Finnskogtoppen is a spa and wellness hotel in Norway built entirely around tranquillity, nature, and holistic experiences. As Therese Eriksson, Marketing & Revenue Manager, explains, it’s a place “where stillness, forest, and wellbeing are at the core,” offering a complete experience that combines accommodation, spa, food, and activities so guests can truly unwind, far away from the pace of everyday life.
According to Therese, their concept is “fundamentally built on packages,” and their remote location makes Finnskogtoppen “a destination in itself, where it is important that guests both have things to do on site and can enjoy really good food.” By packaging the entire stay into a single offer, the hotel follows its philosophy that guests should be able to “fully relax, without having to plan or make decisions during their stay.”
A Long-Term Choice of VisBook – and a Natural Step to BookVisit
VisBook has been part of Finnskogtoppen’s operations for many years, developing alongside the hotel’s needs. Therese notes that they have had VisBook ever since they moved “from manual bookings in binders to a digital system,” and that VisBook became their first PMS, with which they have been satisfied from the very beginning. When VisBook later introduced its spa module, the system became even more important, as it “truly contained everything we wanted and significantly simplified our spa bookings.”
Finnskogtoppen began working with BookVisit in December 2022. Following the pandemic, the hotel carried out a minor rebranding and implemented several changes to both the website and its marketing overall.
As a hotel that almost exclusively works with packages, Finnskogtoppen had previously experienced limitations in its booking setup. When they were first introduced to BookVisit at a conference, they were, as Therese recalls, “immediately both excited and fascinated.” BookVisit turned out to be “exactly the solution we had been hoping for – and more.”
Two Systems – One Seamless Workflow
In daily operations, the combination of VisBook and BookVisit is both powerful and user-friendly. Therese highlights that they are very happy with the tight integration between VisBook and BookVisit.
She describes BookVisit as “a very user-friendly, easy-to-learn, and logical system,” while VisBook is “extremely broad and powerful.” Together, the systems allow Finnskogtoppen to manage packages, pricing, and add-ons efficiently, with everything transferring seamlessly between the two platforms.
Increased Online Bookings and Automated Upselling
Over the past few years, Finnskogtoppen has seen a clear shift in booking behaviour. A few years ago, online bookings accounted for around 30%, with 70% handled manually. Today in comparison, the share of private guests booking online bookings is over 50%.
According to Therese, one of the most noticeable differences since implementing BookVisit has been the ability to upsell treatments and add-ons, with their previous booking solution being unable to provide the same possibilities.
Today, on an ordinary Friday, Finnskogtoppen can have 5–10 bottles of sparkling wine pre-booked for rooms without having done anything actively to sell them. “Before BookVisit, we did not sell a single bottle,” she explains. The same applies to late check-outs, cancellation insurance, and other add-ons, which now “more or less sell themselves.”
The Spa Module as the Hub of Daily Operations
The VisBook spa module, combined with online booking via BookVisit, plays a central role in the daily operation of the spa. According to Therese Eriksson, the spa module “truly has everything we want,” and since it became available for online booking via BookVisit, it has been “absolutely invaluable.”
She explains that allowing guests to book treatments themselves has “saved a lot of time for reception and reduced the amount of emails and manual work around available time slots.” The vast majority of guests now book treatments on their own, either directly at the time of booking as an add-on or later via the link in the welcome email.
Time Savings and Operational Impact
When it comes to time savings, Therese Eriksson describes the systems as “invaluable.” The ability for guests to purchase gift cards themselves and book rooms, standalone products, and treatments online saves the team an enormous amount of time. Today, only one person in reception handles bookings, phone calls, email, and helpdesk tasks.
She is clear about the operational impact: if BookVisit was to be removed they would “without a doubt have needed to hire an additional full-time employee in reception.”
As Therese concludes, “we are quite simply very satisfied with the solution.”
