Malhar Machi’s 50% growth story powered by STAAH’s booking engine and real-time channel management.
High in India’s Sahyadri mountains, overlooking the tranquil backwaters of Mulshi Dam, sits Malhar Machi Holiday Resort — a luxury nature retreat where guests trade city noise for fresh air, sweeping views, and adventures like nature safaris, pet farm visits, and thrilling ziplines.
While the guest experience was flawless, the resort’s online sales story wasn’t quite as smooth. Until 2022, their digital distribution lacked structure, rates and inventory were not fully optimised, and valuable opportunities to drive direct bookings were slipping away.
The challenge before STAAH
Malhar Machi’s team managed multiple online travel agents (OTAs) separately, which meant:
- Rates and availability weren’t updated in real-time.
- Manual processes led to missed opportunities and inconsistencies.
- No direct booking strategy, resulting in over-dependence on third-party channels.
It was clear they needed a centralised, tech-driven approach to manage inventory, rates and direct bookings efficiently. In fact, direct bookings (the big ticket bottom line revenue item) was not a top performer at all, and long-term profitability ambition meant this dynamic needed to change.
Why STAAH was the right fit?
When they discovered STAAH, the resort saw it as the complete solution they needed — combining the power of the STAAH Channel Manager with the direct booking potential of STAAH SwiftBook.
The Malhar Machi team, part of the Swara Group whose properties were already reaping the benefits of the STAAH tech stack seemed like the right fit. After the demo, the property management was sold on STAAH’s strong technical support, which they knew from other Swara Group properties was responsive and reliable. In addition, the technology itself was flexible and scalable for their unique and evolving needs. The seamless channel management integration with both mainstream and niche OTAs was another plus for STAAH. The booking engine could be customised to fit their brand and easily added to their website, including secure payments.
The STAAH potential appeared amazing, and they were not let down. Read on.
The STAAH channel manager advantage
The STAAH Channel Manager transformed how Malhar Machi managed online distribution by:
- Real-time inventory and rate updates across all connected OTAs, reducing overbookings to almost zero.
- Dynamic pricing capabilities to respond quickly to demand and market trends.
- Centralised dashboard for promotions, bulk updates, and reporting.
- Detailed performance reports showing which channels deliver the best results.
The direct booking boost from STAAH SwiftBook
With STAAH SwiftBook embedded on their website, Malhar Machi could finally take control of direct sales. STAAH’s booking engine is embedded with powerful features that are designed to grow the lucrative, commission-free direct bookings.
- Mobile-optimised booking experience that converts visitors into guests, even on the go.
- Customisable packages to upsell experiences like nature safaris, spa treatments, and special dining.
- Multi-language and multi-currency support, appealing to international travellers.
- Smart Pricing to offer targeted discounts (multi-night stays, last-minute deals, guest location-based offers).
- Integrated payment gateway for a smooth, secure booking process.
The result? A big jump in direct bookings and a reduction in OTA commission costs.
The results speak for themselves
Since partnering with STAAH, Malhar Machi has achieved a 50% increase in both online revenue and occupancy. Their operations are faster, more accurate, and strategically driven by real-time data.
They’ve gained higher occupancy rates across both peak and off-peak seasons. Their online presence is stronger with better visibility across booking platforms. Bookings profitability is up thanks to growth in direct reservations via SwiftBook. And, ticking it all off is the time savings by staff, who can now focus on enhancing the guest experience.
To conclude
From unorganised distribution to a connected, high-performance booking strategy — STAAH has helped Malhar Machi turn mountain views into a mountain of bookings. The 50% growth in bookings is a testament to this.
