Thriving with your small team: How Independent Hotels can beat staff shortages

Many independent hoteliers are working miracles with lean teams – not just surviving but thriving. Let's peek behind the curtain at how real-world small hotels are making it work (and how you can too).

When less really can be more

Running with a small team has surprising advantages. Decisions happen faster, everyone stays deeply connected to guests, and you maintain that personal touch chains can't match. The secret? Freeing yourself from endless paperwork.

Take Tom Volders and his wife, who run the charming 8-suite Maison Nationale City Flats in Antwerp. Tom used to spend hours manually updating each booking site whenever a room sold. Double bookings were a constant worry. "It was unsustainable as the business grew," he admits.

Tom's game-changer? A Channel Manager that automatically syncs all his booking sites. "It's our Bible. We gain a lot of time," he says. Now instead of battling spreadsheets, Tom actually gets to be the welcoming host he dreamed of being. Read Tom's story

Your never-sleeping sidekick: Let automation do the heavy lifting

Think of smart hotel tech as adding staff without the payroll. A good Channel Manager connects all your sales channels (your website, Booking.com, Expedia, etc.) and keeps them perfectly in sync. Instead of someone logging into five different websites every day, everything updates with a few clicks.

B-aparthotels saw this transformation firsthand. Before automating, their small team spent hours each day just updating prices across websites – tedious work that pulled them away from guests. After implementing a Channel Manager, everything changed: "The bulk update feature is a game-changer. We no longer have to update each OTA individually because it's all automated, saving us valuable time." Learn more about B-aparthotels

In practical terms? They're saving hours every week while ensuring every booking site always shows the correct, up-to-date information. Better yet, mobile-friendly tools let them check bookings and cleaning schedules on the go. The GM can literally update housekeeping lists from her phone while walking the property.

The result? More time for what really matters. As they put it: "It allows us to have more time to deal with other things outside of the office... It buys us time in the long run to enhance the guest experience." See how

Price like the big players (Without their big teams)

Don't have a revenue manager on staff? You're not alone. While chain hotels might have entire pricing departments, most independent hoteliers handle it themselves, often with just gut feeling and basic spreadsheets.

But technology can be your virtual revenue expert. Take Troy Clarry in New Zealand, who runs two boutique properties largely by himself. He used to spend over two hours every morning gathering competitor rates, checking local events, and manually updating his prices,  a time-consuming routine that left him exhausted.

Since adopting an AI-driven pricing tool, Troy has cut his pricing work down to just one hour a day – while actually making better decisions. "I spend an hour a day in the morning, pretty much for both properties. In that time, I'm doing more than I ever did before... Before, putting this together would have taken two hours – or I just wouldn't have had the time."

The results speak for themselves.Troy's average room rates jumped by about 16% after implementing smart pricing. As he puts it: "Pricing Manager levels the playing field. I can price my way through seasons exactly the same as a chain hotel can."

Most importantly? Troy gets his life back. No more midnight rate checks or dawn pricing adjustments. The system works while he sleeps!

Let guests help themselves 

Today's travelers are surprisingly comfortable with self-service options – and they'll reward you for it. Contactless check-in and digital keys let guests arrive on their own schedule and go straight to their rooms.

This means you might not need someone at the front desk 24/7. Studies show that using keyless entry and online check-in significantly reduces front desk workload – meaning you can run with fewer staff while offering more convenience to guests. 

Smart independent hotels also use automated emails or chat tools to handle common questions (like Wi-Fi instructions or check-out times), so you don't have to personally answer each message. Some even outsource nighttime customer service or partner with local laundry services instead of maintaining their own.

More time for guests. More sleep for you

The biggest win? You get to be a real hotelier again instead of a spreadsheet jockey. After B-aparthotels streamlined their operations, they noticed something wonderful: freed from back-office chores, their small team could focus on what they do best – creating memorable stays.

There's also the mental relief. Many small-hotel owners tell us they've stopped waking up in the middle of the night worried about forgetting to close out a room on Booking.com or missing a price change opportunity. When your systems are in sync and intelligent, you can actually sleep soundly knowing things won't slip through the cracks.

As Tom from Maison Nationale says, having reliable, centralized systems "makes a big difference" in daily peace of mind. It's like having an extra team member who never sleeps, never makes mistakes, and always has your back.

Your small team can do big things

You don't need an army of staff to run a successful hotel – just the right tools and mindset. Whether it's Tom streamlining operations in Antwerp or Troy maximizing room rates in New Zealand, independent hoteliers are proving you can work smarter, not harder.

Technology handles the heavy lifting, while you focus on the personal, human side of hospitality that no software can replace.

Feeling stretched thin at your property? You're not alone – and there is a better way. Consider adopting a channel manager to eliminate tedious admin work, or using smart pricing tools to ensure you're getting the most from every room. Embrace self-service tech to ease the strain on your front desk, and don't be afraid to outsource tasks others can do more efficiently.

Ready to see how technology can make your small team mighty? Discover how our all-in-one platform with Pricing Manager and Channel Manager can save you time, reduce stress, and boost your bottom line.