How Amaria Hotel uses Guestcentric’s HyperCommerce to Strengthen Direct Performance!
Reading Time: 4 minutesIn 2023, Property Owner and Developer, Nuno Oliveira officially opened Amaria Hotel – a boutique coastal getaway nestled in the picturesque Costa Vicentina Natural Park. From the start, his goal was to deliver experiences focused on guests and autonomously manage and grow his online business.
To achieve this, Nuno needed a solution that would provide complete control over his online business, without intervention from third parties. Partnering with Guestcentric and implementing the company’s HyperCommerce solution shortly after opening Amaria Hotel enabled Nuno to manage the hotel’s online presence and guest interactions seamlessly.
This is the story of how this independent hotel, empowered by technology, has been able to grow its direct business significantly.
Getting Started in Hospitality and Building Experiences around the Guest
Amaria Hotel is a boutique coastal getaway nestled in the heart of the picturesque Costa Vicentina Natural Park, just a short distance north of Aljezur, Portugal. This homey retreat offers a harmonious blend of luxury and tranquility, delivering experiences that celebrate the region and the local community. With a focus on farm-to-table produce and a variety of activities to explore the surrounding mountains and untapped beaches, Amaria Hotel provides a unique and immersive guest experience.
Property owner Nuno Oliveira, a former electrical engineer from Lisbon, purchased the land in 2017 and began building the property in 2019 with the vision of providing a holistic and wellness-focused hospitality experience to a niche and mostly international market. He entered the hospitality industry with a fresh outlook and a willingness to embrace innovative ideas and strategies to grow his hotel business.
Amaria Hotel strives to deliver experiences centered entirely on their guests, and as such Nuno sought out a partner with the same vision and the ability to deliver solutions that optimize the guest experience online, from search to booking. “As a newly opened independent hotel, we needed a simplified solution to help us autonomously manage our online business, avoid reliance on external channels, and strengthen our core channels to engage directly with guests – the hotel website and Instagram.
After careful consideration, we chose Guestcentric because we needed to ensure a seamless consolidation of all our online marketing and sales operations and a strengthening of our direct business performance,” Nuno recalls. Guestcentric’s HyperCommerce solution was vital in maintaining direct contact with guests. “Our business revolves 100% around our guests and their needs,” Nuno adds, “Guestcentric aligned perfectly with our vision to shape our business model around our guests.”
Maintaining Independence and Driving Direct Business Growth with Guestcentric
Since partnering with Guestcentric and implementing HyperCommerce, Amaria Hotel operates almost entirely independently from external channels, OTAs, and other third-party intermediaries. “Currently, up to 60% of Amaria Hotel’s revenue is generated directly, which is a testament to the fact that the closer we are with our customers, the better,” Nuno states. Guestcentric’s solutions simplify the journey for the guest from search to booking and help hoteliers manage online marketing and revenue. Nuno adds, “HyperCommerce provides real-time performance information and alerts that inform our business decisions and keeps us on the path to success.
Overall, the platform is really simple to use, and I can easily publish offers and tell the story of Amaria Hotel to guests visiting my website and our social media pages.” Nuno also observes how user-friendly Guestcentric’s booking engine is for guests completing transactions and for hoteliers to manage inventory and reservations behind the scenes. “After some training, I now see Guestcentric’s HyperCommerce as a completely straightforward tool, enabling me to update our online sales and marketing strategy and adjust to market changes,” he says.
What Makes Amaria Hotel Unique and Their Vision for Future Growth in Partnership with Guestcentric
Amaria Hotel taps into a niche market by providing unique, guest-centered experiences. Founded with a mission to promote the distinct culture and qualities of the Costa Vicentina region, Amaria Hotel operates with a 100% commitment to the environment and the local community. By focusing on the authentic charm of this region, the hotel ensures that guests experience its true essence, not only in the accommodation but also in the experiences. Notably, most of Amaria Hotel’s clientele comes from international markets, further emphasizing the global appeal of their unique offerings.
Nuno emphasizes the hotel’s dedication to the local environment and community, saying, “We tell our story through all facets of our business, from the rooms, to the cuisine, and the experiences we offer to our guests. As such, we work very closely with the local community. All our produce and products are either from my gardens or sourced from local farmers within a five-kilometer radius. This commitment creates a personal and homey environment for our guests.” To maintain full control over delivering these unique experiences, Amaria Hotel continues to operate independently from OTAs, influencers, and other intermediaries. “This independence enables us to tell our own story directly to guests, and Guestcentric’s solutions empower us to communicate the unique qualities of our business and maintain proximity with our guests online,” Nuno observes.
Looking to the future, Amaria Hotel aims to continue its growth trajectory with Guestcentric’s support. “Our vision is to continue shaping our hotel and experiences around the guest,” Nuno says. “We want to ensure that every aspect of our operations and services enhances the guest experience. Our partnership with Guestcentric helps us stay true to our mission of offering distinctive, environmentally-friendly, and culturally rich experiences,” he says.
Conclusion
The story of Amaria Hotel demonstrates how a strong vision centered around guest experience, combined with a partner like Guestcentric that delivers simplified technology optimized to grow direct bookings, can empower independent hotels to thrive autonomously. By focusing on direct bookings and reducing reliance on intermediaries, Amaria Hotel has successfully increased profitability while maintaining its unique identity and connection to the local community.
At Guestcentric, we service small, to medium, to large independent hotels, chains, and soft brands. Our solutions are made with the hotelier and guest in mind, simplifying commercial operations for hoteliers as well as the online experience for guests. Regardless of size, any hotel with the goal to boost direct reservations, increase brand awareness, improve online visibility, or manage content independently, will benefit from Guestcentric’s HyperCommerce solution.