case study.

Sunčani Hvar

+18%Room nights
+12%avg. daily price
32%Revenue

About the Project

Sunčani Hvar is the leading hotel chain on the island of Hvar, one of the most sought-after Mediterranean destinations, renowned for its exceptional climate, crystal-clear sea, and rich cultural heritage. With a portfolio of seven premium properties, Sunčani Hvar has been setting the standards of hospitality excellence on the Adriatic for decades.

Despite a strong market position, the client identified four key challenges that were slowing the growth of direct bookings and undermining the user experience:

The existing booking system relied on an external CRS that did not meet user experience standards
Redirects to an external CRS domain were creating distrust among users
Tracking users across two domains was complex and prevented accurate conversion measurement
Competitors were increasingly and decisively transitioning to integrated booking systems

Solution – Custom On-Site Booking Engine

In collaboration with Sunčani Hvar, we developed a completely new website with an on-site booking engine integrated via the PHOBS API. The goal was clear: to eliminate all friction points between the guest and the booking, keep the user on the branded domain throughout the entire process, and give the team full control over the content.

The booking engine was designed with an emphasis on speed and intuitiveness. Users can enter the booking process from any step on the website, without unnecessary redirects. All rooms are always displayed - whether available or not - with automatic suggestions for alternative dates, dramatically reducing the bounce rate. The pricing display has been simplified, reducing cognitive load and accelerating the decision-making process.

In addition to the booking functionality, a loyalty program and a promo code system aimed at agencies were also implemented - significantly relieving the pressure on the reservations center. The calendar is fully optimized for mobile devices with intuitive scrolling, while the CMS with multilingual support and automatic AI translations enables the team to independently manage content across all markets.

The result is a seamless brand experience - from the first visit to the website through to the final booking confirmation.

Results – Direct Sales as the Best-Performing Sales Channel

The implementation of the custom booking engine delivered measurable improvements across all key segments. The Sunčani Hvar website became the strongest sales channel of the year — not only maintaining its position, but growing relative to OTA platforms and all other channels.

Direct sales show strong growth across all key metrics: the number of overnight stays increased by 18%, the average daily rate (ADR) grew by 12%, and total revenue from the direct channel recorded a growth of 32%.

Collaboration and Process

When selecting an agency, Sunčani Hvar had a clear criterion: proven experience with PHOBS API integration. The API connection was the biggest question mark of the project — whether it would function seamlessly and how much complexity it would introduce. By choosing an agency with experience in that specific integration, that risk was turned into a competitive advantage: a fast, stable, and secure implementation without the usual pitfalls.

In addition to the above, post-project support was also an important factor for the client when selecting an agency. Continuous availability, fast response times, and quality communication ensure long-term operational security - which is equally as important to the client as the technical delivery itself.

"I would definitely recommend working with bid. because we have achieved great results, we resolved every issue and found a compromise. I am satisfied with the support because I always have someone I can turn to." - Toni Jerković, Digital Marketing Manager

The digital transformation of Sunčani Hvar demonstrates what happens when technology, design, and strategy work in the same direction. The growth of 18% in overnight stays, 12% in average daily rate, and 32% in total direct channel revenue is no coincidence - it is the result of a thoughtful approach to every detail, from system architecture to user experience.