RAINES is a third-party and owner-operator hospitality company with about 60 hotels across the U.S. Much of its portfolio is branded, but it is expanding an independent boutique lifestyle business that includes two historic adaptive reuse hotels with 57 and 59 rooms. A Stayntouch customer story features Stephanie Atkisson, SVP of Commercial Strategies.
A rough start
RAINES first opened one independent hotel on a different PMS. Atkisson describes frequent bugs, OTA connectivity issues, rate shopping problems, unpredictable room-type pricing and a cumbersome booking experience. Support tickets went unresolved, leaving the hotel in a "holding pattern."
Choosing again
RAINES asked its revenue management partner, Lighthouse, for recommendations. Stayntouch rose to the top for the speed and simplicity needed for a fast switch. Ease of use was essential: some front desk and housekeeping roles are filled through partnerships with college disability-support programs, including the Carolina Life Program, so the PMS had to be intuitive and visual. Executives viewed the choice as part of a wider growth plan and wanted to "get it right the second time."
Training and go-live
Training proved far lighter than expected; even executives completed it. "We're so used to hours and hours and hours of training with other systems. This wasn't a big deal," Atkisson says. A Stayntouch team member was onsite at go-live, support she calls "monumental."
Reliability
The biggest change is that the PMS is no longer a daily problem. RAINES has not seen the connectivity or rate shopping issues of its previous system. "It's working. It doesn't need attention every day," Atkisson says, freeing her for sales, marketing and revenue strategy, with remote access when she needs to check a property.
Next steps and advice
RAINES is building its second independent property on Stayntouch. Atkisson advises multi-property companies to make sure a PMS works with existing technology, train several corporate team members, and invest in hands-on implementation support.
Originally published by Stayntouch: RAINES Picks Stayntouch to Grow Its Independent Boutique Hotel Business
