Hotel Vela d'Oro

Tell us about your property

Hotel Vela d’Oro is located in Riccione and is a small, family-run 2-star hotel. We have thirty-six rooms, and most of our clientele consists of families and retirees who choose us for our direct beach access and proximity to the Riccione Thermal Baths.

90% of our bookings are direct, as I always try to minimize reliance on OTAs.

Only now, with Smartpricing, do I realize that I wasted at least ten years. Before, I worked for the satisfaction and pleasure of doing this job, but I was just covering costs and little more. Now that I’ve also achieved financial satisfaction, I truly enjoy my work—because I love what I do and because I know I’m earning.

How did you manage rates before Smartpricing?

I’ve been in this business for twenty years and initially relied on a fixed rate list. Over time, I started creating a dynamic rate list: I would slightly increase the base rate based on sales trends or specific events. But it was all on my shoulders, and it was exhausting work.

I could only manage it consistently during the low season, from December to January, when I wasn’t busy with other activities. Naturally, as booking requests began to arrive, the frequency of checks would decline, and during the high season, it disappeared entirely. I would tell myself, “I can’t keep up anymore.”

I sometimes sold rooms quickly with last-minute offers, but I realized others were selling at higher prices while I was losing revenue. Sometimes, I wouldn’t realize until after selling the last room that I could have raised prices ten rooms earlier—but I had already undersold them.

Why did you decide to try Smartpricing?

After COVID, I had already started a process of change, beginning with our property management system. This helped me realize that structuring the work properly was essential to staying on top of things. It’s no longer like twenty years ago when rates were set in January and stayed the same until the season ended, although many still do it that way.

That’s why, when I learned about Smartpricing through the Riccione Hotel Association, I was immediately intrigued. I was a bit skeptical at first, but today I can say I have no regrets about giving it a try.

How has your work changed with Smartpricing?

The first impact of Smartpricing was helping me understand and overcome my psychological block about prices. I thought I knew my property’s value and had a threshold beyond which I didn’t believe I could sell. But I’ve seen that I can go far beyond that. I’m selling at prices I never imagined, and I still almost can’t believe it.

I haven’t received complaints from customers because, when they arrive, they find the service quality reflects the price. This is greatly helped by the time I’ve saved on rate creation, as I can now focus on things I used to neglect and be more present with my guests.

At the same time, Smartpricing has lifted a burden. Even though I tried to make my rate list dynamic, I couldn’t precisely monitor supply and demand. At most, I would look at what a nearby competitor was doing, but that’s not what makes the difference. Now I can sleep soundly even if I don’t check prices for a few days—I no longer worry about it.

Of course, it’s not like I never check what Smartpricing is doing. The human touch remains essential. However, now that I’m confident in the pricing, I enjoy reviewing reports. I study occupancy trends or compare them to the previous year. In the evening, I like sitting down and examining the planning.

Before, as a traditional hotelier, I left things to chance and would evaluate the season’s performance with the classic question, “How did it go?” Now, if I check Smartpricing in February, I already know the season is going great because I know exactly what I’ve sold—even if I haven’t pocketed it yet.

What results have you achieved with Smartpricing?

This year’s revenue was the highest in twenty years of business: an increase of about +17%. It’s possible I’ve become a bit better at my job, and it’s true that people were more eager to travel, but Smartpricing undoubtedly prevented me from losing money and optimized pricing.

The benefit becomes even clearer when I think about last year, when I had to leave unexpectedly during the peak season for several weeks. Thanks to having the PMS, CRM, and Smartpricing perfectly set up, my staff only had to follow the automations, and I managed to avoid any losses. If this had happened before Smartpricing, the consequences would have been far more severe.

Would you recommend Smartpricing to your colleagues?

Yes, absolutely. I already talk about it with my colleagues because I believe half the hotels here in Romagna could significantly improve by ditching fixed prices and focusing more on marketing. Unfortunately, there are properties with immense potential that fail to leverage technology, often surviving only on repeat customers. When those customers stop coming, they close.

I understand them because, until a few years ago, my management was also “pen and paper.” Only after introducing the PMS did I realize how much I was losing. How many times did I forget to cancel a room after a no-show or lose track of cancellations called in during the winter?

I’m not from a hotelier family. I started as a waiter, and I’m grateful to myself for being willing to take on challenges. Only now, with Smartpricing, do I realize I wasted at least ten years. Before, I worked for the satisfaction and pleasure of the job, but I was just covering costs and little more. Now that I’ve achieved financial satisfaction, I truly enjoy my work—because I love what I do and because I know I’m earning.

To my colleagues, I’d say that with today’s challenges, it’s tough even if you’re skilled—imagine how hard it is without tools or by relying on old methods! I hope the new generations are sharper than we were.

Would you return to managing rates the old way?

No. In my opinion, technology intimidates those who don’t understand it. Smartpricing knows what it offers and even lets you try it out with no commitment. If you’re smart and give it a go, you’ll never go back. Those who stop using it, in my opinion, are businesses that aren’t looking to stay in the market or have no long-term future.

Maybe twenty years ago, Smartpricing would have been a dream, but today, anyone who wants to continue in this industry or start fresh must adapt to this new way. Otherwise, you won’t see profits.

Beyond price management, which is obviously fundamental, I wouldn’t give up the reporting features either—they’re an excellent tool. I’m self-taught, and revenue management isn’t my area of expertise, but the reports help me understand revenue trends, evaluate my property, and confirm if my strategy is correct.

For me, Smartpricing is as essential as a PMS or CRM. It’s not an expense; it’s an investment that should be the foundation of our work.