Festa Hotels guests can select from a variety of lodging options to match their travel plans, whether they want to be in the capital, by the sea, or in the mountains. The company also offers multiple dining options ranging from casual to fine dining experiences, as well as a full-service spa with a range of restorative spa treatments.
Business case
For many years, Festa Hotels relied on the finance module of their outdated ERP system to run their business. With no inventory module in place, the company had no visibility across their supply chain, and it was impossible for them to manage their stock. Also, the ERP system couldn’t communicate with the property management system (PMS) they were using, which led to a lot of manual work and a lack of transparency.
Festa Hotels decided to switch to a complete, modern hotel management solution in order to 1) automate processes and 2) gain complete access and control over their data in real time. A key requirement was to have a solution based on Microsoft Dynamics ERP with an intuitive and flexible interface to train staff quickly. The new solution would also have to facilitate check-in and check-out processes and be able to book services.
The solution
Festa Hotels selected LS Central for hotels all-in-one hotel management solution that extends Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. The system eliminates the need for separate systems, bringing together the property management system (PMS), ERP, POS, bookings, reservations, and loyalty management into one platform.
Local LS Retail partner Navtech Group did tremendous work developing unique add-ons, integrating to the ERP fundament, and ensuring compliance with international accounting standards. They developed a special pricing module for the tourism business to support all types of discounts under contracts with tour operators and charter companies. Another important feature of the solution is the express check-in module, which allows guests to check in quickly and easily without having to wait in line.
Further integration was carried out with:
- Booking platforms SynXis and SiteMinder
- SALTO Systems, a provider of electronic access control solutions, which guarantees high security
- A telephone exchange system, whose charges go directly to the guest's account
- A Pay-TV module, which keeps track of guests’ purchases through the TV
The implementation took place in five stages:
- Preparation and planning
- Analysis and design
- Configuration and internal tests
- Installation and training staff
- Go-Live
The implementation went smoothly, despite dealing with multiple legacy systems. “Thanks to the fact that the platform is extremely easy to operate, the training took a very short time," says Dimitar Iliev, Company Owner at Navtech Group. “We were all very excited about the go-live at Festa Winter Palace in Borovets in December 2022, but everything went smoothly, without any trouble,” says Iva Gatseva, Executive Director, and member of the management board at Festa Hotels, “On the first Monday following the implementation, we checked in 87 guests who were fully satisfied with the process and their stay at the hotel.”
In addition to being satisfied with their new software solution, the team at Festa Hotels highly recognizes the professional level of their technology partner. “With Navtech we have found a very competent partner, someone who really understands our business,” says Gatseva.
Benefits
After implementing LS Central for hotels, the company has already managed to fully automate many of their processes and can now manage all their retail, food, and hospitality within one solution. Other benefits include:
- 360-degree visibility with real-time information about all the transactions coming from their shops, restaurants, and extra services.
- Quick guest service from any point at the hotel due to implementation of self-checkout kiosks.
- Complete view of the guest journey starting from room reservations and check-in to the hotel stay, including table bookings at the restaurant or bookings for other hotel services, and check-out.
- Integrated loyalty management system to reward returning guests with personalized offers.
- Effortless data management with a centralized database and single data structure.
- Enhanced reporting capabilities with Power BI. "The management team can receive reports from different departments and locations in real time,” says Iliev. “This enables the management to make decisions on critical business points quickly.”
Supported by LS Retail and Navtech Group, Festa Hotels can provide a complete and memorable hospitality experience that drives guest satisfaction. The chain will soon implement LS Central for hotels in their other locations as well.
