Success story
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Intiholidays is a full-service vacation rental management company in Portugal’s Algarve, led by hospitality veteran Jacky Fernandes and focused on premium guest experiences.
Location: Algarve, Portugal
Number of listings: 35
Using Hostfully since: 2022
Favorite features: Digital guidebooks, upsell marketplace (with Stripe integration), multilingual content option for guests
Hostfully turned our guidebooks into a revenue-generating tool. Upsells are now easy for guests to buy and easy for us to manage.
At Intiholidays, guest information was once delivered the traditional way. By law in Portugal, every vacation rental must provide a guidebook, and for years that meant paper manuals filled out by hand. The process was slow and fragile. “If anything changed in the area, you had to redo everything,” said Jacky Fernandes. “And over time, the guidebooks just looked worn and unprofessional.”
Jacky tried replacing paper manuals with printed PDFs, but that only introduced new problems. Each guidebook was text-heavy, visually unpolished, and difficult to maintain. “I’m not a graphic designer,” Jacky said. “In the end, it was a lot of text, and no one comes on vacation to read a house manual.” On top of that, every guidebook had to be translated into multiple languages to support Spanish, French, British, and Portuguese travelers.
Upsells were another missed opportunity. With two decades of hotel experience, Jacky knew how much incremental services could improve both revenue and guest satisfaction. But without the right technology, offering upsells meant answering emails, taking phone calls, and manually arranging payments. “Across 35 properties, it just wasn’t realistic,” said Jacky. “The effort outweighed the benefit.”
Hostfully’s digital guidebooks gave Intiholidays a modern, scalable alternative. Each guidebook became a clean, mobile-friendly experience where guests could find house rules, local recommendations, and practical information without being overwhelmed. More importantly, Hostfully’s built-in Marketplace unlocked an entirely new revenue stream.
“The Marketplace changed everything,” said Jacky. “It let us offer services that genuinely improve a guest’s vacation, without adding operational complexity.”
Jacky started with simple, high-demand items like electrical outlet adapters for international travelers. Beach towels followed soon after, solving a common guest pain point while helping offset laundry costs. From there, Intiholidays expanded its offerings to include spa and acupuncture services, airport transfers, mid-stay cleaning, and welcome food baskets.
Guests discover and purchase these upsells directly through the Hostfully digital guidebook. Payments are handled automatically through Stripe, and Jacky receives instant notifications when an order comes in. “The process is smooth for guests and simple for us,” Jacky said. “There’s no back and forth, no chasing payments.”
Implementation was fast. Jacky created a single template guidebook with local content, upsells, and a welcome message, then duplicated it across all 35 properties. In under two days, every listing had a fully localized, multilingual digital guidebook.
Would you like to offer upsells like Jacky? Let’s talk.
The impact went beyond revenue. Guests felt better supported, more informed, and more relaxed during their stay. That translated into stronger reviews and a more premium experience overall. “Upsells aren’t just about money,” Jacky said. “They make the stay easier and more enjoyable, and guests notice that.”
With clearer communication, helpful add-ons, and a professional digital experience, Intiholidays also saw increased confidence from returning guests and more direct bookings, all without adding staff or manual work.