Digitizing small hotels: The impact of Mastercard Strive and Connectycs in Spain
This post was written by Javier Soriano, the Connectycs CEO, a technology provider for the hotel industry in Spain.
Spanish version HERE
In a world with rapid technological advances, small hotels face constant pressure to stay competitive or risk being left behind. These businesses face significant distribution challenges, including high contracting costs with large operators, limited visibility, and minimal negotiation power, making digital solutions targeted at these constraints a transformative enabler for their growth. As Spain’s tourism industry positions itself as a driving force in the country’s positive economic outlook, outpacing its European peers in GDP growth in 2024 with a 3.2% hike, the record 94 million tourists reaching the country last year are also a good sign of potential business growth for small hotels.
Take, for example, Youroom, a small agency that handles bookings for 11 small independent hotels in Spain, which perfectly illustrates the challenges and opportunities faced by small hotel chains. With an ambitious goal of expanding into Germany, North America, and Latin America and consolidating its position in the Spanish market, Youroom needs a technology solution that optimizes its operations, provides financial security, and access to new markets.
Advanced digital solutions, essential to streamlining operations and accessing global markets, often seem out of reach for companies just like Youroom due to resource and technical expertise constraints. However, technology provider Connectycs, together with Mastercard Strive, are rewriting this narrative by democratizing access to critical digital and AI-enabled solutions that enable small hotels and agencies to compete on a level playing field.
Thanks to Youroom’s integration with the Connectycs ecosystem, the 11 hotels in their network were able to overcome these barriers. Within less than 48 hours, they were fully operational on the platform, enabling them to connect with key operators and distributors in international and local markets. A central piece of this success was Connectycs’ Finpay solution, which ensures timely payments between hotels and distributors — a crucial measure for small hotels where each transaction has a significant impact on their cash flow and financial stability.
“Integration with Connectycs was quick and efficient. Within hours, we were operating and seeing tangible results in markets that were previously unreachable,” explains Toni Muñoz, manager of Youroom. “Connectyc’s partnership with Mastercard Strive has allowed the hotels in our network to expand with confidence and leverage tools that are already having a significant impact on their business, while we at Youroom benefit from reaching markets within Spain that we didn’t reach before.”
Democratizing digitalization in the hospitality industry
The collaboration between Mastercard Strive and Connectycs extends far beyond Youroom. This initiative aims to benefit up to 10% of Spanish hotels with fewer than 100 rooms, facilitating access to advanced digital solutions. These include tools that enable small hotels to reach new international customers, securely make and receive digital payments, and leverage AI-based analytics to optimize pricing and operational strategies. Supported by the Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (ITH), the initiative is supporting small hotels across Spain to digitize and improve their competitiveness in a globalized tourism market.
‘In this case, innovation lies not only in technology, but in how we make it accessible to any business profile and always based on their needs. At Connectycs, we are committed to transforming the digital landscape of small hotels, thereby democratising access to technology.’
Through our collaboration with Mastercard Strive, we are driving tangible change, where every small hotel has the opportunity to thrive in a globalized marketplace.’ — Javier Soriano CEO of Connectycs
In a sector where technological innovation is often dominated by large chains, Connectycs and Mastercard Strive are showing that it is possible to level the playing field, ensuring small hotels and chains have access to a greater share of Spain’s critical tourism economy.
