Published:
July 7, 2022
Ranging from a tourist hotspot to a haven for first responders during the pandemic, the team at the Georgian Bay Hotel & Conference Centre has always prioritized guest comfort for any and all guests. One way they do this is through contactless communication via hospitality texting, to provide a channel all guests can feel comfortable conversing on.
Whether it’s the heat of summer or the dead of winter, the Georgian Bay Hotel is busy, Manager of Brand Experience & Partnerships Emily Stroud said.
“Our biggest draw is tourism,” she said, explaining that the full resort located 90 minutes north of Toronto, Ontario is right across the street from Georgian Bay. On the property, activities include tennis courts, an indoor and outdoor pool, and a mini golf course; outside the property are hiking and biking trails, water sports on the bay, and a ski resort.
“It’s quite a destination for all four seasons,” Stroud said of the beautiful bay and surrounding activities. With changing restrictions throughout the pandemic, the team was able to keep up by compiling a welcome message for guests via hotel texting, which led to a landing page with all amenity information.
From how to book a spot at the pool, to what hours the restaurant was open, this allowed Stroud’s team to ensure all guests had the necessary information and what the current restrictions were. “It was great because we didn’t have to have a physical piece of paper that we’re handing to them,” she said.
“It also helped me because I’m having to control all of our messaging, there's so many channels and so many different things that needed to be changed every time the restrictions changed, which was quite often.”
Providing another channel for communication between guests and staff proved essential during the harder months of the pandemic, Stroud explained.
“Kipsu adds another level of communication that speaks to how the guest is feeling at that time,” she said, mentioning that texting for hotels allows guests to bypass the lobby and go straight to the room.
“We don’t know the situation of our guests, they could be high risk or someone they love is high risk,” Stroud said. “Kipsu allows us to communicate with them on the same level.”
Being able to tell guests about restrictions and offerings pre-stay is also a benefit of hotel texting services, so guests can be informed before they arrive. “Guests seem to appreciate having Kipsu as a line of communication to stay away from people [if needed],” Stroud said.
Reviews for the hotel text messaging system at Georgian Bay are “glowing,” she added. “You know it’s providing a service to them and helping our team. The best way [to communicate] really is to text us.”
One guest even left a review stating, “One thing that really impressed me was the fact that they would text us to ask us if we need anything & we could easily text them if we did - such a cool and modern way to keep in touch with guests.”
This ability to communicate via hospitality messaging was key during the thralls of the pandemic, when nurses, doctors, and first responders stayed at the Georgian Bay Hotel for periods of time to protect their families.
“We opened our doors to these professionals so they could protect their family members while they were helping to fight COVID,” Stroud said. “They really appreciated Kipsu and being able to let us know their changing schedules.”
These essential workers were also thankful for contactless communication via hospitality texting to keep the hotel staff safe, she added.
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