger version of its brand mission.

“Having everything in one platform has saved us so much time,” said Aditi. “It’s easy to understand and the tools are simple to use, so we can complete tasks painlessly.”

“In addition, the ability to interact personally with guests to offer enticing upsells and add-ons is exciting for our business and helps us hit our goals,” she added.

With SiteMinder’s platform allowing Nira Caledonia to bring everything from guest engagement, to distribution, to revenue processing, and market insights into one hub, the future has never looked brighter.

Thank you Aditi for your feedback and we wish Nira Caledonia the best of luck in the future!

Hotel Palau Fugit maximises productivity and sales with SiteMinder

Regina Sanchez — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 23:34:04 +0000

Patrizia Glaser has been managing Hotel Palau Fugit in Girona, Spain, since it opened in July 2023. Located in the centre of town, the property was formerly an 18th century palace. Following renovations in 2022, it is now open to the world. Each guest room is unique, beautiful and authentic.

Naturally, one of the main challenges she faced was making the initial investment profitable as quickly as possible. From the beginning, the team worked with a software provider to help them automate the distribution and sale of their rooms. But they soon ran into problems.

As Patrizia told us, “Working with our previous software provider proved to be difficult from the beginning. Just connecting the tool to our PMS took several days, involving several phone calls and emails to complete the process.”

The first few months after opening a hotel are always difficult. But Patrizia found this process even more frustrating, as she had to keep switching back and forth within the interface to get some of her daily tasks done.

“I had to spend a lot of time on the basics of hotel management, like OTAs, rates and reporting. I am a hotel professional, not a technology specialist. Over time, it became clear that we could not go on like this. Once it was low season, I started looking for a new technology partner”, she explained.

Thanks to recommendations from colleagues in the industry, Patrizia decided to request a demo of SiteMinder’s platform. She soon realised it was the strategic tool she needed to simplify her work as a hotel manager.

“SiteMinder’s software makes my day-to-day life as a hotel manager so much easier. The interface has a very clean look and feel, and it’s very easy to use, very intuitive. I just have to open the dashboard and everything I need is right there.”

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The key to increased productivity

Since switching to SiteMinder, Patrizia has found that managing internal operations is much easier. Mapping rates, setting restrictions, creating packages and promotional codes, and accessing reports have become quick and simple tasks.

“With our previous software, performing any of these operations was very complicated. Plus, there were always availability issues when contacting support, which meant that getting a solution could take weeks.”

“Being able to use the dashboard in my native language, German, also makes my work much easier,” she added. “What’s more, with an international team like ours, the fact that each member can set their preferred language to use SiteMinder is a bonus that we really appreciate.”

SiteMinder delivers more visibility and more sales

Patrizia explained that shortly after introducing SiteMinder, she noticed a significant increase in sales. This was possible thanks to three factors brought about by the switch.

Firstly, increased hotel visibility. Connecting with OTAs and using the channel manager was now much simpler, and new sales channels could easily be opened.

Secondly, the booking engine’s functionality meant that direct bookings were gaining strength. And, thirdly, being able to monitor competitors’ rates and market presence within the tool itself, made it easier to design sales strategies to boost demand.

“SiteMinder has helped increase our hotel’s visibility considerably,” Patrizia said. “It also lets me rearrange the order of room types and promotions so that I can highlight the ones I’m most interested in selling at any given time.”

When asked about future plans for Hotel Palau Fugit, Patrizia is clear.

“SiteMinder has become a key strategic partner for our hotel. It’s a tool that allows me to manage all aspects of distribution and sales from a single place.”

Thank you Patrizia, for your time and trust in SiteMinder and we wish you all the best in the future!

Neera Retreat succeeds in brand mission and revenue growth with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 02:40:37 +0000

Nestled in the serene landscapes of Nakhon Pathom, just a stone’s throw away from bustling Bangkok, Neera Retreat stands as a beacon of modern hospitality. With unique positioning and unwavering commitment to guest satisfaction, Neera Retreat and its 53 rooms has become a preferred choice for travellers seeking tranquillity and rejuvenation amidst the chaos of urban life.

Neera Retreat also boasts a distinctive identity, rooted in its namesake “Neera,” which symbolises water – a reflection of the founding Wittayathanakorn family’s deep connection to this precious commodity. This ethos of fluidity and change underpins the hotel’s philosophy, which seeks to effect positive change in environmental conservation from a single drop of water. From sustainable design elements to mindful waste management practices, Neera Retreat’s commitment to environmental stewardship permeates every aspect of its operations, fostering awareness and inspiring change in both guests and staff alike.

We recently spoke to Ms. Fon Panananda Leeyawatanakul, Director of Sales, about the business and finding success with SiteMinder’s platform.

The perfect match: An experienced operator and SiteMinder’s powerful technology

Fon is a seasoned professional in the hospitality industry, with a rich background spanning various roles in medium to large chain hotels across Pattaya and Southern Thailand.

