SUCCESS STORY
Grand Hotel Minerva
By automating B2B bookings for travel agencies, tour operators, and DMCs, Grand Hotel Minerva transformed a fragmented distribution network into a strategic and scalable source of direct revenue, while maintaining full control over its commercial terms and significantly reducing its operational burden.
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About Grand Hotel Minerva
Grand Hotel Minerva is a prestigious luxury hotel located in the heart of Florence, overlooking the iconic Piazza Santa Maria Novella. Renowned for its panoramic rooftop pool, its exceptional location, and the blend of historical heritage and contemporary Italian design, the hotel offers a unique experience in one of Europe's most admired cultural destinations.
With a solid reputation in the market and a unique positioning rooted in art, architecture, and authentic Florentine hospitality, the Grand Hotel Minerva is considered one of Florence’s most iconic independent hotels. The hotel attracts discerning international travelers seeking premium experiences and personalized service, making it a benchmark for luxury urban hospitality in one of Italy’s most competitive destinations.
The challenge
Grand Hotel Minerva works with an extensive network of small travel agencies, tour operators, and DMCs, many of which do not have channel manager connectivity or advanced booking technology.
Managing reservations from these partners relied heavily on manual interaction with the Reservations team, which had to check availability, confirm rates, and process each request individually. This created a significant operational burden, especially when partners needed immediate confirmation to close a sale.
The hotel needed a more efficient way to support this extensive distribution network while maintaining control over inventory, availability, and commercial terms.
Its main objectives:
- Provide access to real-time availability.
- Enable instant booking confirmation.
- Ensure that inventory is automatically blocked at the time of booking.
- Provide services to agencies, tour operators, and DMCs without the need for direct connectivity.
- Reduce manual processes and the operational workload of the Reservations team.
- Improve response times and the partner experience.
- Maintain full control over rates, fees, and booking policies.
The solution
Grand Hotel Minerva implemented Roiback’s B2B Platform to provide independent travel agencies, tour operators, and DMCs with direct access to real-time availability, contracted rates, and instant booking confirmation. This allowed partners to make reservations independently, while inventory was automatically secured at the time of confirmation.
By replacing manual processes involving email and phone calls with a dedicated self-service portal, the hotel significantly reduced the operational workload of the Reservations team and improved response times for its business partners.
The platform also made it possible to centralize the management of agency-specific rates, commissions, payment terms, and booking policies within a single environment, ensuring both operational efficiency and commercial control.
Key Business Benefits
- Instant booking confirmation and access to real-time inventory.
- Reducing the operational workload of the Reservations team.
- A faster and smoother experience for travel agencies, tour operators, and DMCs.
- Greater control over commercial terms and B2B distribution.
Strategic impact
Over a three-year period, the Agency channel evolved from a supplementary source of business to a strategic driver of direct revenue.
The results show how Grand Hotel Minerva was able to scale its B2B distribution strategy while maintaining control over inventory, pricing, and relationships with its partners.
Major achievement
+426% revenue growth in the Agency channel between 2022 and 2025
Trends in the Contribution to Hotel Revenue
2022
5% of the hotel's total revenue
↓
2025
28% of the hotel's total revenue
↓
2026 YTD + OTB
31% of the hotel's total revenue
The channel's rapid growth reflects not only increased adoption by agencies and partners, but also its establishment as a key component of the hotel's long-term direct distribution strategy.
The positive trend continued throughout 2025 and 2026.
Performance Indicators
The strategic importance of the channel has been accompanied by sustained growth in both revenue and booking volume.
In 2025, the agency channel posted 17% revenue growth and 19% growth in bookings, further increasing its share of the hotel's direct business.
So far in 2026, revenue from the agency channel has grown by 23% and bookings by 13%. Including On-the-Books (OTB) bookings, the channel now accounts for 31% of the hotel’s total revenue, cementing its position as one of the main drivers of direct revenue.
2025
- +17% revenue growth
- +19% growth in reservations
- 28% contribution to hotel revenue
2026 (To date)
- +23% revenue growth
- +13% growth in reserves
- 31% contribution to the hotel's revenue
Discover the potential of your direct channel
“As our B2B business grew, it became essential to make our distribution more efficient without losing full control over inventory and availability. Providing real-time access to our entire inventory—rather than just a limited number of rooms—also creates opportunities to upsell and improve ADR.”
At the same time, automation reduces the transactional workload on the Reservations team, allowing us to focus on where we truly add value: supporting our partners and meeting the growing demand for pre-arrival services and concierge assistance. Roiback has helped us scale our B2B distribution while maintaining the personalized service that is essential to Grand Hotel Minerva.”
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