Nestled just 200 steps from the shimmering Pacific Ocean, 14 West Boutique Hotel in Laguna Beach offers an exquisite blend of modern comfort and coastal charm within two unique buildings; North and South. 
The property provides visitors with a home-away-from-home experience that embraces the local lifestyle. The North building features rooms with contemporary design and convenient in-suite kitchenettes, providing guests with the convenience of a home-like setting. The South building presents a traditional hotel atmosphere influenced by modern Spanish design, offering a classic yet sophisticated lodging experience.
Situated within a short stroll to Laguna Beach’s pristine shores, diverse dining establishments, and vibrant art scene, 14 West Boutique Hotel serves as the perfect gateway to experience the quintessential Southern California lifestyle.
Whether travellers are planning a brief getaway or an extended retreat, 14 West Boutique Hotel offers an invitation to be immersed in the serene beauty and cultural richness of Laguna Beach.
SiteMinder had the chance to speak with Operations Manager Samuel Ajibade, who oversees distribution, website management, and additional operational functions.
“I oversee distribution of our hotel rooms across all distribution channels and manage the hotel website,” Samuel explained. “We were one of the first customers to use Channels Plus,” he added, highlighting the property’s commitment to embracing innovative solutions.
Optimised workflows and increased productivity
14 West Laguna Beach Hotel chose SiteMinder to manage 68+ rooms efficiently, which also enabled them to increase their share of direct bookings.
Manually managing bookings across multiple platforms was consuming valuable time that was taking focus away from the property’s guests.
“It gave us an avenue to use a channel manager built specifically for the hotel industry,” Samuel explained. What impressed Samuel the most was how SiteMinder brought disparate systems together into one single platform.
“All these things were then streamlined, which has been hugely beneficial to us,” he reflected, appreciating how the previously fragmented booking and management processes had been unified into a single, efficient workflow.
Maximised revenue streams
In 2024 alone, West Boutique Hotel saw a surge in bookings through SiteMinder’s platform, securing 1,271 reservations and drawing 611 potential guests to its listing via Demand Plus. By seamlessly connecting with SiteMinder’s booking engine, the hotel enhanced its visibility and conversion rates, fully leveraging the platform to turn more lookers into bookers.
For Samuel, the direct booking functionality with Google Hotel integration stands out as the most valuable feature.
“Being able to display our direct booking rates on Google has proven invaluable for our business,” he explains. This integration has significantly increased the hotel’s revenue, allowing potential guests to book directly without intermediaries.
“Revenue and booking volumes have increased since the adoption of Channels Plus.” Samuel explains.
Samuel relies heavily on SiteMinder’s booking performance reports. These comprehensive insights allow the team to identify trends, optimise pricing strategies, and capitalise on emerging market opportunities—transforming data into actionable business intelligence that drives continued growth.
Samuel stated that “the booking performance report provides essential insights that help inform our business decisions.”
Time saved, complexity conquered with Channels Plus
Setting up Channels Plus was a breeze, according to Samuel, and his team at 14 West Laguna Beach Hotel immediately saw a real shift in how they manage their daily tasks. Instead of negotiating separately with each distribution channel and going back and forth about commission rates, they now have a simpler system.
“Channels Plus is equally impressive, allowing us to list our hotel rooms across multiple platforms without the tedious process of creating and managing separate accounts on each platform. It has helped us reduce administrative tasks and it’s super practical and functional,” he explained.
This change freed up the team’s time, letting them concentrate on what matters—creating better guest experiences rather than getting stuck with paperwork.
The accessibility of Channels Plus has opened doors to new distribution opportunities. The platform’s user-friendly process has encouraged Samuel to venture beyond familiar booking partners, leading to experimentation with channels that might have otherwise seemed challenging to implement. This increased willingness to explore new distribution channels has contributed to a more diverse and robust booking strategy.
“Our pricing strategy will always be different for each channel, that is a must,” Samuel said.
This consistent approach reflects a deliberate choice to maintain stability in their distribution channels, suggesting that once effective channels are identified, the property focuses on optimising these established pathways.
Tapping into new markets, new opportunities and more revenue
Simplifying distribution through SiteMinder’s platform didn’t just streamline operations; it opened up new market opportunities. By making it easier to connect with guests across multiple channels, the hotel expanded its reach and strengthened its competitive position.
“The more channels you have, the better your online presence,” noted Samuel. Samuel added that the volumes will keep increasing with time. “As long as you are visible in other channels, you will get a booking when the time comes.”
This success stems from the property’s expanded reach to two new channels thanks to Channels Plus, Hopper and Traveltino, which generated ten additional reservations. In fact, Samuel’s strategy is to connect to all available channels, maximising the hotel’s digital footprint across the distribution landscape.
14 West Boutique Hotel has also leveraged Demand Plus to enhance its direct booking strategy. “By featuring our property on major metasearch platforms like Google Hotel Ads, Trivago, and TripAdvisor, we’ve seen a notable increase in direct bookings,” Samuel shares. “This exposure has allowed us to reach guests who prefer booking directly, improving our occupancy rates.”
This multi-channel approach has not only diversified the guest mix but also strengthened overall revenue streams, creating a sustainable growth model for the property.