Knowing by now that smart solutions are required to grow businesses and achieve success, Fon was glad to join Neera since it had already committed to leveraging the best technology available.

“When I joined Neera Retreat, it was evident that the hotel owner was deeply committed to leveraging technology to enhance bookings and revenue across multiple channels,” she said.

Having previously utilised SiteMinder’s channel manager in various roles, Fon recognised its value as the most widely used distribution feature in Thai hotels, making it a natural choice for Neera Retreat.

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Revealing the transformation that SiteMinder inspired

Understanding the challenges faced prior to implementing SiteMinder, Fon recalled the chaos of manual sales operations, especially when managing room allotments across multiple OTAs.

“Without SiteMinder, managing room inventory manually was a cumbersome task. We had to navigate through the extranets of each channel, often leading to overbooking or missed revenue opportunities,” she explained.

However, with SiteMinder’s real-time automation, the property saw significant improvement in operational efficiency and revenue management.

“SiteMinder has truly revolutionised our workflow, enabling us to adjust rates, synchronise promotions, and optimise inventory allocation seamlessly,” she added.

Staying agile and gaining a competitive edge

Fon made sure to emphasise the pivotal role played by SiteMinder in Neera Retreat’s response to evolving travel trends, particularly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic reshaped travel preferences, with a surge in demand for staycations and nearby getaways. Neera Retreat was well-positioned to cater to this demand, offering a serene escape just a short drive away from Bangkok,” she explained.

Leveraging SiteMinder’s insights and pricing tools, the hotel swiftly adapted its strategies to capitalise on emerging opportunities, resulting in enhanced revenue and occupancy rates.

Fon also focused on the importance of benchmarking against neighbouring destinations and using SiteMinder’s insights feature for real-time pricing adjustments.

“Though we don’t have direct competitors in our immediate vicinity, we closely monitor neighbouring destinations and similar properties to ensure our pricing strategies remain competitive,” she stated.

With operations now running smoothly, Fon expressed her gratitude to SiteMinder for its instrumental role in Neera Retreat’s success story, affirming the platform’s indispensable value in driving revenue, enhancing guest experiences, and shaping the future of hospitality.

Thank you Fon and keep up the great work at Neera Retreat!

How Numa increased efficiency and broadened connectivity with SiteMinder

Janey Kovulmaz — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:04:21 +0000

A completely digitised guest journey and service experience. Innovative apartment designs and boutique studios in top European cities. A scalable business model that’s quickly attracting new partners and investors. Numa has made these factors instrumental in its growth since the start-up first launched in Berlin in 2018. Today, the company runs nearly 80 properties with several more exciting projects in the pipeline.

Since 2021, the group has been using SiteMinder – one of the industry’s leading hotel platforms – to optimise and streamline online distribution. We recently had a chat with Estefanía Gómez, manager of operations at Numa, to learn how this solution supports the brand’s ambitious expansion plans.

Table of contents

Extensive connectivity options broaden brand reach

Before implementing SiteMinder, Estefanía and her team had to use several channel managers to list their properties on all the OTAs they wanted to access. This created extra manual work and restricted Numa’s ability to get in front of its target audience.

“We wanted to connect all our OTAs via a single channel manager instead of having to use several solutions to manage our distribution. But it was hard to find a platform that fulfilled all our requirements,” Estefanía recounted.

Finally they found what they were looking for.

“SiteMinder’s channel manager was the only one that connected to all channels we wanted to work with. That includes the major OTAs as well as a wide variety of niche sites many other providers don’t cover.”

This makes it much easier for Numa to be present on a broad range of channels, all while simplifying their distribution set-up.

Powerful multi-property feature saves hours of work

Numa’s previous distribution solution also didn’t offer a multi-property environment. This made it increasingly challenging to effectively manage online sales as the group grew its portfolio. With SiteMinder, they’ve been able to cut down the time it takes to manage rate plans by 90%.

“In the past, we had to add or update rate plans separately for each property. That meant it could take up to two days to input all the settings for a new promotion. SiteMinder’s multi-property feature lets us apply bulk updates across as many hotels as we want. As a result, we can process all changes in one go and get it done in just 30 minutes,” Estefanía said.

The same goes for connecting new properties with SiteMinder. As a quickly growing brand, fast and easy set-up is critical for Numa.

“Sometimes we launch two or three new hotels at the same time. The multi-property capability lets us apply our standard rate plans to all new hotels instead of having to do it one by one.”

The team can then add individual settings to fine-tune each property’s set-up as needed.

More autonomy with Auto Activation

With its previous solution, whenever a Numa property wanted to add another channel, they could establish the connection but still had to wait for the support team to finalise the activation. This often caused unwelcome delays, which have now been alleviated by SiteMinder’s platform.

