For tourists who want more than just accommodation by the sea, Aqua Marine Hotel in Costinești is the perfect choice. This destination was specially designed for those who desire premium services and a high-quality experience.
Inaugurated in July 2019, the resort quickly became a popular destination in the heart of Costinești, just a few minutes' walk from the beach, the amusement park, and the train station.
Aqua Marine is a seasonal hotel, open only for 3 months a year, with a capacity of 18 rooms (6 deluxe doubles, 12 superior deluxe doubles). Here, guests can enjoy a buffet or à la carte breakfast, room service, free private parking, a restaurant, a bar and terrace, as well as a 24/7 reception.
The resort targets a young and demanding clientele, who return from all over the country for its impeccable services. Soon, this haven of relaxation will also feature a spa and a swimming pool.
Florentina Calotescu, the business owner, is a graduate of the Faculty of Tourism, both Domestic and International, at the Romanian-American University, and her experience in the HoReCa industry taught her that a reservation management system is indispensable and must be easy to configure and use.
Business Challenges
During her studies, Florentina Calotescu had internships at prestigious hotels like Marriott and Hilton. She was very familiar with what a performance-driven booking system entails and knew how to choose the right solution.
For this business, which operates only three months a year, she needed an intuitive solution that would allow her to quickly teach seasonal employees how to use the management system. Fast initial setup was also crucial.
Additionally, as a newly established business, Florentina sought a solution that would bring extended visibility on multiple digital booking platforms and access to a large customer base. Presence on portals such as Booking.com was crucial not only for building a solid reputation but also for obtaining reviews and feedback.
Florentina Calotescu lives in Bucharest and manages Aqua Marine remotely for most of the time. Therefore, she was looking for a digital solution that would provide mobility and automate the online booking process.
To choose the best-fitting solution for these needs, she conducted a market analysis and requested offers from multiple reception management service providers. After careful evaluation, Pynbooking was the only solution that ticked all the boxes, particularly standing out for its ease of use—the deciding factor that made all the difference.
“I liked Pynbooking from the first interaction. I immediately understood what it offered and found it easy to configure and use. Since we are a seasonal business, it is important to be able to train new employees quickly and directly. Pynbooking was definitely the right choice for me,” said Florentina Calotescu, owner of Aqua Marine Hotel.
The Solution
After making the decision and opening the account on the Pynbooking platform, Florentina Calotescu quickly began configuring the hotel in the PMS (Property Management System).
The first step was defining the 18 rooms, the services offered (including room service, breakfast, housekeeping, etc.), and the associated rates.
In the second step, the PMS was integrated with the Channel Manager, allowing the resort to better sell its services on platforms like Booking.com, Travelminit, DirectBooking, Hotelmix, and others by automatically syncing reservations, availability, and prices.
The hotel in Costinești also benefited from the Generator Hotel Website, which helped create a new reservation-focused website integrated into the business’s own site. The new website was natively integrated with the Booking Engine to create a booking page, including options for room selection and associated services, as well as card payment.
Currently, Aqua Marine is in the process of integrating the online payment processor, Netopia Payments, which will also allow the acceptance of vacation vouchers.
The next step was integrating the Guest APP to inform guests about the services they have booked, retrieve billing data, request cleaning services, etc. The “Dynamic Pricing” feature was activated to allow the resort to have differentiated pricing and policies for each platform.
The setup process was quick and efficient, with the Pynbooking support team providing prompt assistance and clear guidance whenever clarifications were needed.
“I quickly completed the initial configuration of the account, and the Pynbooking support team was very prompt. They were always available to answer my questions and provide detailed explanations. With their help, we managed to have the platform ready in record time,” said Florentina Calotescu, owner of Aqua Marine Hotel.
Benefits
By integrating the Channel Manager and Booking Engine, Aqua Marine has achieved 100% automation of the booking process (both direct and via partners). Direct bookings through the hotel’s website have increased to 40%, thus reducing dependency on partner booking platforms and the commissions paid.
Aqua Marine consistently grows direct bookings and revenue by offering better rates on its own site, using the “Dynamic Pricing” and “Rate Optimization” features from the Channel Manager. The hotel has implemented custom pricing policies for each digital partner.
Additionally, the website and the booking page facilitate efficient campaigns on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, contributing to the increased percentage of direct bookings.
Other important benefits for Aqua Marine Hotel include:
- Complete automation of online booking processes, significantly reducing manual work, working time, and the risk of errors. The staff no longer processes online booking data manually.
- Complete mobility and flexibility for remote work. The Pynbooking platform is available on any mobile device, allowing users to manage hotel activities from any location.
- Efficient management of phone reservations and eliminating the risk of overbooking. In phone discussions with customers, the staff can view real-time information synced across all platforms to offer guests the correct available rooms at the right price.
- Immediate booking confirmation, preventing the loss of potential business opportunities.
- Automated invoice issuance and sending to guests and then to accounting (integration with eFactura by Pynbooking) eliminates the need for a separate invoicing solution and resolves fiscal compliance challenges.
- Optimizing daily operations with real-time Pynbooking reports. Reports provide up-to-date data about: occupancy rates, minibar records, breakfast preparations, check-in/check-out days, etc.
- Simplifying housekeeping service organization. The staff receives a detailed list each morning with planned activities for the rooms to be vacated, optimizing task distribution and ensuring prompt, organized cleaning.
- Guest loyalty through special offers, packages, vouchers, and discounts offered via the Booking Engine.
- Quick adaptation of new employees thanks to the intuitive workflow in the Pynbooking platform.
“Pynbooking is a huge win for me as an entrepreneur. For digitalized guests, it brings complete automation, and for those who call, it allows me to provide all the details during the discussion, without the risk of misinformation or overbooking. I don’t waste time or money. I’ve recommended Pynbooking to other hospitality entrepreneurs because it’s a secure and efficient solution,” emphasized Florentina Calotescu, owner of Aqua Marine Hotel.
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