Lackford Lakes Barns invested in new tech with STAAH SwiftBook, and it paid off in a big way.
Historic charm, modern appeal
Lackford Lakes Barns feature the best of both worlds, all the character of an old building and all the comfort of modern living. They are in a unique location surrounded on all sides by Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve while only 5 miles outside historic Bury St Edmunds.
A favourite for families looking for convenience and suitability for nature trips, Lackford Lakes Barns is a four-star/ gold-award rated property by Visit England. The property features include a sun terrace, enclosed garden, free Wi-Fi, lounge, games room, barbeque facility and more. It also offers free parking.
Facing integration challenges
Before using STAAH, they had no way of integrating all bookings which limited the team at Lackford Lakes Barns to increase online visibility by joining more online travel agents (OTAs).
On the lookout for a more synchronised distribution and booking experience, STAAH came recommended by the property’s website designer who had experience of integrating with STAAH and seen the benefits it brought to its other connected property partners. Another major positive for STAAH SwiftBook was its payment gateway integration that allows for secure online transactions from multiple sources, including a secure and compliant credit card retrieval mechanism that allows secure interchange of credit card details from OTAs, allowing seamless payments.
Booking skyrocket in first year
Within a year of joining the STAAH network, bookings for Lackford Lakes Barns have increased significantly.
Furthermore, the Lackford Lakes Barns team are able to perform tasks quickly and easily thanks to STAAH’s easy-to-navigate user interface. There are a number of STAAH features that have made it a hit with the property. SwiftBook is highly customisable to fit the property’s brand. A three-step booking process combined with its mobile responsiveness ensure guest enjoy a seamless experience. SwiftBook offers additional features such as WatchMyRate (guests can be shown competitor and OTA rates on the property website) and URL masking for a more trusted direct booking experience, leading to increased conversions.
At the backend of SwiftBook, property managers can enjoy a slew of capabilities to optimise price and availability – all from a single dashboard. Driven through dynamic pricing and working off a pooled inventory system, SwiftBook’s optimisation features include Promotional Packages & Codes, Stop-sell Limits, Occupancy Base Pricing, Value Add-ons and Smart Pricing.
A favourite of the Lackford Lakes Barn team is the Stayview feature – a comprehensive dashboard which shows a calendar view of the property’s inventory with bookings. Combined with advanced reporting and insights, SwiftBook drives informed and optimised decision-making.
STAAH – a dependable partner
Experiencing the benefits of using STAAH, the Lackford Lakes Barns team now recommends it to other property owners as well. If there’s an easy and effective solution that is also affordable, why seek something else?
Thank you team Lackford Lakes Barns. We look forward to overseeing your continued success in the future!
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1) Is STAAH the right hotel tech partner for UK-based independent and boutique hotels?
Yes, STAAH is a trusted hotel tech partner for independent and boutique hotels across the UK. Its powerful hotel channel manager and hotel booking engine help streamline operations, connect to leading OTAs, and drive direct bookings. UK hoteliers benefit from scalable tools and local support tailored to their needs.
2) How can UK hoteliers increase direct bookings using STAAH?
UK hotels can grow their direct revenue using STAAH’s hotel booking engine, designed to reduce reliance on OTAs. Features such as promo codes, upselling, and mobile-optimised design empower hoteliers to convert more website visitors. Integration with UK payment gateways makes the booking engine even more seamless.
3) Does STAAH work with UK-specific OTAs and travel platforms?
Yes, STAAH’s hotel channel manager seamlessly integrates with UK OTAs like Booking.com UK, Expedia UK, and others. The channel manager software allows real-time updates across platforms, helping hotels improve visibility, avoid overbookings, and manage inventory efficiently from one dashboard.
4) Is STAAH’s platform compliant with UK data protection and privacy regulations?
Absolutely. STAAH ensures full GDPR compliance, giving UK hotels peace of mind when managing guest data. Whether you’re using the hotel channel manager or the hotel booking engine, STAAH’s secure platform protects guest information while maintaining operational efficiency.
5) Does STAAH offer onboarding and customer support for UK hotels?
Yes, STAAH provides onboarding, training, and dedicated local support for UK-based hotels. Whether you’re adopting the channel manager software or implementing the hotel booking engine, STAAH’s team ensures a smooth transition and continued success with hands-on assistance.