“The Auto Activation feature allows us to complete the entire set-up process on our own now. SiteMinder even outlines the exact steps we need to follow for each channel. Since it only takes about half an hour to do that and load all the information, we can connect and go live with new channels the same day,” Estefanía highlighted.

That’s especially helpful given Numa’s expansion plans and their dynamic approach to online distribution: “We’re growing fast and always have new properties or channels to add. It’s fantastic that we can just go live without having to wait for support. That saves us lots of time on communication and makes us more flexible.”

Straightforward brand-wide roll-out

When Numa initially implemented SiteMinder, the group went live with one property at a time. This gave them the chance to ensure each hotel was correctly set up and everything would run smoothly from the get-go.

“Migrating all our hotels and their distribution channels to SiteMinder was a big project. But it went smoothly thanks to their staff’s dedicated support. They were always there to answer questions and provide hands-on assistance when needed. Of course, it also helps that the platform is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy for our team to get the hang of it,” Estefania explained.

Advice to peers

To round out our chat, we asked Estefanía what advice she would share with colleagues who are interested in levelling up their online distribution.

Her answer was straight to the point:

“I always recommend SiteMinder’s platform. If you look at all the options it offers in terms of connectivity, inventory and rate management, it’s the most comprehensive distribution solution.”

But that’s not all.

“Another thing that sets SiteMinder apart is that you can rely on it to easily manage all your properties and prices in one place. That’s great for groups or clusters with many hotels and diverse rate plans. For some of our larger properties, we have mapped over 200 rate plans, and it all works smoothly,” Estefanía concluded.

Thank you, Estefanía, for the wonderful feedback! It’s been fantastic to work with an innovative brand like Numa and we’re excited to see what you have in store for us in the future. All the best!

Potato Head Suites & Studios enjoys a booking surge of up to 38% thanks to SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:44:46 +0000

Travellers looking for gems on the Island of the Gods will discover that Potato Head Suites & Studios is a must-visit destination. Located in Seminyak, Indonesia, Potato Head Suites & Studios is luxury beach accommodation just a few steps from Batu Belig Beach.

The property houses 225 rooms, 167 of which are studios and the rest are suites. This luxury accommodation offers a number of guest amenities in the form of free bicycles, an outdoor swimming pool and a large garden area. The resort is also open to the public: providing private rooms and facilities, as well as public spaces.

In 2023, Potato Head Suites & Studios was ranked 40th in The World’s 50 Best Hotels. Recognition from The World’s 50 Best, one of the most prestigious hotel and restaurant awards in the industry, affirms its position as a premier destination in Bali.

Potato Head’s commitment to sustainability is also reflected in the B Corporation certification they achieved through the B Impact Assessment. This recognition underscores the dedication to promoting environmental sustainability and setting new standards in the hospitality industry.

We caught up with the team to discuss recent success and how SiteMinder has been a big help along the way.

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The absence of adequate system support

Despite establishing brand excellence, daily operations at Potato Head Suites & Studios were plagued by operational troubles due to the lack of capable management systems.

Dimitri Swandanu, E-Commerce Manager, explained that the accommodation has many rooms and requires a complex system for creating room types and yield rules.

“This is difficult to do if it is not supported by an adequate system,” he said. “A system that is not complex cannot help much; it will only burden the team with manual work.”

Moreover, Dimitri understands very well that as a resort, Potato Head Suites & Studios has many requirements in order to market rooms. This is one of the reasons the accommodation chose to rely on SiteMinder’s platform.

“Only SiteMinder is able to fulfil the requirements we have,” he said.

Dimitri explained that Potato Head Suites & Studios decided to adopt SiteMinder’s channel manager in 2020.

“SiteMinder has a lot of connectivity to various channels & ecosystem partners,” he said. “Besides that, the customer support is also good.”

Bookings jumped 38%, revenue & occupancy increased

According to Dimitri, Potato Head Suites & Studios experienced a pleasing increase in bookings after using SiteMinder.

“Reservations, from our websites and OTAs, increased by 38% from 2022 to 2023 after using SiteMinder,” he explained.

Furthermore, SiteMinder’s channel manager also helps the resort solve issues related to building room types & yield rules.

“Potato Head is now able to build room types & yield rules easily, so it can increase occupancy and revenue in general,” Dimitri continued.

The yield rules from SiteMinder’s channel manager also allowed the business to concentrate more closely on profitable strategies.

“We can focus on a dynamic rates strategy which will help boost revenue,” Dimitri said.

Satisfaction rate exceeds 100%

The team has also been able to maximise sales due to room distribution across various channels.

“Apart from that, our team also reduces manual work thanks to SiteMinder,” he said.

This is important to Dimitri because now his team can focus on other strategies.

Not only are Dimitri and his team satisfied, he admits the visitors also welcome the positive changes that SiteMinder brought.

“Customers admit they are 110% satisfied, since everything is now more seamless using the SiteMinder channel manager,” he concluded.

