Expedia has rolled out new technology for its hotel partners to enable to improve the engagement and dialogue they have with guests.
Expedia rolls out new partner technology platform to power conversations between hotel and guest
Expedia has rolled out new technology for its hotel partners to enable to improve the engagement and dialogue they have with guests.
Conversations is part of the Expedia PartnerCentral suite of services for hotels that Expedia is developing to help cement its partnerships with suppliers.
Conversations has been developed to provide a more personalised experience for guests by allowing them to communicate directly with hotels at the time of booking to ask questions about amenities and services.
The platform can also be used by the hotel to send messages back to its guests about anything from special offers, information about check in or other alerts.
Expedia said the tool will give hoteliers the ability to:
- Create first impressions and set guest expectations with a custom welcome message
- Build meaningful relations and enhance the guest experience by sharing check-in details or alerting guests when their rooms are ready
- Acknowledge, confirm and manage special requests
- Provide information about the property’s services (spa, concierge, restaurant, etc.)
Benoit Jolin, vice-president global product at the Expedia group, said: “Hoteliers have requested the ability to communicate directly with guests having made a booking across Expedia Group websites.
“EPC Conversations was developed to answer this need, allowing both the guest and the hotelier to interact with each other, to engage from the moment the reservation is made and create memorable stay experiences.”
“According to a recent study by Gallup, there is a strong relationship between guests’ engagement with the hotel, and the amount of money they spend. EPC Conversations was designed to maximise guest engagement, creating opportunities for Expedia hotel partners to increase top line revenues.”
Lisa Howe, Reservations Manager at UK-based Dreamhouse Apartments, said: “We love using Expedia Partner Central conversations as it helps us communicate with our guests, especially important as we have unique check in procedures.
“We were able to use these conversations recently with a guest who asked about check in times and arranging arrival, it was really easy and made sure the guest was met upon arrival and did not have to wait.
“It is also useful if there is an issue with payment as we take payment centrally and not upon arrival’’
Expedia PartnerCentral already provides hoteliers with a real-time feedback tool on which guests can rate aspects of their stay, like the check in experience, immediately and the hotel can respond to any negative comments.
Expedia PartnerCentral also provides easy access to reviews from across all Expedia sites, allowing hoteliers to identify guest feedback that requires attention and thank guests for staying with them.
