Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam is a 5-star exclusive hotel situated in the heart of Amsterdam, between two historical canals. With a rich history that spans from a 15th-century convent to royal lodgings to Dutch admiralty headquarters, and now a luxury hotel, this place exudes elegance and grandeur. The hotel has welcomed a number of notable guests, including Princess Beatrix, the former queen of the Netherlands, who got married in the Council Chamber of the hotel.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Chrystal Timmerman, the Director of Revenue Management at Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, to hear about her experience with Oaky. Let's delve into her insights.
Shaping personalised experiences with Oaky’s segmentation
Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam considers their personal approach to be one of the fundamental elements of creating luxury guest experiences.
As the hotel caters to both leisure and group guests who seek different experiences and have different expectations, Oaky assists the hotel in tailoring interesting offers for different segments with the aim of enhancing conversions and creating memorable guest experiences.
Making the most out of the low season with dynamic pricing on room upgrades
Furthermore, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam leverages another powerful Oaky feature.
Dynamic pricing on room upgrades works wonders for a hotel’s profitability, especially during slower periods when the occupancy rate usually drops across the market.
We offer a variety of room types and suites, and through dynamic pricing, we aim to occupy these suites to ensure a higher ADR. This leads to an increase in RevPAR at a faster pace than if we were only selling standard rooms.
Chrystal Timmerman
Director of Revenue Management
With dynamic pricing, hotels can ensure higher occupancy for suites and sell higher room type categories by applying data-based discounts. Moreover, dynamic rates have proven to be more effective in generating revenue than the static rates that the hotel used before implementing Oaky.
Increasing revenue and TRevPAR with amplified guest engagement pre-arrival
One of the major advantages of using Oaky, as Chrystal highlights, is the ability to engage with a guest before their arrival.
“The reason why Oaky is perfect for us is that we can implement it pre-arrival and engage with a guest before they check in. Since the interaction with a guest happens via email, it’s very low-key. At the same time, guests can reach out to us with all sorts of questions, and we have the nice opportunity to make them excited about their upcoming stay before they arrive.”
On the revenue side, Chrystal points out that Oaky comes in handy to upsell rooms of higher categories, helping boost their RevPAR, since the hotel offers rooms of multiple types. Additionally, the hotel has many other departments, and the software promotes the services of each of them, which contributes to TRevPAR's growth.
The numbers speak for themselves. In December 2022, the hotel earned €11,361 in total upsell revenue with pre-arrival upselling. The hotel did exceptionally well in upselling a Junior Suite, Luxury Room with a Canal View and Prestige Suite. In terms of supplements and add-ons, a 60-minute relaxing massage, Breakfast and Loyalty program - Become an all-member and get additional benefits topped the list of the best-selling deals among the hotel’s guests in December 2022.
Upsell results of Sofitel Legend the Grand Amsterdam
Expert advice from Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam on how to succeed with upselling
At the end of our conversation, Chrystal was eager to share a few tips for those who are still figuring out how to start upselling.
Her recommendation is to get in touch with hotels that already use Oaky and find out what works for them. She suggests that one starts with the basics, like upselling room upgrades, and analyse what works best at the moment. This way, they can make these offers available at the pre-arrival stage so guests can know what to expect before they enter your hotel.
“Even though your guests might not choose a specific upsell on Oaky, they will have a small seed planted in their head. So, when they arrive, they’re more likely to go for a certain deal or supplement.”
Even though your guests might not choose a specific upsell on Oaky, they will have a small seed planted in their head. So, when they arrive, they’re more likely to go for a certain deal or supplement.
Chrystal Timmerman
Director of Revenue Management
Harness the power of personalised upselling
