Hospitality sector has been thriving to enhance any experience a guest has for better and the best. The times have witnessed clever ways how hotels have evolved riding on the wings of technology. And in amidst all the chaos, basic methods rose up to bring that dazzling idea to create a ripple effect.

Messaging services, a basic method, has been used by the industry for far too long. This simple communication channel has seen hotels engage customers like never before.  While most hospitality companies still handle the majority of customer service enquiries over the phone, email, and social media channels, brands looking to stay ahead of the curve have also been turning to mobile messaging apps.

For hotels, messaging allow a single staff member to interact simultaneously with multiple customers, not just one over the phone. On both ends, all correspondence is housed neatly within a single conversation so it’s easy to track customer history.

Here’s how hotels are using messaging services to create a brand around their name-

Marriot’s in-house messaging app

Marriot has come up with an in-house messaging app for the Marriot Reward, an award-winning loyalty programme that rosters more than 50 million members since last May.

The members can use Mobile Requests to ensure that they have everything they need for a comfortable stay. Marriot International extends this service in five different languages at selected properties within its JW Marriott, Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Courtyard, and flagship Marriott brands, and will soon expand it to others.

Sheraton’s Whatsapp grouping initiative

Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel and Convention Centre adopted Whatsapp as a channel of the communique to all the consumers. Hotels adopted the app and include their mobile number along with the WhatsApp logo on their website, and also on their Facebook page and other social media profiles.

Once established, a hotel’s WhatsApp account was even used to create groups, like for members of its loyalty programme, making it easier to reward them with exclusive incentives and drive customer retention.

Hyatt’s Facebook Messenger engagement

Hyatt has recently started testing Facebook’s Messenger for offering services to the customers. Although the hotel has been using social media (Hyatt Concierge on Twitter) for reaching out to their guests.

Facebook’s Messenger for Business, launched earlier this year, provides a one-on-one real time interaction with customers as they’re experiencing a brand. Customers can file room service requests, complete reservation requests, get provided with local weather updates.Guests can also reach out with questions themselves, as they simply need to have the app installed on their smartphone.

Loews’ Zingle partnership

Loews Hotels and Four Seasons Philadelphia, are tech-savvy brands that partnered with a personal texting service called Zingle to explore in-house messaging using third party app. Once you check in, the hotel will register your phone number to your personal “service on demand” profile. You will then be able to text any request, whether you are inside or outside the hotel, for your entire stay.

The hotel guarantees that your text will be answered within four minutes. 400 hotels have used Zingle for its parking service, which allows them to text when they want their cars out of the parking garage.

Chicago Athletic Association’s initiative to improve TripAdvisor ranking

Chicago Athletic Association used messaging service so as to amplify their TripAdvisor ranking. This allowed hotels to identify service failure while the guest was still on the property, mitigating the risk of negative reviews that stem from unknown service issues.

It also empowered hotels to satisfy guests, identified which guests were likely to leave a positive review, and encourage them to share their experience on TripAdvisor.

These were classic examples where the giants experimented with messaging apps and engaged customers actively. This trend is yet to pick up in India and the hotels could actually learn from these basic methodically used communication channels. Hotels could engage their customers day before their arrival, by asking the time they would check-in or concierge services they’d like to avail.

The post Here’s how hotels are employing messaging services to engage their customers appeared first on TravHQ.

Marriott recently added a new feature called Mobile Request to its mobile app. This new feature would allow the guests to place a wide range of service requests using the mobile app instead of calling up the front desk. Multiple hotel brands are focussing on integrating mobile devices better in the system to woo new age customers and Marriott has taken a step in the same direction.

Marriott is trying to redefine the way hotel staff and guests communicate with each other with the addition of a new feature to their mobile app. The new Mobile Request feature allows hotel guests to make requests for amenities through the app. With this new feature, they are trying to cater to the newer generation of guests and making the experience smooth for them.

Users can also choose to chat with a representative

This new feature would make it easier for guests to place service requests. Apart from the room service requests, guests in transit can use the feature even better. They can easily schedule a pickup using the app. Otherwise, they would have to look up the hotel phone number, call them, mention the booking ID and place the request. Not exactly a very smooth experience for someone waiting to board a flight.

“Some 75 percent of people travel with one or more mobile devices and the percentage is higher for younger travellers,” said Matthew Carroll, vice president, Marriott Hotels. “We know today’s travellers want a mobile experience built around their changing needs and desire to communicate on their terms. Mobile Request is the brand’s next evolution since our introduction of mobile check-in, checkout and room ready alerts worldwide.”

(Image: source Geograph by Christine Matthews / CC BY-SA 2.0)
The millennial travellers are highly dependent on devices and this move would definitely help them lure the millennials. Hotels, as we know them, will go away to make place for modern more connected hotels. This move by Marriott is a step in the same direction. Many hotels are trying to minimise the time their guests spend interacting with the front desk and some are aiming to bypass it altogether. Starwood hotels recently introduced keyless entry across multiple properties so that people can head straight to their rooms and use their smartphone as a key. Hilton plans to do something similar across 4100 properties by the end of this year.
At present, the Mobile Request feature has been rolled out to 46 Marriott properties but they will soon be expanding the service to the entire Marriott portfolio.

Update (June 17, 2015)- Indian hotel companies are also planning to focus on mobile devices and ITC is very close to launching a mobile app.

The post Marriott takes a step towards the future appeared first on TravHQ.