After having used an in-house developed system, Hilton decided to buy instead of build its next generation of property management software. Let’s look into why this was a good decision and how buying vs building can help keep companies at the forefront of technology and provide a competitive advantage.  

Build vs Buy: Flexibility  

One of the main reasons to buy software instead of building it in-house is the flexibility it affords the buyer. Hilton and HotelKey partnered to design PEP, which is unique to Hilton and will be used exclusively by their properties. While fantastic off-the-shelf solutions exist, a large brand like Hilton is going to have unique requirements to meet the demands of such a large and complex global property structure. The benefit of outsourcing development is that the client has the ability to provide input during the design process. Post-launch, you’re going to want to add features to continue to remain competitive and satisfy guests.  

Large clients will have dedicated staff (from the software provider) available to them to ensure the software is working properly and for everything from designing new features to troubleshooting bugs. If you think about any software that you use, from Windows to individual phone apps, there are constant updates being pushed out. There are stability improvements, new features, compatibility with new systems, etc. These take a lot of time and manpower, and it’s something you never have to worry about when you don’t develop it yourself.  

Build vs Buy: Cost  

Often when developing software in-house, companies fail to take into account the ongoing maintenance and further development. Cost-cutting measures tend to cut down on those developers over time while company priorities shift, resulting in outdated software that becomes a thorn in the side of guests and results in poor reviews. Purchasing software keeps development headcount off of the client’s books. As mentioned earlier, the continued development of the software will remain in the forefront, avoiding any declines in performance or guest satisfaction. Finally, keep in mind that when you buy, there is software ready to go. Yes, some customization happens for large clients, but it’s usually 90% there from the start. The cost of hiring and training developers and then starting to build software from the ground up is a cost you avoid when buying instead of building.   

Build vs Buy: Pace  

When deploying new software across a large portfolio the like of Hilton’s, it’s going to take a while. Hilton rolled out PEP to 500 properties over two years (starting in 2020) with the full rollout not complete until 2026. This is normal as there’s going to be a period of beta testing at the beginning followed by a period where stability needs to be observed across a selection of properties. Then features get dialed in before a larger rollout.  

When approaching something like this from an in-house perspective, the sunk cost is significant. There is this pressure to roll out as fast as possible to potentially reduce the amount of staff needed during rollout vs afterward. Going back to the cost topic, there is a risk of funding being reduced or headcount cut before the rollout is complete, potentially stalling progress and leaving many properties in the lurch. These issues are largely avoided when purchasing software, allowing a relatively small in-house team to take its time with logical beta and rollout periods.  

Build vs Buy: Options 

Lastly, when it comes to deciding between build vs buy, what buying gets you is options. From mobile ordering apps like Toast to room-cleaning robots, there are companies out there to leverage instead of building in-house. These companies do one thing and do that one thing very well. They are experts in developing, maintaining, and supporting their software and services and the clients that use it. Furthermore, interactions between solutions are becoming easier and easier. For example, Virdee’s own Virtual Reception is integrated with HotelKey’s technology along with numerous other PMS, lock, and payment providers. The ease of deploying and maintaining a purchased solution vs an in-house one is becoming better every day.  

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Personalized experiences

Technology has allowed hotels to personalize their guests’ experiences, starting from the booking process. For example, customer data is being used to tailor guests’ preferences, such as room selection and personalized amenities. Additionally, technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is enabling hoteliers to analyze guests’ behavior in real-time and recommend personalized experiences based on their preferences and spending habits.

Enhanced communication

Clear communication between guests and hotel staff is essential for a positive guest experience. Technology, such as chatbots and virtual assistants, have reduced in-room service times while providing 24/7 customer service options and assisting guests with any inquiries. With the increasing popularity of mobile devices, hotels can also reach guests through SMS, social media, and in-app messaging, creating effortless communication channels and memorable experiences.

Increased efficiency

A significant advantage of technology in the hotel industry is the increase in efficiency. For example, automated services such as check-in/out kiosks and self-serve vending machines reduce wait times, allowing guests to check in and out quickly and efficiently. Moreover, integrating Property Management Systems (PMS) to automate routine tasks such as inventory management, staffing schedules, and housekeeping activities enable hotels to operate efficiently and provide an exceptional and consistent guest experience that leads to guest success.

