CASE STUDIES • Kultahippu Hotels

Discover how this Finnish hotel reached 100% occupancy by attracting Asian tourist groups

Located far north of the Artic Circle in Finland, Kultahippu Hotels, is a popular destination for Asian tourist groups to experience the tranquility, the “Northern Lights” and the uniqueness of Lapland. The hotel has undergone a transformation, attracting a new group of guests and securing full bookings for the foreseeable future. The success can be attributed to targeted marketing strategies, a revamped hotel profile, renovations, and the implementation of Planet's integrated solutions; Planet's HotSoft PMS, Booking Engine, Gift Card Manager, Task Manager, TV/Networking and more.

Challenge

The current CEO, Ismo Mäkinen, started managing Kultahippu hotels in December 2011. A small hotel with, at that time 30 rooms (now 72 rooms), and Ismo started a major renovation of the hotel. The website and various aspects of marketing were also improved. However, at the same time, the hotel grappled with the use of old and outdated technology for managing bookings and check-in processes.

Since COVID-19 struck, the hotel experienced a significant downturn, resulting in a dramatic drop in the number of guests. This unfortunate circumstance led to substantial layoffs of hotel staff. Ismo stepped in and did everything from welcoming guests, cleaning hotel rooms, to making breakfast – everything that was required to keep the hotel live. There were very few guests, but during this slower time, Ismo was able to focus on building new relationships and contacts with the Asian market.

A couple of Singaporean travel agencies were approached, and one agency decided to send two test groups of tourists to Hotel Kultahippu. The hotel received great guest feedback and that was really the start of a new era for Hotel Kultahippu. During the slower pandemic time, Ismo also reached out to Planet to discuss solutions to improve the guest journey even further.

Solution

Planet was approached, and after benchmarking and negotiations, Planet’s furture-proven HotSoft PMS was implemented in 2015. During Covid, staff were laid off and Planet helped to implement Online Front Desk, a self-service check-in where guests could experience a safe and smooth check-in/out process.

Planet's innovative hotel booking system, serves as the central hub for managing reservations. It facilitates a seamless guest journey, encompassing the booking of hotel rooms as well as check-out processes. Additionally, it offers fully integrated TV and Wi-Fi solutions, further enhancing the guest experience. The integration of Planet's payment solution with HotSoft will simplify and streamline the payment process, as well as enable guests to book and pay for hotel rooms and packages via the hotel’s website.

Kultahippu Hotels