Thank you Dimitri! SiteMinder is honoured to be a part of Potato Head Suites & Studios’ success story.

Bai Hotel Cebu establishes streamlined operations with SiteMinder’s platform

Dean Elphick — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 04:26:44 +0000

Nestled between the bustling cities of Mandaue and Cebu, bai Hotel Cebu stands as a beacon of modern luxury, offering spectacular harbour and city views alongside ultra-modern amenities and facilities. Catering to a diverse range of services and boasting an extensive dining selection, bai Hotel Cebu is the go-to destination for those seeking a luxurious staycation or planning a business trip.

In its six years of operation, bai Hotel Cebu has consistently prioritised providing outstanding service without unnecessary hassle. Attention to detail is a core principle, ensuring that every guest experiences exceptional service from the moment they arrive.

Maria Lourdes “Leng” S. Quindipan, the Revenue and Reservations Manager at bai Hotel Cebu, plays a pivotal role in the hotel’s operations by overseeing revenue management and reservations to ensure a seamless experience for guests.

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SiteMinder’s role in streamlining operations

Leng discovered SiteMinder through a previous hotel contact, and the decision to choose SiteMinder was driven by its fast support and user-friendly features. SiteMinder’s channel manager, hotel business intelligence, and PMS integration played a crucial role in streamlining the hotel’s operations.

“One of the key challenges we faced was the time-consuming task of updating allocations and rates on different extranets. With SiteMinder, this process became remarkably efficient, saving the team valuable time and resources,” she explained.

“We now sell on more than 25 channels like Booking.com, Trip.com, WebBeds, Agoda, Expedia, Traveloka, Klook, and Hotelbeds. Since implementing SiteMinder, we noticed a significant decrease in parity issues online. Rates, now sourced from a single reliable source, contributed to a more consistent and accurate online presence.”

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Expanded distribution and positive business results

Leng also stated how effectively they can now sell to guests all around the world, allowing them to unlock additional revenue.

“In addition to effortlessly distributing all 100 rooms across the largest network of online booking channels to capture bookings, we actively promote our brand worldwide, fostering strong brand awareness.”

The impact of SiteMinder on bai Hotel Cebu’s bookings has been substantial. Leng reports a noticeable increase ranging from 10% to 50% in some cases, showcasing the effectiveness of SiteMinder in driving additional revenue.

SiteMinder Transforms Chao Lao Cabana Resort: A 12-Year Journey into excellence

Dean Elphick — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:20:04 +0000

Chao Lao Cabana Resort, nestled in Chanthaburi city, celebrates its 12th year as a haven of tranquillity. Just a three hour escape from the bustling city of Bangkok, the 90-room resort offers pristine white sand stretching along the beach, a quiet romantic atmosphere, and a gorgeous swimming pool.

Ms. Sophin Kumpal, Asst. Front Office Manager, plays a pivotal role in ensuring every customer’s experience is unforgettable. The resort caters to a diverse range of guests, with family groups constituting more than 50% of their main customer base, alongside couples, retirees, and various government service groups.

Travellers come domestically via Thailand, but many international guests also arrive from Singapore, Germany, Cambodia, United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland.

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Reservation challenges before joining SiteMinder

Ms. Sophin explained that some key essentials of property management were made more difficult without the help of technology.

“The ultimate challenge for us was to maximise our occupancy rate each month and reduce our overbookings as much as possible.”

“Moreover, managing OTA inventory and data insights with quality and completeness to further develop the analysis of our target customers was important but also difficult.”

Discovering a solution in SiteMinder

The team at Chao Lao Cabana Resort was recommended by a third-party to take a look at SiteMinder, and realised all their selection criteria were met.

“Before choosing SiteMinder, we wanted to be sure of a number of things,” explained Ms. Sophin.

“They included user-friendliness, quality inventory management, price flexibility, responsive customer support, instant updates and accuracy, a big enough channel ecosystem, and adequate reporting. Thankfully, we found that SiteMinder satisfied all of these.”

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Astounding results that inspired revenue growth

Thanks to SiteMinder’s unified platform and smart features, Chao Lao Cabana Resort was able to automate inventory management, maximise sales, and save valuable time.

“We saw an exponential increase in OTA booking rates, soaring by almost 16%,” said Ms. Sohpin.”

“We also now have almost zero overbookings, our daily operations are streamlined, and we’ve been able to drastically reduce lost sales opportunities.”

Thank you Chao Lao Cabana and best of luck in the future!

Chalet Hôtel Alp’Azur drives remarkable 44% revenue lift with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 23:57:33 +0000

Situated in the heart of the vibrant resort, Chalet Hôtel Alp’Azur embodies the essence of alpine allure and comfort. Embraced by a lively atmosphere teeming with restaurants, boutiques, and leisure options such as a swimming pool and ice rink, the hotel offers an immersive experience in the vivacious spirit of the surroundings.

