Case Study

Après Inn: How Two First-Time Hoteliers Built a Modern Ski-Town Motel That Runs Itself

Ricky Schoeman

Cloudbeds · Décembre 08, 2025

Après Inn is a fully renovated, design-forward ski-town motel in Killington, Vermont—launched by two first-time hoteliers who turned a rundown roadside property into a self-running, tech-powered guest favorite.

Why it matters: Cloudbeds enabled Brett and Casey to automate late-night arrivals, centralize communications, and operate their 20-room property without a front desk—giving them back their time while elevating the guest experience.

By combining Cloudbeds’ automated workflows, digital access tools, unified messaging, and dynamic pricing integrations, Après Inn runs smoothly even when the owners are off-property or asleep.

Top 3 Core Objectives: Après Inn needed technology that could support a lean team, eliminate manual late-night work, and create a seamless guest journey that matched their modern, adventure-focused brand.

Automate check-ins: Guests typically arrived after long drives and late ski days, often well past 10 PM. Brett and Casey needed a way to automate access and instructions so they didn’t have to stay awake handing out keys.
Centralize communication: Managing messages across Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, and email quickly became overwhelming. They needed a single place to track and respond to all guest inquiries.
Automate revenue management: As first-time hoteliers, they didn’t have time to manually update nightly rates. They needed smart, automated pricing that adjusted with demand and pushed updates everywhere.

"For us, Cloudbeds’ guest experience — like becoming the real quarterback of everything we do here — has been an absolute game-changer."

Brett McManus

Co-Owner

👍 Co-Owner Brett McManus said that Cloudbeds Guest Experience has proven invaluable:

"For us, Cloudbeds’ guest experience — like becoming the real quarterback of everything we do here — has been an absolute game-changer."

⚖️ The selection process: During their research process, Brett McManus evaluated Cloudbeds's product differentiators, customer support, and holistic value as a strategic partner and ultimately decided that Cloudbeds was the best fit solution:

Co-Owner Brett McManus said, about their decision: "Integrating Cloudbeds into our property was an absolute game-changer. We would highly recommend Cloudbeds to any other owners in a similar situation."

📈 The results: Cloudbeds transformed Après Inn into a near self-operating property, replacing late-night manual work with automation, simplifying communications, and supporting consistent revenue growth.

100% of guest communications automated without any drop in guest satisfaction ratings
8 hours a day of having to sit at a desk waiting for guests to check-in
$55,000 saved per year by not needing a 2nd shift front desk