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At Vacatia, guest experience is built through thoughtful details. Few are more universal than coffee.
Since its founding in 2013, the company has focused on modernizing the traditional timeshare model while maintaining a hospitality experience that feels curated and consistent across its 60-property portfolio.
But coffee service had gradually evolved into a decentralized system of machines and vendors. Quality varied, service was inconsistent, and the experience no longer aligned with Vacatia’s standards.
This issue, however, became a brand-defining opportunity. Partnering with SipWithMe, Vacatia set out to transform coffee from a basic amenity into a signature part of the guest experience. Shaun Borges, Managing Director of Hospitality & Strategic Initiatives, was at the center of that effort.
Delivering a portfolio-wide standard for a coffee amenity meant examining the infrastructure behind the cup.
Vacatia’s coffee programs had grown in isolation, creating a patchwork of experiences. Some lobbies relied on traditional drip pots that ran cold before the morning rush tapered off. Others operated with systems from Nestlé or various regional providers, resulting in fluctuating quality and fragmented support.
Service response times varied. Equipment support was often reactive rather than preventative. What worked at one property did not necessarily translate to another, and lessons learned in one market were difficult to scale across the rest of the portfolio.
The impact extended beyond the machine itself. When gaps occurred, amenity availability suffered. Guests felt the disruption, and in the absence of centralized oversight, on-site teams managed logistics and service gaps themselves.
For a brand known for delivering high-end amenities, that level of inconsistency created disparities across properties. The lack of standardization limited Vacatia’s ability to elevate coffee as a true brand amenity. Without alignment, there was no consistent quality benchmark, no scalable framework, and no clear path forward.
Once Vacatia identified the structural gaps in its coffee program, the objective was not simply to replace equipment, but develop a scalable model.
Once Vacatia identified the structural gaps in its coffee program, the objective was not simply to replace equipment, but develop a scalable model.
Vacatia started with a pilot at select properties, implementing SipWithMe to test performance, service reliability, and operational fit. It didn’t take long to see the impact of a more structured approach. They saw quality and service stabilize, property level complexities decrease and their coffee program become a thoughtfully managed hospitality amenity.
“As we started piloting, requests quickly grew to expand the program,” recalled Shaun. “I’m actually holding back on more installs as we narrow down other things the SipWithMe program is helping us achieve by redefining resort amenities, offerings, and quality elevation.”
First, quality and service stabilized. SipWithMe’s self-serve, ground-to-order system elevated flavor while introducing consistent coordination and clear service expectations. Equipment uptime improved, and teams knew what to expect each day.
Coffee became one of the most dependable essential amenities across the portfolio. At Vacation Village at Parkway, a Vacatia resort in Florida, more than 34,000 cups were dispensed from January through March alone, showing a clear reflection of both strong demand and consistent execution.
“The fresh bean-to-cup system puts the quality on the upper echelon compared to what was there before,” Shaun noted.
Second, property-level complexity decreased. Escalations became clearer, communication flowed more smoothly and the disjointedness that once accompanied coffee management dissolved. SipWithMe’s award-winning support team became an extension of Vacatia’s own operations, handling everything from maintenance to troubleshooting with the same attention to detail Vacatia expects of its internal teams.
“From a vendor relationship standpoint, SipWithMe really stood out,” Shaun said. “Every relationship is unique, but this one felt hands-on and warm. They made us feel special as a client through responsiveness and follow-through.”
Third, coffee became a thoughtfully managed hospitality amenity. Rather than each property operating in isolation, the program could be evaluated across the portfolio. Performance could be measured against consistent benchmarks, and decisions about expansion could be deliberate instead of reactive.
Coffee became a thoughtfully managed hospitality amenity. Rather than each property operating in isolation, the program could be evaluated across the portfolio. Performance could be measured against consistent benchmarks, and decisions about expansion could be deliberate instead of reactive.
With SipWithMe, Vacatia gained not only operational consistency, but visibility. Staff could focus on welcoming guests rather than troubleshooting equipment, and guests could enjoy the same dependable quality no matter where they stayed.
But standardization didn’t mean sameness. Individual resorts retain the flexibility to shape the space around the machine. Shaun describes one example:
“Vacation Village at Weston turned a previously drab corner into a striking coffee station with granite countertops and a wood accent wall. It really amplifies the guest experience and gives visitors something memorable they’ll rave about or share on social media.”
Looking ahead, Vacatia is exploring ways to extend the experience further, including coffee in grab-and-go markets and potential in-room solutions. The goal remains the same: deliver a reliable, premium coffee experience that enhances the guest stay at every touchpoint.
Vacatia and SipWithMe’s partnership thrives on shared priorities and a unified vision for how coffee can be a purposeful part of a guest’s stay.
Across the portfolio, SipWithMe provides stability and clarity. No more patchwork service or unpredictable equipment. From install to everyday operation, each machine is backed by end-to-end support, ensuring uptime, replenishment, and reliability without adding to on-site workload.
The result is a premium coffee amenity that runs quietly in the background while elevating the overall guest experience.
Through SipWithMe, coffee operates with the same intention as every other guest touchpoint and reinforces thoughtful hospitality and premium quality that guests expect at every stay.
Make every cup a standout moment. Discover how SipWithMe can elevate your coffee service.
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