The Hyatt Regency Bellevue on Seattle's Eastside partners with Monscierge on a centralized, cloud-based solution, saving the property thousands of dollars each year.
BELLEVUE, WASH. and OKLAHOMA CITY – Last month, the Hyatt Regency Bellevue on Seattle’s Eastside became the first hotel able to use SMS two-way communication between guest and staff from a system that powers multiple technologies at one source. Connect CMS, a product created by Bellevue’s technology partner Monscierge, provides a single hub where the hotel’s staff can manage several products as one. This includes digital signage, interactive digital tables, guest and staff mobile applications, push notifications, guest requests – and now SMS text messaging. It marks the first time hotels have been able to include two-way contextual messaging capabilities into their overall CMS system without the cost of a second vendor.
“A mobile solution should encompass more of a strategy than simply having a smartphone app,” says Elizabeth Robinson, Guest Engagement, Monscierge. “A true mobile solution should also answer the needs of guests communicating to staff from their phone’s native messaging feature. Our Connect CMS can now manage several methods of two-way messaging in a user-friendly dashboard – within the same system used to control other on-site technologies.”
Recent on-site renovations included adding Microsoft Windows PPI touch-tables in the hotel’s lobby. The Windows 8-powered, interactive tables were created in cooperation with Microsoft and include the Monscierge Connect Lobby software, the same software now powering the on-site digital signage. While lounging on the lobby couch, guests can access the same features seen on the digital signage, such as the staff’s local recommendations or real-time flight statistics.
Needing only one central, cloud-based content management system (CMS) to operate multitudes of products on-site is proving to significantly impact property expenses:
“Moving to a single partner for our digital solutions not only increases workflow efficiency but saves thousands of dollars per year by cutting out multiple vendor fees and support. Our property is looking at approximately $20k in savings already”, said John D’Angelo, Director of Rooms, Hyatt Regency Bellevue on Seattle’s Eastside.
As the New Year unfolds, hospitality is likely to find an increased amount of contextual messaging used throughout the steps of the guest journey. A welcoming message to a guest before arriving on-site, as well as push-notifications and request status updates, will ultimately be expected by guests as this communication style becomes more consistent in other markets.
With cloud-based technology, Monscierge makes mobilizing the guest journey easy and affordable – from the guest associating with the hotel at the planning and booking steps to when they check-out and share hotel-branded postcards on social media.
“We’ve spent years making this technology easy to use and easy to scale, without losing focus on also being affordable”, said Marcus Robinson, CEO, Monscierge.
The Hyatt Regency Bellevue on Seattle’s Eastside will also be participating with Monscierge on a collaborative mobile research project beginning in 2015. The project is sponsored by Intel and will be led by Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research.
Photo caption: Contextual messaging from Hyatt.
Photo caption: Hyatt Regency Bellevue – iOS mobile application.
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She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
