Customer Stories Cheese & Wine

Cheese & Wine: Crafting 'handmade hospitality' in Lisbon with Cloudbeds

Key Insights

2X more direct reservations

70% of guest communications automated

Streamlined operations and powerful ease of use save time and increase staff retention

Cloudbeds has improved the way we work. It saves our team time, reduces commission costs through more direct bookings, and helps us sell more effectively with automated pricing. We’re no longer missing out on opportunities due to unexpected events or spikes in demand.

Sérgio Cândido Pinheiro, Co-Owner of Cheese & Wine.

Cheese & Wine is a unique and charming hospitality concept that offers guests an unforgettable way to experience the vibrant city of Lisbon. Founded by a couple with a fresh take on hospitality, this independent, family-owned business was built on a beautifully simple idea: to welcome every guest as if they were a friend arriving at home.

With this, Cheese & Wine has crafted a distinctive style of “handmade hospitality” that blends a warm, inviting atmosphere with a people-first approach—supported by thoughtful systems and processes—all while keeping sustainability at its core. Since opening, their commitment to doing what’s right, rather than what’s trendy, has shaped every aspect of the guest experience, from family-friendly service and paying staff above-average wages to mindful practices like using reusable fabric napkins, preparing all meals in-house, and operating a fleet of six fully electric vehicles.

Finding a true partner in growth

As the Cheese & Wine portfolio quickly grew to encompass a 28-suite property, 23 rooms in Lapa, and 17 apartments, they needed a technology partner that could support their expansion without sacrificing their personal touch.

Initially using another PMS, the team found themselves seeking more reliable support as their business evolved, especially after the challenges of the pandemic. As Sérgio puts it, We felt that we no longer had the customer support we needed. We were sending emails and getting no replies. Customer attention declined sharply, they were not the best partner in their success.”

After thorough research, Cloudbeds emerged as the turnkey solution Sérgio was looking for. He was particularly impressed by the responsive support, noting, “There’s always someone on the other side to help.” This feeling of partnership was a key differentiator, on top of the robust features needed to manage their multi-property operation efficiently, from seamless integration with local requirements like customs and invoicing software to Cloudbeds’ powerful revenue management software and Whistle for Cloudbeds.

More direct bookings and happier staff

Cloudbeds has significantly boosted Cheese & Wine’s direct booking strategy:

We more than doubled our share of direct reservations without doing much — only switching to a new Cloudbeds Website and its booking engine

Sérgio Cândido Pinheiro

This impact is particularly evident at their main property, the suites, where direct bookings now constitute approximately 30% of all reservations, marking an 18% increase compared to their previous system and directly contributing to substantial revenue growth.

Furthermore, Cloudbeds has streamlined operations across their diverse portfolio of properties, making the management of their suites, rooms, and apartments remarkably easy. Another standout feature has been Whistle for Cloudbeds, bringing about a significant improvement in both efficiency and staff satisfaction by automating 70% of guest communications, including the online check-in process — all while positively influencing staff retention:

“Whistle for Cloudbeds has been incredible. It allows us to deliver fantastic customer service while at the same time reducing front-office team turnover due to long hours and night shifts.” He continues, “There’s a lot of competition to get the best people, and our schedule, thanks to Whistle for Cloudbeds, is a differentiator. We offer our staff much better schedules.”

A healthier bottom line

Cloudbeds’ revenue management software has proven invaluable, “It saves us a lot of time, and helps us earn more money, not lose money,” says Sérgio. This is thanks to powerful dynamic pricing functionality that ensures Cheese & Wine lists the perfect price at the right time, every time — based on demand and local events.

Like a good cheese & wine pairing, this is complemented by Cloudbeds’ ease of use which contributes to smoother operations amidst the group’s continued expansion, and simplifies the onboarding process for new team members.

Cloudbeds is very very easy to work with. I think it contributed decisively to decreased turnover of our staff. And it makes onboarding new staff easy.

As Cheese & Wine continue to grow, they remain committed to their vision of “handmade hospitality”. Cloudbeds has proven to be more than just a software provider; they are a trusted partner enabling Cheese & Wine to scale their unique approach while maintaining their core values and delivering exceptional guest experiences.

Asked whether he would recommend Cloudbeds, Sérgio responds, “I already did.” He continues, jokingly, “Sometimes my wife says I have Cloudbeds equity with the way I’m always recommending Cloudbeds to other people.”