A Connected Digital Guest Experience in 4 steps

Where does your guest’s experience start? Online? On the phone? At the hotel door? A surprising number of travelers prefer to purchase or reserve hotel guest services via a mobile device instead of face-to-face. It’s true. The numbers speak for themselves. Staying connected with your guests at every step could prove more important than a new spa.

Here are four ways to achieve that connected experience:

1. Pre-arrival/post-departure engagement This type of contact is important for understanding guests’ needs and allowing you to be better prepared for their stay, or to deliver a more personalized welcome. Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts take great care of all-channel guest interactions before they arrive: “Any hotel can put up magnificent furniture and decorations. But … customers speak to us (customer service) before they even step into the hotel. Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise helped us really engage with our customers in the best possible way, at all times, and provide them service and assistance right away,” says Han San, Customer Service Director.

2. Mobile services on guest devices Mobile services will give your guests a positive, memorable experience and provide you an edge over your competition. It can also help increase in-room dining orders. Winn Hotel Group in Sweden chose BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) as their guest experience focus for their Park Inn by Radisson in Lund. Winn Hotel guests can see and call the different hotel services (reception, room service, restaurant…) from their mobile device for free inside the hotel wireless network: “The mobile app provides quite a range of services which brought us important savings for our 192 rooms. Guests download the hotel application from the front desk (at check-in), along with their room and key. If they don’t have smart phones, we have a few extra at the reception.” says Anders Junger, the group CEO.

3. In-room engagement and services Room phones have transformed into…personal (e)butlers! Since many guests prefer to use mobile devices for communication, room phones bring greater value as electronic service catalogs and room environment remote controls. They help hotels, like the 45 Park Lane of the Dorchester Collection, offer that uniqueness and personalization guests are expecting: “Technology would have to match that luxurious product customers had in their homes. One device for all services, with a consistent look and feel. Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise worked with us to design icons and an interface so that all devices in the room have the same look and feel.” says Mark Campbell, CIO of The Dorchester Collection.

4. On-the-move engagement Serving guests while they are on the move is an important service too. It’s how service is provided at the Winn Hotel. “Our customers can reserve services or receive calls directly on their mobile devices everywhere in the hotel. They can call the reception, the restaurant or any other room (for free),” concludes de group CEO, Anders Junger.“

Convinced by these examples as ways to deliver a consistent guest experience across all devices? Download the infographic detailing how communication impacts your guests’ experience.

Ready to go one step further? Discover how other hotels have delivered connected guest experiences: Visit the dedicated page on 360 personalized guest experience!