Getaway Studios is much more than just a place to sleep. Getaway is a novel hospitality concept, aimed at the price conscious modern traveller going to or passing through Belgium. Getaway offers a range of spacious, modern flats, connecting technology and comfort with a warm and homey feeling.
We got the chance to interview one of the key people behind the hospitality concept in use at Getaway Studios, Adriaan Scheltens, the Operations Manager.
Getaway Studios opened in 2015 in Leuven, Belgium and since then they have opened two more properties, one in Zaventem close to the Brussels Airport and another one on the Belgian coast, in Ostend.
“Currently, we are building our fourth and biggest Getaway Studio (till now) in Ghent with 135 rooms. Our concept stands out from normal standard hotels thanks to the warm and homey feeling of our studios. We also offer a great value, aiming at the modern price conscious traveller,” Adriaan tells me.
Adriaan’s professional skills and industry knowledge has grown and developed while working with the company. He started as the Property Manager for Getaway Leuven and today he is the Operations and Revenue Manager for the entire Getaway group.
For Adriaan, it’s very important to keep the guest journey smooth and simple. At Getaway, one of the strategies is to integrate new technologies into their existing structures. For example, the automatization of guest reservations using the keyless Salto system as their online Guest portal as well as their automated late arrival procedure.
“We are always looking for new opportunities and solutions that can enhance the guest experience,” says Adriaan.
Adriaan tells me that his main responsibility is to make sure all the guests have a wonderful stay at Getaway. To achieve this goal, one critical factor is ongoing training and support of their staff to make sure processes are kept as easy as possible for the guests.
When it comes to revenue management and price setting, Adriaan’s strategy needs to make sure his guests get great value for their money. Value is the competitive strength of Getaway Studios and is the reason why guests keep coming back to the hotel.
Adriaan sets the prices on a daily basis, using the Atomize price suggestions which are integrated in Clock, their Property Management System (PMS).
Adriaan tells me that the challenge is to grow the revenue every month and balance the increase of prices and guest satisfaction. Atomize Revenue Management System has worked very well for Adriaan and since he started using Atomize he has substantially increased their revenue.
“The first five months, I’ve been able to generate an increase in revenue of 9.5%,”
Adriaan says.
Atomize Revenue Management System has also saved Adriaan a lot of time since he doesn’t have to manually compare competitor prices anymore.
“Atomize has freed up time for me to perform other important tasks at hand.”
Adriaan really appreciates partnering with Atomize and he only has good things to say about his experience.
“The helpdesk is awesome, I always get an answer right away, and the program is very user-friendly and it just works for me,” Adriaan says.
The integration process with Getaways PMS system, Clock, Adriaan experienced it as very quick and easy. The complete setup was done in just a couple of days.