The holiday season is a magical time for joy, relaxation, and creating lasting memories. In the hotel industry, this is one of the busiest and most important times of the year, and hotel employees work tirelessly to ensure their guests experience an unforgettable stay. Many hotels already benefit from embracing tech advancements to enhance the guest experience, but also to optimize their hotel operations.
In this blog post, let’s dive into how both platforms – VisBook and DigitalGuest – improve guest experiences, how to leverage automated communication in the hotel industry, what the benefits are for both guests and hoteliers, and let’s look at the examples that hotels could already use for this holiday season!
Let’s bring on that holiday season hospitality!
Meet Visbook and DigitalGuest
VisBook – Hotel Booking System
A Hotel Booking System or a Property Management System (PMS) is a software application or platform that enables hotels and other lodging establishments to manage and streamline the reservation process. It serves as a centralized tool for handling bookings, room availability, and customer information.
VisBook, is not just a hotel booking system; it’s the backstage hero for managing administrative tasks in the hospitality world. Renowned for pioneering hospitality systems, VisBook seamlessly integrates all aspects of hotel management into a user-friendly system.
DigitalGuest – Digital Guest Experience Platform
A digital guest experience platform is a powerful tool that empowers hotels to deliver exceptional guest experiences through innovative technology solutions. DigitalGuest is one such platform that offers a comprehensive range of features and functionalities to enhance the hotel guest experience at every stage, from pre-stay to post-stay, but also to optimize hotel operations. Personalized enticing offers, automated communication, guest feedback and so much more – all in one digital guest experience platform, completely customized to match the hotel’s brand image.
DigitalGuest enables hotels to automatically reach the right guest at the right time with the right content using segmentation based on the stage of the guest journey and what kind of booking. The guest communication flow is completely customizable and includes several ways to reach and communicate with hotel guests, both before, during, and after their stay. The hotel staff just need to set it up once and then let the DigitalGuest platform do the rest – a true time saver!
The Power of 2-way Integration
Earlier this year, DigitalGuest and VisBook joined forces in a 2-way integration, taking automated hotel operations to new heights. This integration means less manual work, an automated upselling process, and optimal resource utilization.
The DigitalGuest/VisBook integration allows DigitalGuest to borrow all the guest booking data, to personalize and automate the digital guest journey. Both before, during, and after the stay, hotels can send out automated and segmented emails and text messages based on the guest room type or rate code.
Through this strong integration, hotels can reach their guests with automated communication up to 14 days before they arrive. This gives hotels a powerful opportunity to share practical information and inspiration, as well as enticing offers, without doing any manual work.
Hotels can even prepare all the emails, text messages, and content on the platform prior to the start of the holiday season, so when the time comes, all they have to do is enable automated communication on the DigitalGuest platform.
As the cherry on top, everything can be personalized. Set up automated messages tailored specifically to your leisure guests and others for your business guests, so everyone is 100% well-informed.
Upselling deals are key when it comes to increasing average spending per guest. As well as boosting revenue, however, this often involves a lot of manual work for the hotel. But not anymore.
Through the 2-way integration, it’s easy to automate the process of handling and receiving orders coming in through DigitalGuest. This means that when a guest places an order, whether a bottle of bubbly through a pre-stay email or room service directly on the DigitalGuest platform after they arrive, it will be added directly to the guest’s bill the minute the hotel accepts it.
The hotel staff can even choose to run 100% on autopilot and have all orders automatically accepted – whatever suits the hotel operations best.
What is automation in the hospitality industry?
In the hospitality industry, automation isn’t just a buzzword. It simplifies daily operations, saving time and resources, creating a hassle-free environment for guests. The goal? Streamline processes, reduce errors, and boost operational efficiency and ROI.
Examples of automated communication in the hospitality industry are:
- Guest Messaging enhances communication with guests through scheduled messages, letting hotels provide guests with a seamless experience.
- Use automation to identify and offer personalized upselling deals that increase revenue and improving guest satisfaction at the same time.
Automated Communication During the Holiday Seasons
- Leveraging Automated Communication in Hotels – Enhancing Guest Interactions During Holiday
As the holiday season gets busy, automated communication becomes a valuable tool. When a hotel booking system like VisBook is integrated with a digital guest experience platform like DigitalGuest, it unlocks tons of opportunities to improve guest interactions, making sure every guest feels valued and looked after during this special time.
For example, hotels can automatically send out text messages to all their in-house guests on Fridays in December or every day in December to inform them about a special Christmas menu offer in the restaurant.
