Hotel Divinus*****Superior is one of Everguest’s most complex projects. The challenge for the Debrecen hotel was not only achieving a 5-star Superior rating and a comprehensive repositioning but also dealing with a significantly different clientele compared to other rural hotels. The fast, flexible, and close collaboration required was, however, a clear success, as evidenced by the hotel’s business results exceeding expectations.
A mindset change with comprehensive revenue management
The collaboration between Divinus and Everguest started at the end of summer 2022, just as a new director arrived at the hotel. “My primary goal was to obtain the 5-star Superior rating, but I was aware that this required modernising the facilities, services, and business operations,” says József Márics, the hotel’s director. “That’s when I turned to the Everguest revenue management team, who began their work with a comprehensive audit. The results pointed out that beyond the strict financial-business aspects, I needed to pay more attention to marketing communication activities. I was very pleased that the team was available to assist with that as well.”
The most urgent tasks were the sales strategy and repositioning, as several new four-star hotels were set to open in Debrecen in 2022. With the increasing competition, it was necessary to provide attractive and competitive offers to guests. While the hotel’s wellness section, restaurant, and rooms were renovated and the development of a new website began on Everguest’s advice, the experts aimed to prepare the hotel as best as possible for the 5-star Superior requirements on the business side. “On our recommendation, they began using a channel manager and switched to the RESnWEB booking system. We expanded the list of rooms, introduced new pricing structures, and implemented dynamic pricing,” says Melinda Major, Everguest’s revenue manager. “We also needed to optimise the number of online travel agency partners in light of their revenue. At the same time, the hotel was included in the booking systems that are crucial from a business-segments perspective. Among other things, we made the hotel more attractive by replacing previously characteristic packages with more general offers that reach a wider audience.”
Weekends presented challenges
Business and administrative developments had to keep pace with marketing communication. Alongside the website renewal, Everguest’s team unified the hotel’s branding and developed a comprehensive online communication strategy, which began implementation in 2023 and extended in 2024 with ongoing social media content, primarily TikTok video production. At the beginning of 2023, the hotel also started cooperating with Everguest’s reputation management team to handle guest reviews.
“The situation of Divinus is unique. While increasing weekday occupancy is more challenging for most rural hotels, filling weekends and attracting leisure travellers is the challenge for this establishment,” says Bálint Turnai, Everguest’s senior marketing manager. “This task requires a continuous, active online presence, as we need to attract and maintain attention to the hotel in an especially noisy communication environment. We hold weekly consultations with the client, and if necessary, we continuously optimise spending and creative solutions even for campaigns.”
“Regarding the regular guests of the hotel, there was a need to renew collaborations,” adds Melinda Major. “The main reason for this was that the audience that significantly contributes to weekday revenues had to be transitioned to contracts based on dynamic pricing. We are proud that with our help, this could be achieved for several corporate partners, and corporate guests enjoy the benefits of this pricing model just as much as the establishment itself.”
Outstanding results in occupancy and revenue
The success of the collaboration is evidenced by the outstanding results in key metrics achieved by the establishment. In 2024, occupancy increased by 58% compared to the previous year, while REVPAR grew by 45%. The proportion of online direct bookings was 62% higher in 2024 than in the previous year, and the revenue from these bookings rose by 77%. Additionally, Divinus received the 5-star Superior rating in 2023.
“Of course, working together is not always easy, as we need to reconcile our ideas and differing opinions. However, the Everguest team maintains continuous consultations, allowing us to work together efficiently and flexibly, which is crucial for an establishment with 149 rooms. The joint formulation of annual business and communication goals makes our collaboration particularly effective,” says József Márics. “The results far exceed our expectations, thanks to the Divinus marketing and sales team, whose dedication and creativity made this possible. We are delighted that my colleagues and I can always rely on the Everguest team, their comprehensive expertise, and we are excited to see the unique solutions tailored to Divinus that they will come up with in the future.”
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*The data source is the comparison of the periods 1 January 2023 – 30 September 2023 and 1 January 2024 – 30 September 2024.
