Digital Signage

Four Winds Interactive Press

Digital Concierge Helps Hotel Improve Guest Experience and Satisfaction by 10 Percent

July 2009 - Courtyard by Marriott is designed to meet the needs of business travelers. To achieve its mission of providing services and amenities that improve the guest experience, Courtyard redesigned its hotel lobbies. A central element of the redesign is the GoBoard™, a large-format touch screen based on Microsoft® products and technologies. The GoBoard gives guests convenient, real-time access to news, weather, and travel information and features interactive maps that help guests find their way to local points of interest. Since completing the lobby redesign and deploying the GoBoard, Courtyard has found that hotel staff interacts with guests more easily and reports a 10 percent rise in guest satisfaction scores and a 27 percent increase in intent-to-return scores. The comprehensive redesign, including the GoBoard, has helped Courtyard increase market share by 7.5 percent since deployment. View full Microsoft press release

Situation

Courtyard by Marriott is a brand of Marriott International, a leading international lodging company with more than 3,100 properties in the United States and in 65 other countries and territories. Courtyard was developed 25 years ago for the specific purpose of meeting the needs of the frequent business traveler. With 830 hotels worldwide, Courtyard provides moderately priced lodging for business and leisure travelers, including special amenities that help guests remain productive and stay connected to business and to family while on the road.

As the nature of travel and the needs of business travelers have changed, Courtyard has continued to evolve its services and amenities accordingly. "We continually strive to ensure that we are in touch and in tune with the needs of our business travelers," says Brian King, Vice President and Global Brand Manager of Courtyard by Marriott. The target population for Courtyard hotels is frequent business travelers, who make up less than 5 percent of the U.S. population. "These are highly sophisticated, tech-savvy consumers," says King. These guests rely heavily on their computers and mobile devices to conduct business while traveling and also to stay connected with their families and friends.

King continues, "We do extensive consumer research to help us design services that enable our guests to succeed while on the road." Recent studies revealed what King refers to as the "road warrior" habits of Courtyard guests. "These travelers need quick, easy access to different kinds of information at different times of the day," he explains. For instance, in the morning, frequent business travelers tend to look for headline news, financial information, and weather reports. Although the hotel had provided that information, in the form of printed newspapers and a fax of a weather report displayed at the front desk, those methods weren't the most effective. "Guests would toss the papers into their briefcases on their way out, and may not even find time to read them," says King. "And the information wasn't fresh."

In the morning, guests also need directions to business meetings. Later in the day, these same travelers look for such information as the location of local restaurants or entertainment venues. "When a guest asked for directions, a front-desk associate unfolded a large, paper map and tried to point out the best route," describes King.

The hotel wanted to integrate technology that simplified those processes for its guests and for its staff, but, says Kermit Littlefield, Vice President of Property System Services for Courtyard by Marriott, "We were also trying to simplify our IT systems so that hotel general managers could focus on managing the properties and not on managing the technology."

In addition, the physical configuration of the lobby, which King says included "a big, dark, ominous front desk that created a barrier between staff and guests," wasn't conducive to forming a strong connection with travelers. The check-in and check-out process was the primary interaction between staff and guests. "The business had become very transaction oriented," King says. "We wanted to move from transactions to connections with our guests. We saw a lot of people going directly from their rooms to their next meeting, with limited interaction with the lobby space and hotel staff." Courtyard wanted to create a lobby that was a destination rather than a pass-through from hotel to street by integrating amenities that support the convergence of its guests' digital and mobile lifestyles and work styles. King explains, "We wanted to change the behavior of guests and staff, to create a friendlier, more useful, more connected environment."

Solution

In 2007, Courtyard redesigned its lobby to make it more inviting for guests. "We wanted to give guests a stronger, more comforting sense of arrival," says King. When a guest enters the lobby for check-in, a hotel clerk steps out from the podium, greets the guest, and completes the check-in process. Also upon entering, the guest sees the centerpiece of the redesigned Courtyard lobby, the GoBoard™, a large-format touch screen designed to put information at guests' fingertips (Figure 1). "The vision for the GoBoard was the result of compiling all the data from our customer research and our observations of associate and guest behavior. The answer was to create an information hub within the lobby that provides 'grab-and-go' information to travelers," explains King.

