St Austell Brewery is shaping a modern pubs-with-rooms model built on great people, thoughtful accommodation and a seamless tech ecosystem. We spoke to Kes Osborne, Head of Operational Excellence at St Austell Brewery, to explore how support from Zonal’s technology is helping the business deliver smoother guest experiences and gain the insight it needs to serve guests year-round.

St Austell Brewery’s Strategy

Stretching from Bath and Bristol, down through Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall to waterfront hotspots like St Ives and Lyme Regis, St Austell Brewery’s 160+ pub estate blends city centre energy with coastal escapes and rural hideaways. Guests get a true taste of the South West, with dramatic sea views, countryside walks, locally sourced produce and award-winning beers.

“I think our locations and our team make us stand out. We’ve probably got some of the best locations in the South West, right on the coast, on beaches and in the most popular towns.” says Osborne.

The locations matter, but the people are the key. St Austell Brewery invests heavily in training and progression so teams can build long-term careers, a culture Osborne has lived firsthand on his journey from GM to Area Manager and now Head of Operational Excellence. That peoplefirst approach underpins the consistent guest experience across a varied estate.

Understand the Guests

With such a broad estate, St Austell Brewery serves everyone from coastal tourists, families, business travellers and rural explorers, a mix that brings a pronounced seasonal rhythm through the booming summer period and quieter shoulder months. The challenge is to maintain consistency across all sites while navigating these peaks and dips, and to do it in a way that deepens the guest relationships.

This is where Zonal’s integrated technology has become increasingly important. As guest behaviour becomes more fluid and expectations more personalised, St Austell Brewery is using Zonal’s EPoS and PMS data, combined with HDI insights, to build a clearer picture of who is visiting, how they move across the estate and what they value at different points in their journey. By connecting room bookings with food and drink behaviour, the team can move beyond intuition to data-led decisions, from pricing, staffing and menus. The result is a more responsive, year-round operation that feels consistent and personal, no matter the location or season.

Why Accommodation Matters

Accommodation has long been part of St Austell Brewery’s identity, from its earliest recorded site, The Seven Stars Inn, through to today’s estate of 29 pubs with rooms and 501 bedrooms. Rather than an add-on, it continues to be a defining feature of how the business brings its South West experience to life.

“The real value of having rooms sits in the depth of the connection it creates. Guests stay longer, return more often and give teams the chance to genuinely understand the purpose of their visit.” Says Osborne. These interactions shape the guest experience and strengthen the sense of place each pub embodies.

Accommodation also plays a strategic role, helping to balance out seasonal peaks and troughs. “Having people sleeping in your pubs in January is Gold.” Osborne notes, adding that a stable room base helps retain skilled people on consistent contracts, so sites can deliver at pace when peak season returns.

Running rooms at scale does bring challenges. Seasonal demand requires multi-skilled teams, and remote locations can make recruitment and logistics tougher. St Austell Brewery’s response to this is to invest where it counts, and to structure sites so housekeeping, reception and F&B operate as one cohesive unit.

Technology Transformation

Behind the scenes, Zonal’s technology supports both guest experience and operational control. St Austell Brewery has long used Zonal tills, later extending its PMS platform across the estate.

“The whole onboarding team were really professional and handled the onboarding process with ease,” says Osborne. “They made it very quick and seamless when it came to creating a unified tech stack that integrated with our current systems.”

That integration now gives teams a single view of rooms and F&B. Practical benefits show up every day through simplified operations, streamlined billing and an easy check-in and check-out process. “Having accommodation and food and drink in one place is an absolute nobrainer.” Says Osborne. “It’s easier to use, it’s easier to take payments, and it’s easier to check people in.” With fewer workarounds and less confusion, teams spend more time on human hospitality, warm welcomes, good recommendations and the little touches that make a stay memorable.

Before implementing Zonal’s technology, a significant share of reporting was a manual and time-consuming process. Today, St Austell Brewery feeds Zonal data into Power BI alongside internal metrics, putting accommodation and F&B performance into one place. That shift enables cleaner tracking, sharper forecasting and quicker responses to what the numbers say, vital for seasonal businesses trying to plan staffing, purchasing and pricing with confidence. Just as importantly, reliable reporting reduces “noise” across the operation, resulting in fewer queries, fewer system-related complaints and more time with the guests.

Connecting Data to the Guest Journey

What makes the approach distinctive is that data is used to strengthen relationships, not replace them. By mapping out how guests interact with different touchpoints, from the initial booking right through to checking out, St Austell Brewery can deliver experiences that feel natural. Technology reinforces the human side of hospitality by giving teams context through a developing loyalty initiative and frequent offers, understanding who is visiting, why they have come and how to look after them.

