How Ostello Bello Runs 13 Italian Hostels with Less Admin and More Community Using Mews

OPERATIONS

Ostello Bello uses Mews across 13 Italian properties to reduce administrative work, simplify staff training and keep its teams focused on what matters most: connecting with guests.

Why it matters: As Ostello Bello grew from three properties to 13, it needed technology that could standardize operations without taking away from the personal, community-focused experience at the heart of its hostels.

Mews helps Ostello Bello automate back-office tasks, simplify payments and compliance, grow direct bookings, and run different types of properties from a single system.

Top 3 Core Objectives: Ostello Bello wanted to scale its Italian hostel group without adding unnecessary administrative work or compromising the guest-facing experience.

Simplify Staff Training: Make reservations, check-ins, billing and rooming consistent across properties so new staff could become confident on shift quickly and move between locations without learning a different system.
Reduce Admin: Automate repetitive operational work, including guest registration, payment collection and reporting, so staff could spend less time on back-office processes.
Scale Operations: Build an operational platform that could support continued growth across multiple properties, different business models and a growing technology ecosystem without requiring another PMS migration.

Innovators Mentioned

Ostello Bello

Mews

Federico Scotti

Head of Operations

Ostello Bello

"Before, back office was a skill. Now, for 80% of it, it’s no more. What’s more valuable now is being able to speak with guests, to empathize with guests. That’s the skill we’re looking for."

Federico Scotti

Head of Operations

👍 Head of Operations Federico Scotti said that Mews has reduced the amount of system expertise required behind the desk, allowing Ostello Bello to prioritize guest-facing skills when hiring.:

"Before, back office was a skill. Now, for 80% of it, it’s no more. What’s more valuable now is being able to speak with guests, to empathize with guests. That’s the skill we’re looking for."

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

Head of Operations Federico Scotti said, about their decision: "When we started with Mews we had three hostels. Now we have 13, and we’re still keeping Mews. If we’d chosen another PMS at the time, maybe cheaper, easier to choose, by 13 hostels we’d have had to change it."

📈 The results: Mews has helped Ostello Bello reduce the operational burden on its teams while giving the group a consistent system across its growing portfolio. Staff can train in two days, around 80% of back-office tasks no longer require an experienced operator, and 13 properties are running on Mews.