Streamlining the Check-In process at the Hotel
Automated communication streamlines the holiday rush by efficiently decreasing the time spent checking in. Not only can a hotel share a lot of information with guests, which normally takes up time at check-in, but the hotel can also include upselling in the automated pre-stay communication. Offering upselling deals to guests before they arrive will free up time at check-in as well as give the hotel more time to prepare the requests.
For example, this can include offering a Christmas discount on room upgrades and adding it to the automated pre-stay emails. This will definitely give guests a great Christmas experience, but also give staff time to prepare the room in advance.
- Timely and Relevant Information: Guests get important updates and offers on time, making their overall experience better. 100% well-informed guests!
- Personalized Touch: Automated communication tailors messages, providing guests with recommendations and services based on their preferences.
Benefits of Automated Communication for Hoteliers:
- Operational Efficiency: Automation cuts down on manual tasks, letting hotel staff focus on more important things and boosting overall efficiency.
- Time Savings: Automation saves time for guests and hoteliers, especially during check-in, check-out, and routine processes.
Automate great guest communication at every stage of the journey
Discover practical examples of how automation can enhance every stage of the guest journey, specifically tailored for the holiday season. From the pre-stay anticipation to the festive moments during their stay, and even extending a warm post-stay connection, these automated strategies aim to provide a seamless and joyful experience for your guests.
Pre-stay
Inform guests about holiday activities – In the automated pre-stay email, share details about nearby Christmas markets to inspire guests to explore the charming surroundings when they arrive at the hotel. Or share details about exciting Christmas or New Year’s events either within the hotel or close by. Such thoughtful gestures are sure to bring a smile to guests’ faces.
Sell room upgrades – Offer room upgrades with a seasonal charm through automated pre-stay communication. Guests might consider opting for a Christmas-themed upgrade or choose a room with unique touches like a comfy fireplace or classic antique furniture. There might even be a great offer on the room upgrade as a little Christmas treat.
In-stay
Update your best-selling deals – Take a look at hotels’ top-performing deals and give them a festive makeover. For example, consider adding a Christmas-themed dinner to the hotel’s standard menu of two or three courses. Make Christmas day more extravagant, complete with festive extras like Christmas crackers and games. Or keep it simple with a cosy meal featuring delights like mulled wine or a Christmas-themed dessert menu. Or why not offer champagne on New Year’s Eve? If your guests are already in the holiday spirit, tempting them with these festive meals and drinks won’t take much convincing!
Surprise in-house guests – Make every day special for your in-house guests! Surprise them with a daily scheduled message inviting them to the bar for a complimentary beer. It’s a small gesture that adds a touch of joy to their stay. This way, the festive spirit lingers beyond check-in, creating a memorable experience that keeps guests connected and looking forward to more pleasant surprises during their visit.
Offer Late Check-Out – No one wakes up early after a Christmas dinner. Extend the guest joy by sending an automated email that not only expresses gratitude for choosing your hotel but also comes bearing a delightful offer: a late check-out for a little fee. This thoughtful gesture adds an extra touch of comfort and relaxation, leaving guests with a positive final impression. It’s a small way to say thanks and entice them to return for more memorable experiences in the future.
Post-stay
Extend the Festive Cheer – The holiday spirit doesn’t have to end at check-out! Keep the connection alive by sending heartfelt thank-you emails expressing gratitude for choosing your hotel during the festive season. Include a warm farewell message and give your guests a last Christmas gift offering a special discount for their next stay. A limited-time promotion or an exclusive deal encourages them to return for another memorable experience, reinforcing a positive impression and paving the way for future visits.
Wrapping it up
As the holiday season gets closer by the day, reflect on the role automated communication in hotels plays in shaping exceptional experiences. VisBook and DigitalGuest, through their seamless integration, empower hoteliers to provide memorable stays. By streamlining guest communication, saving time at check-in, and enhancing guest engagement, these platforms ensure that the holiday season is a time of joy, relaxation, and unforgettable moments for both guests and hoteliers alike.
If you are passionate about enhancing the guest experience and want to optimize satisfaction during the holiday season, consider booking a demo with DigitalGuest. They’re eager to learn more about your property and discuss how they can be of assistance.
If you’re seeking the perfect PMS integration, your search ends here. VisBook offers a comprehensive hotel reservation software. Schedule a demo with us to delve into the features and functionalities of our hotel booking system.