The GoBoard features frequently updated information, including a three-day weather forecast, and news headlines, sports scores, and lifestyle and financial information courtesy of USA Today. The GoBoard also alerts travelers of airline delays and provides interactive mapping capabilities so that guests can easily find their way to local business meetings, restaurants, attractions, and entertainment venues. Guests can also use one of the printers located in the lobby to print directions directly from the GoBoard. Because the GoBoard is located within 10 feet of the lobby's welcome podium, the clerk can make frequent use of the GoBoard during the check-in to orient the traveler to the local surroundings. "By opening up the front-desk area and keeping the GoBoard nearby, we have opened the opportunities for interaction between the staff and guests," explains King.

In addition, the simplicity of the GoBoard and its touch-screen capabilities provide guests with self-serve information. "In the morning, our guests use the GoBoard to get the information they need and quickly get on their way. In the evening, we see people using the GoBoard more for leisure exploration of the surrounding area," says King.

To create the GoBoard, Courtyard worked with Microsoft® Hospitality Industry Partner Four Winds Interactive, a leading provider of digital signage. The Four Winds Interactive software platform that powers the GoBoard, called Interactive Digital Signage (iDS), is built on the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0. To display information on the touch screen, Four Winds Interactive used its Content Player software, part of iDS, which integrates Microsoft tools and technologies, including the Windows® Presentation Foundation, custom-developed ActiveX® controls, and Windows Media® Player 11. The entire GoBoard network is managed by Four Winds Interactive's Content Manager software, another component of iDS, which relies on the Microsoft SQL Server® 2005 data management software. Bing™ maps for enterprise provides interactive mapping capabilities so that guests can locate business meetings and local attractions, such as museums and restaurants. The GoBoard system is installed on and operated from a small-form PC running the Windows operating system.

"The time from conception to implementation of the GoBoard in the first Courtyard property was very short. Our existing .NET Framework architecture and the flexible Bing maps API [application programming interface] were vital to our ability to meet Marriott's delivery deadline," says David Levin, President of Four Winds Interactive.

The system relies on really simple syndication (RSS) technology to provide fresh content, updated every five minutes. To change local information like restaurant listings, the managers at the individual hotels make updates to a Microsoft Office Excel® spreadsheet, and that information is fed into the Bing maps system through Four Winds Interactive's Content Player software.

As of April 2009, Courtyard completed the installation of GoBoards at 50 properties in the United States. It plans to install 100 more worldwide before the year's end. Littlefield says, "Having a trusted, strategic partner like Microsoft, with global capabilities, helps to speed our time-to-market with innovations like the GoBoard."

The new lobby includes areas that guests can use for work, relaxation, and socializing. These areas create a bridge between public and private space, and serve as a home away from home and an office away from the office. "The GoBoard complements the other innovations in the lobby. People can work or watch TV, alone or within a group, without feeling awkward," explains King. Although the specific lobby amenities provided vary by location, common amenities include a library area with comfortable seating and complimentary books, Internet-connected computers that guests can use for work or to check e-mail, printers and fax machines, and computers reserved for the quick printing of airline boarding passes. Other lobby features include "laptop-friendly" furniture with plenty of outlets so that guests can plug in their portable computers, free Wi-Fi, and a theater and lounge area with a 50-inch TV. "Media pods" within the lobby offer smaller TVs and more private seating, suitable for relaxation or for holding small meetings. The lobby also features enhanced food and beverage service called the Bistro, and it houses a market open day and night that sells food, drinks, and sundries.

Benefits

The redesigned Courtyard by Marriott lobby encourages interaction between guests and hotel staff. It also enhances the guest experience, better enabling Marriott to differentiate its brand. As the lobby's digital information hub, the GoBoard gives guests easy access to up-to-date information that simplifies their travel experience and familiarizes them with local surroundings all with the touch of a finger. Based on integrated Microsoft products and technologies, the GoBoard helps Courtyard deliver personalized services and maintain consistent branding without requiring additional administrative overhead. What's more, the digital solution helps the company heighten brand affinity and drive revenue and market share.

Guest Satisfaction, Intent-to-Return Scores Increased

"The GoBoard gives customers what they need, when they need it," says King. "The information it provides helps our guests quickly find their bearings in a new place." The GoBoard is so easy to use and to navigate that guests spend an average of just 35 to 50 seconds at a time mapping their way to local addresses. The speed with which they can consume other information, like news headlines, is even faster.

