For businesses where margins are narrow and resources are tight, brand can feel like a luxury. It isn't. Here are seven ways to build yours while driving profit at the same time.
1. A seamless booking experience
More guests than ever want to book directly. And you’ve invested in your website – strong visuals, great content. But when your guest clicks ‘Book’, the third-party interface looks and feels... generic. To connect with your brand, guests need to stay in your world from first click to confirmation. When that happens, direct bookings grow, OTA commission shrinks, and profit ticks up. Auberge Adveniat found that bookings via the Mews Booking Engine had a 118% higher value than OTAs. And a 7.5% conversion rate meant more revenue from the same traffic. Branded booking engine, one. Generic, zero.
2. Less screen time, more face time
The social energy of a hostel is what most guests come for. With Mews, you can automate the admin that pulls your team away from it. Being cloud-native, Mews runs on any device. That means staff aren't anchored to a front desk and check-in becomes a conversation – not a transaction.
3. New revenue streams with bookable services
Yoga classes. Bike rentals. Guided city tours. The activities you offer are a strong expression of your brand. But they can be operational headaches causing extra admin for already busy staff. In Mews, it’s easy to create, manage and take payment for any service you can think of – directly within the PMS. Properties have generated nearly $700 million in additional revenue to date with this feature. Try something, see if it lands, and scale what works.
4. Upsell... naturally
Upsells work best when they feel like helpful suggestions, not sales tactics. Mews surfaces relevant add-ons at the right moments – during booking, at online check-in, and throughout the stay – when guests are most receptive. On average, properties see $30 added to each upgraded booking.
5. Communicate like a brand, not a bot
Pre-stay, in-stay, post-stay – every message is a chance to reinforce your brand. With the built-in email editor in Mews, even automated messages can carry your tone, not a template's. And Mews integrates with CRM and marketing tools via Mews Marketplace, so you can run campaigns that feel like you at every stage.
6. Consistent at every digital touchpoint
To build a strong brand, be consistent throughout the guest journey. At Spanish brand Petit Hostel, 40% of guests check in online. That's 40% of guests spending time in a digital pre-stay experience that can either feel like your property or feel like nobody's.
7. Raise the bar
Bars and social spaces are a hostel’s heartbeat. But they can be admin-heavy and operationally messy. Mews POS supports digital ordering, lets staff take orders and payments on one device, and posts charges directly to guest bills. Integrated reporting reveals peak times and bestselling items. All that operational streamlining means a more relaxed vibe and happier guests.
Time to put it into practice
A strong brand and healthier revenue go hand in hand – when you have the right systems in place. To see how Mews could work for your property, book a custom demo.
More than half of Europe’s Famous Hostels trust Mews to power their operations. We’d love you to be next.