Surprising as it may seem, the hotel industry, along with construction and agriculture, is one of the least digitized sectors. Yet solutions exist, in fact, in abundance. It is estimated that over 2,000 software and technological solutions have been applied to this sector. All aimed at improving hotel profitability and meeting the demands of an increasingly technophile clientele. With this paradox in mind, Brussels-born Alexandre Hervens decided to found Groom Consulting, a company that supports hotels in their digital transformation. His idea? To help independent hotels gain in competitiveness by choosing the most effective tools for their structure.
A real tech consultant
“We audit, recommend strategies and implement solutions.” Groom Consulting’s method is ultra-simple, and primarily tailored to the needs of independent hotels. While the sector’s behemoths have already integrated these technological services, the “smaller” ones spend less time improving their processes. “With establishments open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, managers are caught up in day-to-day management, sometimes to the detriment of their core business of welcoming guests. Automating certain repetitive tasks can save them a lot of time and money.” Property Management System, Channel Manager, CRM… Groom Consulting clearly positions itself as a specialist in these intelligent tools which, when well thought out, change the daily life of hoteliers “by optimizing their operations in reception, reservations, maintenance, marketing, accounting…”.
Profitability, the sinews of war
Another Groom Consulting specialty is revenue management. As we all know, room occupancy is a powerful indicator of profitability. But it’s far from the only one. “Today’s visitors are willing to pay for additional services, as long as they are easily accessible. In this respect, according to Alexandre, digitization is “a major lever for increasing a hotel’s revenues“, whether by offering additional services via a digital room directory or by adjusting “pricing in real time to offer the best deal at the best time“. To close the loop, Groom Consulting also offers sales support and specialized training. “Managers focus on customer service. We manage their tech!
“The pro networks have put me in a virtuous circle of development.
It has to be said that Alexandre isn’t exactly a rookie in his field. He’s been looking into hotel issues for a good dozen years, first at Accor, where he began his career in 2012 with the opening of Pullman Gare du Midi, then at Hilton for several years, and finally at Châteauform’ “as head of marketing and sales“. It’s hardly surprising, then, that he’s hit the nail on the head. “We had our first customers 3 months after the launch. Since then, we’ve had one assignment after another in Belgium, Switzerland and France. The potential is enormous. And the name of Groom Consulting is actively circulating in the hospitality cluster network, “one of my best partners since the beginning, for strategic advice and also for visibility“. A partnership that is more active than ever, since Groom Consulting has been selected by hub.brussels to be part of the Belgian delegation at Viva Tech Paris 2025, the annual event dedicated to technological innovation and start-ups.
For more information, visit https://www.groomconsulting.io/
