Hotels Are Asking the Wrong Question at Check-In

Glenn: [00:00:00] Hello, my fellow hospitality. I’m Glenn. I’m here at HITEC and I found my friends from Alliance. So I said Hey, friends, let’s give it a little chat over here. But first I want to mention that I’ve been using AI lately, and I ran through a formula and I realized that my American accent, no matter what I do, is going to sound 22.3% dumber than Tristan over here, no matter what he says. So please grade this product on a curve. Tristan. Great. Great to see you guys. How are you doing?

Tristan: [00:00:30] I’m really good, mate. Very nice to see you.

Glenn: [00:00:32] It’s so nice to see you too. So I’m having a lot of fun following where your technology has been going to and I’ve been I’ve been going to Resorts World for a number of years now, and I know you’ve been partnering with those folks over there, right. And I want to know a little bit about how you’ve been changing the check in experience so that the next time I go there, I’m going to have an even more seamless entry than I do because I, you know, I know all the executives.

Tristan: [00:00:54] Well, you know, Shannon’s a great person. Yeah, I love Shannon.

Glenn: [00:00:58] So she’s so I’m going to say, Tristan, I’m sorry to keep talking, but you have to have great partners, right?

Tristan: [00:01:04] You do. And that’s that’s actually what Alliance means. Alliance means a trusted advisor. So there you go. It’s a really good that’s.

Glenn: [00:01:10] A really good I never I never put that.

Tristan: [00:01:11] Together. It wasn’t an accident.

Glenn: [00:01:13] All right. Maybe it’s 22.5%.

Tristan: [00:01:15] Dumber. I doubt that. Yeah.

Glenn: [00:01:19] All right. So before we really get into it, I want to know about the relationship, how it works. And fundamentally, how are you dealing successes that make the customers want to love Resorts World based on your technology?

Tristan: [00:01:32] Well, I think, you know, when you when you look at the check in experience, particularly a large hotel like Resorts World, it’s it needs to be slipped. The last thing you want to do is come in and see a massive queue and, you know, not be able to get to your room or from their perspective, not be able to enjoy the resort, play the casino. And that’s where the money comes from. So really, really important. So we, we innovated with Apple wallet keys About 18 months ago. And so that sort of first to market there in in the Vegas market. What we’ve added now is Google Wallet. So actually, if you have an Android, you have an Android.

Glenn: [00:02:08] I do have a, I do have an.

Tristan: [00:02:10] You now can enjoy the resorts world experience.

Glenn: [00:02:13] Thank you. I’m really glad that you finally added that because I’m getting sick and tired of all of my iPhone friends telling me I’m missing out on all of this.

Tristan: [00:02:20] You’re no longer missing out.

Glenn: [00:02:22] Thank goodness. Well, I’ll be going back to Resorts World soon. I’m definitely going to use this this technology. So what can I expect? How is it going to make me as a customer happier? And then how does that translate into making Resorts World more successful?

Tristan: [00:02:34] Actually, if you look at that, so there’s a number of things now that they’re doing to really improve the experience. So they now have kiosks as well. So actually if you arrive and haven’t had the time to check in before you arrive, which, you know, most of us have time when we’re sat on the plane or doing something, why not do all of that horrible stuff up front?

Glenn: [00:02:52] You’re slacker. I’m out there doing stuff, making things happen. Exactly.

Tristan: [00:02:55] So now, actually, if you arrive in reception, you can actually either scan the QR code and do it on your own device, or there are now tablets if you don’t have one available. So as many ways as we possibly can to help help people into the environment.

Glenn: [00:03:09] And let me just point out, this is really important because when you have a product such as Resorts World that has three different hotels and something like 3506 rooms or something like that, the lines are going to be there no matter what you can. You can have, you know, 2000 associates behind the front desk. The lines are still going to be there. This makes the arrival experience that much better.

