How the David Citadel Hotel streamlined guest services and revenue management with Optima PMS

Managing a luxury hotel means every guest interaction matters. From the moment a reservation is made until check-out, staff need immediate access to accurate guest information while coordinating services across multiple departments. 

As Fathi Rassas, Executive Director of Revenue, Reservations & Distribution at Alrov Luxury Hotels explains, “Since we are managing the largest five-star luxury hotel in Jerusalem, David Citadel, a strong and efficient PMS system can assist in delivering the exceptional service a guest can expect by having everything in one pool of information.” 

Without a fully integrated system, information can become fragmented between departments, creating unnecessary manual work, slower guest service, and reduced operational visibility. The hotel also needed a better way to manage large group bookings, coordinate events, simplify guest check-in, and forecast room availability more accurately. 

Key challenges included: 

• Delivering a seamless luxury guest experience across multiple departments 

• Managing large group reservations efficiently 

• Reducing manual check-in processes 

• Coordinating restaurants, spa, housekeeping, and maintenance,  

• Handling all events aspects from booking to payment within one solution Improving room availability forecasting for revenue management 

To support the hotel's complex, high-volume operations, Alrov implemented Optima PMS as a fully integrated platform connecting all departments—from front office and reservations to housekeeping, maintenance, food and beverage, spa, and central reservation. The system centralizes guest data, streamlines communication, and ensures that every team works from a single source of truth, enabling faster decisions and more consistent service delivery. 

By unifying all hotel functions into one platform, Optima has helped Alrov transform daily operations into a seamless, connected workflow. The result is not only greater efficiency behind the scenes, but also a more personalized and reliable guest experience that reflects the hotel's luxury standards. 

The David Citadel Hotel implemented Optima PMS to centralize guest information and connect every operational department through one integrated system. Today, reservations, housekeeping, maintenance, restaurants, spa services, group bookings, and revenue management all work from the same real-time information, ensuring that every team is aligned around a single source of truth. 

A complete guest profile

Every guest interaction is automatically connected to a single profile. Whether a guest books a spa treatment, dining reservation, or additional service, the information is immediately available throughout the hotel. As Fathi explains, “Once the guest books a massage, it's already integrated into his profile in the PMS,” ensuring that every department has a complete and up-to-date view of the guest's preferences and activities.

Digital pre-arrival check-in

Guests receive a pre-check-in link before arrival, allowing them to upload documents and complete registration before reaching the hotel. This streamlines the arrival process, as Fathi notes: “The pre-check-in link facilitates the process for the guests so they don't have to wait in line or upload the documents,” ultimately reducing front desk congestion while creating a smoother, more welcoming arrival experience.

Simplified group reservations

Managing group bookings has become significantly easier through Optima's dedicated group management functionality. Staff can import an entire rooming list directly from Excel, automatically creating complete guest profiles for every attendee. “With one click, you can import an Excel sheet with the rooming list into the PMS system. Everything is filled out in the guest profile,” says Fathi, making large-scale coordination far more efficient. Groups can also be linked directly to conferences, meetings, or other events taking place at the hotel, simplifying coordination across departments.

Integrated hotel operations

By connecting restaurants, spa services, housekeeping, maintenance, and reservations within one system, every department has immediate access to the same guest and operational information. According to Fathi, “Using one system along with all of its subordinates can make you save cost of distribution…cost of interaction for the restaurant and spa…can be time saving for us as a company,” enabling smoother collaboration and more efficient day-to-day operations.

Smarter revenue management

Optima provides real-time visibility into housekeeping and maintenance activities, allowing revenue managers to understand exactly which rooms are available, temporarily closed, or scheduled to return to inventory. As Fathi highlights, “advanced technology of room maintenance and housekeeping in Optima gives me a lead to understand the availability I have for the upcoming period and whether there are any closed rooms. It will give me an assist to build my forecast for the future,” supporting more accurate forecasting and stronger revenue decisions.

By consolidating every operational department into a single PMS, The David Citadel Hotel has created a more connected guest experience while improving efficiency behind the scenes. Staff spend less time searching for information or coordinating between systems, while guests benefit from faster check-in, personalized service, and seamless communication throughout their stay. 

From group reservations to room forecasting, every department now works from one centralized source of truth, allowing the hotel to maintain the service standards expected of one of Jerusalem's leading luxury properties.