Built by hoteliers for hoteliers: Meet the people behind Lighthouse for Independents

Hoteliers are dedicated individuals by nature, juggling the most diverse responsibilities every day. At Lighthouse, we understand that daily grind like no other. Why? Because many of us have lived it.

That’s the spirit behind Lighthouse for Independents: a platform designed to meet the real needs of independent hoteliers. With automated distribution, pricing, direct bookings and admin tasks, it’s built to save time, reduce stress and help hoteliers focus on what they do best: creating exceptional guest experiences.

Many of the people shaping Lighthouse’s solutions today have walked in your shoes. They’ve opened reception desks before sunrise, dealt with the occasional guest complaint and wrestled with outdated processes that made daily tasks harder than they needed to be.

This is their story.

Hospitality is in our DNA

For many on the Lighthouse team, hospitality runs through their veins. 

Krystal De Anda, now Strategic Partnerships Manager, began her career with a degree in hotel management from Johnson & Wales University and has worked in every possible department – from housekeeping to the front desk. This hands-on experience has provided her with a comprehensive understanding of hotel operations and guest needs. “Working in various departments gave me direct insight into the daily realities of hotel management and the entire guest journey,” she explains.

Krystal tells us: “My passion for the hotel industry stems from the unique position of a hotelier to craft truly memorable guest experiences. Guests place their trust in hoteliers to deliver the service they have paid for, but the opportunity lies in exceeding those expectations.”

She concludes: “Now, I get to empower hoteliers by increasing efficiency in their day-to-day revenue management tasks. Lighthouse offers solutions designed to make hoteliers more proactive and profitable. This, in turn, frees up valuable time that they can dedicate to ensuring each guest's stay becomes a truly memorable experience, bringing my journey full circle.”

Joaquin Fernandez, who also works in Strategic Partnerships at Lighthouse, started out as a porter and front desk agent in bustling independent hotels.

“The best part of that life was getting to know and having fun with colleagues. And meeting Martin Sheen – that was really cool,” Joaquin recalls. “Handling overbookings for late check outs was the most painful. Thankfully, the hotel had a nice policy of upgrading those customers to better rooms in nearby hotels.”

Turning frustration into innovation

Some of the strongest drivers behind our product direction are past frustrations with outdated systems, painful workflows and missed opportunities.

Delphine Elias, Senior Product Manager at Lighthouse, knows that story all too well.

“When I stepped into a Revenue Manager role, I was immediately struck by the sheer inefficiency of the data process. Extracting and analyzing information was so labor-intensive that I was asked to work an extra day each week just to keep up. This not only consumed an enormous amount of time but also led to frequent manual errors. Within weeks, I took the initiative to automate the entire process, not only freeing up my team but also ensuring we presented reliable, accurate data in every meeting.”

About the challenges independent hoteliers face, Delphine says: “Witnessing the shift from manual reservation tracking to automated pricing, I realized how crucial these advancements are, especially for independent hoteliers. I'm driven to be part of this change, finding it incredibly rewarding to build automated commercial tools that empower hoteliers worldwide.”

Thanks to previous experiences, User Researcher Raluca Florea can add a layer of empathy to every conversation she has with hoteliers.

“During my studies at Hotelschool The Hague, I did a 6-month internship in the Food & Beverage department at Hilton, and another 6-month internship in Events and Group Sales in a cluster Marriott office. Then, before graduation, I had the opportunity to work on a growth strategy for Four Seasons Park Lane together with the team,” she explains.

But her experience didn’t end there. She continues: “Fast-forward: 4 years ago, my parents decided to open their own bed & breakfast, which I supported with website building and management, presence on OTAs, training the property admin on-site and a very modest version of revenue management which I still take care of today. I also check in and support international guests, all remotely.”

When we ask Raluca what hospitality means to hear, she replies: “Hospitality is, no doubt, more challenging than many other industries. The product extends beyond just rooms and hotel facilities – it's the entire experience that counts. And that means high expectations, 24/7 operations, varying demand, inherent stress, and – my favorite part – a unique dependence on human interaction that truly makes hospitality what it is.”

For Sophie Taranta, Go-to-Market Product Manager, hospitality also runs in the family. “My godmother runs two independent hotels in Belgium, so I’ve witnessed from a young age what that life looks like – the everyday struggles, priorities, and so on. I also did various internships and worked as a job student in hotels in Munich, London and Geneva.”

Sophie brings these past experiences into her current role at Lighthouse. “I always picture my godmother reading our documentation, seeing our emails or listening to our demos to check whether it would resonate with her. This keeps me on the right track in everything I do.” she says.

A platform shaped by real-life experience

The Lighthouse for Independents team is as diverse as the properties they once ran. Some, like Sacha Sauveur, spent years working in various boutique hotels across Europe. 

Sacha shares with us what he loves about hospitality: “My passion for hospitality really is a long-standing one. It's an industry I've been drawn to for as long as I can remember, which naturally led me to pursue a degree in hospitality management. During my studies, I was fortunate to do internships in hotels abroad, and those experiences were truly formative. Even now, I make it a point to visit unique hotels whenever I can, often just for a drink or a meal, to appreciate the atmosphere and observe how hoteliers craft a unique guest journey.”

“My diverse background spanning various roles – from marketing and sales to Food & Beverage and event planning – has been incredibly valuable. This experience is crucial in my current role. It allows me to work through complex tasks and diverse client needs effectively, ensuring a focus on service and successful outcomes,” Sacha concludes.

Cédric Meurisse moved from the front desk to regional sales. We were curious what drew him to the world of hospitality. Cédric confesses: “At the end of my secondary education, I – like many other 18-year-olds – had no idea what I wanted to do. But, I’ve always enjoyed helping others. Eventually, that led me to hotel management. Through internships and later work experience in hotels in Norway and Ghent, I discovered how much fulfillment I get from bringing joy to people during their holidays.” 

“It was a wonderful experience, but during the pandemic I grew tired of being at home and decided it was time to leave the hotel world behind,” Cédric explains. “That’s when I made the switch to hotel software. Working with various PMS systems has given me valuable insight into the pain points hoteliers face, as well as the solutions we can offer them. I’ve experienced firsthand which software features are truly helpful and have a positive impact on the guest experience.”

Gilles Demeyer, now Support Engineer at Lighthouse, tells us he once managed a property in Bruges that reached the #1 spot on TripAdvisor – an achievement he’s extremely proud of. Thanks to his 15-year boutique hotel experience, he knows exactly what it takes to deliver excellence – and how fragile that experience can be without the right tools.

Gilles clarifies: “I understand the daily pain points, workflow bottlenecks and real-world financial and staffing pressures that hotels face, because I've lived them myself. This hands-on experience allows me to identify features that genuinely solve problems versus those that look good on paper but miss the mark operationally. In my role as Support Engineer, I can anticipate user needs and ensure our software addresses actual challenges rather than perceived ones.”

Lighthouse delivers more than just tech

Hospitality isn’t about systems – it’s about people. And that’s exactly what makes Lighthouse different.

We don’t just develop software. We aim to help independent hoteliers overcome everyday challenges in everything we do. And those challenges you deal with on a daily basis? We know how tough they can be – many of us have experienced them first-hand.

Lighthouse strives to make hospitality tech easier, faster and better, guided by those who’ve been on the frontlines. Our solutions are being shaped, questioned and reimagined by them every day.

Would you like to know more about Lighthouse for Independents and our solutions? Contact our team today.