Valley Heights is a cosy three-star guest house in Kenilworth, Cape Town. The property has six units, including some family units that can sleep up to four guests. The owner, Debi Linde, used to be a pharmacist but decided to switch to hospitality about eight years ago.
“I had sold my business. We wanted to move down to Cape Town. I wanted to find a business that I could ‘live and work out of’ and still be able to do other things,” says Debi. “A guest house and B&B seemed like the perfect solution.” Debi and her husband also run an NPO, Ulutho OVC Trust, which supports orphans and vulnerable children.
From families to medical travellers.
When Debi took over the existing guest house, which was already over 15 years old, she modernised and expanded the property to transform it into a comfortable “home away from home” experience. Valley Heights caters to a diverse range of local and international guests by offering a flexible choice of bed and breakfast, self-catering, or room-only options.
Their main markets include international leisure travellers looking for an affordable and safe base in Cape Town; as well as local families and reunion groups taking advantage of the self-catering units, sports teams, student groups, and medical tourists.
As Debi explains, “We’ve become a popular choice for medical tourists since we’re a preferred provider for many hospitals and clinics in the area. It helps that I have a medical background myself. For example, we regularly host families of patients from the eye clinic, a nearby military base, and two private hospitals”.
The NightsBridge advantage: integration, simplicity and support.
One of Debi’s key challenges was minimising double bookings and keeping track of reservations from various channels like Booking.com. But NightsBridge’s integrated channel management and calendar tools helped to solve this.
“One of the great things about NightsBridge is how it interacts with your other booking channels. It means that there’s never the possibility for a double booking.”
Debi faced another challenge: balancing the on-site operations of the B&B with her frequent travel for NPO work and family visits. But the fact that NightsBridge is mobile-friendly allows remote property management from anywhere.
“I travel quite a bit overseas to see my four children and two grandchildren. I need to know that wherever I am in the world, even if it’s in a different time zone, I can still manage my business. NightsBridge gives me peace of mind that I can do so,” says Debi.
Overall experience.
Debi praises NightsBridge’s ease of use, especially for staff training. It also allows her employees to access the system when she’s away. Debi is also grateful for the company’s support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a devastating impact on the hospitality sector. “They really encouraged loyalty among their customers. They understood what small businesses like mine were going through and really tried to help us during that period,” she recalls.
She also highlighted NightsBridge’s robust support system, which offers tutorials, multiple contact options, and ongoing updates to ensure their users get the most out of the platform.
Challenges
- Avoiding double bookings across multiple reservation channels.
- Enabling remote property management while travelling frequently.
- Maximising occupancy and revenue.
Solutions
- Integrated channel management and synced calender to prevent double bookings across OTA channels.
- Cloud-based, mobile-friendly platform for remote accessibility to manage property from anywhere.
- Powerful direct booking engine that turns the property’s website into a sales channel.
Key Takeaways
- User-friendly, integrated tech is critical for B&B efficiency and growth.
- Having the ability to manage the business remotely is invaluable.
- Streamlining operations allows owners to stay focused on hospitality.
- Vendor understanding and support is vital, especially during challenging times.
- A sustainable business model enabled Debi to pursue other entrepreneurial passions.
NightsBridge has empowered Valley Heights to streamline their property management. NightsBridge’s user-friendly interface, automated features, and strong support system have allowed Debi and her team to save time, improve communication, and focus on guest satisfaction.
Debi notes, “I find NightsBridge very simple, and it’s easy for any new owner that wants to set up their business easily. I would definitely recommend NightsBridge.”