On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, RoomRaccoon brought together its community of independent hoteliers for Check-In 2025, the company’s flagship event hosted at Inspirium Breda.
Known for its innovative hotel management software, RoomRaccoon curated a dynamic day of keynote insights, expert panels, and tactical learnings centered around the theme: Authentic Stays, Modern Ways.
The Power of Synergy: Technology and Hospitality
Kicking off the event, Tymen van Dyl, CEO and Founder of RoomRaccoon, delivered a powerful keynote emphasizing that technology must be a complement to hospitality, not a replacement.
We strongly believe that the personal experience in hospitality should always come first. Technology should be functional. And there should be synergy between the two.
Navigating the VAT Hike: Why Dynamic Pricing Is Critical
One of the most pressing topics of the day was the upcoming VAT increase in the Netherlands from 9% to 21%. Tymen stressed that dynamic pricing is no longer a nice-to-have, but a non-negotiable strategy for sustainable operations.
He cites that non-room revenue is growing faster than room revenue—a key shift for modern hoteliers to understand. Guests don’t just come to a hotel for a bed anymore. They’re happy to spend more on the full experience, and that’s where the real revenue growth is happening. TRevPAR is going up because people are spending beyond the room.
Rather than only increasing room prices to compensate for the VAT increase, Tymen suggests boosting Total Revenue Per Available Room (TRevPAR) by upselling high-margin extras. Late check-out has virtually no cost. It’s revenue-enhancing and margin-boosting.
Stay Focused on Value, Not Just Price
This concept was explored further in the panel discussion Data-Driven Decisions: Maximizing Revenue in a Changing Landscape.
Panelist Arnaud Loos, the owner of Hospitality Skills, highlighted the importance of focusing on your own strategy rather than resorting to underpricing to compete during uncertain times.
Don’t blindly follow the neighbor’s price drops. Understand the value you offer, not just in terms of room prices but the overall concept of your accommodation. You’re selling an experience, not just a room…This is a strategy focused on understanding your value and how to position your business in response to external changes. It’s not about slashing prices but standing firm in your product’s worth and strategically crafting offers that align with that value.
Find the Sweet Spot Between Price and Guest Quality
For Robin Sleegers, Partnerships Manager of RevControl, it is important to strike a balance between pricing and occupancy.
He shared: The key is knowing the minimum price that ensures you’re still getting the right guests. If you lower the price too much, guests might avoid your restaurant for an expensive menu, and instead, order take-out to their room. It’s about finding the sweet spot.
Elevating Guest Experience Through Technology and Design
The theme of guest experience played a central role throughout the Check-In 2025 discussion. At the intersection of hospitality, design, and technology lies a powerful opportunity: to craft stays that are not only efficient but emotionally resonant.
From a design perspective, the guest journey operates on multiple levels. For Ingrid van der Veen, the owner of Ingrid van der Veen Interior Design, the beauty of design is that it works on a subconscious level. You can consciously influence people in many ways, but good design taps into something deeper—people often don’t even realize it. If guests feel happy in a space, you’ll see that reflected in your numbers.
Technology’s Role: Enhancing Personalization, Not Replacing It
Technology plays a supporting but vital role in the guest experience. In boutique hotels where every interaction matters, automation can relieve staff of repetitive tasks and enable them to offer more personal attention. It enhances, not replaces, hospitality.
The goal is to create a better experience for guests and free up time for hoteliers to give personal attention. That’s especially important in boutique hotels, where every detail matters. David Claessen, Owner of Great Stay App
But personalization goes beyond just adding tech. It also means adapting to different types of guests, some of whom crave connection, while others prefer minimal interaction. The panelists emphasized the importance of flexibility and how tech can offer quiet convenience for guests who need it.
Windy van Maele, Owner of Boutique Hotel Shamon, shared: You can often tell from the start—if someone looks frustrated when we ask for their passport (which we must by law), they probably just want to get to the room and relax. For those guests, an app is perfect. It gives them all the info they need without any pressure to socialize.
Check-In 2025 spotlighted a new hospitality era, one where tech and touch work hand in hand. Want to dive deeper into the insights and strategies shared? Watch the full keynotes and panel discussions now on the RoomRaccoon website.
About RoomRaccoon
RoomRaccoon is an award-winning Hotel Management System trusted by thousands of independent properties across the globe. Founded in 2017 by a hotel owner and tech entrepreneur, RoomRaccoon’s cloud-based platform empowers hoteliers with a category-redefining, comprehensive range of products and solutions to increase revenue, streamline operations, and enhance the guest experience. And with over 400 integrations, RoomRaccoon is one of the most connected solutions on the market.
