Customer Spotlight: Hotel Zilt

Key Results:

• Simplified OTA management: Hotel Zilt has centralized availability and rate updates, reducing manual work and minimizing the risk of booking errors.

• Improved team collaboration: A shared system gives all staff access to real-time booking data and daily schedules, leading to smoother handovers and clearer communication.

• Significant time savings in daily tasks: Automated processes for guest messaging and distribution has freed up hours each week, allowing the team to focus more on guests.

Background

In the historic Dutch port town of Vlissingen, Hotel Zilt is a local gem. With its charming facade and close proximity to the Zeeland coastline, it draws a steady flow of leisure travelers year-round. Behind the scenes, however, running a small hotel involves more than just welcoming guests. Owner Koen De Meester manages three boutique properties, each with its own daily demands: from operations to distribution, guest communication, and everything in between.

Like many independent hoteliers, Koen juggles multiple responsibilities. There’s no large team to delegate to, no dedicated departments. Time is limited, and tasks need to be completed smoothly. Any disruption (whether in availability updates, guest messaging, or team coordination) can quickly affect the overall guest experience.

To bring structure and stability to his daily operations, Koen implemented Lighthouse. With Reservation Manager and Channel Manager now fully integrated into his workflow, the impact has been immediate. Instead of drowning in various duties, Koen and his team have adopted a consistent, streamlined way of working across all three hotels.

More consistent guest communication

At Hotel Zilt, communication with guests is a core part of the experience, from booking confirmation to the final thank you email. But keeping those messages clear, consistent, and visually appealing across multiple properties required more effort than expected.

Reservation Manager made this process far more straightforward for Hotel Zilt. Koen and his team can now create and automatically send guest messages that look neat and professional, every time.

The result is a communication strategy that not only saves time, but also strengthens the hotel’s image. Every message feels aligned with the brand and more importantly, guests get the right information at the right moment.

Managing multiple OTAs with one clear system

Like many small hotels, Hotel Zilt is listed across a range of OTAs, from large platforms to more niche sites. Making sure that prices and availability are correct everywhere takes up a lot of time when done manually. Each update has to be entered separately, and even small mistakes can lead to incorrect listings, costly price errors or missed bookings.

Luckily for Hotel Zilt, Channel Manager has replaced such a repetitive and manual routine with a much more efficient process. Availability, rates, and restrictions are adjusted in one place and pushed to all channels automatically.

This reliability has made a real difference. Koen doesn’t have to double-check listings or spend time logging into multiple OTA portals. The risk of errors has been reduced significantly, and changes can be made quickly across all properties.

Additionally, the integration with other tools, such as their payment system, has simplified how different parts of the business connect.

One system, one team, multiple properties

Managing several hotels with a lean team requires smooth coordination. People often cover multiple roles or step in for one another, and staying aligned is essential to keeping operations on track.

Reservation Manager has helped bring everyone onto the same page. Whether it’s reviewing bookings, checking arrival schedules, or confirming room readiness, the platform makes key information visible and easy to access for everyone involved, no matter who is working that day.

Koen starts each morning by reviewing the plan board. The team checks for new reservations, aligns housekeeping schedules, and ensures everything is ready for the day ahead. The pickup report helps track changes in demand and highlights if any slowdowns need closer attention.

This shared system has improved internal communication and eliminated any confusion. It has also made team members feel more confident stepping into tasks outside their usual role, because the information they need is already there.

Reliable support that doesn’t keep you waiting

The technical side of hotel systems can sometimes be a barrier, especially if support is slow or difficult to reach. One of the features Koen values most in working with Lighthouse is the responsiveness and quality of the support team.

For a small hotel operation, quick and helpful responses are more than just convenient – they’re essential. Whether it’s a question, a small adjustment, or a deeper setup issue, Koen knows he’ll get hands-on assistance without a long wait or back-and-forth.

From reactive tasks to confident routines

These days, Koen can’t imagine running Hotel Zilt without Lighthouse. What used to involve multiple tools and manual steps is now part of a daily rhythm that’s smooth, predictable, and largely automated.

Now, Lighthouse helps the team move through the day with greater ease. Instead of putting out fires, they’re able to plan ahead, monitor performance, and stay focused on guests. And because the systems are user-friendly and intuitive, they’ve quickly become second nature.

At its heart, Hotel Zilt is still a personal, independent place. But with Lighthouse as the backbone, Koen has the structure and tools he needs to keep things running smoothly, across properties, across teams, and across all bookings.