“We were paying commissions for bookings we didn’t expect. And every month, we had to pull financial data manually and re-enter it elsewhere”
Emma Kelman – Founder of The Island Holiday Company
Key takeaways
- Direct bookings increased from 10% to 30% (now 42%)
- Revenue growth: +33% YoY
- Occupancy increase: +27% YoY
- Monthly financial reports reduced from 7 days to 1
- Portfolio growth: 75 → 100+ properties
- Seamless onboarding during peak season
Emma Kelman, Founder of The Island Holiday Company, was managing 75 properties on the Isle of Wight with a UK-based PMS. As the business grew, the system couldn’t keep up, leading to inefficiencies, overbookings, and inaccurate reporting.
Meet The Island Holiday Company
The challenge: Outgrowing manual systems
Managing a growing portfolio with Excel and Outlook was becoming increasingly cumbersome. The company needed a smarter solution to handle scaling, prevent overbookings, and streamline operations.
“The system was slow, inefficient, and didn’t support our growth. We were spending too much time on manual tasks."
Emma Kelman – Founder of The Island Holiday Company
What wasn’t working
- Financial reporting flow
- Extra commissions from portals
- Inaccurate owner statements
- Limited scalability
- Inefficient operational processes
The solution: Avantio’s all-in-one ecosystem
Emma decided to integrate Avantio’s all-in-one platform, which allowed her team to manage everything from bookings to communication and financial reporting, on one centralised system.
“It’s one of the best decisions we’ve made. The difference was immediate.”
Emma Kelman – Founder of The Island Holiday Company
Avantio replaced multiple tools with:
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Channel Manager: Connected to Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and Google
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Integrated Accounting & Owner Statements
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Enterprise Website (white-label)
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Guest Area & Online Check-in
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Unified Inbox + Dynamic Pricing tools
A professional digital presence
Avantio’s Enterprise Website now drives 42% of bookings directly, up from 10% previously. This sleek, user-friendly site has also helped The Island Holiday Company rank higher on Google.
“Our website is amazing. People tell us all the time that it looks and feels professional—and it’s helped us rank higher on Google too.”
Emma Kelman – Founder of The Island Holiday Company
Avantio’s impact:
- Sleek, mobile-optimized design for luxury travelers
- Integration with Google Vacation Rentals
- Fast booking experience
- Improved visibility and SEO ranking
Onboarding during peak season
Emma’s team onboarded with Avantio in October, right in the middle of their busiest booking period. Many agencies would find this timing stressful, but thanks to Avantio’s structured onboarding and dedicated support, the transition was smooth and engaging.
“We had clear goals at each step. There were set tasks, regular video calls, and whenever we had a question, our account manager responded quickly.”
Emma Kelman – Founder of The Island Holiday Company
What could have been a disruption became an opportunity to level up. Avantio’s Customer Experience team guided the migration of 75 properties with zero downtime.
Ongoing support continues to stand out, with:
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⭐ 4.81/5 customer satisfaction on support tickets
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⭐ 4.45/5 average satisfaction during onboarding
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🌍 58 native experts across markets
A transparent system = Happier owners
Avantio’s transparency features built trust with property owners. Emma’s acquisition of a 45-property agency was smooth, as owners appreciated the real-time visibility of their bookings and earnings.
“The calendar, commissions, and bookings are all visible to our owners, and they love it.”
Emma Kelman – Founder of The Island Holiday Company
Avantio’s impact:
- Real-time transparency on calendars, bookings, and commissions
- Simpler monthly reporting
- Easier scaling for future acquisitions
What’s next?
Emma plans to integrate WhatsApp to improve guest communication and is exploring partnerships with other Avantio clients on Avantio’s cross selling network to expand outside the island.
“Avantio is key to our growth. We’re looking to scale even further and expand our reach.”
Emma Kelman – Founder of The Island Holiday Company
Want to find out if Avantio can do the same for your business?
Speak with our UK team to get started.
Schedule a callFAQs
Why did The Island Holiday Company switch from SuperControl to Avantio?
Their previous system lacked automation and scalability, requiring manual accounting and reporting.
How did Avantio help increase direct bookings?
Through an SEO-optimized Enterprise Website, unified Channel Manager, and transparent owner reporting.
What makes Avantio different from other PMS providers?
Avantio is built on first-hand experience, combing everything a vacation rental property manager needs: a PMS + Channel Manager + Website in one ecosystem—trusted by 1,000+ agencies worldwide.