King continues, "It is fun to watch even the most hardened business travelers arrive at the hotel and check to make sure they are in a Courtyard by Marriott. They are so surprised by the dramatic change of the lobby space. The GoBoard centerpiece inspires a terrific level of interaction with the guests as our staff uses it to help guests get to where they need to be. It's not just a novelty - it's a digital concierge that provides important information in a quick and digestible manner."

Littlefield adds, "Guests linger over the Bing mapping component more than any other GoBoard feature. They explore the maps of the city and find the best walking paths, and many, many guests use the satellite maps to locate their own home just for fun." The GoBoard provides to guests a sense of place even if they are spending days at a time working from the road.

"According to electronic survey results, Courtyard service scores are up 10 percent since we've implemented the GoBoard," reports King. The survey also revealed a 27 percent increase over the previous year in the number of guests who intend to stay at the hotel again. "The interactive, informative nature of the GoBoard has enabled us to form a new, stronger relationship with our guests and let them know we are as tech-savvy as they are."

Heightened Brand Affinity

Through strong relationships with well-known brands, such as Microsoft and USA Today, and its partnership with Four Winds Interactive, Courtyard has differentiated itself from other major hotels. As guests use the GoBoard, they are aware of the various providers of the information and technology they are consuming. "Customers look for brands they know and trust," says King. "Our

relationship with Microsoft gives us tremendous credibility. The Microsoft name says, 'This hotel is on the leading edge of technology. Courtyard knows what it is doing.' This is very important, given that we are catering to tech-savvy consumers. Our partnership with Four Winds Interactive has also been very successful. Four Winds has helped us implement and maintain an innovative solution with ease."

Since implementing the GoBoard, Courtyard has received many customer surveys and feedback forms that indicate that it has successfully met its marketing goals for the lobby redesign. "In all my years, I have never seen customers repeating the language we use internally to describe our brand positioning," explains King. "We referred to this initiative as 'Refreshing Business.' Customers claim to be pleased with the 'freshness' of the lobby; and the GoBoard, because the data is always fresh, is a huge part of this. One of our Platinum-level club members commented, 'Marriott has once again done its research and hit it out of the park.'" In post-deployment guest satisfaction surveys, the GoBoard is consistently ranked by guests as one of their top three favorite Courtyard amenities.

Enhanced Market Share

The GoBoard is an integral component of the lobby redesign that helps Courtyard deliver a revitalized experience for its guests. "We can't isolate any one feature of the lobby and say that it in itself is responsible for driving revenue and growing market share," says King. "But changing the entire experience is what was critically important. All of the elements together including the GoBoard™ contribute to the transformation of the guest experience." Since completing the lobby redesign and implementing the GoBoard, Courtyard by Marriot has seen its market share increase by 7.5 percent. The hotel has also seen an increase in food and beverage sales resulting in profit growth of 22 percent. "We know that the new lobby experience, with the GoBoard as the interactive centerpiece, is working," says King. "People are spending more time in the lobby, eating and drinking here, in the hotel. We are keeping that food and beverage revenue in-house versus watching it walk out the door."

Simplified, Centralized, and Flexible Technology

The GoBoard helps Courtyard meet its goal of simplifying technology infrastructure at each of its properties. "One of the reasons why we chose the Microsoft-based solution was because it helps us reduce technology administration on-site. The GoBoard and its underlying infrastructure allow us to have a small footprint, from a technology standpoint, at the property. Our staff can focus on interacting with guests rather than supporting the technology," says Littlefield.

The information delivered by the GoBoard is managed centrally through Four Winds Content Manager software. This gives Marriott great control over branding and messaging and also allows for unique customizations such as providing background imagery that reflects each specific city or location without high administrative overhead.

King says, "The GoBoard is low maintenance. It's almost entirely hands-off." RSS feeds are automatically updated to each location, every five minutes. Bing maps for enterprise data is also refreshed automatically. And from time to time, hotel general managers can easily update their chosen local restaurant listings by simply entering the information into a spreadsheet to be loaded into the system. King continues, "With the GoBoard, we've implemented an information-delivery mechanism that is the same across all of our properties, but also gives us the flexibility to make customizations to reflect the local flavor of each location."

"And the GoBoard is highly reliable," says Littlefield. "We don't have to worry that the GoBoard is going to be unavailable. It's always on, always delivering fresh information, and that is a result of the strength of the Microsoft platform on which it runs." View full Microsoft press release

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