Establishing expert status

Technology has generated fierce competition within the hotel industry. However, hotels that understand emerging technologies and how they can enhance guests’ experiences are setting themselves apart from the competition. Establishing the hotel as an expert authority on various technologies not only enhances the guest experience but also builds brand awareness and contributes to increased customer loyalty and guest success.

Creating a safe environment

Recent events have highlighted the importance of safety and health metrics. Fortunately, technology has empowered hotels to implement policies aimed at ensuring guest safety. High-tech security measures such as contactless check-ins, sanitization stations, and temperature screening tools make guests feel safe and secure when staying in your hotel. Additionally, technologies such as biometric security, IoT-controlled smart locks, and safety surveillance systems contribute to ensuring optimal guest comfort and safety.

Embracing technology in the hotel industry has become a necessity. By keeping up with emerging technologies, hotels can personalize guests’ experiences, increase communication channels, reduce wait times, establish expert status, create a safe environment, and ultimately enhance guest success. With emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, and Machine Learning seeking to revolutionize the hotel experience, hoteliers that embrace them will gain a competitive advantage, gain customer loyalty, and realize a return on investment that positively impacts the bottom line. The key takeaway is that every hotel can achieve guest success by understanding how technology can effectively impact guests’ experiences.

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Then there are differing types of properties. We’re going to focus on the main three: select-service, full-service, and luxury. There are additional categories, including extended stay properties, which fall somewhere between select-service and full-service, and casinos and resorts. These all have unique needs as well beyond the main three categories. We’ll reserve those for another blog and look at how hospitality tech can serve the main three categories today. 

Select-service properties 

We’ve all driven down the highway and seen the numerous options of highway hotels and motels. Many of those are selected-service or limited-service properties, meaning they don’t offer the full array of features like a gym, spa, room service, pool, etc., that many mainstream hotels have. They target a specific type of guest who is budget minded and/or just looking for a place to sleep while on the road. These guests aren’t looking for all the bells and whistles and similarly don’t want to pay for what they are not using.  

Select-service hotels often run on very tight margins. They don’t have the additional features that drive higher margins of full-service hotels, and their room rates are lower as a result. Guests arrive at all hours of the day and night (especially along highways or near airports), so staffing is important. If you’ve ever missed a flight and then had to stand in line to check in at 1:00 in the morning while jetlagged, you know how frustrating that experience can be. This is where self-check-in kiosks and apps can specifically alleviate guest frustration and get them to their room (and pillow) faster. The capability of a kiosk or app to check in and provide a key card or mobile key to the guest all without requiring staff intervention, makes for a smooth experience.  

Full-service properties 

Full-service hotels are the Marriotts and Hiltons of the world and many boutique brands. They’re generally larger than select-service hotels and offer features like on-site restaurants and bars, a pool/spa, room service, valet, and more. They are frequented by business travelers and tourists who want to stay in the heart of a city and enjoy the property amenities. The room rates are commensurately higher than those of select-service properties, and the guests are generally ready to pay for the amenities to enhance their stay.  

Amenities are important for full-service hotels as they drive considerable margin and also help differentiate the stay in the guest’s mind vs other hotels. Technology like in-room tablets from companies like Crave can help put these amenities front and center, educating guests on what is available and even pushing special offers based on guest information. Similarly, having access via mobile phone to property amenities puts the control in the guest’s hands, allowing them to order room service or schedule a spa treatment from anywhere without having to pick up the room phone or stop by a service desk.  

Staff attention is important to guests of full-service hotels, which means staffing issues can have serious consequences at these properties, impacting guest net promoter scores (NPS). The tablets and apps mentioned above remove the need to approach staff to place a room service order. Additionally, and similar to select-service hotels, self-check-in apps and kiosks can remove much of the staffing pressures, allowing available staff to spend more time addressing guests directly and ensuring a positive experience.  

Luxury properties 

Luxury hotels are the aspirational properties that we all long to stay at during a tropical vacation. They are the ones that pick you up from the airport in a luxury car and have the highest levels of décor, food, bedding, and staffing available. The commercial of the guest arriving by boat to the JW Marriott in Venice plays on a loop in my mind. You are greeted at the door, and the level of personal attention only goes up from there.  

