Leonardo Hotels digitalises offer processes in Convention Sales

Berlin - Leonardo Hotels Central Europe has introduced a cloud-based Convention Sales quotation system which is fundamentally changing the way in which event-related direct sales offers are drawn up and processed. A pilot project conducted last year at hotels in Augsburg, Nuremberg, Ulm and Mannheim showed that a reduction of around 50 percent in processing time could be achieved. A 12 percent rise in booking rates also occurred. The “Proposales” tool has been deployed right across the company in all hotels in Central Europe since the start of 2026. This follows in the footsteps of the Benelux Business Unit, which has been working with “Proposales” since as long ago as 2022.

Up to 800 enquiries are received every day, and the aim is to deal with these in a more effective manner whilst also significantly improving the response times of the 90-strong meetings and events team. Leonardo Hotels boasts almost 500 conference rooms extending over a total area of 36,000 square metres and hosts around 26,000 events per year. For this reason, the company is opting for a scalable and digital solution that will meet the constantly growing events demand.

Significantly faster response times 

The strength of Leonardo Hotels Central Europe lies in the high proportion of our direct bookings business, which accounts for over 80 per cent. This is an exceptional situation by modern day standards and demonstrates our close customer proximity. We have digitalised a process which was previously highly labour-intensive and time-consuming. The results display a clear picture. We are able to produce quotes much more quickly and can also present them in a more structured and consistent manner. This leads to more rapid response times, a factor which remains crucial on the meetings and events market and which also exerts a positive effect on the booking rate.

Lisa Mager, Head of Convention Sales Central Europe at Leonardo Hotels

From a multi-page proposal to a structured digital solution

Quotation processes in Convention Sales are traditionally complex. Information regarding room allocations, conferencing packages, availability, cancellation and payment conditions is often collated in extensive multi-page documents.

The new system replaces these manual procedures with a standardised and cloud-based proposal logic. All relevant content is pooled and structured and presented in a consistent format. Offers are complemented by visual elements such as pictures and videos, and these make the numerous event spaces and hotels even more tangible.

This changes both the speed and comparability of quoting.

Data-based control instead of individual case analysis – transparency across the board

Integrated reporting at employee, hotel and regional level forms a further key component of the system. Offer volumes, response times, customer interactions and reasons for rejection are systematically recorded and evaluated. This makes the quotation process in this form controllable via a database. Areas of potential for optimisation can be identified in a targeted manner and fed back into the operational teams.

A relaxation of the burden of day-to-day business creates greater scope for customer focus.

The system also impacts work organisation in Convention Sales. Employees are able to devote significantly less time to the creation of standardised offers and can concentrate more on individual customer guidance and on more complex enquiries.

“Efficiency and clear processes are becoming increasingly important in my department,” Lisa Mager went on. “The tool has been very well received by the team and ensures that more time is available for the actual customer care.”  

The plan for the next phase of development is to establish a direct connection to the Optima Events event system in order to transfer data automatically in future and to reduce the manual intermediary steps further. By introducing "Proposales", Leonardo Hotels is continuing to drive forward the digitalisation of key processes. The measure is part of the company's comprehensive digitisation initiative, which encompasses many areas.

For us, a good partnership means working together to develop solutions that create real added value. The successful collaboration with Leonardo Hotels is founded on trust, on tight networking and on a common understanding of innovation. We jointly create digital processes that relieve pressure on teams and sustainably enhance the customer experience.

Salar Roshandel, COO of Proposales