Highlights from rezStream Fireside Chat with Venice Beach Villas

Hospitality is a service business and the closer you get to your guests, the better you can service them . We feel the same way about the partnerships we form with our customers. Fireside Chats provide a direct connection between rezStream staff and the owners and operators of the independent lodging businesses we support with property management software and marketing solutions.

In August we met with Ken Papineau, the proud owner of Venice Beach Villas for an hour-long Fireside Chat. During that time, he shared his experiences working with rezStream and using our solutions to grow his business. Lucky for you, we took notes and have a recap for you:

Background: A Day-in-the-Life.

Let us start by introducing Venice Beach Villas and Ken Papineau, providing a glimpse into their daily life and background.

About Venice Beach Villas

Background

  • Ken lives half an hour from the hotel and is the manager (on call 24/7/365).
  • Venice Beach Villas is one of several properties he manages with his wife.
  • Ken and his wife were completely new to hotel ownership when they started.
  • Their staff includes his wife, housekeepers, maintenance crew, and as an extension, rezStream.
  • When asked what the best/worst part of the job is: “The Guests. 😊”
  • Currently booked until April 24, 2024 (60% are repeat bookings).
  • Price doubles in high season.
  • 2025 rates are already listed (rooms are typically booked a year in advance).
  • Makes most of their money from Dec 23rd-April 15th (busy season).

Challenges: We all have them.

There’s only so much you can cover in the time we carved out, but here are some of the business challenges Ken thinks about to ensure his property is performing at its best. We were pleased to learn that he and his wife had confidence in using rezStream since the previous owners spoke so highly of our services.

😎 A/C costs.
If you didn’t know, it gets hot in Florida. Who would have thought?

🛏️ Filling rooms.
The goal was to get occupancy over 80%, which was achieved last year (2022).

🛎️ Staffing.
One employee has remained on board since purchasing the property, however, filling other positions has been a challenge.

📺 In-room entertainment.
Has regular cable/TV, but the challenge is getting internet service providers to allow streaming services.

🌧️ Rain.
After sunny skies comes… rain. With rain, comes the potential for leaky roofs.

🌊 Red Tide.
Luckily, we’re OK.

💸 Cancellations.
Booking.com has become a challenge as it seems they do not verify credit card payments before approving bookings.

🗃️ Insurance.
The biggest cost this year will be high insurance for the building. Some of which are not even insurable due to age.

Solutions: What are you getting from rezStream?

Ken gets contacted by several other service providers on a regular basis. Before we could ask him why he hasn’t jumped ship, he quickly expressed that our greatest strength is in our people and the level of personalized service we provide on top of the technological solutions we support. Relationships keep them with rezStream, and they are fortunate to have a great relationship with Cierra, who they talk to regularly to report and strategize on marketing initiatives. Ken also gave a big shout-out to Nic for assisting with rate updates in the software.

What else are Ken and the Venice Beach Villas getting from their partnership with rezStream?

  • Uses all components of the rezStream Suite: software, booking engine, website, and marketing.
  • Leverages our integrations with Google Hotels and Booking Abandonment . Ken would like more business from Google Hotels and will stay committed to reducing his reliance on OTAs.
  • Wants to continue to grow the business and has plans to upgrade rooms/equipment.
  • The waitlist feature in the Booking Engine gets a lot of usage.
  • Does not use the Yield Management automation tool in the software. He prefers to adjust rates manually. He feels he has a good pulse on the market, and gets a lot of feedback from guests.

Tips Ken shared to keep the competitive edge.

While we’re sure Ken did not give away his top-secret booking strategy, he did leave us with these gems.

  • No hidden fees.
  • Be smart about rates; have daily, weekend, and weekly rates in place.
  • Each room is unique, with different size rooms come different rates.
  • Adjusts rates based on occupancy (running at 80% occupancy is their goal).
  • Checks surrounding hotels once per month to make sure prices are in line.
  • Get more aggressive with offers during slower months.
  • Have consistent pricing so that when the competition increases theirs, you become the gem.
  • All about relationships! Take care of peak customers (they come back year after year).

Join the Conversation

The Fireside Chat with Ken Papineau paints a vivid picture of the journey that independent hoteliers take with rezStream. It's a tale of growth, challenges, and the continuous pursuit of excellence in the hospitality landscape. As Ken's story demonstrates, it's not just about lodging solutions – it's about the lasting relationships that shape success.

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Published: September 12, 2023