Located along England’s iconic Southwest Coast Path, commonly known as The Salt Path, Mariners Guest House is a welcoming nine-bedroom property where character meets modern comfort. Recently renovated and family-run by Olive and Jack, the guesthouse centres around a large communal dining space and attracts a varied mix of guests, from long-distance coastal walkers to occasional business travellers.
Since taking over in February 2025, Olive and Jack have poured their energy into creating a stay that feels personal, relaxed, and well-organised. But as their first busy summer approached, daily operations quickly became challenging.
“It wasn’t fair to the guests or us; it was quite overwhelming for everybody.” Jack explains.
“When we hit the summer, trying to check in four or five people at the same time became really stressful.”
Before GuestAppy, all check-ins were handled in person, and guest communication happened through OTA platforms like Booking.com and Expedia. While these channels made it easier to get bookings as a new business, they were restrictive, often clunky, and sometimes led to missed messages.
“Communicating through OTAs is clunky,”Jack says. “You’re almost forced to use automatic responses. Double messages happen, and guests don’t see it as the OTA’s fault; they think it’s us. It looks unprofessional.”
Another limitation was the inability to reliably capture guest emails. This made direct communication, including pre-arrival information, dietary requirements, or post-stay follow–ups, difficult and time-consuming. Olive and Jack often found themselves answering the same questions repeatedly while scrambling to prepare for last-minute requests.
“I feel a lot happier being able to say something directly to a guest now,” Jack says.“With GuestAppy, we have their email, so we can communicate directly rather than being restricted by OTA messaging rules.”
Olive and Jack needed a solution that could:
GuestAppy quickly transformed how Mariners Guest House operates day to day. The platform’s digital check-in feature collects guest details before arrival, meaning Olive and Jack can prepare in advance instead of reacting under pressure. Dietary requirements, arrival times, room preferences, and other vital information are ready ahead of check-in.
“With GuestAppy, we just read the forms in the morning, have all our information ready, give them their keys, have a little chat, and that’s it,”Jack says.“Nice and easy. It streamlines the whole process massively.”
Setting up GuestAppy was quick and intuitive, with all settings and communications housed in a single platform. With the digital check–in feature collecting card information for incidentals, Jack felt reassured that any potential issues could be resolved smoothly.
“We had someone damage a room, but because we had their card on file for incidentals, it was easy to manage,”Jack recalls.“Trying to do that through Booking.com would have been a nightmare.”
Importantly, GuestAppy captures guests’ emails automatically, allowing Olive and Jack to communicate directly before, during, and after a stay. This has opened the door to repeat bookings in a way that wasn’t possible through OTAs.
“We’ve been able to keep in touch with multiple guests since they stayed,” Jack says. “It’s so much easier now to send them a quick email. They’re happy, and sometimes they reply saying, ‘Can we come again on this date?’ It’s a lot more fluid.”
Since introducing GuestAppy, the benefits for both guests and hosts have been clear:
“Guests have said it’s really helpful to know everything before they arrive, especially the parking info,” Jack says. “It’s massively reduced stress for both the guests and us.”
GuestAppy has helped Mariners Guest House strike the perfect balance between professionalism and personality. With the admin taken care of, Olive and Jack can focus on what matters most: delivering a friendly, welcoming experience.
“Digital check-in has been a big help,”Jack says.“Overall, it’s massively, massively helped. It gives us some spare time back in our day and makes work a lot easier and less stressful.”
By capturing guest emails and centralising all check-in details, GuestAppy has helped the team operate more smoothly, provide personalised attention to detail, and strengthen relationships with returning guests.
For Mariners Guest House, GuestAppy delivers simplicity, efficiency, and peace of mind. From pre-arrival communication to smooth check-ins, it supports both guests and hosts every step of the way.
“It’s given us back time, reduced stress, and improved the guest experience.”Jack concludes.“I’d absolutely recommend it.”
GuestAppy helps independent, family-run guesthouses like Mariners create a smoother, more professional journey for every guest; before, during, and after their stay.
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