These hotels have fewer business travels, and many of those vacationing at a luxury property want personal attention. That is why the concept of a mobile check-in app or kiosk might be scoffed at initially. But wait! What’s luxurious about standing at a front desk (albeit one of immaculate Italian marble) while the agent taps away at a keyboard? Why not want to have that all done ahead of time before getting to the property? Isn’t true luxury the ability to go straight to your room? For those who want a physical key card, check-in kiosk technology provides staff the ability to come out from behind the desk and provide an even more personable experience to the guest. Staff can engage the guest while they are checking in or even check in for them, just like behind the desk. It opens up many possibilities and enables luxury properties to address each guest uniquely.  

Of course, amenities are crucial to a luxury property, and in-room tablets and mobile apps help guide guests through the many offerings available at the touch of a finger. Additionally, companies like MapsPeople provide mapping innovations that can not only help guests find their way at a larger luxury property but also steer them past specific areas of possible interest. In this way, luxury properties and full-service properties are very similar.  

It’s all in the delivery 

You may be asking yourself why the split of the three categories when almost the same technology can be deployed at each. It’s not necessarily about which technology is being used but how. Select-service properties may firmly direct guests to mobile check-in to deal with the lack of staff, while luxury properties may gently nudge guests towards it as a way to enhance their stay. It’s all in the messaging. Similar hospitality technology can be implemented by every type of property to provide a competitive advantage and enhance guest stays. It’s all in the delivery.  

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Property technology is innovative yet fragmented

Property technology broadly and hospitality technology more specifically have a lot of moving parts. You can’t just download a few windows applications and be up and running your property. The three basic building blocks of a hotel’s tech stack are PMS (property management system), locks (assuming they are electronic), and payment provider. The PMS market, for one, is very fragmented. The biggest player has only a 6.3% share of hotels by property and 16% share of rooms globally (Skift). New cloud-based companies are joining the fray all the time, providing hoteliers with ever more choices and improved features.

When it comes to locks and payment providers, there isn’t exactly a dearth in options, either. Online locks with Bluetooth and RFID are revolutionizing the industry and enabling smooth guest experiences and easier management. Payment options, as we see in any consumer-facing industry, is the lifeblood of any business. Guests and customers want to pay in their preferred manner.

Beyond the basic three necessities, there are optional offerings that aim to customize the guest experience. These include customer relationship management software (like Cendyn), custom mapping software (like MapsPeople), and guest services software (like Crave). The benefit of all these software companies inventing new and creative ways to engage guests is that properties have options to increase revenue, drive guest satisfaction, and relieve staffing pressures in ways that were unheard of a few years ago.

How do you bring it all together?

There isn’t a single company that provides all of the technologies listed above. They have to be sourced individually and then incorporated into each property’s system. Of course, guests don’t care about the work needed to get it to work. They just want an enjoyable experience without any hiccups. With so much technology, you have to be able to pull it all together. That is where front-of-house hubs come into play, enabling the coexistence of all these technologies and to guarantee that the end goal, a better guest experience, is reached.

Yes, some lock and PMS companies provide remote check-in and/or mobile key technology in addition to their base products and services. There are still many other technologies left to be consolidated. A single app that can integrate with the PMS while providing a mobile key, enabling guest communications, and serving up a customized map of the property is the key to herding the technological cats. Imagine having to asks guests to download three or more apps in order to access everything that your property offers.

What about building it yourself?

Remember the example of Apple and its Samsung-sourced OLED screens? Yes, some large hotel brands build and manage their own apps. With enough resources, this can definitely be accomplished. What many even large companies fail to realize until later is that the regular maintenance of these apps let alone the continued evolution and integration of new features can result in high costs and can get deprioritized if the company is facing budget cuts. By outsourcing this type of work, you enjoy customized software that remains up to date and the ability to relatively easily change providers.

In closing, if you’re a hotel, multifamily property, or any other property looking to enhance your tenant- and guest-facing technology, look to hubs that can pull everything together for you. They will have the ability to scale in the future to include new technologies and will allow you to better concentrate on your core competencies while still enhancing the experience of being at your property.

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AUSTIN, Texas – December 15 – Virdee, which delivers digital check-in and virtual concierge services to the lodging industry, has announced an integration to Cloudbeds, an all-in-one lodging operations platform, that will provide hoteliers and hosts with an efficient end-to-end solution for providing contactless guest experiences. Virdee will be available as a new partner in Cloudbeds’ Marketplace.

The Virdee Virtual Reception provides a fully contactless check-in experience, empowering 100% of hotel guests to check-in either via mobile device or kiosk, receive a digital or physical key and head straight to their guestroom without ever standing in line at the front desk. These contactless features complement Cloudbeds’ suite of industry-leading operational tools, such as Property Management, Channel Management, Booking Engine and Payment solutions.

The partnership empowers hoteliers to manage their properties and the guest experience through well integrated technology. User-friendly mobile applications from both Cloudbeds and Virdee automate tasks and free up staff to focus on providing more value to the guest throughout their stay—especially important amid today’s labor challenges and scarce resources.

“The integration and partnership with Cloudbeds means Virdee is now available to a much wider number of lodging providers, from independent hotels to bed and breakfasts of all sizes,” said Virdee Co-Founder Nadav Cornberg. “In turn, more travelers can expect better experiences along their guest journey, including personalized offers, an improved welcome experience and digital room access.”

“Today’s travelers are looking for seamless, digital experiences, and both Cloudbeds and Virdee are dedicated to improving the entire end-to-end interaction between guests and their hosts,” said Sébastien Leitner, VP Partnerships at Cloudbeds. “This integration will allow us to continue creating more meaningful travel experiences for thousands of Cloudbeds customers throughout the globe, helping them grow revenue, streamline operations and enable memorable guest experiences.”

About Virdee
Virdee is a technology company providing best-in-class virtual reception and user interaction software for clients and their tenants, guests, and other stakeholders. Virdee helps building owners reduce costs and generate ancillary revenue by automating front-of-house workflows via its mobile application and in lobby experiences. Using an API-first approach, Virdee connects platforms for identity verification, payment collection, access control and remote assistance while serving customers in lodging, multifamily and commercial real estate industries. Visit www.virdee.io to learn more.

About Cloudbeds
Cloudbeds provides the platform that powers hospitality, driving streamlined operations, increasing reservations and revenue, and enabling memorable guest experiences for lodging businesses of all sizes and types across the globe. The award-winning Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform seamlessly combines solutions for front desk, revenue, distribution, guest acquisition, and guest engagement in a single unified system, enhanced by a marketplace of third-party integrations. Cloudbeds was named No. 1 PMS and No. 1 Hotel Management System by Hotel Tech Report in 2022 and recognized by Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 in 2021. For more information, visit www.cloudbeds.com.

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As a hotelier, keeping a pulse on the latest industry trends is crucial. In a highly competitive and fast-moving sector, staying ahead of the curve is key, particularly when meeting guests’ new and evolving expectations. With 93% of travelers agreeing that a hotel stay can make or break a trip, tapping into guest needs and demands is essential.

2022 was a whirlwind year for the hotel industry. There was a stronger-than-expected rebound for demand across the year; we learned that guests are increasingly favoring digital service encounters over face-to-face interactions, and technological advances continued to play a significant role in the evolution of the hotel industry.

In 2023, hotel daily room demand is headed to an all-time high – with this in mind, hoteliers must tap into the latest trends to ensure they stay ahead.

Here are the top five hotel trends to watch over the next 12 months.

1. Digital hotel experiences

Technology offers hoteliers an opportunity to hyper-personalize stays – and with 86% of travelers looking for personalization during their 2023 travel experiences and interactions, we should expect to see an increase in digital hotel experiences moving forward.

For example, 3D room tours and interactive hotel maps may lead the beginning of the guest journey, enabling guests to choose the right room and explore a hotel before booking. Virtual concierge services will become more commonplace, allowing guests to personalize their stay with additional requests, services, and amenities without visiting the front desk or leaving their room.