Visitors can soak in serenity and stunning vistas from the terrace facing southward, offering a breathtaking panoramic display of the majestic mountains and the captivating resort. The recently renovated living area or terrace is an ideal spot to unwind amid the tranquil setting.

For ski enthusiasts, the proximity of a ski lift just 20 metres from the chalet hotel ensures easy access to the slopes. Guests can conclude their day’s adventures by skiing back to the hotel, embracing the excitement of an enchanting mountain escapade. Chalet Hôtel ALP’AZUR guarantees a stay immersed in comfort, picturesque beauty, and memorable experiences amidst the allure of the Alps.

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Unlocking guest experience and the switch to SiteMinder

SiteMinder recently spoke with Erica Tedesco, Consultant at Chalet Hôtel Alp’Azur, exploring the brand’s benefits derived from collaborating with a leading hotel commerce platform in the industry.

Although various factors contribute to a hospitality business’s success, such as hotel software, guest experience is also a priority.

“To me, a good guest experience is a guest who chooses to stay at our hotel repeatedly, often on an annual basis. They’ve had prior experiences with our services, which they’ve found pleasing, leading them to consistently select our establishment for their lodging requirements,” said Erica. “This demonstrates their contentment and fulfilment from past stays.”

The incorporation of SiteMinder’s channel manager significantly facilitated the increase in sales across international markets. Before adopting SiteMinder, the accommodation used another provider that lacked the user-friendly qualities and requirements that were needed.

“We were searching for a channel manager which could assist us in our day-to-day operations and help create rate plans. While we evaluated various options, SiteMinder stood out for its user-friendly interface. We currently partner with 30 key channels through SiteMinder. Before switching, we used a different platform that was more complex to navigate and did not meet our requirements. SiteMinder’s simplicity and alignment with our necessities make it an ideal choice,” explained Erica.

SiteMinder provides a centralised solution for hoteliers, offering a single platform to manage distribution, reservations, and payments, saving valuable time and effort.

Hoteliers can boost their occupancy and drive revenue effortlessly by showcasing their property across numerous channels without additional charges.

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Optimised operations using two-way connectivity

Thanks to the seamless integration between their PMS, SiteMinder, and multiple online sales channels, managing reservations has become incredibly easy for Alp’Azur. New bookings seamlessly flow into the PMS and instantly synchronise inventory across all channels.

“The increase in reservations is remarkable,” said Erica “Thanks to SiteMinder, we can now list all our rooms across multiple channels without any hassle. Secondly, we avoid overbooking issues as they are automatically removed from the calendar. The channel management capability has made us more responsive, allowing us to make comprehensive changes with just a click. We save valuable time by not having to manually adjust rates through the channel manager. It’s an incredibly intuitive system.”

The path to profitability with SiteMinder’s smart features

SiteMinder’s top-rated booking engine effortlessly draws demand directly to a property’s own website, to secure commission-free reservations and establish a stronger guest relationship.

“The implementation of the booking engine had a remarkable impact. It allowed us to add extras and create rates easily, significantly boosting our outcomes,” explained Erica.

“The channel manager broadened our reach to guests globally. It introduced us to previously unknown channels, and swiftly adjusted rates from any location via phone or computer. It’s incredibly efficient.”

Due to the comprehensive features provided by SiteMinder, Alp’Azur has experienced significant success in terms of revenue generation:

“For the past 5 years of using SiteMinder, we’ve experienced a 44% increase in revenue, totalling 400,000€ annually.”

Quality customer support and a simple interface make for an easy experience

Erica has found SiteMinder to be a dependable and intuitive platform, significantly reducing his queries or issues. However, in the rare instances when she encounters an obstacle, she trusts the customer support team to assist promptly.

“We don’t constantly rely on the hotline, and fortunately, we’ve never encountered unaddressed issues. All our problems have been successfully resolved, and we’ve even received responses during weekends. Our relationship with the support team is quite strong,” she said.

SiteMinder met all of the requirements, prompting Erica to endorse the platform to other property owners. When asked why, she highlighted several key aspects that made it stand out:

“A simple user interface, intuitive software, instant channels, and fast connectivity. It’s designed to be adaptable to everyone. Using SiteMinder is liberating, as it gives you control over everything, and enables you to make changes whenever you wish.”

“SiteMinder not only delivers excellence but also empowers our growth and operational efficiency.”

“Invest in SiteMinder; it’s the best in the market, offering everything you want at a great price.”

Thank you Erica and best of luck with Alp’Azur in the future!

Undeniable results: How SIBO Hotels used SiteMinder to generate up to 15% more bookings

Dean Elphick — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:58:24 +0000

Ideally located in the picturesque countryside between Cologne and Bonn, three traditional hospitality institutions – the Kronprinz, the Augustin, and Hotel Hangelar – have long been a mainstay for both leisure and business travellers, many of whom have been returning for years and have many a fond memory of conferences, weddings, or vacations. But each month new guests also discover these hotels and their beautiful surroundings.

