“Just Do It”: The Marquis of Granby’s Leap to Easier Hotel Management with Preno

In the quiet Kent countryside, The Marquis of Granby has become a cornerstone of village life. The boutique-style pub and hotel is part of the Contemporary Pubs group, which operates three properties in Kent and plans to open a fourth next year. Known for its warm, welcoming atmosphere, the pub attracts both locals and travellers, offering ten individually designed rooms and a cosy restaurant that regularly hosts quizzes and live music.

Office Manager Samantha Razzell joined the business in 2021 after a career in a completely different field. “I worked in flooring beforehand, so it’s a completely different line of work,” she says. “I’ve just worked my way up through the company.”

While the change of pace was welcome, running a small hotel came with new challenges. Managing bookings, invoicing, and guest communication required a system that could keep up with both staff and guest needs. Unfortunately, their previous booking software made things difficult.

“We were just finding with our previous booking system, quite a lot of it was hard work training new staff,” Sam explains. “We were looking for something easier, easier for also hotel guests to book online. They were struggling quite a lot with technical difficulties, again, with our previous system. So we were looking for something more user-friendly.”

The team also wanted a system that worked seamlessly with Lightspeed POS to connect their restaurant and hotel operations. “We were changing everything within the company, just so it’s more user-friendly for everyone,” Sam says.

After a few months of discussion and a week-long trial, the team decided to move to Preno. The process of switching was far easier than they expected.

“The changeover process was extremely easy,” Sam recalls. “The Preno team were so helpful leading up to the changeover date, building our PMS system in the background. Just the whole process was simple. There were step-by-step videos to help you, and if you needed help further than that, the team were literally on the end of the phone or email.”

Even on the first night after the switch, staff felt confident using the system. “That night with new check-ins and everything was just super simple and everyone understood what they were doing from the get-go,” she says. “Preno have come out on top for their support. It’s been fantastic.”

The Marquis team also integrated Lightspeed POS on the same day, making billing to rooms and guest receipts much easier. “It’s a lot easier to bill to rooms from Lightspeed over to the guest’s booking so on checkout they can clearly see their receipt from the previous night’s dinner,” Sam explains. “It’s just a lot more simple to print the receipt through Preno than our previous booking system. It can be emailed to them automatically on the morning of checkout as well from Lightspeed.”

Since making the switch, Sam says both staff and guests have noticed the difference. “Some of our regulars that come several times a year have noticed a change. Some of the older generation especially have found it a lot simpler making a booking on our website through Preno than they did with our previous booking system.”

The property has also seen an increase in package sales and extras since moving to Preno. “Things like Prosecco, dinner packages, and dog supplements have gone up,” Sam says. “Guests just find it easier to add them during the booking process.”

Preno has also made it easier for the housekeeping team to stay organised. “Housekeepers also have a look at Preno during the morning to see which rooms need Prosecco or a dog bowl,” she explains. “It’s just a lot more simple and clearer on the invoice and receipts that they’ve added that to their booking.”

Behind the scenes, support has been one of the biggest highlights. When a guest was accidentally double charged through an OTA, Preno’s team quickly helped resolve it. “I went onto the online chat and they rolled back the booking and showed us how to find the double charge, which I probably wouldn’t have found on my own,” Sam says. “No matter who you talk to within the Preno team, they can help you within minutes, which is really important when you’re open 24 hours.”

Reflecting on the move, Sam encourages other properties not to delay switching systems if they’re unhappy with their current setup. “It’s so daunting because you’ve obviously got years’ worth of bookings, but it couldn’t be simpler,” she says.

“Just do it. The longer you go on with a booking system you’re not happy with, the harder your work is going to be. If you make your work life easier by moving sooner, then it’s for the best for your team.”

For Sam and her team, Preno has not only improved efficiency but also helped deliver a smoother, more enjoyable experience for guests. “For a pub-hotel like ours, having a booking system like Preno is extremely key for bookings,” she says. “It runs bookings smoothly, it’s clear in front of you, and it just makes everything work better for the business.”