Introducing Roomzzz Aparthotels...
Roomzzz is an expanding collection of aparthotels in city locations across the UK. An exciting and dynamic brand; their award-winning studios and suites offer flexible spaces for families, couples and corporate travellers alike. It’s like having your own stylish apartment in the heart of the city, but with someone else to tidy up and bring you fluffy towels! Perfect!
The problem
As an aparthotel group, Roomzzz is not a typical hotelier. Their room types can vary considerably from location to location, with some of their more unique locations having up to 13 room type configurations. As such, there was a real challenge behind the scenes in managing how to sell effectively via their own direct website. A lack of integrations meant there were often highly manual processes and workarounds operating behind the scenes, which translated into a disjointed online experience for their customers.
As city centre locations, the combination of high OTA commissions coupled with extra discounts to participate in marketing programmes, promising (but rarely delivering) to increase their profile in search results, meant huge erosion of margin for Roomzzz.
The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent blanket OTA booking cancellations was the final straw. It was time to be brave and make some changes.
The Solution
To take back control of their future online business mix, Roomzzz partnered with allora.ai to reimagine their website booking experience and maximise their direct business opportunities – particularly long-stay business – displacing the expensive OTA business that was filling their peak times.
Allora.ai provided them with the flexibility they needed to sell their studios and suites effectively online, across their growing portfolio of properties, and offer clear and optimised pricing, guaranteed to be the lowest rate on offer.
Furthermore, Roomzzz also launched Perkzzz, their loyalty programme. allora.ai integrated with Roomzzz nominated CRM platform to create a highly customised booking journey that enabled them to effectively showcase Perkzzz member rates - both through the booking process itself and via key digital marketing channels, like metasearch.
Furthermore, the single sign-on integration with their CRM means that Roomzzz get to know their customers better all the time. A clear dashboard helps to identify trends in bookings, support marketing programs, offer relevant add-ons and upsells with more to come. It also helps to dramatically reduce cancellations by building strong customer relationships and loyalty.
Roomzzz are now a truly guest obsessed business in the driving seat and in control of their online channel mix. Rather than a faceless booking from an OTA, paid for with a high margin on popular nights, they are delivering their best rates to ideal, long stay customers who are more loyal and profitable
The Results
From a staggering 50-60% pre-pandemic, Roomzzz have completely turned their business around and now drive just 10% of their total online business through OTA’s. The lion’s share of their online business mix now comes direct from their own website. It’s a more profitable business mix that is already reaping rewards - enabling them to reinvest in their portfolio and further fuel their expansion plans. Coming out of the pandemic stronger than ever, Roomzzz now welcome around 1000 new members a month to the Perkzzz loyalty scheme,
Furthermore, their product set has changed. Through better understanding of their customers, Roomzzz have been able to increase repeat bookings from their loyal customers, and work with other agents who better understand their business. Furthermore, their product set has changed. Through better understanding of their customers.
Victoria Curley, Group Revenue & Distribution Manager at Roomzzz says 'Allora.ai has given us back control. From one place we can easily set and distribute rates. It’s saved us untold time and hassle as well as helping us understand our customers better. Without a "allora.ai has given us back control. From one place we can easily set and distribute rates. It’s saved us untold time and hassle as well as helping us understand our customers better.” doubt, it’s made us more profitable, but it’s also helped us strategically develop our business through a time that was exceptionally challenging for the hospitality industry.
We’ve come out of the pandemic stronger and more secure than before and perfectly positioned to keep moving forwards.'
Want to find out how allora.ai can give you back control of your business and help you become guest obsessed? Then get in touch and find out more!
"allora.ai has given us back control. From one place we can easily set and distribute rates. It’s saved us untold time and hassle as well as helping us understand our customers better.”
