Skip to main content

GDS by SiteMinder helps launch boutique Portuguese hotel to the main stage

  Posted in Case Studies  Last updated 1/12/2023

Noting that visitors to Lisboa, Portugal, were craving a more authentic and immersive experience, the creators of Santiago de Alfama got to work. They wanted to offer a boutique hotel experience to travellers who wished to stay in the heart of the city without sacrificing their ability to experience the flavour of the local culture.

The 19-room boutique hotel has been operating for around three years, and bookings have grown steadily during that time period. This is thanks in no small part to the technology the hotel operators and managers implemented almost immediately.

SiteMinder provides the perfect technology solution

In today’s global travel industry, the competition is high. Boutique hotels are striving to get the attention of guests who want affordable yet luxurious accommodations in a great location. Recognising this, the hotel operators at Santiago de Alfama began researching technology solutions that could help increase their exposure and allow them to develop brand loyalty.

When checking their email one day, they discovered a promotion that was available from SiteMinder. They soon found the SiteMinder products would give them everything they needed, and then some. It was important to them that it “would be a smooth transition from what we were already using.”

They implemented both SiteMinder’s channel manager and GDS offering. It didn’t take long for them to get everything up and running, exceeding their expectations.

GDS by SiteMinder, in particular, helped Santiago de Alfama broadcast its availability to the most motivated travellers in the market. By providing access to more than 1,000 destinations and 350 different channels, GDS by SiteMinder is the ultimate way to improve exposure for any hotel. Through GDS by SiteMinder, travel agents – such as retail agents or OTAs – can view the live rates and availability of properties around the globe. It’s a surefire way to improve brand recognition and ultimately increase the bookings at a property.

GDS by SiteMinder catapults Santiago de Alfama to the forefront of the Portuguese travel industry.

For many boutique hotel owners in Portugal, the first of couple years in business can be a struggle. Many travellers are not aware of new properties, and simply opt for the places they can easily book from the top of search engine results page.

This wasn’t the case for Santiago de Alfama, largely because of its partnership with GDS by SiteMinder.

SiteMinder helped the business to blossom, and to grow into its own within a few short years. It’s tough for the owners to quantify the impact of this technology, but they know that it was integral to their business.

“I don’t know the exact results and it’s hard to compare because we were so new,” they said. “Overall I’m very happy with the service we receive from SiteMinder.”