An increase in voice-activated rooms will enable guests to personalize their stay further through simple voice commands – for example, adjusting the lighting, setting the room temperature, or requesting a morning alarm.

2. Mobile check-in and virtual reception

2022 saw a huge employment crisis in the hotel industry, with a startling 87% of hotels reporting staffing shortages. Moving into 2023, we’ll continue to see the replacement of human-driven interactions throughout the guest journey, with more hotel automating tasks where possible. Rather than having someone manually check in guests, handle requests and extend stays, the key will lie in automation. The digitalization of check-in will free up staff time and resources to focus on other aspects of the guest journey.

Investment in mobile check-in technologies will continue to be essential as hotels work to tackle the employment crisis – and as guests increasingly come to expect a seamless check-in experience too. Hotels will continue implementing smarter and more efficient operations, with digital check-in at the forefront of the guest experience.

3. Digital identity verification

As the shift to a fully contactless hotel experience continues, digital identity verification will also become more commonplace. Rather than standing in line and handing over a physical ID card to a receptionist, guests can easily verify their identity on their mobile device – like authenticating a Uber profile or verifying someone on Airbnb.

This shift will not only benefit the guest experience but also provide an additional layer of security for hoteliers, helping to protect against fraudulent activity and unwelcome chargebacks.

4. Mobile wallets and digital payments

As the concept of a cashless society continues to drive forward, more guests will expect to use mobile wallets and one-tap digital payments to make purchases throughout their hotel stays. Hotels must start facilitating mobile payments to stay ahead of the curve and keep up with the competition. These one-click experiences will fuel a smoother, frictionless guest journey.

Digital wallets will likely become more widely used and accepted, enabling guests and travelers to store their credit cards, hotel keys, loyalty cards, and vouchers all in one place on their mobile devices.

5. Future of hotel apps

Over the next year, we predict an acceleration in the advancement of hotel apps and the offerings available to guests. Apps will evolve to address 100% of guests’ needs, extending beyond check-in and check-out to allow guests to personalize their stay from their own devices. Requests and actions that previously required a trip to the front desk have the ability to be controlled from a centralized platform in guests’ mobile phones – such as extending check-out, ordering room service, or requesting more towels.

Virdee: a virtual reception for your guests

At Virdee, we provide hotels with the best-in-class, guest-facing hotel technology. Our mission is to provide seamless interactions, improve hotel efficiencies, and help hoteliers save money with our fully mobile virtual reception. We’re proud to be the leading all-in-one guest experience solution, providing hotels with an unparalleled in-lobby experience that covers all check-in needs, including physical key cards, ID check, room upgrades, and remote assistance.

To learn more about our all-in-one mobile and web app, visit https://virdee.io/.

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14 November 2022, Austin & London – Virdee, a SaaS company delivering digital check-in and virtual concierge services to the hospitality industry, has today announced its partnership with Crave Interactive, a leading developer of digital service solutions for the global hospitality industry. The integration aims to offer hotels and hotel groups a seamless digital guest service throughout the check-in journey and beyond.

The Virdee Virtual Reception solution provides a fully contactless check-in experience, empowering 100% of hotel guests to check-in either via mobile web, app, or kiosk, receive a digital or physical key and head straight to their guest room without ever standing in line at the front desk. The partnership with Crave Interactive – the expert in digital guest experiences, including directory, in-room dining, spa, housekeeping and e-concierge services – enables a single turnkey solution that meets the unique and evolving needs of guests.

“Our data analytics prove hotel guests are more likely to engage with digital services if a full range of services is offered and are more likely to buy ancillary services as a result,” commented Crave CEO Gareth Hughes. “We’re delighted to partner with Virdee to create a best-in-class complete digital guest service solution via mobile, kiosk and in-room tablet that is customised to each hotel’s brand and service offerings”.

“Partnering with Crave Interactive further fuels our mission to help hotel owners save money and improve efficiencies while enhancing the guest experience,” commented Branigan Mulcahy, Co-Founder of Virdee. “Integrating Crave’s e-menu of digital services into Virdee mobile technology enables hotels to reduce the touchpoints of the guest journey, while giving guests more flexibility, choice and control over their stay.”

