Little BIG hotels is a young hotel group with a clear goal: to build a network of smart, digitally managed hotels across Europe – stylish, efficient, and yet profoundly human. The mix of self-service technology, a strong brand presence, and high standards in design and communication makes the brand one of the most exciting hospitality concepts in the upper midscale segment.

But how can such a concept be scaled – across locations, languages, and teams – without losing quality, speed, or identity?

This is exactly where JF-Hospitality came in.

When we met the team from little BIG hotels during an intensive kick-off at the Berlin headquarters, it quickly became clear: this was a creative, structured team with clear processes, a sharp eye for brand management – and the ambition to do things not just quickly, but correctly.

Previous property takeovers had been accompanied by uncertainty and friction – especially in the areas of technology, tool integration, and operational handover. To provide professional relief in exactly these areas, we were brought on as the partner for a comprehensive system onboarding.

Instead of jumping straight into technical setups, we began with what is often underestimated: understanding. In close coordination with the project team around Yvette Freye (IT System Administrator) and Hilda Weit (Senior Manager Corporate Development), we familiarized ourselves within a few weeks with processes, standards, and requirements.

Together with little BIG hotels, we worked along a clear project plan in which tasks, deadlines, and technical scope were defined. Our role: operational implementation, technical configuration – but also sparring, communication, and proactive thinking.

The technical rollout took place in several stages over nearly two months. While little BIG hotels managed the overall process, we took over task packages in the following areas:

• Apaleo configuration: setup of master data, user rights, and additional services – brand-compliant and operationalized
• Straiv integration: focus on the digital guest journey – from pre-arrival communication to the check-in process
• Payment provider: setup and testing of payment processing in interaction with the PMS
• System testing & go-live preparation: review of networks, devices, interfaces

A particular challenge was the migration of existing reservations: due to an external provider and the previous rate structure, not everything went smoothly. In close alignment with the LBH team, however, we found a sustainable solution to transfer the bookings successfully. For future projects, we derived valuable learnings – especially on how to identify and avoid such challenges early on.

The technological infrastructure at little BIG hotels is modular. Our task was not to reinvent the existing systems, but to embed them properly in the specific context of the new location.

The focus was on:

• Apaleo as the central PMS – adapted to brand logic, additional services, and user roles
• Straiv as the digital interface along the guest journey – from check-in to on-site communication
• Payment provider – connected and tested for go-live readiness
• BookBoost – introduced during training, though not configured by us

Integration was carried out hand in hand with the little BIG hotels team – pragmatic, solution-driven, and with direct communication.

Special emphasis was placed on introducing the existing team to the new systems. Instead of traditional classroom-style training, we relied on:

• group sessions on-site with practical exercises
• work in demo systems for immediate application
• checklists and guides to keep an overview even in stressful situations
• answering individual questions – patiently, calmly, repeatedly if needed

Jessica Wellhöfer (Head of Front Office and Social Media) recalls:

“Even the training itself – everything was explained calmly, very patiently. Questions were also answered afterwards. It just harmonized really well.”

This interpersonal aspect was crucial to the project’s success: respectful, clear communication – on equal footing.

The go-live ran smoothly – technically, operationally, and interpersonally. Systems were ready, the team was prepared, open questions were clarified. Collaboration was based on trust and clarity – with the goal not only to accompany but to actively facilitate the expansion of little BIG hotels.

“It was super important that it also worked on a personal level,” said Hilda Weit. “That you know there are people who can really act as an extended arm of our team.”

Yvette Freye added:

“Working with Friederike was fantastic – she thought things through, changed and simplified them directly. That was really strong.”

The rest of the team also gave consistently positive feedback: the collaboration was characterized by high initiative, professional expertise, and a clear communication style. What stood out in particular was how quickly responsibility was taken and how actively input was provided – collaboration on equal footing that made a real impact.

The collaboration with little BIG hotels shows: scaling requires structure, system expertise – and real communication. With JF-Hospitality, the existing system architecture could be efficiently adapted to new locations and operational processes designed to be repeatable.

The setup works – not only technically, but also on a human level. Repeatable. Understandable. And above all: sustainable.

We believe that technical excellence only matters when combined with genuine attention, clarity, and patience. We think ahead, train on equal footing, and take responsibility.

Not just as external service providers – but as partners who stay.