A high-quality guest experience doesn’t begin at reception. Today, a guest’s first interaction with a hotel usually happens long before arrival – on the website, while searching for the right offer and, at the latest, during the booking process.
For Leni Mountain Sölden, one thing was clear: the distinctive character of the property should also be reflected in the digital experience. For the past year, the hotel has been using OnePageBooking by HotelNetSolutions to achieve just that.
We spoke with the team at Leni Mountain about why the booking journey is part of the overall guest experience, what has changed in their day-to-day operations and why more guests are now choosing to book direct.
What makes Leni Mountain Sölden special?
We don’t simply want to offer our guests a place to stay. We want to create a place where they feel at home from the very first moment. Our aim is to combine an alpine lifestyle with genuine hospitality – uncomplicated, high-quality and personal.
We offer three distinct holiday experiences: Leni Mountain Appartements are designed for active travellers who want to be right at the heart of the action. Leni Mountain Lodge is aimed at discerning guests who want to combine the comfort of a hotel with the freedom of an apartment. And our Leni Mountain Chalet is for those looking for privacy, tranquillity and alpine luxury at the highest level.
Three different concepts also mean different booking needs. What was particularly important to you when it came to the digital booking experience?
Today, our guests expect a digital experience that reflects the same high standards as their stay.
The booking process needs to be fast, clear and easy to use on any device. It was therefore important to us that our guests enjoy a high-quality experience from the moment they start booking.
Today, first impressions are made online. That’s why we wanted a booking journey that is intuitive, builds trust and reflects the quality standards of our property.
Why did you choose OnePageBooking?
What convinced us most was its modern presentation, ease of use and high degree of flexibility.
OnePageBooking integrates seamlessly into our website and visual identity, creating exactly the professional impression we want to give our guests even before they arrive.
This allows us to build trust and create a positive first impression during the booking process – long before our guests actually arrive.
What has changed in the booking process after one year with OnePageBooking?
The booking process is now much smoother. Our guests can find the right accommodation more quickly and book directly with ease.
This is particularly important for us because of our different accommodation concepts. Guests should be able to quickly understand which option best suits their personal idea of a holiday and then complete their booking as easily as possible.
What impact has this had on your day-to-day hotel operations?
We spend less time answering follow-up questions and manually preparing offers, which allows us to focus even more on our guests.
The automated processes in particular make a real difference. Many steps that previously had to be handled manually now run in the background.
This saves time, reduces potential sources of error and makes our team’s day-to-day work considerably easier.
Has your guests’ booking behaviour changed as well?
We are seeing more and more guests booking directly through our website.
This strengthens our independence from external platforms while also allowing us to establish more direct contact with our guests. From our perspective, the simple and transparent booking journey plays an important role in this development.
When does a great guest experience begin for you today?
In fact, long before the guest arrives. The website and booking process already create a first impression of what guests can expect from a property.
That’s why it is important to us that this part of the journey also reflects our quality standards. Booking should be fast, clear and straightforward, giving guests a positive feeling from the very beginning.
The example of Leni Mountain shows that a hotel’s own website is more than a digital shop window. And a booking engine is more than just the final technical step before a reservation is completed.
Especially for independent hotels with a strong identity of their own, it is worth considering the entire digital guest journey as part of the guest experience. Does the booking journey fit the brand? Can guests quickly find the offer that suits them? Does the experience build trust? And is booking direct actually the easiest option?
Especially for independent hotels with a strong identity of their own, it is worth considering the entire digital guest journey as part of the guest experience. Does the booking journey fit the brand? Can guests quickly find the offer that suits them? Does the experience build trust? And is booking direct actually the easiest option?
At Leni Mountain, both sides benefit. Guests receive clear guidance and can book direct with ease. At the same time, automated processes save the hotel team valuable time and reduce manual effort.
Because hospitality doesn’t begin at check-in. It begins with the very first click.
Copyright Images: Leni Mountain
