When award-winning boutique hotel Skky Hotel in Whitehorse, Canada, partnered with hospitality consultancy Four Sides to rethink its tech stack, the goal was clear: simplify operations and cut unnecessary costs – without sacrificing guest experience or revenue.
After implementing SiteMinder, the results speak for themselves: major cost savings, a boost in direct bookings, and greater control over the guest journey.
We spoke to James McCullogh from Four Sides to discuss the optimisations that Skky Hotel achieved with SiteMinder’s platform.
Complex systems and rising fees were causing a headache
With multiple platforms powering their CRS, guest communication, and distribution, Skky was spending more on fees than it needed to – including per-reservation charges for bookings across Web, OTA, and GDS channels.
“Previously, with the hotel’s legacy CRS system, a fee was charged per reservation: $5 for Web, $7.50 for OTA, and $10 for GDS. These costs add up quickly,”explained James.
Additionally, the hotel was paying $400/month for a third-party guest messaging platform, adding to an already hefty operational tech bill.
More revenue, less work
What if you could boost your hotel's efficiency and revenue while also reducing your workload? Our smart hotel platform helps you do exactly that.
Learn more
SiteMinder’s platform introduced all-in-one efficiency
SiteMinder offered a simplified, cost-effective alternative. By consolidating key systems — such as a booking engine, channel manager, and guest engagement — the hotel could eliminate unnecessary tools and fees.
“With SiteMinder’s Guest Experience feature, that cost [for guest messaging] was eliminated,” said James.
The property also implemented SiteMinder’s Demand Plus, which gave the hotel visibility and easy management on major metasearch platforms like Google, TripAdvisor, and Trivago — helping drive more direct bookings.
“We were excited to try Demand Plus, which allowed the hotel to show their direct booking engine on Google, TripAdvisor, and Trivago — with Google being the top performer by far.”
An immediate and measurable impact
Just six months after implementation, the improvements were clear:
- Nearly 40% overall cost savings across reservation and messaging platforms
- 60% drop in Booking.com commission fees thanks to increased direct bookings
- 30% conversion rate from Google Hotel Ads via Demand Plus
- Improved operational simplicity and guest communication – all within a single platform
“Overall, the switch to SiteMinder has meant a nearly 40% cost savings for the hotel while revenue has stayed consistent,” said James.
This success is a testament to the impact of pairing expert hospitality consulting with the right hotel commerce technology. Skky hotel now operates with greater efficiency, stronger guest relationships, and more profitability.
Thanks for choosing SiteMinder and we look forward to continuing driving success for the business!