two months , says Alma ’ s Managing Director Herbert Laubichler- Pichler . “ Unlike major chains , the independent hotels always have to navigate technological change themselves as they don ’ t have a head office to develop or recommend the latest equipment
WE HAVE LAUNCHED A NEW PAID SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE . OUR CUSTOMER RESEARCH SHOWED THAT PRICE SECURITY AND AVAILABILITY ARE KEY PAIN POINTS FOR THE FREQUENT TRAVELER . WITH OUR NEW MEMBERSHIP MYCITIZENM + WE SOLVE THOSE .
– CASPER OVERBEEK and software ,” Laubichler-Pichler says . “ And this can be difficult for the independent hotels when their staff on the ground such as , for example , the front office managers , are the users of the technology but are preoccupied with the guests and prioritizing their needs .”
The good news , says Laubichler- Pichler , is that the technologies required to power these apps is not expensive . As an independently owned and operated hotel , Alma Resort had the autonomy to invest in the app and develop it themselves which helped keep costs under control . “ The app cost no more than US $ 5,000 to develop . These technologies are not expensive ; you don ’ t have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars . You also need to ensure that the technology is set up in a way so that it is not a money pit ; you don ’ t want to be continually spending a lot of money with a third-party every time you need to make an update to the app . You can realize ROI in many ways quite quickly after launching an app .”
In spring 2021 , Aqua-Aston Hospitality , Honolulu , Hawaii , introduced an app with an intelligent messaging platform in more than 20 of its managed hotels and resorts across Hawaii . It allows guests to communicate with associates in real-time without having to call or visit the front desk . For example , guests can send a message to the front desk about their arrival time and get information about guest amenities . Among other things , they can receive a copy of their folio , get fresh towels or arrange housekeeping service .
Since Aqua-Aston ’ s app uses text messaging system as a mode of communication between guests and associates , building the app was “ surprisingly affordable and utilizes a mode of communication that we all use in everyday life ,” says Mark DeMello , vice president of operations , Aqua-Aston Hospitality .
Besides providing remote checkin , mobile key , options to order food , temperature control , selfcheck-in and mobile payment methods , Virgin Hotels ’ ‘ Lucy ’ app also integrates the in-room entertainment system to provide casting , allowing guests to use their smartphones as the TV remote . Launched in 2015 , the updated app now offers secure ID verification , cashless tipping facility , in-room lighting controls and access to custom fitness routines .
While guests at citizenM already had access to digital solutions like a check-in kiosk and an iPad to control their room settings before the pandemic , the introduction of a guest app during the pandemic across all its hotels has been a success and resulted in the highest guest satisfaction and most loyalty among the app users , says citizenM Hotels Chief Digital & Experience Officer Casper Overbeek .
“ Every day we see new opportunities , not because of tech , but because we want to adapt to customer needs ,” Overbeek says . “ We have launched a new paid subscription service . Our customer research showed that price security and availability are key pain points for the frequent traveler . With our new membership mycitizenM + we solve those .”
Charlestowne Hotels , Charleston , South Carolina , which was using contactless technology long before it became such an integral part of the industry , sends out
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