Hotel case study

Steenhof Suites | PRESERVING HISTORY, EMBRACING INDIVIDUALITY

RoomRaccoon has enabled Steenhof Suites to deliver on its commitment to personalized experiences with notable results. Through RaccoonUpsell, the hotel successfully sells ancillary services, and over half of its guests prefer the convenience of the online check-in feature. In addition, their RevPAR has seen a 127% increase since joining RoomRaccoon.

Over 50% of guests opt to check in online

1836% ROI on RaccoonUpsell

127% increase in RevPAR

About Steenhof Suites

Leiden, Netherlands

14 Rooms

Boutique Hotel

Nestled within the heart of the Netherlands, Steenhof Suites embodies historic charm and modern luxury. What began as a modest venture in 2016 with just five rooms became a remarkable boutique hotel experience. Seeing a possibility for growth, the creative minds behind Steenhof Suites seized the moment that was presented to them with the sale of a neighboring building. In 2019, they proudly unveiled their grand creation to the world: a collection of 14 exquisite suites, each boasting its own distinctive personality.

Eschewing conformity, the hotel diligently preserves the essence of the old building, ensuring that no two rooms share the same furniture, bathroom, or atmosphere. The result is an enchanting blend of centuries-old beams, floors, and architectural marvels juxtaposed with the comforts of air-conditioning and central heating.

A true haven for international guests seeking comfort and sophistication, Steenhof Suites welcomes visitors to immerse themselves in the ambiance of a bygone era. At the heart of this establishment lies the multifunctional ‘Charly’s’ lounge, transforming seamlessly from a delightful breakfast venue to a warm and inviting reception area during the day and, come evening, a lively bar adorned with mood lighting.

Personalizing the Guest Journey

Challenge

Steenhof Suites used a system without automated upselling capabilities. This means they had to upsell guests at the front desk, who were usually tired from their travels and were less likely to purchase added services. Steenhof was missing out on optimizing their ancillary revenue streams by limiting their offerings to ‘front-desk’ only. As an establishment that prides itself on individuality, providing guests with a personalized experience proved difficult for the staff due to their lack of essential data.

Solution

By leveraging the RaccoonUpsell upgrade module, Steenhof Suites unlocked a valuable ancillary revenue stream, providing guests with enhanced opportunities and flexibility when selecting add-ons for their stay. This innovative feature enables Steenhof Suites to anticipate their guests’ needs by offering enticing extras through an online link before arrival. 

Moreover, RoomRaccoon’s Property Management System (PMS) module helps the Steenhof Suites staff create personalized guest experiences. The guest management feature allows the hotel staff to record customer preferences and use them to provide exclusive promotions that drive satisfaction levels and reinforce loyalty.

Result

RaccoonUpsell works wonders for Steenhof Suites, with an 1836% return on investment!

“Most of our guests travel from far, and they might be tired when they arrive, so they might not always think about the extra things they might need - like a bathrobe and slippers. Upsell allows us to offer our guests that luxury pre-arrival.”
Sharleen de Boer - Hotel Owner

Boosting Efficiency & Reducing No-Shows

Challenge

Steenhof Suites needed a highly efficient system to speed up their check-in procedures to meet the expectations of today’s modern guests. They also wanted to reduce the number of no-shows they were facing. As such, they decided to find a solution to streamline the check-in process, maintain guest communication during the pre-arrival stage and save valuable time.

Solution

RoomRaccoon’s online check-in system was a great help to Steenhof Suites, allowing guests to register quickly and easily online. What’s more, the hotel could also add customized fields for extra information they needed from visitors, like dietary specifications and flight numbers. More than half of Steenhof’s guests take advantage of the convenient self-check-in option, eager to settle in and relax as soon as they arrive.

An important task for hotels is to keep the guests who are “booking to cancel” interested, as they can be easily swayed. Utilizing RoomRaccoon’s automated email templates, Steenhof Suites could send out reminders to visitors about their reservations, greatly reducing the chances of no-shows.

Result

Over 50% of Steenhof guests prefer to check in online, streamlining processes and saving valuable time.

Making Waves With a Smarter Pricing & Distribution Strategy

Challenge

Steenhof Suites was limited by the lack of booking channel integrations available to them with their former system. This meant they could not distribute their inventory as widely as they would have liked, leading to decreased visibility and occupancy. What’s more, the complexity of the system made it difficult for them to adjust rates to maximize revenue, taking up an excessive amount of time and effort.

Solution

With RoomRaccoon’s extensive Marketplace and powerful channel manager that syncs bookings within five seconds, Steenhof Suites seamlessly connects to seven different booking channels, including Orbitz, Booking.com, Agoda, and Expedia. This enables them to reach a larger target audience and attract more guests. The channel manager also provided real-time channel reports, allowing Steenhof Suites to make data-driven decisions to maximize RevPAR. 

Since implementing RoomRaccoon, Steenhof Suites has experienced a remarkable increase in their RevPAR. The driving force behind this success is the yield management functionality that RoomRaccoon provides. This tool keeps track of occupancy levels and automates rate changes to maximize room-sell-probability, revolutionizing how they do business.

Result

Steenhof Suites experienced a remarkable 127% increase in RevPAR since joining RoomRaccoon.

“The system makes recognizing returning guests easy and allows us to allocate loyalty rewards to returning customers, creating a stronger hotelier-guest relationship.”
Sharleen de Boer - Hotel Owner

See our customer stories:

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FAQs: Google Hotel Ads

Google Hotel Ads is the largest metasearch channel. It is operated by Google and integrated with the company’s other services, including its main search engine, the Google Maps service, and the AI-powered Google Assistant. The platform works by presenting information about hotels and their room availability to potential customers who enter relevant search queries.

When customers search for a hotel on Google Search or Maps, they’ll see a hotel search module with photos, names, prices, and a map. This provides the opportunity to perform quick room rate comparisons and offers links to different booking engines, allowing customers to find the best possible price.

When they select a hotel, they’ll see up-to-date prices and links to book directly with that hotel for the dates and number of guests they select. 

The cost per booking with Google Hotel Ads is less than the average cost per booking for OTAs. Compared to the industry average cost per booking of 18% for OTAs, Google Hotel Ads allows you to gain direct bookings for less than an OTA reservation.

Integration is easy! Simply request the connectivity for Google Hotel Ads, and one of our friendly customer success managers will take care of the details on your behalf.

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