Islander Inn: how an Ohio resort doubled ancillary revenue with Mews
This US resort transformed its workflows and now sees double ancillary revenue, faster check-ins and more personalized stays.
Islander Inn customer story
Double
ancillary revenue through golf cart rentals
5h
saved weekly on payment processes
<90 sec
to check-in guests
About Islander Inn
Islander Inn is a 110-room resort in the heart of Put-in-Bay, Ohio, a destination island known for its outdoor bars and endless summer weekends. The property offers the most amenities of any neighboring resorts: three pools, swim-up bars and two guest favorites: cabana and golf cart rentals, the island's primary mode of transportation. When new owners took over four years ago, the resort was ready for a serious operational reset.
After moving away from WebRezPro to Mews, the team reshaped how they manage reservations, payments, inventory and guest communication. Today, their lobby flows more smoothly, guests can book everything online and the business enjoys higher revenue and better reviews.
"We love having everything in one platform. Another major win was that our front lines now have more free time to socialize with our guests and customers and are no longer secluded behind a desk."
Operational automation, smoother workflows
Challenge
Because Islander Inn sits on an island, guests don't arrive gradually - they land in ferry waves. At peak times, up to 30 rooms would show up at once, overwhelming the small lobby and trapping staff in slow, manual check-in steps.
Solution
Mews shifted the heavy lifting to before arrival. With online check-in and digital registration, guests reach the desk with everything already done, turning what used to be several minutes of admin into a quick 60-90-second check-in. The steadier flow brings fewer bottlenecks and fewer errors, and the team finally has the breathing room to focus on guests, something they had never been able to prioritize during busy periods. Training also became simpler: the team prefers short Mews University videos over studying long manuals, which made learning faster and more interactive.
Result
- Fewer delays and admin bottlenecks, leading to speedy check-ins
Turning extras into a major revenue driver
Challenge
Golf carts were managed in a separate system outside the Islander Inn's old PMS. Visibility was poor, overbookings common and the front desk had to log into three different platforms just to keep track of reservations.
Solution
Mews brought rooms, golf carts and cabanas into one unified booking flow. Guests can now add extras online with real-time pricing and availability. Manual guesswork that led to errors has been replaced with an intuitive "one-stop" reservation experience. At check-in, staff immediately see which add-ons are already confirmed, keeping the process quick and organized. And with extras visible in the booking engine, more guests began pre-booking them, and many who previously rented elsewhere started choosing Islander Inn instead.
Result
- Ancillary revenue from golf carts doubled
- Staff no longer switch between multiple systems
"Adding golf carts to our booking engine doubled our revenue on extras. Mews just makes it so easy to sell add-ons."
Faster, safer payments that take the pressure off the front desk
Challenge
Manual card entry took nearly two minutes per guest and opened the door to mistakes, double charges and chargebacks - all during the resort's busiest arrival waves.
Solution
Mews Payments automated charging at booking or a set number of days before arrival, eliminating the need for staff to handle card details during check-in. Tokenized cards make every transaction more secure, while tap-to-pay terminals speed up in-person payments. Payment syncing with QuickBooks also cleaned up reconciliation, reducing back-office workload and freeing managers to spend time coaching their teams rather than chasing errors.
Result
- 5 hours saved weekly on payment tasks
- Chargebacks significantly reduced in 2025
- Faster arrival flow and fewer errors
Personalization and faster problem solving powered by AI
Challenge
The team wanted to recognize loyal guests more consistently and reduce reliance on managers for routine questions about their new PMS, especially during busy seasonal months.
Solution
Mews AI Smart Tips made it easy for staff to spot repeat guests. It helped the team personalize conversations and create a more memorable welcome. This visibility also inspired a new initiative: personalized VIP key cards engraved with the guest's name once they hit their third stay - a small gesture with big emotional impact. Daily work sped up too. Mews chatbot became an essential tool for the front desk, answering "how do I…?" questions on the spot and cutting down on the need to flag a manager.
Result
- Staff use Mews chatbot around 30 times a day
- More confident staff, fewer manager interruptions
- VIP key cards introduced for repeat guests (3+ stays)
Integration spotlight: Akia guest messaging
Guest communication was inconsistent and difficult to manage across multiple systems, making it hard to guide guests before arrival or encourage reviews after checkout. With Akia fully integrated into Mews, the team now runs all guest messaging through a single connected workflow.
Automated reminders, pre-arrival instructions and post-stay review prompts keep guests informed and engaged without adding extra work for the staff.
The combination of Mews insights and Akia messaging also created more opportunities to personalize service. The Islander Inn staff can respond faster to requests and handle busy weekends with fewer manual touchpoints, all of which helped drive a major rise in online ratings.
"When we purchased the property, its ratings were around 3.0. With the integration of Akia and Mews, we're now at about 4.2 on Google."
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