Is your hotel taking advantage of innovative mobile applications to leverage the modern foodie traveler?

We have experienced that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the surface innovation and creativity as we have never seen before.

Virtual room service has become a reality that is bringing foodie travelers back to hotels again.

Let’s dive into how your hotel can leverage and capitalize on this trend.

A touch of local cuisine

Travelers today are searching for new unique alternatives to add additional value to their overall experience.

And the modern foodie traveler is looking for hotels that are catering to their newly developed habits and patterns.

They want food service at the click of a button.

2ndKitchen is a virtual room service app that provides guests with a unique way to order from a selection of local cuisine.

Building a new unique relationship

Many travelers had to adjust to local stay-at-home orders. And during this period, they were actively seeking information while communicating with their extended network.

And we learned travelers now wants more control of their surrounding on their new journeys.

Your hotel’s job will now be to use every micro-moment within the traveler’s journey to help reassure that you are giving them this control.

This will require that your hotel now invests in innovative and creative applications like 2ndKitchen.

Not only will this open the gateway for a new unique relationship with the travelers, but you will gain new insight that will improve your communication and information towards new ideal customers.

Superior health protocols

The number one priority for most travelers today is they require evidence of your health protocols.

Safety and cleanliness are essential, but they also want as part of your hotel’s experience offers to have access to applications that supports a touchless experience.

Value innovation and Room Service Reimagined

Value innovation and Room Service Reimagined

Hotel 50 Bowery partnered with 2ndKitchen to launch the “Bowery Takeout! Eat Like A Local” virtual room service.

As a boutique hotel in New York during COVID-19 Hotel 50 Bowery, was still attracting foodie travelers. Their upscale roof-top bar was serving small bites. This was not fit for a traditional room service offering.

The challenge

One of the primary challenges was that Hotel 50 Bowery was unable to use local attractions as a pitch for booking rooms.

As a result of this challenge, the hotel needed a solution that still would make them able to provide a unique boutique-style quest experience that was COVID-19 safe.

The solution

2ndkitchen solution

Hotel 50 Bower was eager to provide something hyper-local and authentic to their area and still meet the needs of the foodie traveler during COVID-19.

The solution a new virtual room service and daily to-go breakfast program, powered by 2ndKitchen.

The results

Their guests were now provided with a unique connection to hyper-local and authentic cuisine alternatives.

Guests order by scanning a QR code found on in-room menus, which takes them to the Bowery Takeout online ordering portal.

In the first month of launch, guests placed over 300 orders for Bowery Takeout – and overall guest satisfaction with Hotel 50 Bowery’s dining experiences has also improved – with breakfast guest satisfaction up 32% vs. the previous year.

Value innovation and cost-effective solutions

Today when I look at new service alternatives it is critical that they focus on value innovation and are cost-effective for hotels.

With 2ndKitchen Hotel 50 Bowery has been able to provide an entirely contactless virtual room service menu that allows guests to experience Manhattan’s most popular restaurant – all from the safety of their rooms.

The best part is that hotels can get started for FREE! Hotel 50 Bowery can use the service at no charge, with the hotel earning income on each guest order.

Seamless and simple to use for hotels

You are looking at a future where in-room dining is profitable for your hotel.

Room service software

Provide guests with a curated culinary authentic local experience. 2ndKitchen is an amazingly fast and seamless service, without the hassles and costs of a kitchen.

Continental Breakfast To-Go

Add an extra touch to the guest experience with customizable, continental breakfast-to-go boxes. Order as you need, reducing food cost and waste.

Complimentary Guest Voucher Program

Another highly innovative and creative way to help increase your hotel’s ADR. Start to reward your guests with a voucher program that is redeemable for complimentary room service and breakfast.

Communicate with guests 24/7

2ndKitchen includes text-based support directly from a smartphone.

Simple and easy

  1. Place a curated menu in the rooms and add it to your hotel’s amenities
  2. Guests order from the menu, no downloads required
  3. Guests enjoy incredible hot, fast, and trusted room service

Happy foodie travelers will share their experiences with the network. As hoteliers, we today have to focus on value innovation and creativity to always be prepared for our next guest.

Is your hotel ready for 2ndKitchen to help you earn more direct bookings by adding a new unique visual room service experience at little or no extra cost?

Related article: Strategies for Managing Hotel Food & Beverage Services During COVID-19

We are in this together!

I need to let you all know that we are in on this together.  If you need to vent, talk, cry, or just have some to talk with then I am here listening. Since I am working part-time at the local Kroger, I will to the best of my ability to work it out around my schedule.

But you can reach me here:

Email: hotelblogger@aremorch.com

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Also, join us at our Facebook Group – Hotel Social Media Community

We will get through this unprecedented event together! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong

For any specific information on COVID-19, I recommend go to CDCWHOAHLAAAHOA, and HSMAI. Also, follow information from your local authorities.

NOTE

We are starting to reopen some hotels again (Yay!!!). Make sure you follow their guidelines and say THANK YOU to those that now show a unique spirit to serve, and helps us all get through this!! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong

About Are Morch

Hi, I am Are Morch. Your Digital Marketing Coach and Customer Experience Expert specializes in creating effective digital customer experience offer for hotels while growing and scale customer acquisition and revenue.