Hospitality

Property Management System Integrations: IHG sees benefits of using a PMS connector with guest messaging technology

One of the many drawbacks to introducing new technology to your property is the additional work it may put on your hotel staff. That’s where a connector comes into play. A connector is a one-way integration, passing guest data from your PMS to guest messaging software. Kipsu uses connectors to seamlessly integrate with IHG PMS software like HotelKey, Opera Cloud, and Hapi. There are several reasons why it’s helpful to have a connector integrate between the two systems, so let's take a look at some of the key benefits.

3 benefits of using maintenance and ticketing systems in your hotel

Oftentimes, the hustle and bustle of a hotel means that maintenance staff is constantly on the go - scrambling to make repairs and fulfill maintenance requests. Sometimes, they’re receiving their requests on post-it notes, or walking the hotel with walkie-talkies - and there’s no way to truly keep track of everything on their plate. Maintenance and ticketing systems offer properties and owners a more trackable, visible process, with three large benefits.

Guest messaging’s ROI: why IHG hotels are adding Kipsu to their 2025 budget

It’s that time of year where everyone is looking at budgets for the next year and deciding what is worth keeping, leaving, or adding to the budget. As hotels and management companies continue to find ways to increase efficiency and reduce fines and comped rooms, many are evaluating their tech stack. As IHG’s only preferred partner for guest messaging, Kipsu is the tech tool your hotel needs to boost One Rewards Loyalty recognition, loyalty signups, and GuestLove scores. Here are just a few ways Kipsu can help your hotel realize ROI across the property. 

Sonja Swanson

September 3, 2024

5 Digital Assets Hotel Staff Should Always Have In Their Arsenal

Digital asset management allows your front desk staff keep media on file and ready for when guests are looking for information.

Kipsu’s guest messaging software offers a digital assets feature for hotels that are looking to save on printing materials while also ensuring guests have the information they need. Digital Assets allows your team to upload and send files or shortened links to your guests via text messaging. This feature can save your team time and effort while providing valuable advice and particular information to guests, conveniently at their fingertips.

Sonja Swanson

August 27, 2024

Guest messaging helps hotels communicate efficiently in severe weather.

How hotels use broadcast texts to keep guests safe. (With REAL text messages!)

The last thing travelers want to deal with on their vacation is severe weather. Severe weather can really put a damper on a vacation, whether it is closing enjoyable amenities or the potential danger that the weather could bring. When all guests want to do is relax, this can cause a lot of stress. Although hotels can’t control the weather, they can control how they handle the situation at hand to make sure guests feel safe and relaxed as possible. That is where hotel texting comes to the rescue!

Sonja Swanson

August 19, 2024

TripAdvisor reviews show that IHG guests love guest messaging!

IHG guests rave about hotel texting in their reviews, driving up ITR scores and repeat stays.

As the only preferred partner for IHG, Kipsu has been able to connect guests with staff through guest messaging, helping hotels provide exceptional service during a guest’s stay. Guest messaging offers an avenue to address the needs of guests, and gives them a convenient way to stay in touch with the front desk. This feature at IHG properties have brought MANY great reviews to TripAdvisor, sharing their love for hotel texting and their excitement to stay again. We compiled reviews from our IHG partners, showing that guests are raving about the ability to communicate with staff via text. Take at look at what the guests have to say.

Mackenzie Matthees

August 12, 2024

Boutique Hotels vs. Chain Hotels: Redefining Travel Experiences

Exploring the Unique Charm of Boutique Hotels and the Consistent Reliability of Chain Hotels, and How Guest Messaging Enhances Personalized Service

When we think of travel lodging, we often separate options into a couple of main groups: hotels and short-term rentals. However, within the hotel sphere, there are many ways to classify different places to stay. For example, boutique hotels and chain hotels offer contrasting experiences for travelers. Boutique hotels, with their intimate size and local ownership, pride themselves on unique decor, personalized service, and cultural immersion.

July 29, 2024

10 Tips to Improving Hotel Customer Service

Step up your hospitality game with these easy tips

The increasing competition and guest expectations within the hospitality industry means the importance of ensuring a positive experience for guests is at the forefront of occupancy and profitability. Poor customer service costs U.S. companies more than $3.7 trillion each year. Through what we've learned with our work with top hospitality professionals, Kipsu has compiled 10 simple tips that will help boost Customer Service Scores.

Sonja Swanson

July 29, 2024

TripAdvisor reviews show how independent hotels are making genuine connections with guests using texting.

Kipsu’s guest messaging is meeting the moment for independent brands.

For smaller, independent hotels, good TripAdvisor scores and reviews are even more meaningful. At these unique properties, guest relationships are integral to keeping loyal customers. Engaging with guests and making meaningful connections is what makes guests feel welcomed, valued, and cared for. As the world becomes increasingly digital, the need for face-to-face interactions lessens and we lose those moments to connect. So how do hotels continue to create these relationships? We gathered several TripAdvisor reviews from our partners that share the sentiment of feeling connected through Kipsu’s messaging system. Read these reviews to see how hotel texting actually makes guests feel the personalized experience they look and come back for at independent hotels.

Mackenzie Matthees

July 26, 2024

The CrowdStrike outage impacts hotels and halted their operations - how does your property stay prepared for an outage in the future?

Communicate with guests independently from the internet with guest messaging.

On July 19th, a flawed update from the company CrowdStrike caused one of the largest IT outages in history that affected nearly 8.5 million Windows devices. This affected banks, airlines, hospitals, and train networks, etc. Hotels from major brands like Marriott and Hilton were greatly affected, from not being able to process credit cards to having to walk guests personally to their room. Outages like this are rare, but when they happen, it can greatly derail hotel operations and your customer service will matter more than ever before. Especially when we rely on technology so heavily in our work lives as well in our personal lives, it's crucial to have a back up plan that is easily accessible and to be prepared if a similar situation happens again down the road.

July 23, 2024

“It’s Not My Fault”: A Service Recovery Fallacy

Respond to guest complaints in a positive and impactful way (constructive)

Picture this: an upset customer or guest reaches out and proclaims a negative experience, demanding something be done. It becomes all too easy for our front-line team members to sit back and think, “This is not my fault.” Unfortunately, this does nothing to assist with the service recovery process. Instead, that team member will focus on pointing fingers and feel less motivated to actually solve the problem in front of them. In hotels that pride themselves on their service, team members should be encouraged to skip past the idea of “who is to blame?” and move directly to “what can I do to help?” In the end, it doesn’t matter who messed up.

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