Recently the three properties merged with all 128 rooms now being managed by the family business SIBO Hotels. We sat down with Andy Krolop, the managing director of the two hotels in Sankt Augustin, to find out how SiteMinder helped him increase revenue and generate more direct bookings.

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Efficient rate management

SIBO Hotels was already using a channel manager before switching to SiteMinder; however the system had several restrictions, which made Andy and the management team search for a new solution – and soon they came across SiteMinder.

“I was after a well-structured and user-friendly platform that allowed me to manage all three properties from a single platform. SiteMinder met all these criteria. I was also convinced by the company’s long-standing experience in the hotel distribution sector as well as the recommendations of existing customers”, he explained.

Switching to SiteMinder’s channel manager immediately made rate management faster, simpler, and eliminated the need to remain in one specific location.

“Once I set a standard rate in SiteMinder, the prices of all the OTA rates are derived automatically. That saves me a lot of time because I don’t need to create and load separate rate codes for all our different distribution partners”, Andy added.

The same goes for setting restrictions and other booking rules: “The bulk-update feature simplifies everything, for example, it only takes a few clicks to edit a minimum stay restriction for several date ranges. This allows us to perfectly meet the existing demand without the need to update our booking conditions for each date.”

Automatic data exchange

The solution Andy and SIBO Hotels were using before SiteMinder offered a far from ideal integration of their PMS and the systems of their online distribution partners. Since they made the switch to SiteMinder accidental double bookings and the manual reconciliation of occupancy are a thing of the past.

“The overall integration of everything has clearly improved. Thanks to the integration of our PMS, SiteMinder can automatically retrieve the availability of our hotels. This data then is immediately passed on to the OTAs. If someone makes a booking over one of these channels, it will be directly sent to the PMS and the room sold will be taken out of the available inventory,” Andy said.

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Flexible rate management leads to increased revenue

SiteMinder has given Andy the means to better manage his room offers, regardless of whether he’s in one of the properties or on the go. This in turn has had a positive impact on the revenue of SIBO Hotels.

“With SiteMinder we always have a clear idea of what our occupancy and demand look like. Additionally, we are a lot more flexible when it comes to pricing structure because managing rates has become so easy. When we become aware of increased demand for a certain date range, I can immediately react to it by adapting our rates.”

As result, the three properties were able to increase their booking volume by up to 15%, which led to an increase in revenue between 5% and 10% in each hotel.

More direct bookings thanks to SiteMinder’s booking system

Aside from the channel manager, SIBO Hotels now also use SiteMinder’s online booking engine, which has made booking directly on the hotel website much easier and smoother for guests.

“I recently spent a lot of time working on our booking page, optimising many details and testing it to make sure the booking process is as easy as possible. We now receive between 20 and 30 additional direct bookings each month, and this number is constantly increasing. Sometimes we even get more bookings on our website than through HRS”, Andy said.

One notably effective change was to refrain from checking credit card details for non-guaranteed bookings: “We noticed that more guests completed their reservations if the booking process was shorter. Because we have a low cancellation rate even without checking card details, this step made sense for us”.

Advice for colleagues

At the end, we asked Andy if he had any advice for colleagues that are currently looking for a new distribution solution.

He did not mince his words: “I love working with SiteMinder. The system is designed in such a way that it’s fun to get to know it. That’s why I will always recommend SiteMinder, both the channel manager and the booking system features – you’ve got everything you need. It’s particularly useful if you manage more than one property or more than one person is taking care of online distribution”.

Thank you, Andy, for this stellar recommendation! We’re excited to see SIBO Hotels achieve such success with SiteMinder and wish you all the best for the future.

CHAP Hospitality Management increases ADR for all hotel clients using SiteMinder’s platform

Dean Elphick — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 23:57:45 +0000

CHAP Hospitality Management Company Limited provides professional hotel management services, with more than 20 years of experience helping small to medium hotel operators manage both sales and service. Currently, the company manages The Oceanic Sportel in Phuket, ViengTara VangVieng Resort, and SENGLAO BOUTIQUE HOTEL in Laos.

We talked with Mr. Ton – Apichet Ongsri, Founder and General Manager of CHAP Hospitality Management Company Limited and CHAP Hotels Co. Ltd., about acting as General Manager of the hotels he manages and working with SiteMinder’s platform.

“I have worked in hotels for more than 20 years, both in sales and management in owner-managed hotels and used to work in a five-star hotel chain, including having been an Area General Manager in ASEAN,” he explained.

“We use the knowledge, ability and experience of our revenue management team to create sustainable profits and we use various tools to reduce costs, reduce time, and reduce errors to achieve maximum efficiency from the limited resources of each hotel.”

