In this interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with Anaïs Rapezynski, passionate entrepreneur and founder of RevOptiMinds. With expertise in the hotel industry, Anaïs unveils the backstage of her journey as well as the impact of the RMS revbell on her business.
Can you please introduce yourself? Tell us about RevOptiMinds and your role in it?
I’m Anaïs Rapezynski, founder of RevOptiMinds, a revenue management consultancy created last October. My professional journey began in the hotel industry, where I obtained a specialized master’s degree in revenue management and gained several years of operational experience. I then joined the Accor group where I worked for three years before being approached by a consulting firm in Paris to participate in the opening of two hotels.
It was after this experience that I decided to found my own company, with the mission of supporting independent hotels as well as franchisees. Overall, I focus on three aspects: audits, annual strategy development, as well as daily support and ongoing monitoring. I also wanted to innovate by introducing the concept of ethical revenue management, which prioritizes the satisfaction of the end traveler while adopting a responsible approach in terms of pricing. For example, by offering eco-friendly options to customers that reduce their environmental impact, such as towel reuse or limiting the use of air conditioning.
During my research, I encountered a new emerging demand in the concierge sector in Paris, particularly in the short-term rental domain. This direction led me to specialize in a particularly innovative sector in terms of revenue management, where the diversity of available properties requires a different approach.”
What challenges led you to invest in a solution like revbell?
I needed reliable indications on bookings, particularly in terms of pick-up. That’s why I turned to RMS professionals, experts in the field of Revenue Management.
This decision was motivated by the desire to improve my productivity and access in-depth knowledge of booking data. It was the combination of these two aspects – productivity and expertise – that prompted me to choose revbell.
What were your selection criteria? How did the RMS revbell differentiate itself?
I approached several RMS providers. Initially, I was more inclined to opt for a Business Intelligence (BI) solution rather than an RMS, mainly due to cost considerations. However, after evaluating the productivity that an RMS could bring, the additional cost proved to be quite reasonable.
I had several selection criteria, particularly the ability to perform mapping within the RMS. This was essential for me as I needed to group data from the PMS into clusters to analyze demand, especially in the Parisian short-term rental market, where different districts exhibit varied demands, influenced notably by the nationalities of the clients. So, it was important for me to segment apartments by district to assess demand during certain periods and adjust my pricing strategy accordingly. revbell offered this mapping functionality, which convinced me!
Additionally, the ability to create sub-segments according to my needs was another very attractive aspect for me. This allows me to further customize my analysis and pricing strategy.
How did the onboarding phase go?
The onboarding process went smoothly thanks to the guidance of the CSM team, who introduced me to all the features of the RMS. Having a good understanding of RMS from my previous experience, I found the learning process quite natural.
I had a tight timeline since I signed with my client and implemented revbell in just one month. It’s quite a record timing to set up an RMS, so it’s even more appreciated!
Which settings do you use most often?
What I find particularly interesting is the ability to customize our dashboards, especially in the “Alerts” feature. Every Revenue Manager has their own metrics they want to track based on their own logic. Personally, I’ve been able to select the indicators that are essential to me and create my own customized dashboard. This allows me to be more productive as I can quickly visualize the data that is important to me on a daily basis.
Would you recommend our RMS revbell to other companies?
Yes, I highly recommend it! I find that revbell offers an excellent value for money. Moreover, the product team is very responsive and willing to address our specific needs. Recently, I had a particular issue with a client, and the Revbell team was very attentive, offering a custom development to integrate this specific request. It’s a partnership-oriented approach rather than just software provision.
At the moment, I’m seriously considering revbell for other RevOptiMinds customers. It’s a tool that offers huge productivity gains, connects quickly via API and also allows integration of external data, such as from HQ revenue or OTA Insights. These different elements make it a very interesting solution for me.
Key words: Anaïs Rapezynski, RevOptiMinds, Revenue Management, Revenue Management System, RMS, hotel