THE RITZ-CARLTON MOBILE GUEST SERVICES 15 th HOSPITALITY AWARDS BEST DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY
Concept Introduction We are proud to present our concept of Mobile Guest Services for your consideration to the 15 th Hospitality Awards. With the obvious shift in the digital space, many large hotel companies are working to improve their digital guest services, with nearly all major brands already having introduced mobile check-in and check-out. Introducing the most complete set of mobile guest services for a larger hotel company, The Ritz-Carlton is proud of its global roll-out of mobile services that, beyond check-in and check-out, also allow for service and F&B requests to be submitted through mobile phones. During the implementation of the global roll-out, special focus was laid on the systems integration to ensure the flawless operational execution at all 87 Ritz-Carlton in 29 countries worldwide. Be it the mobile check-in at our hotel in Abu Dhabi, poolside food ordering at a Ritz-Carlton hotel in Florida, or ordering extra pillows in Shanghai in Mandarin the discerning traveler can now rely on the most extensive suite of mobile guest services available to make their stay at a Ritz-Carlton hotel more comfortable and memorable. THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 2
Research on the Next Generation Traveler Gen X + Y will drive 75%+ of business hotel room nights within a few years Gen Y use mobile + tablet devices up to 3X more than Boomers THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 3
Extending Our Digital Footprint to the Hotel Experience consider & evaluate shop & book predeparture go arrive stay work play return ACQUIRE CONVERT SERVE & DELIGHT Tradition digital play: hotel information & booking Digital now extends throughout the full guest experience cycle THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 4
Piloting to Create a Successful Global Program Tokyo Launch: July 2014 Beijing Financial Street Launch: December 2013 Portman Shanghai Launch: July 2014 Half Moon Bay Launch: June 2014 Singapore Launch: July 2014 Laguna Niguel Launch: June 2014 Tysons Corner Launch: October 2013 NYC BaKery Park Launch: June 2014 Berlin Launch: January 2014 Naples (Beach & Golf) Launch: November 2013 Abu Dhabi Launch: March 2014 Check- In Check- Out Real- Time Folio Service Requests IRD Ordering Poolside Ordering With an extensive pilot program that began in October 2013 and covered all of the continents we operate in, we were able to learn about guest preferences, take-rates, technical challenges and local legal requirements. THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 5
Final Project Concept: Mobile Guest Services [Slide 1/3] MOBILE CHECK-IN E-mail invitation at 4 pm day prior to arrival Mandatory arrival time field Information feeds directly into local Property Management System (PMS) SMS notifies guest when room is ready MOBILE CHECK-OUT E-mail invitation at 5 am day of departure Guest is able to review the final folio on their phone Mobile check-out immediately checks the guest out of the room (operational benefits) Guest receives the final folio by e-mail (PDF) THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 6
Final Project Concept: Mobile Guest Services [Slide 2/3] REAL TIME FOLIO Pulls live information from the local property management system (PMS) Accurate and available throughout the guest s entire stay SERVICE REQUESTS Available once guest is in-house A variety of service request items are available, including (examples): Pull up my car Make up my guest room Deliver new towels/bath amenities Pick up luggage THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 7
Final Project Concept: Mobile Guest Services [Slide 3/3] MOBILE IN-ROOM-DINING (IRD) Full IRD menu available for all guests Menu automatically changes based on selected delivery time (example: overnight menu) Guest who performs mobile check-in, can pre-order IRD while on their final way to the hotel Order prints directly on kitchen printer (no additional manual work/delay) MOBILE POOLSIDE ORDERING Guest scans the QR code on their poolside table to get started (app remembers their location) Order placed goes directly into kitchen/bar and is directly executed and delivered to the guest s poolside location THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 8
Final Project Concept: Languages & Platform AT LAUNCH Rooms ReservaOons Hotel InformaOon Mobile Guest Services English Full Mobile Site & Apps (ios & Android) Chinese Full German ( ) Limited Japanese ( ) Limited Russian ( ) Limited Spanish ( ) Limited French ( ) Limited Mobile Site (access through e- mail, on property markenng or language switch on EN site) Project launched as both App and Mobile Site to allow for easy access throughout all smartphone platforms 7 languages available at launch with more to follow allowing for global activation THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 9
Final Project Concept: Design A Hong Kong-based agency (StartJG) was selected to create an award-winning mobile design Prototypes were created with distinct designs for a western and an Asian version to allow for culturally relevant display of information If a user opens the app at one of our hotels, she/he is presented with an at Hotel version of the app allowing for direct access to information and features relevant to her/his star At Home THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION At Hotel (EN) At Hotel (CN) 10
Technical Execution Guest-facing App/Mobile Site Cloud-based system PMS Property-level server Kitchen Printer While not part of our marketing campaign, it is important to recognize the importance of the technical execution of our project. The Ritz-Carlton Mobile Guest Services is the most-integrated solution on the market, allowing for flawless execution of our mobile services as our guests expect it from our brand. Any order from the guest flows directly into the existing property management systems (PMS) or prints directly on the kitchen printers without any time delay. We strongly feel that our additional investment will create superior digital experiences and will set us apart from the competition. THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 11
Deployment at 87 Hotels Around The World 10-week deployment cycle and countdown at all hotels to train and roll-out the new Mobile Guest Services Program Change Management program to create excitement in all departments and hotels around the world Detailed technical training for affected Rooms and F&B departments Company wide activation through internal communications (line-up, internal videos, etc.) Heart of the House Activation Poster THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 12
Rollout: Public Relations Rollout on August 18, 2014 with extensive media coverage Coverage included major publications, such as: Forbes Luxury Daily Hotelier Middle East Shankman PSFK ClickZ Very positive reception, covering the extensive set of features PR background stories also covered the technical design put into place by The Ritz-Carlton to allow for a flawless service execution THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 13
Rollout: Marketing Extensive marketing assets to activate the new mobile guest services on property Examples include the mobile keycard inserts (to the right) that is included in the guest s key package upon arrival Other examples include the e-mails inviting guests to utilize the new mobile guest services, such as Check- In and Check-Out (left) A multitude of additional marketing assets were deployed on owned and earned channels upon launch THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 14
Success: Reception & Awards / Image Initial survey results show extremely positive reception among guests (detailed results / KPIs on following slide) The Ritz-Carlton brand was ranked No. 1 in the Travel+Leisure and Fortune 2014 Best in Business Travel Survey in September 2014. The Mobile App enhancements were specifically highlighted in the decision. THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 15
Success: Measurable Efficiency The take-rate of the new mobile guest services exceeded any expectations: 18% of all guests who received mobile check-in e-mail invitations completed the mobile check-in. With its focus on customers from our Rewards program, we have seen a significant lift in membership sign-ups and overall mobile usage from our rewards members (traffic and activity lift of 53%). Overall app downloads and traffic to the RitzCarlton.com mobile site has increased 3x since the launch of the new Mobile Guest Services program. THE RITZ-CARLTON PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 16
AND WE CANNOT WAIT TO SHARE WHERE WE LL GO NEXT THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION 15 th HOSPITALITY AWARDS BEST DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY