In 2019, aiming to offer customers a complete digital experience, the Zaga Zaga resort moved away from a traditional IT system to the Pynbooking platform, a next-generation hotel software. The transition to this new approach was swift, and the results were immediately apparent.

Now, 95% of customers make their reservations online. The self-service app minimizes wait time and physical contact at the reception, and management has a complete overview of operations.

All this was achieved without initial investment or technical know-how.

Zaga Zaga is a tourist complex located in the Siret Delta, established in 2010 as a trout and sturgeon farm. The complex has grown rapidly over the years and now spans over 82 hectares, with various accommodation spaces, sports, and recreational activities. Zaga Zaga can house over 350 guests (in bungalows, yurts, treehouses, etc.), has 4 restaurants, a swimming pool, and facilities for renting bicycles and boats. Additionally, the complex periodically organizes sports fishing competitions and open-air concerts, events that draw over 2,500 attendees simultaneously.

The operation is expanding both in terms of accommodations and events. The complex employs 90 people for the restaurant area, 40 for maintenance operations, and 10 for the reception. 

Business Challenges

Zaga Zaga couldn't manage such intensive activity without technological assistance. Initially, the company invested in a traditional IT system, which combined applications installed on a local server with cloud-delivered services. However, synchronizing the two components was problematic, leading to data loss and mismanagement of information.

The system was technologically limited and didn't interface well with other applications. These operations were challenging, costly, and could only be done by the app's developer. Moreover, employees had to process vast amounts of data manually, relying heavily on paper documents. This meant longer wait times for customers during check-in, check-out, payment, and billing.

"We were using a traditional IT system that restricted our growth. Components weren't natively integrated, leading to data loss during synchronization. Moreover, it was complicated to add new applications, essential for business expansion."Laurenţiu Tîrcă, Restaurant Manager, Zaga Zaga.

The Solution

Seeking an alternative, Zaga Zaga looked for a solution that would allow integrated management without local equipment installation. Based on recommendations and a demo, they chose Pynbooking, a next-gen Property Management System (PMS) that's 100% cloud-based.

Zaga Zaga adopted the entire Pynbooking platform, including solutions like Channel Manager, Booking Engine, Guest App, POS Restaurant, online payments, etc. 

Switching to this new system was smooth, facilitated by remote support from the service provider. After signing the contract, Zaga Zaga's team accessed the platform, handling the data transfer and initial setup using internal resources. They set up sales areas (hotel, restaurants, rental centers, etc.), associated products, prices, VAT rates, etc.

Importantly, integrations were made with the accounting management system, online payment operators, and access control systems. Soon after, Zaga Zaga shut down the old system and began managing all activities in Pynbooking.

"I was surprised by the simplicity of the platform and the easy configuration. Basically, after a discussion with the support service, we managed to transfer the database ourselves, create sales areas and products, define prices, VAT rates, etc. Without technical knowledge and without the presence of the supplier on-site. Also, the actual use of the applications didn't require training. Everything is simple and intuitive. If you can handle Facebook and Instagram, you can handle PynBooking." says Laurenţiu Tîrcă.

Currently, Zaga Zaga manages all its activities in Pynbooking: Reception, Restaurants, Pool, Rental Facilities, etc. All records are stored in a single database and are managed uniformly. The company has 50 users in the system, 10 terminals (PCs and tablets) at the Reception, 14 fixed cash registers, 25 mobile phones for restaurant activity, and 15 fiscal printers.

The system was integrated with the financial accounting management application for exporting data required for tax reporting and will be expanded with a series of info-kiosks. To facilitate online payments, the PMS was integrated with multiple payment processors, including Stripe.

 Results

By integrating the PMS-Channel Manager website, 95% of Zaga Zaga's clients now book their rooms online. Previously, most reservations were made by phone and processed manually in the old system. It was a high volume of work to input data, prepare, and sign contracts, manage payments, etc. As a result, 15 employees at the Reception managed customer interactions.

At the moment, thanks to Pynbooking, the company manages the same operation with just four people. The rest of the employees have been redistributed to other activities.

This high level of automation provided by Pynbooking is the one that matters. Most clients book online, and their data automatically loads into the PMS. This eliminates the need for manual check-ins. The GuestApp provides all the necessary information and even unlocks the door for rooms equipped with smart locks. Invoices are automatically generated and sent by email.

Therefore, physical interaction between the reception staff and the client is minimal or non-existent if the client prefers it. To facilitate check-in and check-out operations within the complex, Zaga Zaga will install info-kiosk terminals. Thus, all data capture is avoided, as well as physical contact between guests and staff.

“The Guest App is the strong point of Pynbooking, and about 98% of Zaga Zaga guests who book online use this application. It practically handles everything related to interaction with customers after the booking is made. It automatically sends an SMS to guests, and they themselves complete the accommodation form, which automatically goes into the PMS. The customer just goes to the Reception to get the key. Subsequently, customers place all orders directly from their mobile phone, from restaurant and cleaning services, to minibar refills and payment for their stay. Even the bill is automatically sent to the customer's email address.” - Laurenţiu Tîrcă

Thanks to the new system, 80% of Zaga Zaga's clients now leave a review. At check-out, an automatic invitation is sent for feedback. This feedback is then used to improve services or for posting on social media channels to increase the resort's popularity.

As Zaga Zaga operates several restaurants, the use of the POS Restaurant application is very helpful. The solution allows individual management of the four locations but with the maintenance of a single central warehouse. In the system, the menu, prices, recipes, and consumption slips are defined individually, allowing for detailed analyses for each restaurant. However, provisioning is centralized, which offers advantages in negotiation and delivery. Since there are multiple serving halls and the distance between locations is vast, Zaga Zaga uses the Pynbooking system both with live monitors and with section printers for managing slips and orders.

The system is integrated, meaning all the information is stored in one place and is accessed in real time. There is no risk of data loss, desynchronization, or redundant recording. Payment slips can be digitally signed directly on the waiter's mobile phone and automatically allocated to the room. Details will appear on the final accommodation slip, and the client can pay online with a bank card.

“Pynbooking helps me manage stocks much more efficiently. I see real-time consumption broken down by location, I have a projection on upcoming events and reservations, and I estimate the requirements accurately. This way, I always place orders in a timely manner and adapt to any situation.” - Laurenţiu Tîrcă

At the pool, to avoid waiting times when there's a large flow of clients, Zaga Zaga integrated the Pynbooking PMS with an access control system based on bracelets. The bracelet is activated upon check-in and grants access to all facilities.

Pynbooking offers complete visibility over all activities, both by providing real-time data and through the managerial reports generated. The system can be accessed remotely by any member of the management team, which is thus connected to the reality within the resort and can intervene promptly when needed.

The provided reports are comprehensive and allow analysis on multiple economic indicators, at the level of activities, locations, events, time periods, etc.

For Zaga Zaga, a complex spread over 82 hectares and without an IT team, Pynbooking was the right choice. It did not involve installation or special configurations, updates are automatic, and the employees learned the application without needing training. Allocating new users is simple, with specific rights for each, including limiting access to the application from outside the location. If there are interruptions in the fixed/wireless internet connection, users quickly switch to the GSM/4G network, on which the system works just as well. Also, in the event of a power outage, the system operates on mobile terminals, and the activity is not affected.