Advice to Operators

The most effective tech strategy starts with an understanding of what will improve the guest journey and improve day-to-day operations. Choosing Zonal technology will reduce manual, time-consuming tasks and drive operational efficiency to allow staff to focus on providing a real authentic experience for its guests.

“When running pubs-with-rooms, it’s about making sure you’ve got the right technology to market to your audience and the systems in place to offer seamless service when they are here,” says Osborne. “Above all, treating accommodation as the engine of a year-round business that supports staff retention and community relationships in the winter, will let operators deliver at pace when the peak season returns.”

We are proud to announce that Zonal Hotel Solutions has received the Reseller Partner of the Year award at the 2025 SiteMinder Partner Awards, selected from a global network of more than 2,350 partners.

The awards celebrate partners who go above and beyond for their customers and communities. The integration with SiteMinder means that rooms, rates and availability are updated in real time across leading OTA channels and our Booking Engine, ensuring accuracy and preventing overbookings. Every booking flows directly into Zonal’s PMS, giving hoteliers confidence and control.

Reflecting on the achievement, Stuart Derricott, Sales Director at Zonal Hotel Solutions, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be recognised as SiteMinder’s Reseller of the Year. Our partnership ensures hotels benefit from seamless connectivity and smarter distribution, and this recognition is a real testament to the hard work and dedication of our team.”

For more info on Zonal’s hotel management software, click here.

Customer retention is just as, if not more, important than attracting new customers through your doors. Amidst squeezed consumer spending and a challenging trading environment for hospitality, operators need to be doing everything they can to drive repeat business and keep guests coming back again and again.

In this article, Dan Brookman, founder and CEO of customer data management and broadcast platform Airship, shares his top three considerations for operators looking to drive customer retention.

1. Recognise the value of passive data, and let it drive your marketing efforts

Last year, we recorded 81 million digital signatures from consumers in hospitality, based on the passive data that we hold for 45 million members of the public. The​ ​ opportunity to collect passive data from all the different points at which a customer engages with technology – whether that’s room​ & table​ bookings, Wi-Fi, ​vouchers​, customer feedback or photo booths​ has never been greater. ​​ ​

Every digital signature, which we call a Proof of Presence or PoP, represents a moment to understand ​your customer more, and to know the profile of the customer that is delivering the most value.​​ ​ And that’s where the magic happens: the more frequent those interactions, ​the more opportunity you have to create more customers like those visiting most often. ​​ ​

Once you’ve gathered all this data, it’s time to put it to work. For example – birthdays. We’ve found that 45% of people who open an automated ‘Happy Birthday’ e-mail, will end up visiting within 30 days. That’s huge. The key is making sure those emails are timed well and personalised. A simple nudge after a recent visit, or a targeted offer based on a customer’s behaviour, can bring them back to your venue.

     2. Focus on frequency

In hospitality, we talk a lot about loyalty, but I call it frequency. There’s a real difference ​between the​ two in terms of how you approach them.

If we really want to build a strong, engaged customer base, it’s about driving consistent visits. Whether your customer is dormant, occasional, active, or lapsed, tracking their engagement can show you how to spark more frequent visits.

Here’s a great example: a pub company we work with found that 56% of dormant guests came back after being offered the right incentive. The ones who had opted into marketing saw even better results. It’s proof that engaging with customers, and offering them value, can bring them back to your venues time and time again.

    3.Create a Value Exchange (VX)

To get people to come back, you have to create a value exchange. This isn’t complicated, it’s simply about creating something that the customer can see clearly what they’ll get in return for the data that they are providing. You can focus the rewards around your value driving occasions; private dining rooms, weekly specials, functions rooms, extra nights stay and of course surprise and delight.

For example, offering a reward for a special occasion enables you to collect that piece of data, you can then drive a visit and help share in that special occasion with your customer. Driving emotional loyalty connected to a special occasion will embed lifelong loyalty (as long as you deliver it well!)

The Value Exchange simplifies the approach to marketing, taking all customers on the same journey, it can help you focus on running active database sign-up campaigns and convert your social data into CRM data (first party).

Loyalty apps can still play a really important role as part of the overall mix. I think where a lot of operators still fail, is that they implement loyalty without first putting their existing data to work, and that’s a massive missed opportunity.

