Opened in 2016, in a city with few tourist attractions, Vila Camino in Satu Mare is primarily favored by business clients and groups coming for sports or social events.
Located just 17 minutes from Satu Mare International Airport, and with 16 spacious and modern rooms, Vila Camino offers the perfect blend of accessibility and comfort.
The three words that define the services offered by the Vila Camino team are: cleanliness, rest, and tranquility, all just 10 meters from a major street, Drumul Careiului, which provides quick access to Golescu Bridge, the city center, and the Oradea exit.
The business is family-owned, with the owner Oana Sferle having previously worked as an HR manager in a multinational company. At some point in her career, she felt the need to start her own business and find a better balance between her personal and professional life. Over time, the business grew, allowing her to transition from being an employee to a full-time entrepreneur.
Business Challenges
Initially, Vila Camino had only 8 rooms, and in its first year, Oana (Sferle) managed reservations using only Excel. In 2017, after expanding to 16 rooms, the activity intensified, and Excel quickly showed its limitations.
The need for automation grew, which led her to search for a more efficient solution for processing reservations. She needed a professional platform that would protect the business from errors and the risk of overbooking.
At Vila Camino, accommodation requests come from everywhere: digital platforms, agencies, and directly via phone, WhatsApp, and email, making it necessary to use a platform that could manage all of these requests centrally and efficiently.
It was also important that this solution allowed for managing operations without a receptionist and provided transparency and control over the entire process of reservation, check-in, payment, and check-out. Additionally, the owner and manager of the hotel wanted to manage the business remotely without always needing to be present on-site or rely on employees.
Understanding that in hospitality, the image of the business, reviews, and guest feedback are crucial, Vila Camino needed digital tools that would offer a pleasant and positive experience while also providing flexibility for guests.
"It is important to offer guests respect and the best services. The HoReCa industry is exposed to criticism, and you need to have a flawless image to succeed in the long term," said Oana Sferle, the hotel owner.
Oana Sferle discovered Pynbooking while searching online for hotel management solutions. She liked it right away because it was cloud-based and very easy to use, and the cost-benefit ratio was very favorable.
At one point, she considered a cheaper option, but after a detailed analysis, she understood that the lower price couldn't compensate for the features and modern workflows offered by Pynbooking.
Solution
After making the decision and signing the contract, Vila Camino gained access to the Pynbooking PMS (Property Management System) platform, where they defined the structure of the accommodation unit, including the 16 available rooms and breakfast services for guests.
The next step was integrating the Channel Manager to update and synchronize all information from the partner online booking platforms simultaneously (Booking.com, Hotelmix, Travelminit, Trivago, etc.).
The Pynbooking Hotel Website Generator module allowed for creating a page dedicated to direct bookings. Vila Camino then automated these bookings through the Booking Engine, which is natively integrated into the Pynbooking Cloud-based PMS.
Oana Sferle also opted to implement digital reception with the Guest APP and smart locks. Vila Camino made the transition even before the COVID-19 pandemic when this concept hadn't yet gained the popularity it has today.
"We've been using digital reception since before the pandemic, when the market wasn’t ready for this concept. It was beneficial to be ahead of the times. After the pandemic, this way of operating became normal for everyone. Room access is granted via electronic keys received through the Pynbooking Guest APP by each guest. We’ve had smart locks for many years," explained Oana Sferle.
Currently, the accommodation unit uses Pynbooking in a standard way, processing bookings in the PMS from three main sources: digital platforms, travel agencies, and its own website.
The latter currently accounts for only 10% of the total bookings, as 90% of guests are business clients who call the reception directly or work with agencies.
Benefits
With Pynbooking, Vila Camino has fully automated its entire reservation processing workflow, from receiving guest data and confirming bookings to check-out and sending fiscal invoices. This has allowed them to achieve their most important goal: clarity and security in reservation management.
A significant bonus was the integration of multiple online booking platforms through the Channel Manager, allowing for centralized management in the PMS. This advantage helped the business capitalize on opportunities provided by the emergence of the Travelminit.ro platform in 2017-2018.
After implementing Pynbooking at Vila Camino, other significant benefits contributed to the business's success:
- Flexible Check-in Times: With the Guest APP, guests can check in at any time they wish, a highly popular advantage for which Vila Camino constantly receives positive feedback. Guests appreciate the independence of being able to check in with a simple "touch" on their mobile phone. This modern mobile experience contributes to their overall satisfaction.
- Dedicated Pricing Plans for Agencies and Companies: This was particularly important as, in Satu Mare, visitors are more likely to come for business purposes rather than tourism. Pynbooking allows for quick adjustments to pricing plans according to negotiated conditions and booking volumes. Managing group bookings for sports competitions and social events has also become more efficient.
- Mobility and Flexibility: The Pynbooking platform can be accessed from any mobile device, from anywhere with internet access. For Oana Sferle, the owner of Vila Camino, it is very useful that she can process bookings from anywhere, even from the seaside or a Parisian café.
"I work a lot from my phone. Practically, my office is my mobile phone, and I process bookings whether I’m at the supermarket for shopping or camping by the Crișul Repede river. It’s a freedom I enjoy with Pynbooking," said Oana Sferle, owner of Vila Camino.
- Full Invoicing via Pynbooking: Vila Camino invoices entirely through Pynbooking, with invoices being automatically sent to guests and also to e-Factura. The Pynbooking subscription allows the accountant to directly access all necessary data.
- Quick Access to Reports: Pynbooking provides quick access to a variety of reports in real-time, including financial reports and occupancy rates during different periods. These reports allow for comparative analysis to better understand the actual situation and take necessary actions.
For Vila Camino, adopting Pynbooking was the right solution to stay competitive and meet the increasingly demanding requirements of the modern hospitality market.
"For me, it's important to have access to timely information and make proactive decisions, to work professionally, and show respect to my guests. Pynbooking is a necessity for any modern accommodation unit. I confidently recommend it to my industry colleagues," concluded Oana Sferle, manager and owner of Vila Camino.
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