Hospitality Case Study: Brocket Hall Estate

About Brocket Hall Estate

Set within 500+ acres of Hertfordshire countryside, Brocket Hall Estate is one of Britain’s most distinguished country house venues. Just 45 minutes from London, the estate blends historic charm with modern luxury, offering a premier destination for corporate events, weddings, and leisure stays.

At the heart of the estate is the 18th-century Brocket Hall, an elegant stately home with a rich history of hosting royalty, statesmen, and high-profile guests. The estate also features two championship golf courses, providing an exceptional golfing experience amid breathtaking landscapes. Also on site is the award-winning Auberge du Lac, a fine-dining restaurant renowned for its exquisite cuisine and lakeside views. With a team of 154 staff providing world-class hospitality and unparalleled service, Brocket Hall Estate delivers an extraordinary blend of tradition, sophistication, and excellence.

Before Snapfix

Managing a large, historic estate with multiple facilities requires meticulous attention to maintenance, but, before Snapfix, Brocket Hall’s system was cumbersome and inefficient. Communication was disjointed, and updates were not consistently shared across departments. Accountability was hard to enforce without a unified system, and there was no clear overview of completed tasks.

Service excellence and brand standards are a top priority for Brocket Hall’s general manager, Lee Williams. The four key pillars – safety, functionality, cleanliness, and brand alignment – form the backbone of his operations. However, the manual processes were insufficient for upholding these standards. Brand audits were manually tracked using Excel spreadsheets, requiring time-consuming input and offering no real-time visibility into task progress.

With such a high commitment to standards and a diverse range of facilities, it became clear that a more efficient way to manage maintenance and operations was needed. From ensuring the golf course irrigation systems were functional to maintaining pristine guest rooms and event spaces, the estate required a system to streamline communication across departments, improve visibility into ongoing work, and ensure no maintenance issues fell through the cracks.

Brocket Hall needed a solution that would enable real-time collaboration, enhance accountability, and ultimately help deliver a higher standard of service for guests and members alike. Snapfix, with its simplicity and user-friendly interface, was the answer to these operational challenges.

Why Snapfix

Brocket Hall chose Snapfix for its ability to address the specific operational challenges that come with managing a vast estate. “Brocket Hall Estate covers over 540 acres with two 18-hole golf courses, a golf academy, a 7-hole Par 3 course, a centralized course maintenance yard, a satellite maintenance yard, three entrances, 18 buildings, and acres of maintained gardens and natural woodlands, so the brand standards audit is no small task,” explains Williams.

Operations often felt disorganized, with teams playing catch-up on reactive tasks, and important information was scattered across various platforms like WhatsApp, email, and Excel spreadsheets. Snapfix stood out for its user-friendly interface and adaptability. The simplicity of snapping a photo to record maintenance tasks or audits made it easy for all team members, regardless of their technical proficiency. This visual approach resolved the complexity of previous systems and made it easier for teams to communicate and manage tasks in real time.

The introduction of Snapfix also helped to eliminate the siloed nature of operations. Tasks like brand standard audits, machinery checks, and daily operational work orders are now captured in one centralized location. By ensuring all tasks were recorded and easily trackable, Snapfix created a more organized and accountable work environment.

Driving Success

The introduction of Snapfix at Brocket Hall Estate took operations from the rough to the fairway. What was once a reactive, time-consuming process has transformed into a streamlined, efficient system where tasks are proactively handled, accountability is clear, and maintenance issues are resolved faster than ever.

“By adding Snapfix,” Williams stated, “we went from being fully exposed and constantly playing catch-up with reactive tasks to becoming organized, reducing costs on insurance policies, and staying on top of preventive maintenance.”

Snapfix has also brought visible accountability to day-to-day operations. “Team members now work more effectively, knowing that tasks are recorded, assigned, and tracked in real-time,” said Williams. This shift has created a culture of ownership and now provides the team with a sense of accomplishment when tasks are completed. The estate’s property manager relies on Snapfix daily, ensuring the team captures issues on the app so they can be resolved promptly. The feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive - Snapfix is regarded as “the best software we use - simple and effective.”

Snapfix's Impact on Brocket Hall Estate

Brocket Hall’s essential tasks, such as brand standards audits, opening and closing checks, and fridge temperature monitoring are all recorded through the Snapfix app, saving significant time and effort. During a recent audit, the time required to complete the process was reduced from five hours to just over one hour — an 80% efficiency gain. Across a 540-acre estate, that kind of time savings is invaluable.

Beyond time efficiency, Snapfix has delivered significant cost savings. By leveraging data from Snapfix reports, Brocket Hall was able to optimize its property team, reducing reliance on contractors and streamlining the workforce from six employees and contractors to three full-time staff. This restructuring was made possible through clear task tracking and performance measurement, ensuring only the most efficient and reliable workers remained.

While the impact of Snapfix is most evident behind the scenes, its benefits also extend directly to the guest experience. With fewer equipment breakdowns, improved cleanliness, and a more structured approach to daily operations, guests experience a consistently well-maintained environment. The estate’s member net promoter scores (NPS) have risen significantly, with guests taking note of faster fixes, fewer out-of-order amenities, and an overall more polished clubhouse.

The proactive approach enabled by Snapfix has already saved the estate from potential disasters. During a heavy rainstorm, a scheduled maintenance check on Snapfix prompted the team to inspect the hall’s gutters. A large blockage was identified and cleared, preventing what could have been thousands of pounds in water damage.

Conclusion

For Brocket Hall Estate, Snapfix isn’t just another tool, it’s an essential part of their daily operations. From cutting costs and saving time to improving accountability and enhancing the guest experience, the impact has been transformational.

Brocket Hall’s general manager, Lee Williams, put it best: “Once you use Snapfix, you’ll never stop using it. You’ll keep finding new ways to integrate it into your business.” For any hotel or estate manager looking to improve efficiency and take control of their operations, Snapfix isn’t just a recommendation, it is a necessity.

Williams jokingly remarked, “I wouldn’t recommend Snapfix to other hoteliers - because I want my hotel to stay cleaner, safer, more on-brand, and running better than theirs!”

CASE STUDY

Brocket Hall Estate: A Hole-in-One for Efficient Maintenance