To find out more about Virdee and Crave Interactive, visit virdee.io and craveinteractive.com.

About Virdee 

Virdee is a technology company providing best-in-class virtual reception and user interaction software for clients and their tenants, guests, and other stakeholders. Virdee helps building owners reduce costs and generate ancillary revenue by automating front-of-house workflows via its mobile application and in-lobby experiences. Using an API-first approach, Virdee connects platforms for identity verification, payment collection, access control and remote assistance while serving customers in lodging, multifamily and commercial real estate industries. Visit www.virdee.io to learn more. 

About Crave Interactive 

Crave Interactive is a leading developer of digital service solutions for the global hospitality industry. Its cloud-based platform delivers over 800 million guest interactions per year. 

Crave has helped millions of hotel guests self-order food and other services from their rooms via in-room tablets and mobile phones and are experts in self-ordering and guest communication solutions. Solutions include Crave Mobile, with QR-codes for instant guest service via mobile, and Crave in-room tablets, designed specifically for hotels. 

Crave is headquartered in the UK with offices worldwide and is part of the True Corporation plc (Thailand) group of companies. 

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The Virdee Virtual Reception solution provides a fully contactless check-in experience, empowering 100% of hotel guests to check in either via mobile device or kiosk, receive a digital or physical key, and head straight to their guestroom without ever standing in line at the front desk. SynXis Property Hub leverages a single system of record for rates and availability, responsive design, and flexible workflows that are focused on enhancing the in-stay guest experience.

The collaboration helps further empower hoteliers to manage their properties and the guest experience through seamless, user-friendly technology, bringing all of the benefits of the Virdee system into the Sabre tech ecosystem. Sabre benefits from a new connection to Virdee’s Cloud-based architecture, which simplifies integration and connectivity, while Virdee can now leverage the ease and responsiveness of Sabre’s SynXis solution. The companies are planning additional integrations and collaborations in the months ahead.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sabre to help hotels further benefit from a product that’s so widely trusted and utilized in the hospitality industry,” said Virdee Co-Founder Nadav Cornberg. This collaboration is another example of Virdee’s push to bring our solution set to an ever-wider audience, and we’re looking forward to integrating additional products from Sabre’s suite of solutions.”

“The SynXis Property Management System is trusted by over 2,500 properties, and we are excited to partner with Virdee to enhance our offering,” said Tom Winrow, VP Product Development, Sabre Hospitality. “The partnership is a perfect marriage between two solutions from companies that pride themselves on seamless experiences—for both hoteliers and guests.”

About Virdee
Virdee is a technology company providing best-in-class virtual reception and user interaction software for clients and their tenants, guests, and other stakeholders. Virdee helps building owners reduce costs and generate ancillary revenue by automating front-of-house workflows via its mobile application and in-lobby experiences. Using an API-first approach, Virdee connects platforms for ID verification, payment collection, access control and remote assistance while serving customers in lodging, multifamily and commercial real estate industries. Visit www.virdee.io to learn more.

About Sabre Corporation
Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and fulfillment solutions that help its customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalized traveler experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre’s technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world. For more information visit www.sabre.com.

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AUSTIN, Tex. – June 7, 2022 – Virdee, a SaaS company delivering digital check-in and virtual concierge services to the hospitality and commercial real estate industries, continues to show its dedication to building a wide-ranging platform of integrations, most recently adding leading electronic access provider Onity.

Onity’s mobile access technology serves as a solution for both large hotel brands and smaller independent hotels alike. Onity’s mobile access locks are Bluetooth-enabled to stay in a ready state, so guests can unlock doors while on the move, without having to stop their stride or touch the phone to the lock.

Through digital check-in and locking-system integrations, hotels can serve today’s evolving guests needs, allowing them to bypass the front desk and head straight to their guestroom. Virdee provides a full contactless experience, empowering 100% of hotel guests to check-in via kiosk or their mobile device without ever standing in line at the front desk. The Virdee-Onity integration allows guests to securely access their assigned digital key to unlock their room and other guest access-controlled areas of the property.

“Today’s hotel guest expects a seamless journey with limited touchpoints during their stay. Through this integration with Virdee, hotels have a solution to provide a fully digital end-to-end guest experience, from pre-arrival to guestroom access,” said Fayyad Sbaihat, President, Onity. “When evaluating check-in solution providers, we found Virdee was aligned with our mission of providing secure and easy-to-implement tools that provide an elevated guest experience.”

Through either a mobile app or a sleek kiosk experience, Virdee handles all a hotel’s check-in needs, including ID verification, payment collection and room access. Should a guest need assistance, with one tap of a button Virdee connects them to a virtual concierge that can help walk them through the check-in process. Implementing Virdee’s solution allows owners to increase profitability while providing a safer guest experience than traditional, more manual methods.

Nadav Cornberg, Virdee’s co-founder, added: “We’re thrilled to add another critical integration with a leading lock provider in hospitality. Since Virdee’s launch, we’ve been focused on building integrations to provide a completely digital arrival experience for travelers. Our integration with Onity ensures hoteliers have the opportunity to check in 100% of guests all the time – seamlessly and with confidence.”

About Virdee

Based in Austin, Texas, Virdee provides best-in-class virtual reception and customer engagement tools to more than 1,000 hotels and other lodging providers through modern mobile and kiosk functionality. Virdee helps hoteliers reduce costs and generate ancillary revenue by automating front-of-house workflows via its mobile application and in-lobby experiences. Using an API-first approach, Virdee connects platforms for ID verification, payment collection, access control and remote support. In 2021, Virdee was named one of 22 “hottest start-up companies to watch” by Built in Austin. Visit www.virdee.io to learn more.

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AUSTIN, Texas – April 26 – Virdee, which delivers digital check-in and virtual concierge services to the lodging industry, has announced a partnership with The Chicago Hotel Collection, a group of five boutique hotels in Chicago’s premier neighborhoods: River North, Magnificent Mile, Wrigleyville, and Millennium Park.

Currently, the Chicago Hotel Collection Magnificent Mile location utilizes Virdee Virtual Reception to offer a fully contactless check-in experience, empowering 100% of hotel guests to check-in either via mobile device or kiosk, receive a physical key and head straight to their room without ever standing in line at the front desk. Other properties are in the deployment phase.

The partnership empowers The Chicago Hotel Collection to manage its properties and the guest experience through well-integrated technology. The user-friendly mobile application from Virdee automates tasks and frees up staff to focus on providing more value to the guest throughout their stay—especially important amid today’s labor challenges and scarce resources.

“Check-ins can be exhausting. For my remote property managers, Virdee is just a dream for them – they can work on other tasks and improve other areas rather than being stuck in that check-in loop,” said Jill Morgenthaler, spokeswoman for The Chicago Hotel Collection. “What I’ve been astounded by is the communication with the leadership and development teams at Virdee, who’ve been incredibly responsive and helpful.”

“The world has gone digital, and today’s travelers are looking for a seamless contactless experience,” said Branigan Mulcahy, Virdee Co-Founder. “We’re happy to partner with The Chicago Hotel Collection to empower them to provide such experiences for their guests. Guests can now expect a smoother and more enjoyable stay, from booking to check-out, including an improved check-in and rooms access.”

About Virdee

Virdee is a technology company providing best-in-class virtual reception and user interaction software for clients and their tenants, guests, and other stakeholders. Virdee helps building owners reduce costs and generate ancillary revenue by automating front-of-house workflows via its mobile application and in-lobby experiences. Using an API-first approach, Virdee connects platforms for ID verification, payment collection, access control and remote assistance while serving customers in lodging, multifamily and commercial real estate industries. Visit www.virdee.io to learn more.

About The Chicago Hotel Collection

The Chicago Hotel Collection is a group of five boutique hotels located in Chicago’s premier neighborhoods – River North, Magnificent Mile, Wrigleyville, and Millennium Park. Each pet-friendly 4-Star hotel offers everything the guest needs for a perfect city stay. New rooms deliver a high level of comfort along with thoughtful amenities, artistic touches, and bespoke details perfect for business, leisure, extended stays and group travel. Experience the finest Chicago hospitality, where a Guest Services Team will attend to your every need. Visit www.thechicagohotelcollection.com to learn more.

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