“The hotels we manage have quite distinct personalities, so it’s also important that those who choose to stay get what they want.”

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SiteMinder creates efficiency across entire portfolio

When considering the adoption of hotel technology, Khun Ton was already aware of SiteMinder’s potential and proven performance.

“I have known and used SiteMinder for more than 10 years, since working with my previous company. Currently, we manage hotels where some owners have never used SiteMinder,” he said.

“We work to make them see the benefits because SiteMinder has been providing hotel solution services in Thailand for a long time. We now use more tools besides the channel manager feature, such as the booking engine, Insights, and website builder, allowing us to optimise our budget and save time.”

Because CHAP Hospitality Management Company Limited takes care of multiple hotels, the platform’s power and performance is crucial.

“We have reduced work time by more than 4-5 hours per day. On some days, we have to adjust the room price more than once, so it’s great that we don’t have to log in and out of more than 10 partner systems per hotel,” Khun Ton explained.

“Additionally, we were able to increase room ADR by more than 10% YOY on each property after we implemented SiteMinder, increasing room revenue by more than 40%.”

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SiteMinder Insights enables strategic clarity

Thanks to real-time market intelligence and in-depth reports, SiteMinder Insights has helped Khun Ton and the team to set the right prices at the right time.

“SiteMinder Insights has allowed us to see how many bookings per OTAs our customers make. We can say that more than half of all bookings come from OTAs. This real-time data visibility allows us to adjust pricing in various channels immediately.”

With this reporting capability, the company’s management is more reliable and trustworthy for its hotel clients.

A single location to manage it all

Even taking into account that each hotel under the CHAP’s management uses a different PMS and sells in many different channels, everything can work seamlessly with SiteMinder’s superior integration.

Khun Ton told us, “I admit that previously we have used the services of competitors. But in the end, we chose to come back and use SiteMinder because of the quality we received allowing us to work more efficiently. There’s no need to solve connection problems or worry about duplicate reservations.”

“I would like to thank the SiteMinder team for providing good customer support and also maintaining good quality of products and services for many years.”

With the challenges of managing a variety of hotels, along with continuously expanding services to new customers, CHAP Hospitality Management has set a new standard in helping to increase bookings and revenue.

We are grateful for your long-standing trust in SiteMinder and look forward to helping you continue to enhance our brand and service.

Axel Hotels enhances guest services and efficiency with Welcome Pickups and SiteMinder

Andrea Lastra — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 10:32:23 +0000

For Axel Hotels, hotel technology providers SiteMinder and Welcome Pickups have played a pivotal role in the group’s journey towards delivering exceptional hospitality services.

The integrated solution began with SiteMinder’s Hotel App Store, which offers customers the chance to connect with relevant applications that solve problems and offer operational opportunities. Welcome Pickups is one such app, providing personalised guest transportation services to help hotels offer a premium guest experience.

And, thanks to SiteMinder’s comprehensive channel manager, which provides guest reservation data to compliment personalised data on guests, the dynamic collaboration between SiteMinder and Welcome Pickups has significantly transformed the operations of Axel Hotels.

Introduction

Axel Hotels is a boutique hotel group that proudly caters to the LGBTQ+ community, offering a unique and inclusive experience to its guests in a diverse environment. The group operates 10 stunning properties across destinations such as Barcelona, Berlin, San Sebastian, Madrid, Cuba, and Miami with plans for expansion in three new destinations in the near future.

Background

Axel Hotels began using SiteMinder in 2016, drawn to the platform’s user-friendliness, reliable connections, and outstanding customer support. The hotel group’s primary objective was to enhance its distribution capabilities, and SiteMinder’s extensive ecosystem—the largest of its kind within the global hotel industry—was a perfect fit for the group’s needs.

In their quest for efficient guest transportation and concierge services, Axel Hotels was introduced to Welcome Pickups via SiteMinder’s Hotel App Store. The decision to integrate Welcome Pickups into its portfolio was motivated by the convenience it offered in booking transfers. Currently, Welcome Pickups is implemented in most Axel Hotels properties.

Streamlined Onboarding Process

The integration process with Welcome Pickups was easy and straightforward for Axel Hotels with not much action needed from the hotel side. With SiteMinder’s smooth integration and assistance from the Welcome Pickups’ team, the transition was seamless.

Improved Guest Communication and Experience

Before connecting Welcome Pickups via SiteMinder, Axel Hotels faced challenges in guest communication, especially regarding essential trip information.

“Guests often failed to provide essential trip information, such as flight numbers and arrival times. They also tended to respond late to our inquiries. Welcome Pickups helped us overcome these issues and streamline the process.”

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Enhanced Customer Experience

The integration of SiteMinder and Welcome Pickups has significantly improved Axel Hotels’ customer experience: “The integration (…) has allowed us to offer additional services that guests request but that we couldn’t previously provide.” For instance, Welcome Pickups promptly accommodated a guest’s request for a wheelchair-adapted car, demonstrating its ability to meet specific needs efficiently.

