Bern-Netzwerk Interview: Hotel Alpenblick and Rent a Bike

Robert, we came to you directly with the idea for this joint offer. What motivated you to take part?

Although I’m generally somewhat sceptical when it comes to packages, I immediately saw potential in this joint offer. The content is coherent, and the offer fits very well with our hotel. In addition, cycling holidays have grown in popularity, and biking in general has become more mainstream. I think it’s a perfect fit for Bern – and I see real potential here, also for us. E-bikes and their maintenance or rental aren’t our core area of expertise, which is exactly why we’re happy to enter into such partnerships.

The target group for this offer – Best Agers – also brings many benefits: they’re often pleasant, relaxed, and willing to spend – which positively impacts our restaurant. Another plus: bike tourists tend to arrive on days when we’re not usually at full capacity. Before the pandemic, the business just “ran on its own”. But now, in response to the changes, we want to broaden our positioning and especially become more attractive on weekends. With offers like this, combined with leisure experiences, we can definitely achieve that.

We connected you directly with Rent a Bike for this offer. What’s the collaboration like with a company that’s outside your usual industry?

It felt a bit like a home game for me (laughs) – I’m originally from Willisau, which is where Rent a Bike is based. The process was quickly clarified and questions were answered straight away. Rent a Bike has a clean, user-friendly booking page where we were able to set up a login for handling our bookings. Of course, during this initial phase we still need to find our rhythm and stay flexible until the process becomes second nature – which is why I think it would be exciting to continue the offer seasonally but also long-term. After the initial setup of the booking system, content, and instructions, a relaunch next year would require very little effort. Working with Rent a Bike definitely means a bit of extra work – but it’s one we’re happy to take on in this case.

What are the key factors that make network collaboration a success – for you, and for the hotel industry in general?

First and foremost, it comes down to a simple number: overnight stays. Another key factor is communication. It’s crucial that everyone involved stays up to date, communicates openly, and remains flexible. Flexibility is essential – you have to be able to try out an offer together, and if it doesn’t work, discuss it and adapt. That, I think, is what success depends on. Beyond the initial "getting-to-know-each-other" phase, financial resources for promotion also play an important role. If the offer is shared across all channels of the involved partners, we can achieve wide reach – and that encourages us to expand or extend it.

Also, we’re often very caught up in the day-to-day business and sometimes lack distance from our own routines. You have a broader perspective – you connect people, identify potential for expansion, and uncover new joint package opportunities. I really believe Bern has huge potential – especially because people know each other here, which means things can get done quickly.

How do you assess the relevance of offers that combine overnight stays with other experiences in the destination?

I see these types of offers as highly relevant. Joint offers like these are precisely what can give guests a reason to stay longer in Bern. This applies especially to visitors from western Switzerland – because after a day full of experiences, they could still easily return home in the evening, given how centrally located Bern is. That’s where I see strong potential for collaboration with Bern’s museums.

Regardless of the exact format – whether it's an overnight stay paired with a free museum admission – I believe these kinds of ideas can lead to really attractive packages. But I would also add that the simpler and clearer the offer, the better and more successful it will be.

To wrap up: what’s your favourite e-bike tour?
(laughs) I usually ride completely unplugged. I haven’t had the chance to try the new routes yet, but I think the Wohlensee–Aare section is absolutely beautiful – and it’s part of both of the new routes.

Stephanie, what motivated you to collaborate on this first joint cycle touring offer with the hotels and our team?

On one hand, the package gives us a way to introduce our offer to people in Bern. On the other hand, working with the hotels allows us to keep guests in town longer and extend e-bike rental durations. So far, we haven’t had a strong presence in the Bern region – which is why we depend on partnerships like this. With this joint offer and the support of local professionals, we’re aiming for greater visibility and a more professional approach to marketing our services.

As new cycle touring routes are developed, they create clear incentives for renting an e-bike in Bern. We can inform existing customers who know our offer from other locations about the new routes, which helps increase usage at our (new) stations. Experience also shows that usage of rental stations increases when packages are available. So overall, it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

What does the collaboration with the hotels look like? What opportunities does it create? And do you see potential for further development?

The collaboration with the four participating hotels has been very smooth so far. After a few initial questions, we were able to clarify how the e-bike booking process works. Some hotels have already placed bookings, and I’m curious to see whether the vouchers are filled out and redeemed correctly so that billing works as intended.

I see the current offer as a pilot. In principle, packages like this can be continued or even expanded without much effort. One thing we definitely want to maintain is that hotels don’t need to provide any advance payment. We see it as a key incentive for this type of partnership that billing is based on actual usage – while guests can still book everything from a single source. We are currently working on adjusting our system so that hotels can make bookings more easily and the discount can be applied more smoothly by customers. This will certainly make cooperation and integration with hotels even easier going forward.

How do you assess the potential of Bern as a leading cycle touring destination? And how does joint product development relate to that?

The potential is fundamentally very strong. The greater Bern region has incredibly scenic landscapes and is ideally suited to becoming a top cycle touring destination. Bern has beautiful hills, stunning plains and valleys, diverse bodies of water, and vibrant cities. In fact, Bern offers everything visitors are looking for. There are also rich cultural offerings that attract many people. The foundation is there – and the destination clearly shows the ambition to grow in this space. That’s why we want to contribute to this vision as well, whether by building new stations or participating in joint offers that we wouldn’t be able to carry out on our own.

What’s also important is that the offers are as simple and understandable as possible for guests. It must be clear what’s included and which partners are involved. If too many elements are packed into one offer, guests lose flexibility and providers struggle to coordinate. For me, the key is concrete recommendations around a basic package – rather than overloading it with too many components.

In your opinion, what factors contribute to a successful collaboration within the network?

One key factor is certainly clear and open communication. It’s important that ideas are heard on both sides, while also being able to clearly express what is possible, how and when – or why something isn’t. We’re somewhat limited in terms of what we can offer directly, but we can contribute to joint packages and help with external communication. In return, we expect that you and other partners also support our offer in some form so we can build compelling, relevant offers together.

So far, we’ve had few large-scale projects where a professional organization actively worked with its partners on offer development. That’s why we’re excited to see where things go – especially with the momentum from the workshops, the creative process and the product development, particularly with this offer and the new BLS station in Schwarzenburg.

To wrap up, we’re curious – what’s your favourite e-bike route?

I really enjoy the various “Herzrouten”. But the Green Belt of Bern offers a great contrast to that: Route 888 loops nicely around the city of Bern, and the information panels at the points of interest make it an engaging experience. I haven’t had the chance to ride it yet, and I’m not often in the Bern area – but it’s definitely something worth checking out.