Tristan: [00:03:29] And also, when you look at it, the arrival times when you start to capture that, the more information you can capture on the way in, the better you can actually deliver the experience. So we see what arrival times people have as they come through, and it’s actually way more spread. It’s not the 3:00 rush you think it is. Actually, people are arriving throughout the day. So if you can use that and smooth it out, but it also gives you other opportunities to, you know, rotate the house and, and really give people what they want, which is to get to their rooms and enjoy. Resorts world.

Glenn: [00:03:59] Enjoy. Resorts world equals spending money downstairs instead of being crabby and waiting on line. Exactly. And that’s really what the key is for these big properties and smaller properties. Because you want to keep guests happy, you want to get them in the right mindset in order to do it. And by removing the friction from the check in process, that happens. You guys have been very patient over there, I think. Should we talk to them or should we continue to ignore?

Tristan: [00:04:21] Well, I’ll let let’s let Andrew talk. One of the things we’ve done, Andrew works very closely with Apple. And Apple launched something called Member Pass quite recently, which we’ve just launched with Resorts World, which gives a whole new set of capabilities. So why don’t we. Yeah, why don’t we?

Glenn: [00:04:37] Let me explain Andrew.

Andrew: [00:04:38] Yeah. So I think the check in is only one part of the journey. And actually you say to yourself, you come back to Resorts World multiple times. And that’s what Member Pass now gives us. It brings loyalty into the past. So actually recognizing all those Genting Rewards members, all those Hilton Honors members and making sure that that’s not missed in that interaction. Right. Because the digital sometimes takes that away so they can see the benefits.

Glenn: [00:04:58] So hold on. So it knows who I am and doesn’t forget that. So when I walk into Resorts World the next time, for example, I’m already like three quarters of the way there.

Andrew: [00:05:09] Yeah. So it already pops up. So your, your key will have that, just that new reservation pop up. You’ll be able to use the information and you’ll see your loyalty. So your loyalty changes as you spend more time at the property. It then will update automatically. And then Apple just announced in WW, DC new enhancements that are coming to the pass where we’ll be able to bring the itinerary and other activities to the pass as well. So it really starts becoming your engagement with a brand. And it’s there in a wallet that everyone has.

Glenn: [00:05:37] Yeah. That’s awesome. Alberto.

Alberto: [00:05:39] So I’m a little bit concerned about my accent now. I don’t know if I go like more Miami or do I just stick with American? 250 years of freedom.

Glenn: [00:05:48] You gotta lean to Miami. And I think your accent sounds 7.3% tougher and more aggressive than Tristan.

Alberto: [00:05:56] I know, tough and aggressive. I’ll take it. I’ll take it for a while.

Glenn: [00:05:59] If you want to do that. You know I got a lot of years of Brooklyn. So you know we can we could do this.

Alberto: [00:06:04] We can. Yeah.

Glenn: [00:06:05] But I, I want to know you got a great story about the the World Cup, which is happening right now as well. Yeah.

Alberto: [00:06:10] And I think there’s a huge opportunity. I mean, one of the things that happens in our industry is that we make a reservation, much like you make a reservation, right? And you’re going to make it under your name because you have all the.

Glenn: [00:06:20] Well, I’ve got a slew of aliases because, you know, I don’t want people to know who’s really.

Alberto: [00:06:24] That’s a good move, Glenn.

Glenn: [00:06:25] That’s actually that way. They let me in the hotel. I’m not because people know me.

Alberto: [00:06:28] So, you know, if you look at it, though, based on what people are coming in for, no one’s really taking advantage of this, and no one’s really taking advantage of finding out who else is traveling with them. Right? So recently, one of our customers sent out, you know, at a 20,000 check ins, they get back 13,000 where they get an additional guest name. So put that, put that in perspective. Right, right. So if I’m traveling for the World Cup, I’m probably not traveling by myself. I’m traveling with a group of folks. Right? Right. And those group of folks are probably people that do want to do these kind of adventures for something else, right? Maybe they want to go see a fish show. Maybe they want to go see something else, right? Whatever it is, though, we want to capture that, that other person as well, to be able to create this opportunity to advance the number of people that I can reach out to, to bring more guests in. So we talk about the personalization all the time, but nobody really pays attention to the reason I’m coming in. And I mentioned this, Glenn, often. When was the last time somebody asked you, what’s bringing you to town?

