A property that runs on precision
Nestled on the beachside of Pohara in Golden Bay, at the northwest corner of New Zealand’s Nelson Tasman region, Ratanui Lodge is a contemporary boutique retreat just steps from the ocean. The ten-room lodge sits near the northern tip of Abel Tasman National Park, with access to some of the region’s most celebrated natural attractions, including Te Waikoropupu Springs, Wainui Falls, and Farewell Spit. Alongside its coastal accommodation, Ratanui Lodge is home to a restaurant and lounge bar open to the public seven days a week, and a day spa, making it as much a destination for locals as it is for travellers.
Part of the Capstone Hotel Management, the lodge operates with a close-knit team where efficiency matters. Every hour saved on administration is an hour better spent on guests. Nick Biggins, General Manager, is responsible for day-to-day operations including rate management; a task that, until recently, was taking far more time than it should.
A rate management process that could not keep pace
When the Capstone Hotel Management’s rate management process became increasingly manual, it created operational friction. Updating rates meant navigating multiple screens across systems, and the process was neither quick nor intuitive.
Each rate change required around five minutes of navigation through multiple screens. Availability was not visible in real time, and the manual nature of the process meant rate updates happened less frequently than market opportunities warranted.
“Before SiteMinder’s UltraSync, changing rates required navigating multiple screens just to make a single update,” says Nick.
Choosing SiteMinder’s UltraSync
As part of a pilot programme with SiteMinder, Ratanui Lodge was among the first properties to enable UltraSync, a capability that allows rates to sync directly from SiteMinder to a property’s PMS, making SiteMinder the central source of truth for rate and restriction management.
The value was clear. Rather than switching between systems and reconciling data manually, Nick could set rates once in SiteMinder and have them flow through automatically.
Update your rates the moment the market moves
Ratanui Lodge turned five-minute rate changes into a few clicks and made every pricing decision mobile in the process. SiteMinder's UltraSync syncs your rates directly to your PMS, so you can act on demand from anywhere.
Learn more
Increased efficiency and enhanced rate management
The impact on day-to-day workflow for the team was immediate.
“What used to take five minutes and multiple screens every time now takes just a few clicks,” says Nick. “The efficiency gains have been significant.”
The sync is near-instantaneous and, with rates flowing through automatically, Nick can focus on decisions rather than data entry.
“SiteMinder gives me a clear view of my availability so I can quickly adapt my rates based on how the business is performing. That visibility was missing before.”
Perhaps the clearest indicator of UltraSync’s impact is how it has changed Nick’s pricing behaviour. Because the process is so much simpler, rate updates now happen far more regularly.
“Since using SiteMinder’s UltraSync, I update my rates far more often,” he says.
The simplicity of the platform has also increased Nick’s confidence in his pricing. With a single place to manage rates and a near-instant sync to his PMS, he has a much clearer picture of what is live across his channels at any given time.
Rate management that goes wherever Nick goes
One of the most significant changes has been the ability to manage rates from a mobile device. For a general manager whose day is rarely spent in front of a desk, this has fundamentally changed how pricing decisions get made.
“Being able to update my rates from my phone using SiteMinder’s UltraSync means I can respond to changes in occupancy straight away, wherever I am,” says Nick. “If availability reaches a certain threshold, I do not need to be at my desk to act on it. That flexibility has changed the way I manage my pricing.”
The result is a more agile approach to revenue management. Rather than waiting to get back to a computer, Nick can respond to market conditions in real-time, from anywhere.
One platform, one source of truth
Looking ahead, the plan is to move all rate derivations and restrictions into SiteMinder, establishing it as the single source of truth for rate management at Ratanui Lodge.
“Our goal is to have SiteMinder as our single source of truth for rate management,” says Nick. “Managing everything from one place makes the whole operation simpler.”
With a full rate sync implementation planned, Ratanui Lodge is building towards a fully connected revenue management setup.
“The standout benefits for me are the time savings, the accessibility, and how easy it is to use compared to what we had before. SiteMinder’s UltraSync has simplified the way I manage my rates and, as a result, how often I update them.”
Thank you, Nick, for sharing your experience. SiteMinder is delighted to support Ratanui Lodge and the continued growth of Capstone Hotel Management.