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FEATURE PROFILE: Feature from the FALL 2024 ISSUE of STAY Magazine
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Wyndham development rolls out new revenue‑boosting platform across North America
Owners looking to boost revenue, elevate their service to guests and make their day-to-day operations run more seamlessly can now take advantage of Wyndham Connect in North America. First announced at its 2023 Global Conference, Wyndham’s new guest engagement platform powered by Canary Technologies comes at no additional cost to owners.
Designed to enhance the guest experience through a series of best-in-class, mobile-centric tools, Wyndham Connect leverages one of the most substantial AI-driven large language models, allowing owners to cater to modern travellers and their evolving needs. Today, nearly 2,000 hotels in North America have started using Wyndham Connect, leveraging its benefits to drive value and help support their bottom lines.
“We always put our franchisees first, and investing in innovative technology like AI sets them apart from the competition. With access to powerful solutions like Wyndham Connect, our franchisees can manage their businesses more efficiently and curate guest experiences to help make stays more meaningful than ever. The result? Happier guests, higher chances for repeat business and money in franchisees’ pockets,” says Scott Strickland, chief commercial officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Last year, hotels across all Wyndham brands globally with Overall Social Review (OSR) scores above 4.0, on average, saw twice as much RevPAR growth compared to those with lower scores. Designed to increase profitability by leveraging technology to streamline owner operations, the rollout of Wyndham Connect helps owners keep guests more engaged than ever by personalizing their experience.
Whether leveraging AI to respond to 80 per cent of common guest messages like directions to the airport shuttle or helping guests plan for a late departure, Wyndham Connect enhances the guest experience while giving staff time back to focus on other key areas of day-to-day operations.
Reported benefits of Wyndham Connect:
- Messaging that Matters: Allows staff to use AI-generated messaging to help respond to guests via text message with ease and speed before, during and after their stay.
- Smart Mobile Check-In: Speeds up the check-in process for both guests and front desk agents, helping to verify guest information in advance and protect hotels from chargebacks.
- Effortless Upsell: From early check-in, late check-out and personalized upgrades, hotels can generate incremental revenue while making each stay personal and memorable for guests.
- Smart Mobile Check-Out: Provides a faster, contactless check-out experience for guests, while helping alert front desk agents and housekeeping staff when guest rooms are available.
- Boosting Online Reviews: Encourages guests to complete surveys via text message following their stay, helping hotels improve the chances of receiving positive online reviews while addressing guest concerns more quickly.
- Integrated Mobile Tipping: Allows guests to easily leave housekeeping tips, in an age when carrying cash is less common. The benefit? Based on all Wyndham hotels that have adopted the digital solution, the average tip is more than $10.
“I do business with Wyndham because they invest in my success. With industry-leading property and revenue management services and access to technology like Wyndham Connect, I’m building relationships with my guests and its translating to hundreds of dollars a week that I’d otherwise miss out on,” says Wyndham franchisee, Ajit Patel.
Ramada by Wyndham Ottawa On The Rideau
Unleashing the Power of AI
Over the last six years, Wyndham has invested nearly $325 million in delivering sales, marketing and digital innovations aimed at elevating the owner and guest experience.
Strategically embracing AI and allowing for innovation to revolutionize its operations has been a key focus area for Wyndham to support owners, guests and team members. From implementing AI to advance how Wyndham engages with guests to enabling team members to tackle day-to-day tasks like transcribing meeting notes during virtual meetings, Wyndham has taken a purposeful approach to drive efficiency, productivity and enhanced experiences for team members, owners and guests.
Some highlights include:
- Tech-Forward Call Centers: From real-time coaching prompting agents to speak slower to reminders of procedures in place to find solutions quicker, Wyndham call centers are embracing AI. This also includes the adoption of conversational AI to answer calls on behalf of agents and summarize cases, ultimately giving them time back to serve more guests and serve them better.
- Effective Guest Service: With an easy-to-access chatbot within the mobile app, Wyndham can service its guests and loyal Wyndham Rewards members by answering about 60% of common questions—giving guests a better experience and customer care and call center team members time back to focus on high-priority cases. Missing Wyndham Rewards points? Wyndham chatbots can quickly validate members and their stays and award their points promptly in the chat—a process that could have taken days previously.
- Easy Owner Solutions: As part of its owner engagement platform, Wyndham Community, the company is leaning into AI to quickly address owner needs. Whether it’s an inquiry on brand standards or a question about a folio, Wyndham has incorporated natural language AI into its systems to get answers to owners faster—allowing them to focus on what matters most, their business and their guests.
- Streamlined Operations: Wyndham is leaning into AI to analyze and forecast opportunities related to rate and occupancy optimization, sales leads and more to help owners maintain a competitive edge and maximize their revenue. What previously could have taken hours for team members and owners to sift through is now more readily available than ever, leading to more fruitful conversations, more strategic decisions and actionable solutions to elevate owners’ businesses.