Operational Efficiency and Revenue Growth

Axel Hotels has reported an increase in revenue since partnering with Welcome Pickups, powered by SiteMinder’s powerful distribution platform.

The team attested to the reliability and efficiency of the partnership. The true value lies in the enhanced guest experience and positive reputation they maintain by offering this reliable service.

Guest Feedback and Reputation

Axel Hotels has also noticed an overall positive impact on their guests’ perception of the hotel group, with no incident reported since they began using SiteMinder to connect Welcome Pickups.

Employee Satisfaction and Upselling Opportunities

Axel Hotels’ team especially appreciates the convenience and efficiency of Welcome Pickups and its impact on their daily operations by releasing the team from manual work.

“Our staff are highly satisfied with Welcome Pickups, as it simplifies the process of booking services for guests.” It has also improved overall customer service and increased upselling opportunities.

Conclusion: Elevating the Guest Experience

Axel Hotels exemplifies how the integration between SiteMinder and Welcome Pickups can transform hotel operations and elevate the guest experience.

“Absolutely, I would recommend hotels to use SiteMinder and Welcome Pickups. The reasons being: their excellent service, easy connection, consistent communication with guests, and reliable contact with drivers.”

By addressing challenges related to guest communication, expanding service offerings, and enhancing its reputation, Axel Hotels has set a new standard in delivering a memorable experience for its guests. The results are clear, with increased revenue and heightened guest satisfaction, all while maintaining the brand’s commitment to inclusivity and respect.

Terracotta Hotel & Resort unlocks direct bookings and efficiency with SiteMinder

Dean Elphick — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 03:32:47 +0000

Nestled on a serene 17-hectare peninsula bordering the idyllic Tuyen Lam Lake, a mere six kilometres from the heart of Dalat City, T erracotta Hotel & Resort is a harmonious blend of modern architectural elegance and the enchanting ambiance of pine forests and misty mountains. With 240 well-appointed hotel rooms and 90 captivating lake-view villas, the resort offers guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in one of Vietnam’s prime destinations, known for its temperate climate.

The resort boasts 21 splendid penthouses, each featuring 3 to 5 bedrooms, a spacious living area, a dedicated office space, and a fully-equipped kitchen. Designed to cater to the needs of families or groups of friends on vacation, these penthouses are a perfect sanctuary to return to after a day of exploration.

SiteMinder recently spoke with Mr.Lê Tấn Triết, Director of Sales & Marketing of Terracotta Hotel & Resort.

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Inventory management a challenge to be solved

As with any modern hotel, managing inventory and bookings was a constant task for the team and one which became frustratingly complicated.

“As the largest hotel in Dalat with many room types, Terracotta Resort was in a situation where inventory management on more than 10 OTA channels became increasingly difficult,” said Mr. Triết,

“The inability to update rooms and rates immediately is a potential obstacle to revenue flow and a constant obstacle for employees. Additionally, the hotel lacked seamless integration with our online booking engine, meaning the hotel couldn’t accept direct bookings. This meant there was a limited opportunity to escape OTA commission fees for each booking.”

Desiring a product that could enhance bookings and streamline operations, Terracotta sought the counsel of fellow hoteliers, who unanimously recommended SiteMinder, the leading provider of hotel technology solutions.

SiteMinder’s channel manager and booking engine features in particular were a game-changer for the business.

“Channel management tools are not only tools to easily and quickly close and open rooms for hotels and OTAs channels, but also an effective marketing strategy method when hotels can proactively read analytics collected from SiteMinder,” said Mr. Triết.

“Efficiency was the key factor in adopting SiteMinder as a solution. We wanted to have more efficiency in dealing with customers and cut down our time logging into all the OTA extranets to update availability and rates.”

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SiteMinder lives up to its stellar reputation

“Terracotta Hotel & Resort Dalat has been using SiteMinder for the past eight years, and the results are astounding,” explained Mr. Triết.

“Both directly and indirectly, it has greatly simplified our daily operations and made proactive management better. Therefore, we will have an overall view of the market and customer tastes and begin implementing future orientation plans. SiteMinder’s unified platform has simplified the entire process, allowing us to manage all our sales channels from one central dashboard. This has not only saved us countless hours but has also reduced the risk of errors and overbookings, providing a seamless booking experience for our guests.”

With SiteMinder, the Terracotta Hotel & Resort was able to streamline distribution, boost revenue, and save valuable time. The team was also able to increase direct bookings by 50%.

“The booking engine has contributed to winning many customer groups because of its easy-to-see display and presentation, and simple operation. It provides better and more efficient results with higher booking conversions than we saw with the previous booking engine we used. We would definitely recommend SiteMinder to other hoteliers.”

Thank you for choosing SiteMinder and we wish Terracotta Hotel & Resort all the best in the future!