Booking at the click of a button

MASERU – At the click of a button, one can now book accommodation and request for transport services online — a first for Lesotho.
Thanks to a mobile app launched by Scenery Guest House last week, Lesotho’s hospitality industry will never be the same again.
Convenient, fast and hassle free, the app allows guests to book accommodation directly from any corner of the world before they even set foot in Maseru.

It doesn’t end there. Guests have the luxury of planning in advance, as they can view the guest house facilities and other offerings as well as other tourist attraction places in the country from the guest house’s social media pages.

They can also visit Scenery Guest House’s social media platforms to share their experiences with the rest of the world.
“It allows guests to contact and interact with the property directly from the application even prior to their arrival and request services such as transport or activities or check in online,” Michelle Prinsloo, Managing Director of Omni Hospitality, says.
Omni Hospitality is a company that empowers the hospitality industry with technology to improve and leverage efficiencies in every aspect of their business operations.

Coupled with the eZee Centrix System, the app is expected to give clients the best experience ever.
“Centrix allows direct bookings from the guest house website and social media platforms such as Facebook,” Prinsloo says.
This ensures that the guest house is connected to global booking engines such as Bookings.com, Expedia and Agoda.
According to Prinsloo, Scenery Guest House specifically chose this platform as it assists in boosting their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and will help in ensuring that their properties are highly listed in organic online searches.

Furthermore, Scenery also has a new cloud based system that allows the property to manage the day to day operations in a cost effective manner.
“The cloud based solution will allow management to have access to the system from anywhere in the world and make crucial management decisions even when they are not on property,” Prinsloo says.

Speaking at the launch, owner of Scenery Guest House ’Marethabile Sekhiba said the hospitality industry is always evolving; hence they saw it fit that their clients should move with the times and embrace new trends and changes. Sekhiba says this milestone was inspired by the guest house’s 10th anniversary.

“We are trying to make things easier for our clients and we cannot ignore that mobile phones play a huge role in our lives and it is only fair that we give our clients a seamless service at their convenience,” Sekhiba says.

She says Scenery Guest House is not only competing locally but also competes on a global level and should therefore strive for the best quality.
“The app is not only about the guest house but also about the country and will go a long way in selling the country to potential tourists as well as redefine the industry,” Sekhiba says.

’Makopano Mosakeng of Lesotho Enterprise Assistance Program (LEAP) praised Scenery Guest House for embracing new trends.
Mosakeng says it is encouraging that at a time when relevant stakeholders are busy working towards improving Lesotho’s rankings in terms of the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index, other private players are also striving to improve services on offer.
Mosakeng described the app as a game changer.

Lemohang Rakotsoane