Residence Corte San Carlo

Tell us about your property

Residence Corte San Carlo is located in Colà di Lazise, in the hills just inland from Lake Garda. Its hillside location makes it perfect for those seeking peace and quiet among olive groves and vineyards, while still being close to the lake and the mountains.

This is a very old property that was already listed as a “vacation residence” in the Napoleonic cadastral records of 1816. We restored it, keeping its original layout almost entirely intact and working to enhance every space. For example, our wellness center is located where the cellars used to be, and the cold water immersion tub was created from a centuries-old grape harvest vat.

Today, the residence is a refined 5-star property with eleven apartments, each equipped with a kitchen and every comfort, including the convenience of a private garage.

Historically, our clientele has always been predominantly Northern European, although the pandemic allowed many Italians to rediscover areas like ours, which may have been overlooked in the past.

Seventy percent of our bookings come through OTAs, but our goal is to reduce reliance on intermediaries and encourage direct bookings through our website, where we ensure the best conditions are offered.

Since using Smartpricing, I no longer follow OTA suggestions. Slashing prices doesn’t help in the long term because it’s very hard to raise them back up afterward. It’s better to grit your teeth for a moment but maintain a consistent pricing strategy. Today, with a perfectly calibrated strategy, I’m much more at ease.

How did you manage rates before Smartpricing?

For thirty years, before opening Residence Corte San Carlo in Colà and my second property in Verona, I worked in a completely different field—textiles. I had to learn the dynamics of hospitality and undergo a lot of training.

When I eventually saw that everything was running smoothly and the property was gaining momentum, I realized that a fixed seasonal price list was no longer enough. I made minor adjustments and constantly checked Booking.com’s suggestions for offers, but I soon realized they were skewed to their advantage, leaving me at a loss.

Why did you decide to try Smartpricing?

From 2018 onward, I was able to dedicate myself fully to the residence. I enhanced it with a pool and began working on increasing its visibility.

I decided it was time to find a solution to make pricing more efficient and move away from the fixed price list. I considered a competitor of yours, but their system still required mostly manual management and came with high costs.

Smartpricing, on the other hand, handled most of the work automatically and had affordable costs. I also noticed how much you believed in the validity of your software, and even though you were just starting out at the time, I placed my full trust in you.

If I’m still here today, it means it worked!

What results have you achieved with Smartpricing?

The results have been absolutely satisfying. To say that Smartpricing only optimizes prices would be an understatement! Using it, I’ve also noticed positive effects on occupancy, which for me is a fundamental factor.

Optimizing occupancy means that revenue isn’t growing due to a temporary surge in demand but is increasing in a structural way.

I’ve also stopped following OTA offers. The strategy of lowering prices doesn’t help in the long term because it’s very hard to raise them back up afterward. It’s better to grit your teeth for a moment and maintain a consistent pricing strategy.

Today, thanks to a perfectly calibrated strategy, I’m much more at ease.

If you asked me what issues I’ve encountered, I’d struggle to find any, especially since the software is constantly updated. It has always been easy and intuitive to use, but since I started using it, you’ve added many features that have made it even better.

Do you use Smartpricing with your loyal customers?

Absolutely. We have many loyal guests—some have been coming to us for over eight years! The change has been well-received because people are now accustomed to dynamic pricing in many other industries.

In some cases, we’ve managed this by finding a small compromise, but overall, it doesn’t lead to disputes. I much more frequently have to mediate with people who call after seeing prices on Booking.com.