The science behind memmo’s direct bookings
Reading Time: 3 minutesFrom lab to reality – the path to direct bookings
Get to know the formula behind the outstanding rise of Memmo Unforgettable Hotel’s direct bookings whilst reducing their distribution costs
Since opening their first hotel back in 2007, Memmo Hotels has established itself as a key player in the Portuguese hotel industry due to constant drive in innovation.
It was with this progressive mindset that they chose GuestCentric as a partner over 10 years ago.
Paulo Duarte, Director of Operations at Memmo Hotels, tells us about his experience with GuestCentric, the hotel chain’s growth over the years, and all the challenges that came along with it.
With 3 hotels of 4 and 5 stars — Memmo Baleeira, Memmo Alfama and Memmo Príncipe Real — Memmo Unforgettable Hotels is not only expanding in properties but also betting on the quality and innovation of its online strategy. And for that, they rely on our comprehensive digital marketing service: GuestCentric LAB.
Guestcentric lab = [+ direct bookings – distribution costs]
Willing to take chances, dynamic and with extensive know-how that comes from over 20 years of experience in the industry, Paulo Duarte explains how GuestCentric LAB gave a new impulse to Memmo Hotels, whose “…objectives have been increasingly met, with a systematic growth of the direct bookings.”
How did you come across GuestCentric and what was your first impression?
The paths of Memmo Unforgettable Hotels and GuestCentric first crossed over a decade ago!
Of course, a lot has changed in the past 10 years, especially in the ever-evolving field that is online commerce.
Our first impression of GuestCentric stands true to this day: An innovative company that has evolved over time and is constantly improving its tools, services, and team.
What made you want to become one of the first customers of our GuestCentric LAB service?
It was without a question the trust that we have in GuestCentric and the fact that we strive to develop true partnerships in every aspect of our business. That made us go for it without hesitating.
The decision came very naturally to us and what I see is that the LAB truly works as a team with our sales and marketing management team.
What problem(s) were you hoping to solve with our service?
More than a problem, it was about minimizing an internal gap of technical know-how when it comes to data analysis so that we can increase the percentage of direct bookings and be less dependent on intermediaries.
We know that we needed to understand and make the most of the online behavior of our guests in order to define marketing and sales goals.
What were the objectives you were hoping to reach with GuestCentric LAB?
The main objectives that we have are to constantly increase the weight of our hotel’s direct bookings in order to build a healthy distribution balance.
Furthermore, we aim to gather both qualitative and quantitative information about our clients, not only existing but also potential guests, which allows us to further develop our understanding of their online behavior.
What results were you able to achieve since you started working with the LAB team? And how long did it take for you to see the actual changes?
Our objectives have been increasingly met, with a systematic growth of the direct bookings and a decrease in the commissions paid to third-parties.
As far as time is concerned, it’s an ongoing work that requires being open to new approaches.
It’s not about a certain moment when we define everything but rather several strategies and innovative commercial approaches. And some are more successful than others!
So far the result has been positive! This is a field in constant change and that requires creativity and dynamic measures.
What do you value the most in our service?
The closeness and complicity with our team, the technical knowledge that is absolutely key in this area and the effort that is put into the execution of the decisions that we make together.
If you could pick out the top 3 characteristics, what would you say?
Client-centric culture – Technical skills – Focus on the results.
It was through innovation, experimenting and trust that one of the properties of the Portuguese chain witnessed an outstanding growth of their direct performance: from the initial 20% to the current direct share that represents over 40%, making their website the main source of revenue.
The GuestCentric LAB comes to play to help hoteliers reach their online business objectives and the results of the collaborative work with the Memmo group are a testimony to the importance of implementing outside of the box strategies, based on a thorough analysis of data from hundreds of hotels.
The outstanding results of our innovative techniques reflect not only on Memmo Hotels but also in the exclusive group of customers that trust our team’s expertise on a daily basis.
Do you fill all the requirements needed to join the GuestCentric LAB? There are limited spots! And having an open mind is the first step for success.
Click here to learn more about our digital lab or contact us.
