Dear WuBookers, we are always happy to share the experiences of hoteliers and property managers who, thanks in part to our solutions, have managed to optimize the management of their properties.

Today we want to tell you about a special case: Casas Rurales Maribel, a complex of 13 accommodations located in the municipality of Alcalá del Júcar, in the province of Albacete, Spain. And about its owner, Juan, who told us how his rural tourism project came about and how WuBook was able to meet his needs at a positive but delicate time.

A town overlooking a cliff

Alcalá del Júcar is a small town in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, with houses built against the rock (or even carved out of it) in the Júcar river gorge. It is one of those places that is hard to forget: picturesque and unique, it was declared a Historic-Artistic Site by Royal Decree in 1982 and has been attracting more and more tourists ever since. In addition to its unusual layout, Alcalá del Júcar offers visitors numerous attractions and activities, from the Arab Castle to the Roman Bridge and the Bullring. There are also nature excursions and, of course, the typical cave houses, often converted into venues from which to enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.

Juan, who in 2004 founded Casas Rurales Maribel, now has five rural houses and two apartments, in addition to the cave house, which is classified as unique rural accommodation due to its distinctive features.

This exponential growth has been masterfully managed (thanks in part to Zak from WuBook).

“We bought an old house to rent out, then decided to invest in building more houses,” Juan tells us. “We were looking for a new adventure and since then we have built several other tourist accommodations.” It all began with “Casas Alacalá,” a complex of three houses—independent but with the possibility of being joined together—built from scratch or using the walls of the mountain overlooking the river.

In 2011, “El Tejar” was added, consisting of two apartments and a cave house in the same municipality, while in 2018, Juan built “Las Moradas”: “Morada 1” with four suites and “Morada 2” with three suites, which can be rented individually or together and are located in Casas del Cerro, not far from Alcalá del Júcar.

“As long as we only managed three properties, it wasn’t too complicated to keep track of reservations,” he continues, “but when the number of properties increased and we started working with several online booking agencies, we looked for a solution that would allow us to work even better.” So, in 2019, at the height of growth, Juan decided to put his trust in WuBook. When things are going so well, it’s not easy to stop and introduce a change to your operations. Yet Juan had no doubts: “The security that comes from not having double bookings and the automated information on customer dates and names convinced us immediately.”

Today, if everything runs smoothly in collecting reservations from various portals and there are no problems with calendar management, it is also thanks to Zak Channel Manager.

Zak Channel Manager for OTA management

Channel Manager, the module of Zak – the PMS by WuBook – dedicated to managing reservations from intermediary sites, such as OTAs, is designed to meet the needs of those who sell on multiple channels at the same time. In these cases, it often happens that overlapping errors are made, leading to unintentional overbooking: a circumstance that occurs especially with manual sales management and which risks generating disservice and dissatisfaction. On the contrary, by equipping themselves with an advanced Channel Manager such as Zak’s, hoteliers receive reservations automatically without having to update the calendar each time. “Reservations from agencies are blocked instantly by the Channel Manager,” Juan assures us.

He adds: “What do I like most about Zak? That it gives me immediate control over all reservations, even on the mobile app… it’s like having the office with you at all times!” Easy to use, accessible from any device and suitable for all types of properties – including rather complex ones such as Casas Rurales Maribel – Zak Channel Manager fits seamlessly into the practical and strategic organization of the hotel, improving both. So much so that even Juan was able to integrate it into his business, despite it already being well established, without any problems. “The truth is that I don’t know of any other similar applications because I’ve never really needed them: I’m very satisfied with how Zak works and with the information I receive from the WuBook staff.”

An investment for the present and the future

All the houses and apartments at Casas Rurales Maribel are equipped with fireplaces, barbecues, firewood, and most also have hot tubs. They are rustic accommodations, surrounded by greenery, comfortable and welcoming. Everything here invites you to slow down and relax, to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the world. In fact, even to “disconnect,” as the property’s website says. This is curious, considering that Juan has made agile and efficient connectivity the hallmark of his business.

“If I had to identify our greatest asset, I would say the care we put into our work, the continuous improvement of our properties, and the desire to always do better.” In this sense, there could be no better partner than WuBook. “At the moment, I have no plans to take on new projects, but if I were to start new activities in the future, I would choose Zak again.”

And, as we said at the beginning, we are really happy about that.