Case Study: Parque del Sol

From dependence on tour operating to a more balanced distribution strategy

The hotel industry has undergone a profound transformation over the last decade. The digitalization of distribution, the growth of online bookings and the change in traveler behavior have forced many hotels to rethink their business model.

In mature tourist destinations such as Tenerife, this change has been especially relevant. For decades, most holiday hotels have relied almost exclusively on traditional tour operators to guarantee occupancy.

However, more and more establishments are opting to diversify their distribution channels and strengthen their direct sales in order to gain greater control over their commercial strategy.

The case of Apartamentos Parque del Sol, located in Costa Adeje, is an excellent example of this evolution.

From Aibo Solutions, we have had the opportunity to accompany the hotel team during this transformation process. Today, Parque del Sol represents one of the most interesting cases of how a consolidated establishment can modernize its distribution strategy without losing its essence or compromising its operating model.

Apartamentos Parque del Sol: a consolidated hotel in Costa Adeje

Apartamentos Parque del Sol is a tourist complex located in Costa Adeje, one of the most popular areas in the south of Tenerife. Its location, very close to some of the most famous beaches of the destination, makes it a particularly attractive option for holiday tourism.

The complex has 184 apartments distributed in several blocks around a large central swimming pool, a very characteristic design that favors a relaxed and familiar atmosphere.

The establishment is mainly oriented to vacation and family tourism, offering spacious apartments with equipped kitchen and terrace or balcony, something highly valued by guests visiting the destination.

Thanks to this proposal and a constant management focused on customer experience, the hotel maintains a solid online reputation, with ratings close to 8.5 on Booking.com, reflecting the satisfaction of its guests.

However, despite having an established product and a good reputation, the hotel's distribution model presented a common challenge for many vacation establishments.

The challenge: reducing dependence on intermediation.

Until a few years ago, most of the hotel's production came from traditional tour operators, a very common model in vacation destinations in the Canary Islands.

This system guaranteed occupancy and stability, but also implied certain strategic limitations:

• High dependence on intermediaries
• Less control over pricing policy
• Little direct relationship with the guest
• Difficulty in fostering loyalty

In addition, the weight of direct sales through the hotel's website was very low, representing less than 5% of total bookings.

The objective was clear: diversify distribution and strengthen the direct channel, without compromising the commercial balance of the establishment.

A progressive transformation based on strategy and technology

One of the factors behind the success of the project was the approach adopted from the outset: a gradual transformation.

Instead of introducing drastic changes or implementing multiple tools simultaneously, a progressive roadmap was designed based on three fundamental pillars:

• Optimization of the distribution strategy
• Professionalization of revenue management
• Development of the direct channel

This approach allowed the hotel team to adapt progressively to changes without affecting the daily operations of an establishment open all year round.

Diversification of markets and distribution channels

As the hotel's digital presence grew stronger, so did its marketing reach.

The property began to attract guests from a wider range of international markets, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain and Hungary.

This diversification made it possible to reduce risks and improve business stability, which is particularly important in the current context of tourism.

Technological evolution: a key factor in boosting direct selling

Within this modernization strategy, technology has played a key role.

The hotel incorporated tools to optimize its distribution management and improve its online presence. This included improvements in:

• inventory management
• presence in OTA channels
• pricing strategy
• web booking experience

One of the most important milestones came with the implementation of a new booking engine, which significantly improved the user experience and conversion of the direct channel.

The hotel's website became a true sales channel, able to compete with the main intermediaries in the market.

The turning point: when the web starts to compete with the OTAs.

Over time, the results of this strategy began to become evident.

The hotel's official website began to generate an increasing volume of direct bookings, which made it possible to increase direct production, improve the commercial margin of bookings and reduce the relative weight of certain intermediaries.

At a key point in the project, the cumulative production of the website even surpassed that of Booking.com, one of the main OTA channels in the sector.

This milestone marked a turning point in the company's commercial strategy.

Growth without expanding the hotel

One of the most interesting aspects of this case is that the growth achieved by Parque del Sol has not been linked to an expansion of the establishment or major structural investments.

The complex maintains its original structure of 184 apartments, with a vacation proposal focused on guest comfort and a relaxed experience at the destination.

The improvement in results has been mainly the result of developing a more solid commercial strategy, optimized distribution and the incorporation of appropriate technology.

This demonstrates that, in the current context of the hotel industry, profitability is increasingly dependent on how the product is marketed and not just the product itself.

An example of transformation for resort hotels

The evolution of Parque del Sol reflects an increasingly clear trend within the tourism sector.

Many resort hotels are moving from models that are highly dependent on intermediaries to more balanced distribution strategies, where direct sales play a much more important role.

This approach does not imply abandoning other channels, but rather integrating them into a smarter and more profitable distribution strategy.

A very special client for Aibo Solutions

Among the projects developed by Aibo Solutions, Parque del Sol occupies a particularly important place.

Not only because of the results obtained, but also because of the relationship of trust built over the years and the involvement of the hotel team in the process of continuous improvement.

This project perfectly reflects Aibo Solutions' work philosophy: combining strategy, technology and support to help hotels regain control of their distribution and boost their direct sales.

And when all these elements are aligned, the results speak for themselves.

Victor Rodriguez eCommerce +34 638 27 02 67 victor@aibosolutions.com