Boutique warmth in the heart of San José
Auténtico Hotel is an independent urban-boutique property in San José, Costa Rica, nestled in the vibrant East Sabana neighbourhood just moments from Parque La Sabana and the city’s most popular attractions. Offering a selection of rooms and suites, the hotel blends contemporary comfort with genuine Costa Rican hospitality. Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant serving international cuisine, a refreshing swimming pool and garden area, a modern fitness centre, and versatile meeting and events spaces.
What truly sets Auténtico Hotel apart is that every detail is designed to reflect local culture and traditions, earning the property a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award and a loyal following among international tourists, corporate travellers and couples seeking an authentic stay.
We spoke with Douglas Zambrana, General Manager, who oversees the hotel’s operations, commercial strategy and distribution, and has been instrumental in driving Auténtico Hotel’s digital transformation since partnering with SiteMinder.
When a local booking engine can’t keep pace with ambition
Before implementing SiteMinder’s platform, Auténtico Hotel managed its distribution and online sales through a local booking engine. While functional, the tool fell short of the property’s growing needs. Revenue optimisation was limited, and the team found it increasingly difficult to fine-tune pricing, manage availability across channels, and respond to shifting market demand with any real agility.
Compounding the issue was a lack of reliable support from the previous provider, which left the team without a true technology partner when they needed one most. For an independent boutique hotel competing against larger brands in a popular destination, these gaps represented both a daily frustration and a significant commercial risk.
“The tool we were using didn’t fully meet our needs for optimising revenue, and there were shortcomings in the support provided by the supplier. We knew we needed something better to match our ambitions,” says Douglas.
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A platform built to match the way independent hotels work
Douglas and his team began evaluating alternatives with a clear set of priorities: a platform that could centralise distribution, optimise their online sales strategy and improve the hotel’s visibility across diverse markets. After comparing several options, SiteMinder stood out for its depth of channel connectivity, intuitive interface and the strength of its onboarding and support resources.
“The implementation was quite straightforward. The platform is intuitive and the support and documentation available made the transition much easier,” Douglas mentions.
The platform’s design meant the learning curve was short, and the team felt confident managing their distribution within a matter of days rather than weeks.
From reactive management to strategic control
The shift since adopting SiteMinder has been significant for Auténtico Hotel’s day-to-day operations. Where the team once spent considerable time manually updating rates, availability and restrictions across individual channels, SiteMinder’s channel manager now allows them to manage every sales channel effortlessly.
“Our favourite feature is the channel manager,” Douglas explains. “It allows us to manage all sales channels from a single platform in real-time, reducing errors and preventing overbookings.”
This operational efficiency has freed up valuable hours each week, enabling Douglas and his team to redirect their energy towards what matters most: guest service, commercial planning and performance analysis.
SiteMinder has also fundamentally changed how the property handles pricing. The team can now adjust rates quickly, respond to market demand with confidence and maintain consistent rate parity across all connected channels. For a boutique hotel that prides itself on offering excellent value, this level of precision is invaluable.
“SiteMinder has allowed us to move from a reactive approach to a much more strategic one. We can adjust prices quickly, respond to market demand and maintain more consistent rate parity across all channels.”
Meanwhile, SiteMinder’s Insights has become a particularly valued tool for the property, providing clear visibility into market trends, demand behaviour and competitive performance. Armed with this intelligence, Douglas can make more informed decisions around pricing, availability and sales strategies, keeping Auténtico Hotel one step ahead in a competitive market.
Sustained growth and smarter operations
Since implementing SiteMinder, Auténtico Hotel has experienced measurable improvements across its most important metrics, according to Douglas.
“We’ve seen an increase in both bookings and revenue, primarily thanks to greater online visibility and better management of rates and availability,” he says.
“SiteMinder has given us the tools to compete with confidence.”
While results naturally fluctuate with seasonal demand, the overall trajectory has been one of consistent upward momentum compared with the period before implementation.
Operationally, the time previously consumed by manual updates across multiple channels has been significantly reduced, allowing the team to invest more in guest experience and strategic growth initiatives. The combination of real-time channel management, actionable market intelligence and streamlined workflows has given Auténtico Hotel the confidence and tools to compete effectively as an independent property in one of Central America’s busiest capital cities.
Together, these gains have positioned Auténtico Hotel for a more predictable, profitable future and reinforced the team’s belief that the right technology partner makes all the difference for independent hotels.
Thank you, Douglas, for the great feedback and we wish you even more success in the future!