De Vere
Delivering Fast & Efficient Proposals with
UpMail and the Opera Cloud Integration
Headquarters
Harrogate, England
Type
Hotels
Number of Hotels
8
Region
UK
Company Size
5001-10,000 employees
About De Vere
De Vere is a collection of modern, country estate hotels, with mansion houses at their heart, mixing leisure with market-leading conference facilities. With eight properties across London, the southeast UK, and the Cotswolds, they offer over 260 meeting rooms, more than 1,800 guest rooms, and a range of luxurious spa amenities.
The Challenge
Before adopting UpMail, De Vere relied on PowerPoint presentations for their proposals. Since they used the Opera Sales & Catering system, they first had to enter block details into Opera, then manually input the same data into PowerPoint—a labor-intensive, time-consuming process. This approach also resulted in inconsistent proposal formats across their hotels.
The Solution
UpMail came highly recommended to the De Vere team by a colleague from another hotel company. Its standout feature was the seamless integration with Opera Cloud, enabling booking data to flow directly from Opera into UpMail proposals.
In addition, UpMail’s proposal templates would bring a new level of consistency and professionalism to all their hotels. During the UpMail onboarding process, a set of brand-approved templates was created for each property account, providing a consistent layout and messaging tailored to each specific property. Every De Vere proposal template includes an event summary table, packages table, catering details, and an estimated price, all automatically imported from Opera bookings.
The Result
When UpMail was introduced to the De Vere sales teams, the onboarding was exceptionally smooth, and the teams quickly embraced the new tool. Each hotel can now create and send more polished, brand-consistent proposals that enhance De Vere’s image and professionalism. The use of pre-built templates combined with the seamless integration with Opera Cloud has significantly reduced the time required to craft each proposal. The time-saving tool has not only accelerated response times but also freed up team members to focus more on high-value sales activities.
UpMail empowers the De Vere team to promote additional aspects of their business seamlessly within their emails and proposals. Features like their Rewards Program, Smart Booker, Trainers Club, and cross-promotion of properties are integrated into proposals through visually engaging images with embedded links. This approach not only enhances the proposal’s visual appeal but also provides direct access to relevant pages, enriching the recipient’s experience. Plus, the team benefits from UpMail’s tracking capabilities, enabling them to monitor link clicks and gauge interest, providing valuable insights to tailor follow-ups effectively.
In addition, the De Vere leadership team receives a comprehensive weekly report, tracking key performance indicators across the brand. This report provides valuable insights, including the number of emails sent, recipient engagement rates, open and click-through percentages, and property-specific usage statistics. It also highlights top users across accounts, enabling the leadership to identify team members excelling in their outreach and proposal activities.
The integration of UpMail with Opera Cloud has transformed De Vere’s proposal process, elevating the brand’s professional image and saving invaluable time for their sales teams. This streamlined solution has not only improved consistency across properties but also enabled faster, more efficient responses to client inquiries. With the added insights from weekly engagement reports, De Vere can continue optimizing its outreach efforts, empowering its teams to focus on building stronger client relationships and driving sales. UpMail’s seamless functionality and responsive support make it an indispensable tool for De Vere, reinforcing their reputation for excellence in hospitality and service.
““I would definitely recommend UpMail! Our sales team is spending significantly less time on dual loading into both Opera and proposal documents.
The easy-to-edit templates have streamlined our process, making proposal creation faster and more efficient.
The UpMail team has been fantastic to work with—training and support are always prompt.
They’re also highly responsive to our evolving needs, eager to develop the platform in line with our requirements.”