Mews shapes The Circus Group's playbook for growth and efficiency
The German group uses Mews to keep things running smoothly and enhance the guest experience across their hostel, hotel and apartments.
The Circus Group customer story
2h
saved per day through automation
90%
higher booking value for direct bookings vs channel managers
16%
of guests buy upgrades during online check-in
About The Circus Group
The Circus Group runs four unique properties in the heart of Berlin: a hostel, hotel, apartments and The Circus Living - serviced micro-apartments for long-term stays. United by a belief in the social nature of travel and a deep commitment to sustainability, each property reflects the group's strong connection to the local neighbourhood.
After years on a legacy system bogged down by paperwork and limited flexibility, the team sought a modern PMS - one that offered better analytics, smarter guest insights and room to grow. Here's their success story with Mews.
"Mews helped us cut onboarding time from six months to just six weeks. New team members can pick up the system quickly, saving both time and training costs."
Centralized management across multiple properties
Challenge
With their previous system, The Circus Group had to juggle three separate logins - one for each property. It created unnecessary complexity and slowed down daily operations.
Solution
Mews introduced a central dashboard that allows easy switching between the hostel, hotel and apartments. This streamlined operations across all properties while still giving each concept the flexibility it needs. Though the offers differ, Mews helped create a more cohesive guest journey. Receptionists especially appreciate the clear, intuitive timeline, which has significantly reduced errors.
Result
- Staff now have more time and even lead free tours around Berlin
- Emails are no longer typed manually - they're automated in Mews and easy to customize
- Improved sustainability thanks to reduced paper use
"We started as a hostel and chose Mews because it fit our needs perfectly. As we expanded into other segments, the system scaled effortlessly with us."
More revenue from automated upsells
Challenge
The Circus Group wanted to increase upsell revenue in a way that felt authentic to their brand and without relying on front desk staff to pitch upgrades.
Solution
Through Mews, guests are offered creative upsells during online check-in, like romantic boxes and birthday surprises. The team taps into the perfect moment when guests are already in holiday mode and more open to spending. Mews clearly displays upsells that guests can add with one click, driving more conversions without any effort from the team. The Circus Group also offers yoga mats for free, proving that not everything needs a price tag to add value.
Result
- Increased revenue from automated, brand-aligned upsells
- Enhanced guest experience and stronger brand personality
Faster check-outs, safer payments
Challenge
With their previous system, payments were handled manually. Some guests even shared card details over phone or email, causing errors that required the general manager's intervention and wasting valuable time.
Solution
Mews Payments puts security and efficiency first. Card information is collected right from the start and ready to use for any additional charges, eliminating manual errors and last-minute scrambles. The finance and accounting teams love the clear, straightforward reporting, making their work smoother. Check-outs are now faster with Mews Terminals since there's no more time wasted splitting bills.
Result
- 2 hours saved per day through automation
- Tokenized payments boost guest confidence and security
"Managing a hotel means spending 15% of your time fixing mistakes. After experiencing the accuracy and speed of Mews Terminals, there's no way we're going back."
Looking ahead
The Circus Group's next opening, scheduled for the end of 2026, is The Circus Retreat in Italy. Powered by Mews, this luxury property will feature 20 rooms and its own intimate chapel for weddings, with a strong focus on positively impacting the local community. Buona fortuna.
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Make it remarkable.
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