Penny's Drop opened in 2020 and is designed to sleep 30 people across two seven-bed dorms and eight double rooms, with a camping area, lounge and commercial kitchen guests share.

It is also home to two dogs, a cat, three sheep, 12 chickens and two goats – including Penny, the first animal to spend a night on the property and the source of its name.

"It's very modern – high roofs, good security, and we aim to just make it really nice" Alex says.

The family’s dream isn't complete just yet either. The plan is to add a boutique campground alongside the existing accommodation including four powered and eight non-powered sites, plus glamping pods and a few more animals including horses. This will lift the capacity from 30 to 60 guests and allow more travellers, cyclists and families to enjoy Pennys Drop and Central Otago.

Systems that keep pace with a growing accommodation business

Ambitions like that need an operation that can scale without swallowing the family's time – something Alex's parents, Des and Lynlea, understood well from the start.

"Seekom was really cool when we were setting it up. The support team was always around to answer our many questions. I have used Seekom software for about a year, but my parents have been using it as long as Penny’s Drop has been operating.”

All of Penny's Drop's rooms are linked to its website through Seekom, so guests can book online directly using Seekom’s embedded online booking screens.

Pricing across the property is easy to manage too, she says.

"All our rooms are set up in the system so they can be reduced or increased in price by a set percentage with one quick change, rather than having to do it room by room, and that saves a lot of time."

The family has also put Seekom's communication tools to work for one of the trickier parts of running shared accommodation: guests arriving after hours.

"We make good use of Seekom’s communications tools and have set up template emails for late check-ins, with videos included so guests know what to do if they are arriving late. We have had some good feedback from guests on those."

Payments run through the integrated SeekomPay solution, closing the loop from booking to payment in one place.

Running it together as a family

Des and Lynlea started Penny's Drop together, and Alex and her brother and sister have taken on a more active role in running it alongside their mum since Des passed away in 2025.

"Dad had a dream for this place but I wish he could see it now," Alex says. "Getting the technology all working well was the final part."

It's freed up something the family didn't have much of during the peak summer months.

"We're fully family run, so it's all hands on deck from November to the end of March when things get really busy," Alex says.

"Even mum now says she has her evenings free because Seekom makes things so much simpler. It's been a game changer."

With the systems doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes, the Offen family can put their energy where it matters most – into the atmosphere, the welcome, and turning first-time guests into the kind who come back year after year.