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How an Independent Motel Replaced Its Legacy Phone System with a Complete Communication Service

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A Think Simplicity + Cloudbeds Case Study 
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This independent motel case study demonstrates how replacing a legacy phone system with a complete communication service for independent hotels—integrated with a cloud-based PMS — can dramatically reduce labor costs and improve hotel operations efficiency. 
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A Classic Motel with a Growing Problem 

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Running a hotel should not feel like fighting your own technology. 
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But for Park Motel & Cabins, it did. 
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Day-to-day operations were slowed by disconnected tools and outdated processes — but one issue caused more friction than anything else: unreliable communication.  
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Phones didn’t always work. 

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Systems didn’t talk to each other. 

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Simple tasks took far too long. 

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‍And when something broke, getting help often meant waiting days — sometimes weeks. 
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This was a 1960s coastal motel with charm that guests loved, but operations were stuck in the past. 

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Behind the scenes, communication failures quietly drove up labor costs, slowed reservations, and made it harder for staff to do their jobs with confidence. 
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To move forward without losing what made the property special, the owners needed more than just new software.

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They had to rebuild how the motel operated behind the scenes — starting with systems that worked together reliably, without adding complexity, staff stress, or risk.  
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This is how they did it.  
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What Makes Park Motel & Cabins Different 

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Park Motel & Cabins is an independent retro-style coastal motel originally built in 1965, located along the Oregon coast.

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What began as a small, seven-room, mom-and-pop property has grown into a 15-room motel with five standalone cabins, spread across a forested, beach-adjacent property. 
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The owners intentionally preserved the motel’s classic charm — pine-plank walls, drive-up rooms, cabins with fire pits — creating what international travelers have described as the “quintessential American motel experience.” 
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But behind the scenes, the systems running the business had not kept up.  
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What Was Holding the Motel Back 

When the current owners took over, nearly everything was manual. Reservations were tracked with paper calendars and handwritten notes.

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Pricing changes were slow and inconsistent. Housekeeping workflows lacked structure. 
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There was no modern PMS — and no reliable way for systems or staff to stay in sync. 
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Everything required extra time and workarounds: 

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• Phone reservations often took 20 minutes 
• Housekeeping workflows were unstructured 
• Pricing adjustments relied on guesswork 
• Staff time was consumed by manual fixes and workarounds 

The phone system was one of the biggest pain points. 
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“Support and maintenance just sucked.” 
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“It was literally a brick sitting on the desk.”  
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Phones were unreliable. Voicemail frequently failed. Even basic tasks like transferring a call were so confusing that most staff avoided the system altogether. 
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On top of that, the motel was paying nearly $1,000 per month for phone and TV services, plus $1,000 per technician visit whenever something broke. Repairs often took weeks. 
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For a small, independent property, these communication failures didn’t just slow operations — they quietly increased labor costs, frustrated guests, and limited growth. 
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Why the Old Way Couldn’t Continue 

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Labor was already the motel’s biggest expense. Without automation, every inefficiency added pressure to a small team. 
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“If it takes half an hour to make a reservation, that turns into a lot of money real fast.” 
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Broken phones affected guest communication. Manual processes slowed staff down. Rising costs limited growth. 
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Doing nothing was no longer an option. 
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To modernize the business without losing its soul, everything behind the scenes had to change — without adding complexity. 

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‍A Simpler Way to Run an Independent Motel 

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Rather than stacking new tools on top of old problems, the owners made a clean break. 

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They rebuilt operations using systems designed for how independent hotels and motels actually operate. 
 

Why Cloudbeds 

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Cloudbeds was selected as the property’s first modern PMS, providing: 

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• Faster reservations 
• Automated housekeeping workflows 
• Dynamic pricing tools 
• Cloud-based reliability 
• Strong integrations with other hotel systems 

Just as important, Cloudbeds removed the need for on-site servers — a critical factor on the Oregon coast. 
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Power and internet outages are common in the area, sometimes lasting for hours.

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Any system hosted on-site created real risk.

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A cloud-based PMS ensured the business could keep running even when local infrastructure failed.  
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Cloudbeds gave the owners a modern operational foundation — but running a smooth property still depended on how staff and guests communicated day to day. 
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Without reliable, hotel-built communication, even the best PMS can’t prevent missed calls, slow reservations, or staff confusion. 