Research for our Pub Accommodation Review 2025 – produced in partnership with CGA by NIQ, Stay in a Pub, and VisitEngland – shows that two thirds of operators say their accommodation revenue is higher (43%) or the same (24%) as a year ago, and 56% expect it to grow in the next year. While the hospitality sector continues to navigate increasing cost pressures and squeezes to profit margins, with one third of hospitality businesses operating at a loss, there are opportunities for operators to offset those challenges by getting their accommodation offering right – with many looking to introduce it for the first time – and fortify their businesses with a profitable revenue stream.

Pubs offer a unique and comforting experience like no other hospitality business, and UK staycationers recognise this – 79% of those who choose pub accommodation say expectations of friendly and welcoming staff would encourage them to stay.

It’s also true that pub stays are seen as value for money, with more than two in five (42%) consumers thinking pubs offer better value for money than other types of accommodation (making pubs only just behind camping in consumer rankings of the best-value stays).

However, while the demand for pub accommodation is on the rise, it’s a competitive sector and operators need to consider how to grow their reach through online presence, how to increase revenues through a streamlined booking process, and how to best stand out amongst competitors in this market.

Increase Online Visibility 

Operators who are considering investing in accommodation as an additional revenue stream, should keep in mind that the customer journey begins even before the booking process.

More than a third of consumers found their last accommodation via search engine, and this is the most popular method for guests to find a pub to stay in. That said, a fifth (20%) of consumers believe that searching for a pub to stay in is difficult – so operators need to ensure they are focusing on becoming more discoverable online, to avoid missing out on potential bookings.

Pub accommodation providers can leverage their technology to increase booking conversions through search engines by integrating their PMS with Google to facilitate a room booking journey directly from their Google search result.

This is only one aspect of improving online visibility, however. It is equally important to consider integration with OTAs (online travel agents), or member associations, such as Stay in a Pub, in order to have greater reach and provide the same booking capabilities as hotels and other accommodation offerings to therefore add a greater of chance of achieving bookings. Through this integration, real time availability will give customers the chance to make bookings right up until the last moment, while operators can track customer data and follow a guest’s journey throughout.

Online reviews are also a key part of online presence, our research found that almost all (92%) consumers agreed they play a huge part in booking decisions. It is vital, then, that pubs manage their overall digital footprint by encouraging guests to post positive reviews and are responsive to all comments, even negative ones, in order to turn even unsatisfied guests into advocates.

Having an active and welcoming social media presence to sell the experience can also attract younger consumers and diversify the appeal of staying in a pub.

Simple Booking Systems 

Once the decision to reserve a room has been made, we know that complicated booking systems can deter guests from making those final clicks – in our survey, over half (53%) of those who consider pubs for overnight stays say complicated booking systems can deter them from following through with a reservation. This is particularly true of 18- to 34-year-olds, with over a third (38%) of this age group saying they don’t know how to book a stay at pubs.

Ensuring the booking journey has as few steps as possible and is simple to use, as well as making the most of one-stop platforms such as Stay in a Pub, will therefore maximise conversions.

To further encourage consumers, operators could also consider offering flexible check-in and check-out options. By using integrated POS and PMS systems, operators can easily incorporate accommodation into their day-to-day operations, meaning a dedicated check-in desk won’t be needed as guests can be checked in at a POS, easing pressure on staff, as well as streamlining the experience for guests.

The Unique Pub Offer 

There is also an opportunity at this point in the booking journey – when guests are in ‘buying mode’ – for pub operators to amplify other offerings, such as F&B. To upsell this area, operators can offer options such as a bottle of wine in rooms on arrival, or a welcome cocktail with the ‘extras’ functionality within the PMS, which will further boost revenue.

Also, prompting guests to book a table for lunch or dinner with a table booking integration, both during the booking experience and in follow-up communications, such as confirmation emails, can boost spend. Use the opportunity to showcase the best, and most profitable, dishes on your menu and perhaps offer bundle deals for a room, breakfast and dinner, or offer a free drink, or other promotion.

Indeed, a key attraction to staying in a pub is the food and beverage offering. With 67% of consumers viewing the high-quality F&B in a pub as often superior to that of hotel restaurants, operators have a valuable opportunity to enhance overall guest satisfaction by excelling in this area.

Another benefit staying in a pub offers over a hotel, our research demonstrates, is that consumers see pubs as being at the heart of the area they are visiting. Some 39% say pubs offer a more authentic local experience than other types of accommodation. As a result, more than three quarters (78%) of consumers say they are likely to seek local information and recommendations during their stays and so ensuring there is local information is available and teams are primed to give recommendations, will further enhance guest stays.

