How Ratanui Lodge simplified rate management and became more agile with SiteMinder’s UltraSync

OPERATIONS

Nestled on the beachside of Pohara in Golden Bay, at the northwest corner of New Zealand’s Nelson Tasman region, Ratanui Lodge is a contemporary boutique retreat just steps from the ocean. The ten-room lodge sits near the northern tip of Abel Tasman National Park, with access to some of the region’s most celebrated natural attractions, including Te Waikoropupu Springs, Wainui Falls, and Farewell Spit. Alongside its coastal accommodation, Ratanui Lodge is home to a restaurant and lounge bar open to the public seven days a week, and a day spa, making it as much a destination for locals as it is for travellers. Part of the Capstone Hotel Management, the lodge operates with a close-knit team where efficiency matters. Every hour saved on administration is an hour better spent on guests. Nick Biggins, General Manager, is responsible for day-to-day operations including rate management; a task that, until recently, was taking far more time than it should.

Why it matters: A rate management process that could not keep pace.

When the Capstone Hotel Management’s rate management process became increasingly manual, it created operational friction. Updating rates meant navigating multiple screens across systems, and the process was neither quick nor intuitive.

Top 3 Core Objectives: Ratanui Lodge aims to enable rates to sync directly to property’s PMS, making it the central source of truth for rate and restriction management.

Reduce manual data reconciliation: Eliminate switching between systems and have the rates flow through automatically.
Simplicity of platform: Increase confidence in pricing. With a single place to manage rates and a near-instant sync to PMS, has a much clearer picture of what is live across channels at any given time.
Manage on-the-go: Ability to manage rates from a mobile device.

Innovators Mentioned

Ratanui Lodge

SiteMinder

Nick Biggins

General Manager

Ratanui Lodge

"The standout benefits for me are the time savings, the accessibility, and how easy it is to use compared to what we had before. SiteMinder’s UltraSync has simplified the way I manage my rates and, as a result, how often I update them."

Nick Biggins

General Manager

👍 General Manager Nick Biggins said that looking ahead, the plan is to move all rate derivations and restrictions into SiteMinder, establishing it as the single source of truth for rate management at Ratanui Lodge.:

"The standout benefits for me are the time savings, the accessibility, and how easy it is to use compared to what we had before. SiteMinder’s UltraSync has simplified the way I manage my rates and, as a result, how often I update them."

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

General Manager Nick Biggins said, about their decision: "Managing everything from one place makes the whole operation simpler."

📈 The results: Increased efficiency and enhanced rate management.

Ratanui Lodge can respond to market conditions in real-time, from anywhere.
The simplicity of the platform has also increased Nick’s confidence in his pricing. With a single place to manage rates and a near-instant sync to his PMS, he has a much clearer picture of what is live across his channels at any given time.
One of the most significant changes has been the ability to manage rates from a mobile device. For a general manager whose day is rarely spent in front of a desk, this has fundamentally changed how pricing decisions get made.