Owners: Neil and Amber Aitkenhead
Palmerston North has no shortage of places to stay. With dozens of accommodation providers competing for guests across the city, standing out takes more than a comfortable bed.
For Neil and Amber Aitkenhead, who invested in Kauri Court Motel & Apartments in 2024, the answer is straightforward: people matter, so be genuinely good to people and make sure the business’ systems run smoothly enough behind the scenes to let you do exactly that.
“Hospitality as it used to be, accommodation as it should be, that's Kauri Court’s tagline,” Neil says.
“We’re family run and operated and great hospitality is what we're all about."
Providing great service needs time and presence to deliver, so Neil and Amber are hands-on owner-managers; greeting guests, keeping standards high, and making sure people feel genuinely looked after rather than just checked in.
Neil says they pride themselves on taking extra time to ‘check in’ with people before they arrive, making sure they have what they need to ensure their stay is a positive experience.
None of that would be possible, though, if the operational side of running the motel was eating up the day.
The Seekom advantage
When Neil and Amber took ownership, Kauri Court Motel & Apartments was spread across three separate systems. They made an early call to switch to Seekom property management software – a decision made easy, thanks to the knowledge some members of Amber's family who own holiday parks around New Zealand and have long relied on Seekom to run them.
"Amber's family has a few holiday parks around New Zealand and they all use Seekom, so she knew how good it was," Neil says.
Now, bookings made through the motel's own website feed directly into Seekom, which updates room availability in real time across every listing channel Kauri Court uses – including overseas travel agents (OTAs). Double bookings can be a problem for operators on systems, Neil says, but with Seekom they simply don’t happen. SeekomPay takes care of payments. The admin that once required juggling multiple platforms now runs seamlessly.
"When I talk to other accommodation providers about the alternative systems they use, I'm both mystified and surprised at all the steps they have to go through. Seekom just makes it easy for us."
With the friction of accommodation management removed, Neil and Amber can give their attention to guests and the welcome that has earned Kauri Court Motel & Apartments such great guest reviews.
The motel offers something relatively rare in Palmerston North: genuine variety under one roof. Its 16 rooms span 12 executive studios and four multi-room modern apartments with inter-connecting options, making it well suited to visitors in town for events or special occasions, large family groups, sports teams, and business travellers alike.
The motel sits five minutes’ walk from the Esplanade and Manawatū River and 15 minutes’ walk from the CBD, including George Street and Broadway, two of Palmerston North's most popular dining and café strips – places Neil and Amber are happy to make personalised recommendations on.
In a city with as many accommodation choices as Palmerston North, Kauri Court's combination of personal service and room variety gives it a strong foundation. The right systems quietly reinforce that – handling the bookings, the payments, and the channel management so Neil and Amber can stay focused on what they enjoy most.
"We're people people. It fills our bucket to see returning guests to Manawatū, Seekom is key to our success".
Note: Something you may not know is that we also build websites. Many of our customers have Seekom-built, self managed websites with full control, backed by our expert setup and support. If you’re interested in finding out more, please get in touch.
Contact Us
4/234 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2025 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
After sharing our plans for 2026 in our latest newsletter, we realised that some of the ideas around AI might still feel a bit unclear.
Many people hear the term ‘AI’ everywhere, but it’s not always obvious how it connects to the day‑to‑day work of running an accommodation property. So, we’ve put together a clear, more practical look at what we’re exploring and why it could be useful for you.
Most of us already use AI without thinking about it. When your phone unlocks with Face ID, when Google Maps finds a faster route around traffic, when Gmail offers a suggested reply, or when your bank spots unusual activity - that’s AI helping in the background.
The same goes for searching online, asking your phone to show photos of your dog, getting recommendations on Netflix or Spotify, or using quick translation tools while travelling. These things don’t feel technical. They’re simply small conveniences that make life easier. That’s the kind of experience we want to bring into Seekom.
As we look at how AI can support our accommodation providers, we’d love your input. Sharing your views in our quick three‑minute survey helps us understand which tools would genuinely make your day easier.
Running an accommodation business means lots of small tasks that add up: checking bookings, adjusting rates, answering questions, pulling reports. AI can help remove some of that friction by simplifying the work that currently takes the most clicks or the most time, such as:
It’s not about replacing people. It’s simply about making your systems work more smoothly so you can focus on guests and revenue.
If any of these ideas sound useful, we’d love to know. Your feedback in the AI Feature Interest Survey helps us decide which features to prioritise first.
