The Inn at Mattei's Tavern cultivates one-of-a-kind culinary experiences the most efficient way possible

At The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, simplicity is the greatest form of luxury

Nestled in the heart of a burgeoning wine region, The Inn at Mattei's Tavern is a historic former 19th-century stagecoach stop turned stunning culinary escape. The only luxury resort in the area, it provides an elevated staycation destination for guests from nearby metros such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern prides itself on embodying the heart and soul of Los Olivos, offering an array of unique gathering and dining spaces. From the onsite Tavern and roadside bar to the inviting coffee shop , poolside concept, The Barn, and sprawling Hartley Lawn, each space fosters a sense of community and place while offering venues for unique programming.

“I was brought to Mattei’s to bring the soul of the place to life,” explained Kaitlin Broumpton, the Head of Food and Beverage at The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern. “Our ethos is driven by our culinary destination, and we cater to the idea that simplicity is the greatest luxury.”

This commitment to simplicity and creating elevated guest experiences led The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern to Way.

“I knew I needed a product to streamline programming based on experiences I’ve had at previous properties, to ensure that processes are smooth and that billing is seamless and never missed,” Kaitlin said.

Way proved to be the perfect solution. “Having the ability to book experiences directly creates such an effortless digital experience for our guests,” Kaitlin explained.

The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern has empowered guests to discover and build their own itineraries directly through the property's website, resulting in 83% of experiences being booked online.

“Our concierge can also book online on behalf of guests, keeping everything in one place.”

With Way, it’s “easy to power unforgettable programming online.”

We cater to the idea that simplicity is the greatest luxury. Way makes it easy to power unforgettable programming online.”
{{- Kaitlin Broumpton, Head of Food and Beverage}}

Curating communal moments with cross-functional ease

Through bespoke programming, The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern invites people to enjoy the property and its many communal spaces in new ways. Monthly wine dinners, unique F&B experiences, and art exhibitions are just a few examples that keep visitors coming back for more.

Take Paella Night, a recurring summertime offering. Many guests return once a month to gather around the communal tables, enjoying Spanish wines, two types of paella, and lively interactions with other travelers and locals.

“We aim to be that social hub that brings people together,” Kaitlin said. “And we’re blessed to have a wonderful local contribution that joins a lot of our experiences, programming, and dining facilities, in addition to our hotel guests.”

Behind the scenes, Way simplifies the process of powering this memorable programming. F&B events like the Chinese-Inspired Christmas Feast and Sip Fine Wine have been particularly successful in driving revenue and interest, while recurring experiences like Cabana Rentals and the daily Gratitude Flow consistently attract guests.

“It’s a team effort to create unique programming,” said Kaitlin. I am incredibly thankful to partner with our Experience Manager, Chef, and Marketing teams to bring these ideas to life. Anybody can bring forth an idea, and if it has legs we put backing behind it to see how we can operationally bring it to life.”

“Way has created a cross-functionality that has been really helpful,” Kaitlin added.

Way also allows for on-the-fly program adjustments and effortless communication across teams.

“Having one place to go to update information has helped substantially, whether we’re adding availability because of interest or canceling a class,” explained Kaitlin. “Being able to send my team to one place to show what’s new has streamlined our processes and systems in regards to programming.”

Boosting productivity of Mattei’s in-house itinerary team

Driving awareness and interest to the unique programming at Inn at Mattei’s starts before guests arrive. Through Way, the itinerary team’s pre-arrival outreach strategy has become more effective, and guests can also independently explore the property’s offerings online.

“We want guests to arrive with their itineraries fully built and booked,” Kaitlin said. “Our staff takes a proactive role in communicating the array of experiences and programming we offer during outreach, and Way has made it easy to sort through and navigate which experiences we want to showcase. ”

Way’s integrations further enhance efficiency and drive revenue, allowing the in-house team to manage bookings on behalf of guests from a singular hub. “They do such a great job at selling, that oftentimes our experiences are full,” Kaitlin said. “Our leadership team can also adjust availability to accommodate more guests.”  

Over the past year, 36% of experiential revenue at Mattei’s was booked through room charges thanks to the Opera integration. In addition, Way features like custom questions have eliminated manual tasks for the in-house team and made it easier to accommodate last-minute bookings.

"Productivity has increased significantly because of Way. Our in-house itinerary team saves 4-6 hours on average per week and without Way, some of these processes would be incredibly tedious," Kaitlin said.

Here are some of the processes the Inn at Mattei’s team has eliminated with the platform:  

• Managing sign-ups in spreadsheets
• Manually adding charges to Opera
• Manually adding bookings to guest itineraries
• Coordinating dietary restrictions cross-functionally
• Duplicating information across multiple systems‍

"Not having to manage information in multiple places is a huge benefit,” Kaitlin said.  

Way’s impact: Smooth operations enable programming expansion at The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern

By launching experiences with Way, The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern has freed up valuable time and resources for its team to focus on what matters most: cultivating memorable experiences their guests enjoy.

“The programming continues to excel,” Kaitlin said. “I like the review feature on Way because our guests do fill it out and we take feedback and run with it for future programming.”

With F & B offerings well underway, the team is also eager to explore new ways to utilize the entire property as they scale their programming efforts.

“We’ve been open for a year now, so we’re excited to see how we can expand offerings and take full advantage of our space,” said Kaitlin. “There’s a lot of culinary experiences coming in 2024, and we can’t wait to activate the whole property with more memorable programming.”

Way’s platform enables its partners to power an unlimited number of experiences, so the expansion opportunities are endless. And The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern is just getting started.

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