Hospitality management on behalf of the owner.
Vela Blu takes over the operational and commercial management of hotels, aparthotels and residential buildings. The result of the property stays with the owner; the operator is remunerated with a percentage. An automated operating model keeps staff costs to a minimum: for the same revenue, far more stays with the owner.
A direct operator with a digital operating model
Vela Blu is a hotel and serviced-apartment management company based in Malta. It operates hospitality properties directly, with a model that centralises pricing, distribution, guest service and administration, and keeps on site only the functions that require it. In Malta it operates The Lyric, an aparthotel of 13 units in Sliema, and Boutique Suites, a 10-room boutique hotel in Gżira.
Guest journey
Online registration before arrival with ID document, terms and digital signature. Access through temporary codes for each stay. Guest assistance on WhatsApp in eight languages, around the clock, with staff intervention when required.
Sales and pricing
Distribution on Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia and the direct website through a proprietary property management system and channel manager. Rates updated daily on demand.
Operations
Cleaning and maintenance carried out by local staff, coordinated through an application with shifts generated from bookings and photo checks. Damage guarantees handled for every stay.
Administration and control
Accounts kept per property, monthly statement to the owner and a dashboard with occupancy, rates and revenue available at any time.
Why the owner keeps more with Vela Blu
The heaviest cost of a hospitality property is staff. Vela Blu automates almost everything that normally requires people: guest registration, access, assistance, pricing, distribution, cleaning shifts, accounting. No reception desk, no night shift, no reservations office: only the functions that are truly needed remain on site. For the same revenue, the money a traditional operator spends on staff stays with the owner as result.
Lease and management compared
Under a fixed lease the owner gives up the entire result of the property in exchange for a constant amount. Under management the result stays with the owner, who remunerates the operator with a percentage.
| Fixed lease | Vela Blu management | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | Entirely to the tenant. | To the owner, net of operating costs and the operator’s percentage. |
| Performance | Does not affect what the owner receives. | Better performance increases the owner’s result. |
| Owner’s involvement | Monitoring the tenant and the building. | Reading the monthly statement and periodic reviews with the operator. |
| Staff | Borne by the tenant, according to its model. | Local staff limited to cleaning and maintenance; the other functions are centralised. |
| Sales | According to the tenant’s choices. | All sales channels, dynamic rates, direct bookings. |
| Protection of the building | According to the lease. | Identified guests, tracked access, damage guarantees for every stay. |
| Information | Limited to the payment of the rent. | Real-time dashboard and monthly statement, line by line. |
Indicative example: a 30-room hotel in a city destination
| Lease | Management | |
|---|---|---|
| Property revenue (70% occupancy, €120 average rate) | ≈ €920,000 | ≈ €920,000 |
| Operating costs and operator’s percentage | borne by the tenant | ≈ 55% of revenue |
| Annual result for the owner | ≈ €240,000 (rent) | ≈ €415,000 |
Illustrative figures. Occupancy, rate, costs and percentage are defined on the actual property, its historical data and its market.
The proposal
Full management, remunerated with a percentage. The result is paid to the owner monthly, with a statement. The operator’s remuneration is a percentage defined in the contract.
Percentage of revenue
The operator’s remuneration follows the revenue of the property. Simple and verifiable from the statement.
Percentage of result
Calculated on the operating result. Maximum alignment between operator and owner.
Monthly minimum
At the owner’s request, a minimum monthly amount paid from takings, supplemented by the share of the result.
Provided by Vela Blu
- Management organisation and technology
- Sales, pricing, direct bookings
- Guest reception and assistance
- Coordination of cleaning and routine maintenance
- Monthly statement and owner dashboard
Conditions
- Hotels, aparthotels, residences and buildings from five rooms or residential units
- A counterpart with decision-making authority for the owner
Term, remuneration and start-up are defined case by case.
Start-up path
1. Analysis
Introductory meeting, site visit, review of historical data and the market.
2. Proposal
Written proposal: remuneration, term, allocation of responsibilities.
3. Start-up
Contract, photography, sales channels, automated access, rates, staff. Three to six weeks.
4. Management
Operations and monthly statement to the owner from the first month.
Properties and situations of interest
Property types
- Hotels of every category and size
- Aparthotels, residences, serviced apartments
- Entire residential buildings to be converted to hospitality
- Boutique hotels, structured bed and breakfasts, hostels
- Properties under construction or about to be delivered
Situations
- Operating properties looking for an operator
- Closed or under-used properties to be brought back into operation
- Investor-owned buildings requiring an operator
- Projects by developers and builders
Location
- Any country: management is centralised, local teams are organised on site
- City, seaside, lake and mountain destinations
Size requirement
Hotels, aparthotels, residences and buildings from five rooms or residential units. Below this threshold professional management is not economically viable.
Investors, developers, agencies
Vela Blu evaluates every property submitted and replies promptly with a defined position on remuneration, conditions and start-up timing. One single counterpart for whoever presents the opportunity.
Contact
A preliminary assessment of a property only requires an introductory call.
Andrea Colangelo · Vela Blu · info@velablustays.com · +356 7783 9999 · Vela Blu Ltd, Gżira, Malta