We’re exploring a range of AI features and would love your input on which ones matter most.
What new bookings or changes happened since 6pm last night?"
“Update this weekend’s rates by 5%”
"Hold the Standard Queen for Sarah Doe, arriving Friday"
"Add breakfast for two for booking 91827, both nights, and late checkout on Sunday"
"Pipe burst in Unit 12. Make Unit 12 unbookable for the next 10 days"
A tool like this has the potential to save a significant amount of time and reduce the number of screens you need to work through each day.
“How many bookings do I have for Easter?”
“What was occupancy by room type for the last 90 days?”
“Show me revenue for each unit for the past month.”
“What was occupancy last July?”
The system would then pull the figures together for you.
“Increase studio rates by 10% for Easter weekend.”
“Lower tonight’s price slightly to help fill remaining availability.”
“Raise family unit rates next Saturday due to high demand in the area.”
“Reduce weekday rates by 5% this month to improve occupancy.”
A guest asks at 11pm
“Do you have parking?” and gets an immediate reply: “Yes, there’s parking right in front of each unit.”
Someone wants to know
“Are pets allowed?” and the chatbot answers straight away with your pet policy.
A traveller planning ahead asks
“Do you have any rooms available next Friday?” and the chatbot checks availability and shows what’s open.
A family browsing your site asks
“Do you have cots available?” and receives instant confirmation.
These quick answers help guests feel more confident booking and reduce the amount of back‑and‑forth your team needs to manage.
We’re also working on making the Seekom booking screen easier for AI-driven travel tools to read, which will help properties stay visible as search behaviour changes.
AI can support teams of any size by reducing admin, improving response times and helping with decisions that previously relied on manual work. It’s designed to give you a boost, not replace anyone.
Your input will directly shape which AI features we build first. So have your say, vote, prioritise, and let us know which features matter most to you.
Completing the survey takes under three minutes, and everyone who takes part can enter the draw to win a $100 Prezzy card.
Complete the AI Feature Interest Survey
Smarts to help you operate more effectively and efficiently. From guides of our systems and integrations to tips and tricks you can use every day - we've got you covered.
Get more stories from Seekom in your inbox.
Contact Us
4/234 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2025 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
Artificial intelligence isn’t approaching the accommodation industry, it has already arrived. And just like the introduction of online bookings two decades ago, AI represents a structural shift that will change how providers operate, how guests choose where to stay, and how leading businesses differentiate themselves.
What makes this moment unique is that most providers are already using AI every day without realising it. It feels futuristic until you notice it’s been quietly improving your life for years
You’re already using AI when you…
None of this feels complicated. It simply feels helpful. That’s how AI will continue to develop within accommodation: simple, intuitive and quietly powerful.
The biggest shift unfolding in the industry is the way travellers search for and choose accommodation. AI‑driven travel assistants, ranging from mobile search tools to conversational trip planners, are already shaping booking decisions by interpreting preferences, comparing options and suggesting tailored places to stay.
Over the next few years, these assistants are likely to become the first stop for many travellers. Properties that appear clearly in AI‑powered search environments will gain a visibility advantage long before a guest reaches a website. This makes it essential for your digital presence to be structured in a way that AI tools can understand, assess and present to travellers.
While the future of AI driven search is transformative, the most immediate value of AI sits behind the scenes, removing friction from the tasks that take up staff time.
Forward‑thinking providers are already exploring AI for:
Staff aren’t being replaced here. What’s disappearing is the repetitive work that slows everything down. Tasks that once meant jumping between screens or manually checking data can now be done in seconds with simple prompts. The result is more time for genuine guest interaction and far less time lost to admin.
Contrary to common belief, AI isn’t a tool built solely for large hotel chains. Smaller providers stand to benefit even more because AI helps them:
AI becomes the great equaliser, giving independents the capability once reserved for big operators.
Three shifts define the accommodation providers who will stay competitive:
Expect to see:
Hospitality is fundamentally human. But rising admin demands have pushed providers away from guests and deeper into screens. AI offers a path back by reducing the noise, clearing the clutter and bringing people closer to the work they do best.
AI isn’t the end of hospitality. It marks the start of a new era where providers gain the time, clarity and tools to deliver exceptional guest experiences without giving up operational efficiency.
Smarts to help you operate more effectively and efficiently. From guides of our systems and integrations to tips and tricks you can use every day - we've got you covered.
Get more stories from Seekom in your inbox.
Contact Us
4/234 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2025 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)