SeekomPay ‘brilliant’ for business at boutique South Island motel

Fizz enjoys the freedom of not having to be on-site to handle her business.

“SeekomPay allows me to run my accommodation from anywhere – I don’t need anyone to be on-site to take payments.”

She says SeekomPay fits right in with her innovative approach to business, with Clyde Central excelling at catering for two niche demographics – dog lovers and cycling enthusiasts – in addition to travellers who are just looking for an outstanding place to stay.

The motel offers popular "dog retreats" and a “Gravel Riders Bash” plus bike hire and e-bike charging. It also contains a mini bike shop as well as bike storage and a bike cleaning and maintenance station.

“It’s not like a traditional hotel or motel, it’s a cool little boutique place.”

Clyde Central is located an hour’s drive from Wanaka and Queenstown and two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Invercargill and Dunedin, attracting cycling enthusiasts looking for a change of scene and the prospect of cruising some of New Zealand’s most epic cycle trails.

Nestling at the start of four of New Zealand’s Great Rides – Otago Central Rail Trail, Lake Dunstan Trail, Roxburgh Gorge Trail and Clutha Gold Trail – Fizz’s establishment lives up to its name of being central in more ways than one, she says.

“Lots of guests come to do the rail trails, and the river and lake are right next door too. We have a nice outdoor area with a fire that guests like to sit around to roast marshmallows or just chat and enjoy a drink in the evening.”

Clyde Central’s eight units range from one to three bedrooms and are like small apartments with cooking facilities, designed to allow guests to be self-sufficient if they want to be, she says.

Fizz says when she bought Clyde Central in 2020 it was easy to decide on Seekom’s property management software.

“I looked at just about every system available and I chose Seekom because it ticked the most boxes.”

Fizz says she loves Seekom’s automated SMS and email guest-messaging functionality that she uses to keep guests informed about key details, especially as the communication options support the self-check-in process and offer her the flexibility to operate off-site.

After a quiet winter period Fizz says summer at Clyde Central is hotting up with strong booking numbers and a waiting list for the next dog retreat, after the last one sold out.

Now she’s got all her financial ducks in a row with SeekomPay, Fizz is ready to get all the dogs and bikes in a row and take care of business for the peak season.