The 79 Hospitality Management Group (79HMG)’s 眷村 Guest House 1954, located in Taiwan’s historic Sanchong Air Force Military Dependents’ Village, offers a stay that is genuinely one-of-a-kind and resembles entering a living memory. This boutique guest house is a hidden gem for families, couples, and single travelers looking for a slower, more soulful experience because of its carefully preserved architecture and worn exteriors, which combine nostalgic ambiance with thoughtful modern comfort.
Just a year after it opened, 眷村 Guest House 1954 has already become well-known for its unique idea. The establishment is a part of 79HMG’s new hospitality brand, the “79 Military Village Revival Guesthouse Series,” which aims to connect Taiwan’s rich local history with tourism.
The completely non-smoking guest house offers free WiFi, outdoor seating areas, shared restrooms, and air-conditioned rooms. Additionally, some rooms have private balconies, which are ideal for taking in the tranquil surroundings. In keeping with its goal of creating genuine, memorable travel experiences, the hotel offers a paid airport shuttle service and promotes outdoor exploration.
Every element of 眷村 Guest House 1954 has been carefully chosen to provide more than just lodging. The motto that guides their hospitality philosophy is “Stay in history, discover a story,” which invites visitors to engage, pause, and feel a part of Taiwan’s living past.
Juggling guest experience with operational gaps
The core of everything at 眷村 Guest House 1954 is creating memorable guest experiences. According to CEO Roy Chao, this entails more than just providing a place to sleep; it also entails personal connection, cultural immersion, and storytelling.
“Enjoying the brand, learning about local culture, and making enduring memories are the keys to a positive customer experience,” he says.
The team uses what they refer to as the MEMO theory, a strategic framework based on four pillars—Map the Connect, Ensure Real-Time Update, Minimize Manual Work, and Optimize Performance Data—to inform their service philosophy.
Chao continues, “We particularly value the ‘E’ in MEMO, which stands for both Easy and Efficiency.”
But as the hotel grew and started to serve a wider range of tourists, including families, couples, and leisure travelers, internal procedures started to lag. It was challenging to control room availability across platforms. Rate updates took a lot of time and were done manually. Bookings and the team’s capacity for rapid response were both impacted by system synchronization delays.
“The challenge was clear: our staff needed better tools to respond to customer needs in real time,” Chao continued. “We need a smarter, more connected way to do it, but promptly attending to staff needs allows them to respond to customer demands efficiently.”
The team eventually looked beyond their current configuration in order to find a solution that fit with their MEMO-driven approach to hospitality, as the need for centralized control and streamlined operations grew.
The backbone behind a seamless experience
SiteMinder was more than just another operational tool for 眷村 Guest House 1954; it signaled a significant change toward more intelligent and effective hotel management. According to Chao, the platform is a calculated step to improve overall operational effectiveness and expedite daily procedures.
“Using SiteMinder is a key strategy to enhance hotel operational efficiency,” he said. “It’s not just about channel management, it’s the first step toward intelligent and streamlined hotel operations.”
The team successfully synchronized room rates and availability across all platforms in real-time by utilizing SiteMinder’s Channel Manager. The risk of human error was greatly decreased by this degree of automation, which also enabled the hotel to react swiftly to consumer demand.
“Room inventory management becomes simpler,” Chao explains. “It gives me more time to focus on pricing strategies and revenue optimization.”
Better visibility, enhanced control over all sales channels, and quicker rate adjustment execution were all made possible by this smooth update system.
The hotel’s MEMO service philosophy is perfectly aligned with the transformation. Effective system connection mapping is made possible by SiteMinder, which also guarantees real-time updates, reduces the need for manual intervention, and maximizes access to performance data for improved decision-making. Business outcomes were directly impacted by these operational improvements.
“If we compare the revenue from 2024, the REV growth is over 180%,” says Chao.
Following the hotel’s adoption of SiteMinder’s DemandPlus solution, which increased their visibility on international metasearch engines like Google, Trivago, and Tripadvisor, their growth continued.
“Before, most bookings came from local travelers. Since the switch, we’ve seen a substantial increase in international reservations,” Chao shares.
In the last two months alone, revenue has increased by over 180% and even more than 500%. The benefits were immediate and evident, with more bookings coming from direct and international sources and less time spent on manual updates.
“I can do more things in less time. I’ve seen an increase in direct bookings, reduced errors, and overall, it’s made my job more enjoyable,” he says.
The group is actively looking for platforms that can assist in managing multiple sites at once, something SiteMinder is well-positioned to support, as they look to expand to more hotels and properties in the future.
As 眷村 Guest House 1954 continues to evolve, SiteMinder will be there every step of the way to help them reach new heights!