Overview
Chalets Hygge is a luxury hospitality brand based in Quebec, Canada, offering a collection of uniquely renovated homes and a boutique motel designed with warmth, creativity, and guest connection at its core. Founded by Kerri Gibson, Chalets Hygge has grown from a one-time flip project into a thriving hospitality business focused on direct bookings and long-term guest relationships.
By combining the operational strength of Lodgify and the guest marketing power of StayFi, Chalets Hygge is building a brand that puts human-first hospitality and smart technology at the heart of everything they do.
Background
After decades in corporate leadership, Kerri stepped away from the executive world in search of a more purposeful life. What began as a single renovation project quickly evolved into a full-time passion for property design and hospitality. With her partner joining the business during the early days of COVID, Chalets Hygge took shape—offering personalized, design-forward vacation rentals in Quebec’s Eastern Townships and Charlevoix region.
From the beginning, Kerri approached her new business with the rigor of her corporate background—carefully building a tech stack that would allow her to scale without losing the personalized, human touch.
The Tech Stack That Supports Growth
Lodgify
In 2019, Chalets Hygge chose Lodgify as their all-in-one property management and direct booking platform. Lodgify’s transparency, roadmap alignment, and exceptional support made it a clear winner. It offered not only a CMS and direct booking website but also evolving features like CRM, operations tools, and marketing automation.
StayFi
In 2023, Chalets Hygge added StayFi to extend their guest data capture beyond the primary booker—automating email collection via branded WiFi splash pages and seamlessly integrating with their new marketing tools. In just 18 months, StayFi helped them collect over 766 guest emails and remove friction from the WiFi login experience by eliminating the need for passwords.
Building a Brand That Guests Remember
From the start, Kerri understood the risk of relying solely on OTAs like Airbnb. “You never build your house on someone else’s land,” she explained. Instead, Chalets Hygge used platforms like Airbnb as a marketing channel—and doubled down on building a direct booking strategy powered by Lodgify and StayFi.
Despite the OTA push for market share, Chalets Hygge has maintained a 70% direct booking rate since 2022—an impressive figure supported by the automation and outreach capabilities of Lodgify and StayFi. Their tech stack enables them to scale sustainably while reinforcing guest loyalty and brand identity.
Their direct booking success was boosted by:
WiFi as a Brand Touchpoint
With StayFi, every guest—not just the booker—is introduced to the Chalets Hygge brand the moment they log into WiFi. This ensures consistent brand exposure across every booking channel and feeds a growing email list that powers their ongoing marketing
Hospitality as an Act of Service
“Our emails aren’t about selling,” says Kerri. “They’re about welcoming guests into the community.” With the help of marketing expert Tsen-Yun Hung, the team uses StayFi’s email automation to send local guides, seasonal tips, and stories that reflect their hospitality philosophy.
Smarter, Data-Driven Campaigns
With StayFi’s analytics, Tsen is continuously optimizing newsletters and automations—testing subject lines, refining timing, and analyzing engagement metrics to improve click-throughs and minimize unsubscribes. The team recently transitioned from Mailchimp to StayFi to streamline everything under one system.
The Impact
- 766+ guest emails collected via WiFi login
- 70% direct bookings sustained since 2022
- Automated and personalized email journeys for new and repeat guests
- Eliminated WiFi login issues by removing password requirements
- Increased brand awareness across all booking channels
- Operational time saved through Lodgify’s automation and guest sync tools
- Scalable, repeatable systems for long-term brand and revenue growth
Even during COVID, while others went dark, Chalets Hygge doubled down on brand-building and marketing. Today, they’re not just running a rental business—they’re running a purpose-driven hospitality brand with technology as their ally.
StayFi Tools Activated
Advice to Other Hosts
Kerri’s biggest piece of advice? “Always put the guest first.” Technology should enhance, not replace, human connection. And platforms like Lodgify and StayFi help operators do exactly that—automate where needed, and focus on building lasting relationships everywhere else.
Interested in Building a Guest-First Brand?
Get started with StayFi (use code LODGIFY for 50% off of your first 3 months).
Click here to get started with Lodgify.
