--- title: "How to Hit ₩n0 Million in Monthly Revenue — Solo" description: "Hotel Dada in Seoul: \\\"Running a hotel alone comes down to 00.\\\"" published: 2022-11-09T03:00:00+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Interviews" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65d6196d0a413775f87b5ff9_Frame_61.jpg" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=hotel-1in-unyeongeuro-weolmaecul-nceonman-weon-dalseonghaneun-beob locale: en --- # How to Hit ₩n0 Million in Monthly Revenue — Solo #### [Hotel Dada](https://bit.ly/hoteldada_BE) Location: 33, Samil-daero 32ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul Room types: Double, Bunk Triple, Standard Family, Superior Family There's a hotel in Ikseon-dong, Seoul that doesn't look like the hotels we're used to. Instead of a team of staff, it's just the owner — with a computer and a tablet. Running a hotel solo sounds impossible. We sat down with the owner of Hotel Dada to hear how it's done. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407ed103b033fe1b46d5e_636b5e8d7fcfb70aef44ac6f_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_92_E1_85_A9_E1_84_90_E1_85_A6_E1_86_AF_E1_84_89_E1_85_A1_E1_84_8C_E1_85_A1_E1_86_BC_E1_84_82_E1_85_B5_E1_86_B71-min.png) ### **Meet Hotel Dada** We run 37 rooms. I bought what used to be a hostel, renovated it into a hotel, and opened in January 2019. I'd always enjoyed making art as a hobby and wanted to open a gallery. While scouting properties in Ikseon-dong — a neighborhood known for galleries — a realtor showed me this building. At first it seemed random. But then I thought: galleries don't make money. What if I run a gallery in the basement and a hotel upstairs? I'd earn income *and* have something cool. That's how I got into this business. ### **Accidental hotelier** Before this, I'd tried a bunch of different businesses. But hospitality? Total novice. Everyone around me was worried. While I was renovating, experienced operators came by and offered to take over management. They said 90% of first-timers struggle without know-how and that I should let them handle it. But I wanted to try myself. Started with six employees. Eight months later we hit 90% occupancy. Once revenue stabilized, I wanted more personal time. I met a manager trained at a Swiss hotel school at a trade show, paid for consulting, and handed over day-to-day operations. Outsourced housekeeping too. After hitting high occupancy, I started thinking about differentiation. I figured IT systems would become essential — so I installed kiosks early, back when people were still asking "what's a kiosk?" ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407ec103b033fe1b46d51_636b560347d958d19ece6be9_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_92_E1_85_A9_E1_84_90_E1_85_A6_E1_86_AF_PMS.png) That's when I found ONDA. After comparing other solutions and meeting with the team, I signed the contract on the spot. Paid for door locks, room control IoT, the works — out of my own pocket. Then COVID hit. ### **Going solo** > **From six staff to one** Got the ONDA system installed in December 2019. By February 2020, COVID killed our bookings. I regretted installing everything so soon — but looking back, those systems are the only reason I survived running this place alone. I thought it would blow over quickly. By March it was worse. I had six staff: two housekeepers, one manager, two front desk / reservations, one breakfast attendant. With no guests, I couldn't afford payroll. Eventually I let even the housekeepers go. Some nights I was alone in this huge building. (laughs) I cleaned rooms myself. Consolidated room blocks to batch housekeeping orders. Revenue was low, but so were costs — that's how I stayed afloat. > **From hospitality novice to systems master** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407ec103b033fe1b46d42_636b5641bb2455f5966585a0_dada_20hotel_solution_A.png) The stack: **PMS (property management), channel manager, smart locks, room control IoT, kiosk, and revenue management (outsourced).** I spend most of my time in the PMS room status view. See cleaning status, occupancy, check reservations — all in one place. The IoT system cuts power after an hour of inactivity. Cut our electricity bill in half. Managing pricing strategy solo is tough, so I outsource revenue management. ONDA adjusts rates and runs promotions based on occupancy. Most bookings sync automatically into the PMS, but they also manually enter bookings from channels that don't integrate. I replaced a whole reservation team with software. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407ec103b033fe1b46d54_636b5660e2e8511cd7651d04_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_92_E1_85_A9_E1_84_90_E1_85_A6_E1_86_AF_E1_84_91_E1_85_A9_E1_86_AB_E1_84_8F_E1_85_B5.jpeg) **But the real secret to solo ops? Keyless entry via smart phone key.** Guests don't need to check in at the front desk. I send them a phone key link by text ahead of time, or they can enter a PIN code to unlock the room. The phone key is auto-generated in the PMS when a booking comes in. PINs reset automatically after checkout. Zero security concerns. Without phone keys, I'd have to sit at the desk waiting for every guest arrival. Some OTAs don't share guest phone numbers — like when foreigners book on Airbnb. In those cases, I send the phone key via Airbnb's message system. Or use chatbots on other platforms. If all else fails, email or social media. **Every traveler — Korean or foreign — checks their phone constantly. I just make sure the link reaches them.** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407ec103b033fe1b46d4a_636b5676e2e851effc651d31_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_92_E1_85_A9_E1_84_90_E1_85_A6_E1_86_AF_E1_84_8F_E1_85_B5_E1_84_8B_E1_85_A9_E1_84_89_E1_85_B3_E1_84_8F_E1_85_B32.jpeg) For late-night arrivals, I direct guests to the kiosk at the entrance. Occasionally older guests prefer not to use it, so I'll give them a physical card key. But that's rare. > **Tell them before they ask** Phone keys alone don't eliminate all work. Guests call constantly. _"Where are you located?" "Can I check in early?" "What about late checkout?"_ Answering every call was exhausting. So I dove into the OTA platforms. Airbnb has a **"quick replies"** feature. I set up automated messages to send at specific intervals. Five minutes after booking: send address and parking info. Day before arrival: remind them check-in is tomorrow. Day of: send the phone key. Day of checkout: send checkout instructions plus late checkout options. I'm basically training guests: "Check-in is after 3pm. Click the phone key link you received on your check-in day." On a fully booked weekend? Zero phone calls. (laughs) > **Guests love it too** When a guest taps checkout on the phone key, it auto-updates in the system. I don't need to track who checked out or collect card keys. Super convenient for me. **But guests love it too. Reviews consistently praise how easy check-in and checkout are.** I've stayed at hotels where I had to line up at 3pm for check-in. At big hotels with hundreds of rooms, I've waited over an hour. Some hotels have four self-check-in kiosks that spit out card keys — but they're confusing, so two staff stand there to help anyway. At Hotel Dada, there's no line. No awkward front desk interaction. Just walk in. It's especially popular with families. If four people share one card key, they can't move around independently. With phone keys, everyone copies the link and comes and goes freely. No waiting around. ### **Life as a solo operator** > **No more night shifts — just 9 to 6** Most hotels run night and day shifts to handle check-in and checkout. I've automated that away. My schedule is basically a 9-to-5 office job. I sleep at the hotel just in case something urgent comes up, but my workday ends in the afternoon. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407ec103b033fe1b46d31_636b569be2e85142086540de_dada_20hotel_routine.png) Sending phone keys is a 30-minute routine. After that, if there's nothing urgent, I go do my hobbies. (laughs) I carry my tablet everywhere, so I can handle bookings from anywhere — even when traveling. > **Revenue recovered — and more** Revenue was rough during COVID, as you'd expect. But with overseas travel opening back up, occupancy rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. And even though revenue is similar to pre-COVID, labor costs are way down. I only hire part-time housekeepers who work between checkout and check-in. That cut over ₩10 million/month in payroll. **Net profit nearly doubled.** **What matters isn't top-line revenue — it's what you keep.** > **Constant iteration and simplification** The reason I grew revenue while running solo: relentless iteration and simplification. Standard hotel bedding is brutal. You lift heavy mattresses. Even men struggle. I know — I did it myself during COVID. (laughs) So now I use pre-cut fitted sheets with the corners already shaped. Not traditional, but it looks clean to guests and saves massive time and effort. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407ec103b033fe1b46d4d_636b56bc4ddb23745943d2af_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_92_E1_85_A9_E1_84_90_E1_85_A6_E1_86_AF_E1_84_85_E1_85_A1_E1_84_86_E1_85_A7_E1_86_AB_E1_84_8C_E1_85_A9_E1_84_85_E1_85_B5_E1_84_80_E1_85_B51.jpeg) We used to serve breakfast before COVID. I debated bringing it back, but ultimately decided no. Instead I put instant noodle cookers in the rooms. **Cutting one thing doesn't magically enable solo ops. You have to reduce friction across the entire system.** Simplify check-in with phone keys. Streamline housekeeping with better bedding methods. Every little process: "Is there a more efficient way?" Keep asking. Keep improving. ### **What's next** > **Robots. And a second location.** I'm not satisfied yet. I keep pushing for change. Restaurants use delivery robots now. KT developed a hotel-specific robot. If you have an elevator, the robot can deliver towels, water, remotes — the most common requests — without human interaction. Way more efficient. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407ec103b033fe1b46d38_636b56df3dacbc126c25aedb_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_83_E1_85_A1_E1_84_92_E1_85_A9_E1_84_90_E1_85_A6_E1_86_AF_E1_84_85_E1_85_A9_E1_84_87_E1_85_B51.jpeg) Friends see how comfortably I run this place and now they're interested in hotels too. (laughs) Maybe one day I'll open a second location with retired friends? > **For operators hesitating to change** I meet other hotel owners who confide in me. They want to change but feel stuck: _"I can't operate without staff," "How do you run a hotel solo?"_ Vague fear stops them. But it's really comfortable. (laughs) Depending on room count, you might need minimal staff. But even for employees, it's easier. Better to train people on systems than have them repeat the same script like parrots. **COVID normalized contactless systems like kiosks. They're not "weird" anymore — they're familiar. Some operators worry guests will hate it. They won't. So don't be afraid. Just try it.** Solo ops doesn't mean doing everything yourself. Use PMS, IoT, kiosks — the tech exists. I'm confident that reinvesting the savings from going digital into better service and quality bedding is what makes hotel operations sustainable long-term. #### 👉 Curious about the systems that make solo hotel ops possible?