Beyond a Bed 

Providing a bed for the night is one thing, and will no doubt be a valuable additional revenue stream on its own. However, operators wanting to maximise the opportunity of the growing appeal of pub stays, need to understand what they can do to reach more potential guests, encourage them to book and drive spend per head.

From simple and fast reservation systems, to utilising the reach of OTAs, to driving online reviews, to identifying where the opportunities are to upsell and maximise revenues, to freeing up staff to give local recommendations and deliver really great customer experiences, tech will be a helping hand for operators looking at the accommodation market.

For more insights into the pub accommodation sector, download the full Pub Accommodation Review 2025 report today. 

Pubs with rooms are on the rise. With more than 5,700 pubs with rooms across the UK —equating to around 50,000 guest rooms—and 41% of operators planning to expand their offering, it’s a market full of momentum. Pubs with rooms are perfectly placed to meet the needs of guests who want the charm, informality, and character of an Airbnb, but with the service standards, food, and drink experience only a pub can offer. In the article, Are pubs with rooms the new boutique hotels?, The Caterer recently reported on the growing trend of consumers turning away from budget hotel chains to mid-market pub groups with rooms.

With the right technology in place, pub operators have a unique opportunity to capitalise on this trend—streamlining operations, improving visibility, and delivering exceptional guest experiences from booking to checkout.

One of the most important aspects of Zonal PMS is its ability to enhance property visibility online in the market by integrating directly with online travel agents as well as your own website. A joined-up tech stack which feeds directly into the OTAs, saves a lot of time and makes selling your rooms significantly easier —with real-time availability making it possible to sell rooms right up to the last minute.

The technology also allows you to track customer data, ensuring that the guest journey can be followed from start to finish. This level of insight provides you with valuable information to help tailor and deliver great service to guests.

We recently spoke to some of the Provenance Collection team to find out what benefits integrated technology has had to their business.

More time to focus on your guests

With Zonal PMS teams are freed up to focus spending more time with customers on creating great hospitality experiences for guests, where staff can be out on the floor engaging with customers, instead of spending time on admin. It’s not so much about eliminating tasks, but instead about freeing up staff to do what they really care about – creating great experiences.

Easily manage rooms rates

Zonal PMS enables pub operators to efficiently manage bedroom booking rates, especially across multiple sites. What could take up to 12–15 hours per week can now be handled in just a couple of hours with Zonal PMS —freeing up valuable time.

One system, one experience: service consistency across sites

Utilising one platform to manage your accommodation across your whole estate means that staff training is centralised across all sites, and service is consistent because staff are using identical technology across locations, processes such as booking, check-in, check-out, and billing are streamlined—ensuring accuracy and delivering a seamless guest experience.

Boost F&B sales with table bookings integration

We understand how frustrating it can be for guests to navigate a disjointed booking process—reserving a room, only to have to return to the website and click through again if they want to book a table as well. With the right technology in place, such as a table booking system that integrates natively with your PMS, guests can reserve a table in the pub’s restaurant at the same time they book their room. What’s more you can offer guests the opportunity to purchase optional extras whilst booking their stay and include optional extras such as Champagne, Flowers, Early Check-Ins and Late Check-outs. This not only streamlines the experience but also creates valuable upselling opportunities for food and drink, reduces admin for your team, and enhances the overall guest journey.

Reward and build guest loyalty

Zonal’s loyalty platform can also play a role here in helping venues encourage and reward repeat visits, where points can be collected and offers can be distributed through the platform. For example, hotel guests who stay regularly may earn points for each visit, and as it builds up, they’ll eventually have enough for a for a free stay.

In addition to rewarding loyal guests and driving repeat visits, an integration with Zonal’s loyalty platform can also help you boost guest spend during their visit and boost engagement with both the accommodation and F&B sides of your business. Loyalty rewards accrued from a guest booking a stay with you can be redeemed in your restaurant or bar, and vice versa, with any loyalty balance built from guests eating and drinking in your pub able to be used to pay towards their room during a stay.

With rising costs, increasing regulatory changes and evolving customer expectations, pubs face mounting pressure to boost revenue and increase profitability in 2025. For Lisini Pub Company, a beloved family-run operator with four vibrant locations across Lanarkshire, innovation has been the key to success.

Lisini has a long history of delivering outstanding experiences for its guests, firmly establishing itself as one of the biggest and most successful names in Scottish hospitality. Having become a beacon for the finest food, service, entertainment, events and functions in Lanarkshire – the team have enhanced their offering by introducing guest rooms at their sites. Since launching this brilliant accommodation, the company has seen a marked increase in footfall, stronger brand loyalty, and a rise in revenue.

