Bridging expertise: A new era for hotels with Smarthotel and Net Affinity
In January 2025, Smarthotel and Net Affinity entered an exciting strategic partnership as part of the Hotel Tech Group. Although both companies are operating independently and under their own brand, the partnership has created new opportunities for hoteliers across Europe to solve complex challenges more efficiently.
Sharon Cowley, Sales Director at Net Affinity, and Quinten Gazendam, Director of Sales and Marketing at Smarthotel, shared their insights on how this collaboration is benefiting hoteliers and their shared vision for the future.
A partnership built on strengths
Sharon Cowley of Net Affinity reflects on the benefits of working with Smarthotel: “Our collaboration allows us to compete with other providers that offer a broader range of services. With Smarthotel’s flexible infrastructure, we can now build custom connections — particularly valuable for region-specific strategies or even GDS.”
Meanwhile, Quinten Gazendam of Smarthotel emphasised how the companies’ complementary strengths are central to the partnership: “At Smarthotel, we specialise in distribution, PMS connectivity and payments. Net Affinity brings expertise in booking engines and digital marketing. Combining our skills provides a holistic solution for hoteliers that covers both front-end bookings and back-end operations.”
Working together to maximise hotel revenue and guest satisfaction
The main takeaway from their conversation is that while Net Affinity and Smarthotel are separate entities, their collaboration brings new opportunities to streamline hotel operations and revenue management. This partnership offers a seamless integration between booking engines, digital marketing, PMS and payment solutions.
For instance, hoteliers are now benefiting from faster issue resolution. Previously, hotels had to coordinate across multiple vendors when facing rate and package mismatches between websites and OTAs. Now, with the shared support team, issues are resolved quickly, saving time and reducing complexity.
Quinten added: “Previously, dealing with niche OTA connectivity was a dead-end. Now, we can build custom connections for our clients globally. This flexibility ensures we meet the unique needs of every hotelier we work with.”
What this collaboration means for the hotels
Here are a few ways the collaboration is already delivering tangible value:
- Rate and package mismatches: Resolved faster with integrated support across website and OTA channels. Now, with joined-up support, issues are resolved quickly by one support team together.
- Marketing that syncs with live data: Campaigns from Net Affinity are now backed by real-time availability updates, closing the loop between demand and inventory.
- Automated payments: Smart Payments suite helps hotels collect OTA payments or send paylinks for group bookings, reducing manual admin and elevating the guest journey.
- Quicker resolution times: Clients now deal with one team who understands both sides of the system – cutting delays and increasing satisfaction.
How hotels are already seeing the benefits
One standout example of this collaboration is The Hawthorn Hotel, a stunning new property opening in 2026 on Ireland’s West Coast.
From day one, The Hawthorn has partnered with Net Affinity and Smarthotel to create an effortless, guest-centric digital ecosystem — all before their first guest checks in.
The hotel’s tech stack is mobile-first and revenue-driven, combining Net Affinity’s booking engine and marketing tools with Smarthotel’s channel manager and PMS integrations. The hotel is benefiting from a fully connected journey from pre-arrival to post-stay, designed to boost conversion, reduce friction and elevate the guest experience.
Watch the full interview here:
Looking at future prospects
Sharon and Quinten are excited about what lies ahead for the collaboration. Sharon sums it up perfectly: “It’s not just about now, it's about guaranteeing our presence in the next decade. Our clients want stability and with this partnership, we’re future proofing our services.”
Quinten adds: “We’ve found a groove with Net Affinity. The synergy between our teams is strong and that’s where the real value lies – creating a better, more integrated experience for hoteliers.”
This corporation between Net Affinity and Smarthotel will be the ultimate solution for hoteliers to drive direct bookings, depend less on OTAs and increase their revenue strategies across Europe.
For hoteliers looking for tailored digital solutions to grow their business, this partnership offers the perfect combination of expertise, innovation and customer-first values.
For more information about the Hotel Tech Group, please visit https://www.hoteltechgroup.com/ and to learn more about our partner, Net Affinity, visit https://www.netaffinity.com/.
