Spicers Retreats pioneers ultra-luxury guest experiences with the support of Mews
The luxurious Australian hideaways maximize revenue while saving vast amounts of time thanks to the power of innovation and smart automation.
Spicers Retreats customer story
direct bookings
33%
of guests check in online
65%
at Spicers Peak Lodge
ROI (Return on Investment) of
592:1
About Spicers Retreats
A unique collection of nine retreats, hotels and lodges across Australia, Spicers Retreats combines the individuality and privacy of a bed and breakfast with the style, quality and standards of the world's finest hotels. The collection was recently acquired by Salter Brothers Hospitality - one of Australia's largest owners of hotels with over 5,000 rooms across 36 properties.
“I think it's time for our industry to stop being scared. Tech has reinvented the world, yet many hotels are slow adopters, lagging 15 years behind. With Mews, we're saving huge amounts of dollars. We're automating tasks. We're handling labor shortages and the high cost of labor. We're able to cater for twice as many incoming inquiries than before.”
Leading the way in user disengagement in hospitality
Challenge
Today's digital world is full of distractions. The Spicers Retreats team wanted to free their guests and staff from being tied to screens and encourage complete immersion in the moment and the surroundings.
Solution
None of the Spicers Retreats properties have front desks – everything is pre-paid and ready to go so the guests can immerse themselves in the experience. Powered by Mews and smart automation, the team is no longer tied to screens and can instead curate frictionless holidays. That's the future of user disengagement.
Result
• 65% of guests check in online at Spicers Peak Lodge
• The team is no longer tied to screens
"By enabling user disengagement, Mews increases guest engagement. We love that because we're no longer looking at screens – we're looking at people's eyes. We're finally doing what we say we do as a brand; we're living the dream."
Maximizing revenue with attribute-based selling
Challenge
Before switching to Mews, integrating and managing different systems was expensive and incredibly challenging to deal with.
Solution
By embracing innovation, Spicers Retreats was able to reinvent its whole tech stack, solve operational issues and upgrade processes. With attribute-based selling, guests can choose a room based on personal preferences at an extra price, generating added revenue for Spicers Retreats. The team can also customize upselling for different types and lengths of stays, curating targeted offers for every guest. For instance, some properties have day spas that generate A$2-3 million monthly. Instead of buying a full-day pass, guests can opt for half-day access or just a massage, which results in lower costs and more revenue for the property. The team can capitalize on the unique destination experiences because Mews enables them to tailor the tech for each retreat.
Result
• Opening multiple avenues of diversifying revenue
• Maximizing revenue with attribute-based selling
“Mews is a fully flexible PMS with future-proof core infrastructure like the Open API. It was designed to deal with the technology of tomorrow that hasn't even been invented yet, and that was exactly what we needed.”
Hundreds of saved hours across multiple departments
Challenge
Before switching to Mews, integrating was expensive and difficult to deal with. This held Spicers Retreats back from pursuing their ambitious vision.
Solution
Their destination retreats and restaurants are often grouped in clusters of two or three, which is why many guests spend a few nights in one retreat before moving to another. Powered by Mews, the Spicers Retreats team can instantly update guest status and complete cross-property transactions. It saves them hundreds of hours and eliminates human error that used to cost properties a lot of money. Housekeepers, too, are saving time by managing their tasks via phone and getting live updates on their devices.
Result
• Finance team saves two days per month
• Housekeeping team is much more effective
“With Mews, we've created an amazingly curated tech stack. And now we've got the opportunity to reproduce it and turn around other businesses like this. The next step is growth and evolution – we want to incorporate what Mews does best into our enterprise platform.”
100% occupancy powered by Mews Marketplace
Challenge
Managing limited availability due to a lack of inventory requires an approach that fosters long-term relationships with guests. Spicers Retreats wanted to create a reliable, seamless experience that the guests can trust and return to.
Solution
During international travel restrictions in Australia, Spicers Retreats had 100% occupancy for 18 months. The demand was so high that it generated a need for automated waitlists. Powered by integrations through Mews Marketplace, Spicers Retreats was able to forward a canceled reservation to the guest on a waitlist within 60 seconds. Because it happened instantly, the rooms with cancellations weren’t shown as available on channel managers, saving the Spicers Retreats team a lot of money and time.
Result
• 100% occupancy during international travel restrictions
• A$60k savings per month on instant reservations
• ROI of 592:1
.webp)
Make it remarkable.
Ready to take the first step towards a more efficient, flexible, guest-centric approach to hospitality?