Glenn: [00:07:17] They asked me rarely when I check in, but by then it’s too late because I’m already here at the conference and booked on everything.

Alberto: [00:07:25] Exactly, exactly. So I think there’s a huge opportunity here to say, hey, how do I find out your intent? The intent of those travels with you, and what can I do to give them an opportunity to spend more money at my property, or to be what I should be, which is an ambassador to the city that I’m in? And explain, here’s where the fan fest is going to be. This is where you can take your transportation. I can give you private transportation. How do we work this into that feeling of travel and real hospitality?

Glenn: [00:07:51] I love what we’re talking about here because it really gets you closer to the customer. And there’s too much separation between the hotel and the destination. People aren’t coming to the hotel, they’re coming to the destination and staying with you. I don’t understand for decades and decades why there hasn’t been this connectivity. They should know and they should be able to do stuff. Now, I know the folks at Resorts World are smart enough. For example, if that big concert is happening that they’re going to know it, they’re going to figure it out, and they might even be able to create an event that’s around it, maybe pre-show and sell a lot more food.

Alberto: [00:08:24] Exactly. And they do it right. But you do it for cowboy Christmas, right? I went to the I went last year, which is my jam because I do love the rodeo dude.

Glenn: [00:08:31] And let me say they got like a whole tent with bull riding and all these activations out there that will blow your mind. Exactly. Specifically geared towards that crowd.

Alberto: [00:08:38] And what do they normally do though? What happens? A lot of places, they’re just sending the emails to the person who made the booking. Right? But I’m not really the planner in my family. You got to send it to Mrs. Santana if you want some action to happen. Right? But they don’t know her name. They don’t know how to get Ahold of of her. And there’s a huge opportunity here to make that happen.

Glenn: [00:08:53] So how does that happen, Tristan? How do you make this all work and become seamless and really up the the connectivity?

Tristan: [00:09:00] By having a truly seamless pre-arrival experience. We don’t talk about checking anymore. Right? We talk about manage my booking. So you pick up a customer straight after they booked and from that period until the moment they arrive, why not let them tailor the stay the way they want to? And so having that experience available anytime, being able to come in and actually tailor the itinerary, add additional guests, you know, capture preferences and tell people why you’re coming to town.

Glenn: [00:09:31] So what we’re really talking about is creating actionable insights that are good on this trip and can serve as a basis to get people to come back in the future based on those preferences. Finally, it sounds like I’ll be freed from getting golfing packages, which I’ve been getting for the last 30 years. The last the last time I golfed, I think I was in junior high school.

Alberto: [00:09:51] My favorite is when I get the spa. Do you want to go to the spa? When I’m traveling with two kids and I’m like, where’s my where’s the babysitting? You know what I mean, right? Yeah. You want the romance package? Well, I kind of that’s how I got the kids. Right. But what do we do now?

Glenn: [00:10:04] Well, I feel our relationship, we got the full romance package going on already, and. Yeah. Any final words other than.

Tristan: [00:10:10] Great to see you.

Glenn: [00:10:10] It’s great to see you.

Alberto: [00:10:11] Congratulations to your New York knickerbockers. I mean they really behaved by the way I.

Glenn: [00:10:16] I am I am such a huge fan since Saturday afternoon. I have such I have such pride. I’m not going to try to jump on the bandwagon because when the Mets won in 86, 40 years ago, I lambasted the people that became fans and didn’t suffer in the 70s. All right, how do we learn more about you guys?

Tristan: [00:10:35] Alliance.com or find us on LinkedIn.

Glenn: [00:10:37] Excellent.

Alberto: [00:10:38] Absolutely.

Tristan: [00:10:38] They’re all they’re all right.

Glenn: [00:10:39] Alliance.com. Alliance.com. Alliance.com. Like share subscribe. No vacancy news. Thank you guys. See you later.

Tristan: [00:10:46] Bye bye.