About the Hotel

Located right by the sea near Umag, hotel Zlatna Vala is a small family-run hotel opened in 2011, offering 10 rooms. With roots dating back to 1975, it has grown into a must-visit culinary destination in Northwestern Istria. The hotel combines an intimate atmosphere, personalized service, and authentic local cuisine, offering guests a peaceful stay in a small bay with stunning sea views and golden sunsets.

Challenge

Zlatna Vala tried two different PMS systems before implementing the Rentlio Pro platform, but both were disappointing. The first system was highly impractical for daily operations, lacking an intuitive interface which made even the simplest tasks, such as adjusting price rates or entering reservations, unnecessarily complicated and time-consuming. An additional issue was the complete lack of quality customer support; the hotel often waited days for responses, which frequently lacked actionable solutions.

The second system, a more well-known player on the market, initially seemed like a better option but soon proved unsuitable for the specific needs of the Croatian market. Integration with local tools and systems, such as eVisitor, was limited, which complicated administration and increased the risk of errors. Staff frequently encountered administrative issues that slowed down guest check-ins, delayed reservation processing, and ultimately made it harder to deliver high-quality service to guests.

Solution

These challenges prompted the hotel to look for a solution that would be reliable, easy to use, and tailored to their needs as well as the demands of the Croatian market. It was crucial to find a system that could streamline processes, reduce administrative tasks, and allow staff to dedicate more time to guests. After attending Rediscover in Zadar, where they had the opportunity to explore the Rentlio Pro platform and see its capabilities firsthand, it became clear that this was exactly the solution they were looking for.

Results

Zlatna Vala has been using Rentlio Pro since spring 2024. The transition went smoothly, with only minor challenges when transferring data from the previous system, but thanks to the fast and helpful customer support, everything was resolved without issues.

They immediately noticed how easy the system is to use, from creating reservations, invoices to managing daily operations. The clear dashboard with a clearly displayed to-do list makes work easier for the reception team, eliminating the need for additional spreadsheets and notebooks. The flawless integration with eVisitor is especially important to them, as it saves valuable time.

Over time, they also started using the Rentlio Booking Engine. Bookings through RBE now come in continuously, and along with their loyal returning guests, they have a significant number of direct bookings, helping them reduce reliance on OTA channels.

One of the standout features for them is the ability to split folios, which is particularly useful for business guests when part of the bill is charged to a company and part is paid by the guest.

Online check-in has also proven to be a great advantage. Guests can fill in their details in advance, leaving the reception staff with only document verification upon arrival and, most importantly, time to interact with guests, provide recommendations, offer upsells, or simply give them a warm welcome.

For Hotel Zlatna Vala, the greatest benefit of Rentlio Pro is its simplicity and clarity. Everything is centralized in one place, the system is fast and intuitive, and as a result, the staff can dedicate more time to guests and to further optimizing hotel operations.