Scaling Local Luxury Concierge with AI-Powered Guest Experience and Messaging
How a Corsican concierge company scaled to 40 luxury villas using Enso Connect and Avantio. Unified guest messaging, guest portal, and in-app upsells drove 40% more incremental revenue.
August 29, 2025
Challenges
Goals
The Problem
As Pinarello Villa Services scaled from 3 to ~40 villas without formal marketing, everyday ops began to strain. Arrival instructions went out by email while guests replied via SMS/WhatsApp, scattering conversations; on peak days (8–12 arrivals) the team couldn’t be at every door. Services and upsells lived in a one-off PDF that was easy to miss, and guests kept asking repeat amenity questions (e.g., coffee machine type) even though the details existed in Avantio. With a seasonal April–November cadence and a ≤20 km hyper-local footprint, they needed a way to centralize post-booking communication, make arrivals self-serve, and connect Avantio booking data to a guest-facing hub.
The Solution
The company implemented Enso Connect alongside Avantio to bridge booking-to-stay. The Unified Inbox pulled email/SMS/WhatsApp into one thread, while the Boarding Pass guest app delivered tap-to-navigate directions, gate/key codes with visuals, Wi-Fi, and equipment guides, so peak-day arrivals could self-serve. Upsells moved from a lost-in-email PDF to an in-app catalog with one-tap requests. AI CoPilot drafted precise answers by pulling amenity details directly from Avantio (e.g., coffee machine type). With hands-on onboarding support over high season, the stack was live on time, restoring calm to operations and freeing the team to focus on high-touch service.
About the company
Pinarello Villa Services
Location:
Pinarello/Porto-Vecchio, Corsica
Listings:
40
Employees:
6
Unit Type:
Luxury villas
Pinarello Villa Services is a hyper-local luxury concierge based in Pinarello/Porto-Vecchio, Corsica. Founded in 2017, the company has grown from three villas to around 40 while deliberately keeping properties within a ~20 km radius to ensure fast, high-touch support. As true local experts, they handle seamless arrivals, access, and on-the-ground assistance so owners host confidently and guests unwind immediately. To scale quality without losing the personal touch, Pinarello Villa Srvices pairs Avantio for distribution with Enso Connect for post-booking communication, the Boarding Pass guest app, and in-app services.
Digital Guest Portal and Online Check-in
Easy Add-On Purchases for Guests
Essential Information at Guests’ Fingertips
Seamless Local Service Offers
Pinarello Villa Services Interview: Scaling Local Luxury Hospitality With Global Tech
TL;DR
Pinarello Villa Services (Pinarello / Porto-Vecchio, Corsica) scaled from 3 → ~40 luxury villas while keeping a ≤20 km hyper-local model. Adding Enso Connect alongside Avantio centralized post-booking communication, launched a Boarding Pass guest app for self-serve arrivals, and moved services into in-app upsells, driving a 40% increase in upsell volume and smoother peak days (often 8–12 arrivals).
At a Glance
Model: Hyper-local; properties within ~20 km
Season: April–November
Tech Stack: Avantio (PMS & distribution) + Enso Connect (Unified Inbox, Boarding Pass, in-app upsells, AI Copilot)
Interview
Q: What did your growth journey look like?
A: We started in 2017 with three villas. Through quality and word-of-mouth, no formal marketing, we now manage about 40.
Q: What operational challenges did growth reveal?
A:Communication was scattered. We sent arrival instructions by email, but guests replied via SMS or WhatsApp. On peak days we had 8–12 arrivals, and we simply couldn’t be everywhere. Our services/upsells lived in a PDF attached to an email - easy to miss. And guests kept asking repeat amenity questions (like coffee-machine type) even though it was in our Avantio descriptions.
Q: Where did Enso Connect fit in - what was missing before?
A: Avantio is great for distribution and booking, but we needed a bridge to the post-booking stage - messaging, arrivals, and services. After a webinar with François, Enso Connect was exactly what we were missing.
Q: How did you implement the solution?
A: We integrated over winter to be ready for April. Enso’s support, very reactive, made it manageable during a busy seasonal ramp.
Q: Which Enso Connect features matter most day-to-day?
A:
Unified Inbox brings email/SMS/WhatsApp into one thread.
Boarding Pass guest app gives one-tap directions, gate/keypad codes with photos/video, Wi-Fi, and equipment guides (A/C, TV, pool alarm).
In-app Upsells replace the lost PDF; guests browse and tap to request.
AI Copilot pulls details from Avantio (e.g., capsules vs. ground for the coffee machine) and drafts accurate replies—we just review & send.
Q: What results did you see with Enso Connect?
A: Upsells increased 40% after moving services into the app. Peak-day arrivals are calmer -guests follow Boarding Pass and arrive without calling. And repetitive “where is…?” questions dropped because the information is centralized and visual.
Q: What is your favourite Enso Connect feature?
A: “Everything lives in one app - on 8–12-arrival days, guests tap Boarding Pass for directions, codes, and Wi-Fi, go straight to the villa without calling us - and we save hours.”
Q: What would you tell other concierge or property managers?
A: Connect your PMS data to a guest-facing post-booking hub. Keep it local and fast, but let the app handle repetitive steps. That’s how you scale quality without losing the personal touch.
