How Tesoro Resorts Strengthened Direct Bookings with Asksuite

Does reducing OTA dependency and turning your service channels into a true direct booking machine seem like a distant goal? For the Tesoro Resorts chain in Mexico, this became a reality in 2025.

In this Tesoro Resorts success story, you’ll follow the step-by-step strategy that strengthened the chain’s direct service channels. We’ll detail the problem of high OTA dependency, the solution implemented with Asksuite, and the results that prove the strength of this strategy.

About Tesoro Resorts

Tesoro Resorts is a Mexican chain of beachfront all-inclusive resorts with three properties in some of the most sought-after Pacific beach destinations: Los Cabos, Manzanillo, and Ixtapa.

Each location has its own identity. Tesoro Ixtapa is located in El Palmar Bay, with a family-friendly atmosphere and open ocean views. Tesoro Manzanillo occupies the secluded La Audiencia Bay, between the Pacific and the green mountains. Meanwhile, Tesoro Los Cabos combines a skypool overlooking the Marina, a modern convention center, and the Aura Spa.

The chain also operates the Tesoro Rewards loyalty program, which accumulates points with each booking and unlocks free nights and exclusive benefits for those who book through the direct channel. This detail reinforces the strategic importance of direct bookings throughout this case study.

Discover the entire chain on the official website: https://tesororesorts.com.

The challenge: increasing the share of direct bookings against OTAs

Competition with OTAs is a constant obstacle for hoteliers. According to Hospitality Net, most independent hotels pay a base commission of between 15% and 25% to OTAs, a slice that comes out of revenue before the hotel even counts its profit.

For Tesoro Resorts, the turning point was the decision to increase the volume of direct bookings. Management realized that the most efficient path was to invest in optimizing service channels and training the reservations team, with a special focus on WhatsApp, a high-demand channel among travelers.

The move follows a shift in consumer behavior. More than 73% of online adults say messaging is their preferred way to talk to a business, according to Meta’s research for the State of Business Messaging, which helps explain the focus on WhatsApp.

The challenge, however, went beyond technology. It required coordination among three areas within the group: Marketing, E-commerce, and Reservations. Each controlled a part of the traveler’s journey, and the lack of integration created friction.

Manual management of multiple communication channels was inefficient. Messages went unanswered, leads were lost, and sales opportunities slipped away, especially outside of business hours, when many travelers research and make decisions.

The solution: an omnichannel strategy with AI and human talent

Tesoro Resorts’ solution was not just about adopting a tool. It combined Asksuite’s automation, an omnichannel communication platform, with the expertise of the chain’s human team. The partnership began in 2021, and optimization with the implementation of WhatsApp occurred in early 2025.

The roadmap to success: implement, engage, train, and optimize

The project followed a four-step map:

• Implement: configuring the Asksuite platform on the service channels.
• Engage: involving the Marketing, E-commerce, and Reservations teams around a common goal.
• Train: training agents to use the platform and improve the quality of service.
• Optimize: continuous data analysis to refine the strategy and maximize conversion.

Smart automation on the right channels

Automation was not applied in the same way across all channels. Tesoro Resorts calibrated the use of AI according to each contact point.

• On the webchat, service is 100% automated with AI.
• On WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger, service is also 100% automated, with agents monitoring and intervening in particular cases.

Organizing demand with distribution rules and tags

To organize the flow of service requests, the team used assistance distribution rules and tags within Asksuite.

The distribution rules automatically routed conversations based on clear and objective criteria. The tags segmented and prioritized leads, and helped to quickly identify the origin and context of each conversation.

Boosting marketing with direct conversion

Tesoro Resorts connected the top of the funnel to the bottom of the funnel using WhatsApp marketing campaigns.

Social media posts on Facebook and Instagram redirected the traveler to the various communication channels in Asksuite, including WhatsApp, where they were assisted by a combination of AI and human agents.

As a result, the same ad that generated interest also connected the traveler to the service channel, shortening the path to booking.

AI content always updated to support sales

The team kept the knowledge base of our AI booking assistant, Sophia, always updated with current promotions and general resort information.

This routine makes a direct difference in operations. A survey by Oracle Hospitality and Skift indicates that 77% of travelers are interested in using automated messages or chatbots for hotel service requests, which reinforces the value of keeping the AI well-fed to handle repetitive tasks and free up the team for what generates revenue.

With Sophia filtering the operational volume, Tesoro Resorts’ agents could focus on high-value negotiations, those where the human touch makes a difference.

The impact: around US$2,1 million in revenue and over 800 sales through service channels

In 2025, the collaboration between Tesoro Resorts and Asksuite generated around US$2,1 million in revenue through service channels. The omnichannel strategy resulted in almost 20,000 opportunities and over 800 sales, proving the power of automation combined with a skilled sales team.

WhatsApp was the largest revenue generator, with over 200 sales. Webchat, on the other hand, led in volume, with the highest number of assists and over 13,000 opportunities.

It’s worth highlighting what’s behind these numbers. The synergy between the empathetic human touch of the reservations team and the efficiency of AI is what made it possible to close complex sales, those that require negotiation, context, and sensitivity that no automation can deliver alone.

See in practice how AI can boost your direct bookings. Schedule a personalized demo of Asksuite.