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Why Think Simplicity 

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For communication, reliability mattered just as much. 
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The old phone system relied on equipment that failed often and required outside technicians to repair. 

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The owners needed a hotel communication system designed specifically for independent hotels — one that worked seamlessly with their PMS and didn’t require staff to manage or troubleshoot it. 
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Think Simplicity stood out for several reasons: 

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• Built specifically for hotel and motel operations 
• Direct integration with Cloudbeds 
• No on-site servers to maintain 
• Simple for staff to use without training overhead 
• Responsive support from specialists who understand hotel operations 

“It was designed specifically for hotels.” 
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“Simplicity was a big thing.” 
 
More importantly, Think Simplicity wasn’t just another vendor to manage.

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It became a service and a partner the team could rely on — removing communication as a daily concern instead of adding another tool to the stack. 
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The goal was clear: fewer moving parts, fewer mistakes, and fewer things for staff to worry about. 
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Together, Think Simplicity and Cloudbeds created a connected operational backbone — with communication finally becoming reliable instead of reactive. 
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How the Transition Actually Worked 

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Despite the property’s mix of analog and IP wiring, implementation was fast and smooth: 
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• Think Simplicity’s system was fully operational within three days 
• Legacy wiring challenges were handled without disrupting guests 
• Cloudbeds integration was immediate and straightforward 

“Just log in, click, and turn it on.” 
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The integration unlocked a critical automation: 

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• When a guest checks in, the room phone turns on 
• When they check out, it turns off automatically 

“That’s a big deal.” 
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What had once been a daily, manual, and error-prone task disappeared overnight. 

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What Changed After the Switch 

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The impact of the Think Simplicity and Cloudbeds integration was immediate and measurable. 
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Before:

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• 20-minute phone reservations 
• Five full-time housekeepers 
• Manual phone management 
• ~$1,000/month telecom bills 
• Frequent system failures 
• Staff dependent on one “tech person” to fix problems 

After:

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• 5-minute reservations 
• Two full-time housekeepers 
• Phones tied directly to check-in and check-out 
• ~$400/month savings on phone service 
• Reliable systems that just work 
• Confident staff 
• Responsive support specialists who understand your unique property  

“I don’t have to think about it anymore.”  
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The Results That Made the Difference 

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With communication no longer fragile or manual, the entire operation began moving faster — from reservations to housekeeping to guest experience. 

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• Revenue doubled over time through dynamic pricing and efficiency 
• ~$20,000 per year saved through time and labor efficiencies 
• ~$400/month saved on phone and telecom costs 
• 60% reduction in housekeeping staff, without sacrificing cleanliness 
• Eliminated $1,000 technician visits 
• Improved guest experience and consistency 

Staff no longer depended on a single “tech-savvy” person to fix problems.

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Reservations moved faster.

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Housekeeping workflows became more predictable.

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And communication simply worked — without staff having to think about it. 
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Today, Park Motels & Cabins holds a strong 4.3 rating across more than 5,000 online reviews. 
 

“We’re known as one of the cleanest hotels in town.” 
 

What Matters Most Now 

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Today, the biggest win isn’t a feature — it’s peace of mind. 
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When something goes wrong, the motel knows they can reach a knowledgeable support team that understands hotel operations and can resolve issues quickly. 
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“Think Simplicity support takes over and gets it handled.” 
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Instead of fighting systems, the team focuses on guests, pricing, and running the business.  
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A Retro Motel with a Complete, Modern Communication Service 

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Park Motel & Cabins didn’t modernize to become something else.

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They modernized so their systems could finally support how the property already operated. 
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By pairing a cloud-based PMS with Think Simplicity’s complete hotel communication service, the motel gained clarity, control, and confidence — without adding complexity behind the scenes. 
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Final Takeaway 

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If you’re running an independent hotel or motel and still juggling fragmented vendors, manual workarounds, or unreliable phone service, this is what simple can actually look like: 

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• Fewer headaches
• Lower costs
• Real, timely support
• More time to focus on guests 

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See What Replacing Your Legacy Phone System Could Look Like 

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If this sounds familiar, see how a complete communication service built for independent hotels and motels can support your property — without on-site systems or hidden complexity. 

No sales pitch. Just answers. 

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👉 See What It Would Look Like for Your Property 
  
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