Hotel Le Rocce

Tell us about your property

Hotel Le Rocce is located in Agerola and boasts a spectacular view of the Amalfi Coast. It was built in the late 1950s and has been owned by my family since 2006. Leveraging our twenty years of experience in the restaurant business, we turned it into a premier event venue in our area.

Between 2020 and 2022, we decided to focus more on accommodations, completely renovating the hotel. We upgraded all twenty-eight rooms, added new services, and elevated it from a three-star to a four-star superior establishment.

Our clientele has also changed over time. Ten years ago, it consisted mainly of Italians who returned year after year. Today, most of our guests come from abroad. While 80% of bookings are made through OTAs, we’re finally starting to increase direct bookings thanks to our work on the website and marketing efforts.

Smartpricing benefits an entire system that revolves around the guests: I let it handle the “dirty work” while I focus on our guests, confident that we’re selling at the right price and not missing any opportunities.

How did you manage rates before Smartpricing?

Over the last fifteen years, I worked abroad, and the hotel was managed by my parents, who focused primarily on our traditional core business of events. Before the renovations and my involvement, everything was done manually, which was challenging. The outdated rooms and limited services made it difficult to position the hotel well in the market. For us, OTAs were a double-edged sword because we weren’t competitive enough.

At the time, two staff members handled everything manually with the help of a very basic property management system—nothing comparable to the system we implemented alongside the renovation.

It was a rudimentary setup based on a fixed price list with rates for low, mid, and high seasons. Around 95% of sales came from loyal customers who called the hotel directly to book. Any remaining rooms were sold at minimal rates to students or organized groups. We managed to maintain occupancy, but not revenue—a fundamentally flawed approach.

Why did you decide to try Smartpricing?

The decision resulted from a combination of circumstances. Alongside the renovation, adopting the new property management system led us to take a different path than before.

Shortly after, there was a change in the staff managing reservations, and we sought a solution for more dynamic pricing control. That’s how we found Smartpricing.

Did you have doubts about adopting Smartpricing?

We didn’t have doubts; the real challenge was overcoming the old mindset. Being so focused on events and having outdated rooms for so long left a lingering sense of fear.

Before I took over, even though Smartpricing was already in place, those managing the pricing lacked courage. They were afraid to take risks and had set an overly cautious strategy, fearing guest complaints.

While we still saw positive results, they weren’t at their full potential. When I took charge, I used Smartpricing to completely transform our pricing policy.

I started with the premise that it takes courage to stand firm in the market and stop fixating on competitors. You have to say, “I sell at this price because I offer services that no one else within miles can provide.” I increased our maximum price ceiling on Smartpricing by 50%. That was when our story truly began anew, and we started shaping our future.

How has your work changed with Smartpricing?

My management style is highly dynamic—I handle everything on-site and don’t have a desk; my office is my smartphone! This means I risk missing steps, and if those steps involve room pricing, the risk becomes lost revenue.

The change has been overwhelmingly positive. Not only have I eliminated the headache of calculating rates, but I’ve also gained valuable time. Every morning, I check Smartpricing at the reception, ensure everything is in order, and can immediately focus on other tasks.

Smartpricing benefits an entire system centered on guests: I let it handle the “dirty work” while I focus on the guests, confident that we’re selling well and not missing opportunities.

Would you go back to your old pricing methods?

It would be a pretty foolish choice, so no. I trusted the system, and it paid off. And do you know what proves me and Smartpricing right? Guests are booking. It’s five months until August, and we’re already at 75% occupancy. I think my enthusiasm is justified, don’t you?