Hostel Uppelink

Family-owned Hostel Uppelink lies in the historical centre of Ghent in Belgium. With a mix of smaller private rooms and bigger more traditional dorms scattered through their iconic thirteenth Century building, Hostel Uppelink is a true hybrid when it comes to its product mix.

We spoke to founder Seppe Vandeweerdt about all the technological changes they have made and their recent RevPAR transformation.

Old-School Frustrations

"In July 2019 we switched our PMS to Mews as, amongst other things, the 'Timeline' view was perfect for a business like ours. The Mews Marketplace was another major draw as it works so well and offers loads of awesome connections to other software.

"We looked at the Revenue Management options and quickly realised that not all RMS are made equal. Most could not handle a hybrid property with beds and rooms and a mixture of products like ours. FLYR for Hospitality was the RMS that stood out as it could easily handle our complex inventory mix.

"We also liked how the pricing algorithm didn't overly rely on compsets – in my opinion the market moves way too fast to be relying heavily on something like compsets for pricing.

"The platform is also really intuitive. Today I'm the main user as the automation means we now don't need anyone else to get involved in revenue management. As for the onboarding – in just a couple of days it was all done!"

Instant Results

"FLYR for Hospitality has been the best investment I have made in our property since we opened over 10 years ago and by a distance. I just wish I had started using it sooner! Our RevPAR has gone up 40% since 2019. Our ADR has doubled in the same time."

"The platform has taught us a lot and as a result we are now considered the best hostel in Ghent. It taught me that we can put our rates much higher than I thought was possible. For example, this year we sold a bed for EUR 120 while before FLYR for Hospitality that was going for EUR 40.

"Although all the automation has transformed our business, the human support has also been amazing. For example, our Customer Success team member nudged us to get rid of our old two day minimums, particularly over the weekends, and to think about trying to sell everything for one night and as high as possible.

"Now our RevPAR on Saturdays has doubled and our Sundays have never been busier. FLYR for Hospitality also taught us not to lower our rates for Groups too much and we now ask a higher price knowing that the platform will fill up any holes. The Group rates functionality has been another massive game changer for us."