We spoke with Siobhan Edwards, Director of Lisini Pub Company, to discover how they have transformed their business through innovation, helping them to thrive in challenging times.

Tell us about Lisini Pub Company?

What started in 1969 as a single pub founded by my parents, Harry and Kathleen Hood, has evolved into one of Scotland’s most successful and respected family-run hospitality businesses. Today, we are proud to operate five locations, offering 30 hotel rooms across our estate, and generating a turnover of £15.5 million.

Based in Lanarkshire, just outside of Glasgow, our venues are located within a short drive of each other. Each venue offers its own unique menu and atmosphere, catering to a range of tastes, yet all share the same strong, community-focused, family-run ethos.

Our dedicated team, many of whom have been with us for over a decade, help create that welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere that our customers love. From food and drinks to memorable events, our venues are the perfect place to celebrate life’s important moments — whether it’s a wedding, birthday, christening, or funeral. These connections span generations, and we’re honoured to be a part of them.

How would you describe the profile of your guests?

We cater to a diverse range of guests, with each venue offering something for everyone. Take Angels, for instance – a mix of bar, nightclub, and dining destination. It’s a favourite for a younger demographic, influencers, and travellers seeking great food, vibrant nights, and a memorable atmosphere.

However, the majority of our guests are local and community-oriented, with our venues offering tailored experiences that make everyone feel at home. From classic British pub fare like hearty pies and fish & chips to fresh, customer-inspired dishes, we’re always evolving to meet our guests’ tastes. With a strong family legacy and a reputation built on integrity, we’ve earned the loyalty of customers who return time and time again.

What new opportunities have arisen since adding accommodation to your pub?

When it comes to driving revenue, offering rooms at your pub isn’t just about providing somewhere to sleep – it’s about enhancing your entire food and beverage experience too.

By adding rooms to our pubs, we’ve unlocked the opportunity to host a calendar full of exciting events, significantly boosting our bottom line. We’ve found that guests attending these events are more likely to extend their stay, ordering additional food, drinks, and treats to fully enjoy the experience.

In fact, 90% of our overnight guests tend to dine and drink on-site, creating more opportunities for additional sales and a higher spend per customer. Offering tailored packages that combine event tickets, food, drinks, and overnight stays has created multiple revenue touchpoints, ensuring our guests have a memorable experience while driving sales across the board.

Moreover, offering rooms can encourage repeat visits and foster loyalty. It may sound simple, but we’ve noticed that when guests have a positive experience at our venues, they’re more likely to return and recommend us to others. This word-of-mouth marketing, combined with the opportunity to attract bookings during peak seasons, helps not just fill rooms, but also bring in more customers to the restaurant and bar, leading to increased revenue for the business.

What else are you doing to enhance the guest experience?

We are always looking at evolution. For example, we had a very small beer garden of around 30sqm in Angels Hotel, and we have invested £250k to transform this into The Vault – a social events space which will offer private karaoke, interactive darts and its own bar. For us, it’s about looking at dead spaces and dead revenue, and doing something about it, using the space we have to enhance our offering and give customers another reason to visit – whether that’s for an experience in The Vault or an overnight stay in our growing number of rooms.

How has technology supported in enabling the growth of your business?

Running a busy group of pubs is no easy task, but Zonal’s technology has made things much easier for us. It’s not just about working smarter; it’s about working more efficiently.

Implementing a fully integrated Property Management System (PMS) has been a game changer. It has streamlined everything from reservations and guest check-ins to sales forecasting and business performance analysis. What truly sets it apart, however, is its seamless integration with our EPoS software, stock-take system, and booking platform. Everything works in harmony, eliminating the need to spend hours reconciling orders or collecting data from separate systems. This allows our team to focus on what matters most – providing an exceptional experience for our guests.

One of the things we really appreciate about Zonal is how everything is tailored to fit our unique needs. Rather than taking a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, Zonal allows us to select the most effective technology for our specific needs. We’ve been able to bring everything into one place, and that’s made a huge difference in streamlining our operations and boosting efficiency.

At Lisini, we’re all about putting the customer at the heart of everything we do. That shared commitment to enhancing the customer journey has made our partnership with Zonal a perfect fit.

“We live and breathe pubs, and our technology has been serving the UK pub industry for decades. A well-integrated PMS system in pubs not only streamlines operations but also opens new avenues for revenue, from personalised guest experiences to smarter resource management. By leveraging data, pubs can diversify their offerings and unlock untapped potential, ensuring consistent growth and a competitive edge – something which is more important than ever in a dynamic market.”

Tim Chapman
Sales Director at Zonal