Ca La María

Ca La María is a small boutique B&B in Barcelona with just four rooms and a product that is hard to replicate: a house with a personality of its own and an experience closely tied to its owner.

When María came to ABAL in 2016, she was devoting a huge amount of time to the business. The property worked, guests valued the product and she was present in practically every detail. But all that effort wasn't translating into the financial result the property could generate.

María didn't come looking only for Revenue Management. She came looking for profitability, order and a more professional way to run the business without losing its essence.

With only four rooms, every decision carried enormous weight. The opportunity was to get the market to recognise in the price the value that guests were already finding in the experience.

ABAL put in place ongoing Revenue Management with dynamic pricing, reviewed distribution and worked with the owner to improve how the product was presented and marketed. We also supported María in decisions on product and experience, while the owner carried out the improvements needed to keep raising the property's perceived value.

The strategy made it possible to raise its positioning progressively. Ca La María stopped looking only at what other small properties were charging and began to understand how much the right guest was willing to pay for its experience. At certain times, its rates even rose above those of five-star hotels in Barcelona. Not because it aimed to become a five-star hotel, but because category, size and perceived value are not necessarily the same thing.

What started as a project to improve profitability evolved into an ongoing Revenue Management relationship and advice to the owner on product decisions and the development of the business.

Revenue Management · Positioning · Distribution · Product