Case Study

Breathing new life into a 17th-century coaching inn: Hôtel VillaPona’s transformation with Mews.

Katya Kazantceva

Mews · דֵצֶמבֶּר 10, 2025

Nestled along the banks of the Loire river, Hôtel VillaPona is a small, family-run boutique hotel steeped in character and history. Once a 17th-century coaching inn, it stood as a beloved local landmark for more than seventy years, passed from one generation to the next. In May 2023, a new chapter began as a husband-and-wife team decided to restore the storied property and breathe fresh life into its timeworn walls.

Why it matters: Neither of them had any background in hospitality, but were driven by a shared passion and purpose. After learning about Hôtels & Préférence at a trade show in Paris, Émilie and her husband, David Thevenet, decided to join the collection and reclassify the property as a 3-star boutique hotel.

But operationally, they were starting from scratch. Everything was done manually and there was no system in place, just a paper agenda and handwritten invoices. Émilie and David quickly realized they needed a modern Property Management System that could run operations and bring their vision to life.

Top 3 Core Objectives: Hotel VillaPona aimed to modernize its operations by adopting a cloud-based PMS that digitalizes workflows, automates routine tasks, ensures compliant payments, enhances the guest experience, and empowers staff with flexible, easy-to-use tools for efficient daily operations.

Digitalize Operations: Replace manual, paper-based processes with a cloud PMS to streamline reservations, billing, and reporting.
Automate Critical Tasks: Reduce administrative workload and errors by automating bookings, payments, invoices, and reporting.
Enhance Guest Experience: Deliver a smooth, seamless journey for guests through online bookings, automated payments, and instant invoicing.

"Getting equipped with a PMS can seem daunting, but Mews supports you every step of the way. The platform is modern, intuitive and designed for both small independents and larger hotels. It automates what matters, saves time and delivers a smooth guest experience."

Émilie Gonin

Owner and General Manager

👍 Owner and General Manager Émilie Gonin said that Mews provides a modern, intuitive PMS that supports hotels of all sizes, automates key tasks, saves time, and ensures a seamless guest experience.:

"Getting equipped with a PMS can seem daunting, but Mews supports you every step of the way. The platform is modern, intuitive and designed for both small independents and larger hotels. It automates what matters, saves time and delivers a smooth guest experience."

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

Owner and General Manager Émilie Gonin said, about their decision: "We evaluated several options, but Mews stood out for its simplicity, very competitive pricing for a small boutique hotel and easy onboarding, even for beginners. We also heard great feedback from fellow hoteliers who highly recommended Mews."

📈 The results: After implementing Mews, Hotel VillaPona streamlined its operations, reduced manual workloads, and improved accuracy in billing and reporting. Staff can now manage reservations and payments efficiently, freeing time to focus on guests. The hotel also benefits from faster onboarding, compliance with tax regulations, and greater operational visibility, creating a solid foundation for growth and flexibility.

0 reservation errors thanks to automated channel synchronization.
All guest payments and invoices are now automatically handled, ensuring accuracy and VAT compliance.
100% positive guest feedback