Many hoteliers tout the highly personalized and attentive service provided by their properties, but how much does the actual guest experience change for an individual guest? Is the hotel successfully anticipating and delivering on guest needs, or merely reacting to requests? Guests value customized experiences, but at what point does familiarity with guest needs cross the creepy-line? Learn about the tools and processes employed by industry leaders that are producing the best outcomes, as well as where they see the industry progressing over the coming years. Presented by Robert Cole, CEO, RockCheetah, • Sylvie Fayolle, General Manager, Le Parker Méridien & • Pedro Dias, General Manager, The Smyth (A Thompson Hotel) at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Digital Marketing Strategy Conference held Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at the New York Marriott Marquis.

1. Personalization & Customization: On-Property
Tailoring the Guest Experience – One Size Does NOT Fit All
Pedro Dias | General Manager, Smyth – A Thompson Hotel
Sylvie Fayolle | General Manager, Le Parker Méridien
Robert Cole | Founder – RockCheetah
Image Credit: Sergey Galyonkin (cc | flickr)

2. Session Overview
• Robert Cole | Founder - RockCheetah
– Guest Engagement v. Satisfaction
– Rewards v. True Loyalty
– The End Game: Exceeding Expectations
• Sylvie Fayolle – General Manager, Le Parker Méridien
– Know Your Guests
– Too Much Data
– Technology to Personalize
• Pedro Dias – General Manager, Smyth (A Thompson Hotel)
– CRM – The Human Element
– Multi-Persona Guests
– Technology as a Tool
| 2

3. Engagement & Satisfaction
• JD Power 2015 Airline/Hotel Satisfaction Study
– Airline Industry
• As Passenger Interaction with Staff Increases,
• Passenger Satisfaction Decreases
• (Airline Satisfaction Ranks Below Banks & Mortgage Lenders)
– Hotel Industry
• As Guest Interaction with Staff Increases,
• Guest Satisfaction Increases
• (Price-driven Consumers Among Least Satisfied)
Image Credit: Donna Cymek (cc | flickr) Robert Cole · RockCheetah | 3

4. Rewards & True Loyalty
• Rewards
– Transactional Engagement
– Use Company Travel Spend for Personal Benefit
– Rational Decision
• True Loyalty
– Emotional Engagement
– Willing to Pay Premium Price for Equal Product
– Alignment with Individual’s Lifestyle, Beliefs & Values
Image Credit: XXXXXXXXX (cc | flickr) Robert Cole · RockCheetah | 4

5. An Expectations Gap
• Customers Want Personalization
– 78% Travelers Believe Personalized Promotions On Relevant Products
Encourage Purchases
• Personalized Promotions Work
– 59% of Travel Sellers Believe More Targeted Promotions Improved
Online Sales Over Past 12 months
• Travel & Hospitality Companies Slow to Respond
– Only 26% of Decision Makers Confirmed Their Organizations are
Investing in Personalization to Improve Online Experiences
Research Source: “Winning in the Age of Personalization” Mindtree | Feb 10, 2016
Sample Size: 3,300 Travelers (US/Europe/APAC) & 180 Travel Sellers (Companies > 2,000 Employees)
Image Credit: joshfassbind.com (cc | flickr) Robert Cole · RockCheetah | 5

6. Sylvie Fayolle | General Manager, Le Parker Méridien

7. LE PARKER MERIDIEN
• 35 years young
• Le Meridien - 1981
• Self managed - 1995
• Starwood - 2005
• *Still owner-managed*
Sylvie Fayolle · Le Parker Méridien | 7

8. Prioritize: Know Your Guests
• Guest history obsession
• Full time employee managing profiles
• Pre Starwood - “Secret Society”
• Post Starwood - SPG Program + LPM frequent
guests
Sylvie Fayolle · Le Parker Méridien | 8

9. Challenge: Too Much Data Today
• 730 rooms with 60%-70% return guests…
• Feedback process has evolved
• 1999: paper surveys: 42 reviews on a big month!
• Now: 400+ a month from multiple channels
• We still answer each one
• How can we personalize?
Sylvie Fayolle · Le Parker Méridien | 9

10. • ALICE: Whole team working together
• Integrating PMS with concierge system and rapid response
• Goal: eliminating the mundane tasks to allow our
staff to focus more on the guests
• Technology is not the interface, it supports our staff giving
them more time and better knowledge
Solution: Using Technology to Personalize
Sylvie Fayolle · Le Parker Méridien | 10

11. Pedro Dias – General Manager, Smyth

12. CRM Demands a Human Element
 CRM through CEM
 CRM – Data based or “Hard Profile”
 CEM – Emotional based or “Soft Profile”
 READENTIFYING – creating everlasting memories
 IS - Beyond preferences and data based profiling / a TEAM effort
 ALLOWS FOR – real time adjustment to CHANGE (trip personas)
 HOW TO – Tuning your senses / the “quest for gold nuggets”
 ACHIEVES – proactive vs reactive / anticipates vs exceeds / Emotional vs transactional experiences
 Reconnecting with the PERSON in every CUSTOMER
Pedro Dias · Smyth | 12

13. Multi-Persona Guests
 TRIP PERSONA
 the purpose of the trip
 the emotion behind the
purpose
 preferences vs expectations or
the explicit vs implicit
 anticipating the expected
 Requires Team engagement
Pedro Dias · Smyth | 13

14.  The Communication interface
 Social Media – the NEW NORMAL in Human Interaction
 The Evolution through multiple platforms – from collecting to suggesting information
 Global reach
 Convenience
 Immediacy - the ERA of NOW
 Privacy
 Cost of entry to do business
 From ONLINE to ON-LIVE
 Transactional to Emotional
 Personalized powered by a PERSON
 HOSPITALITY “B2B” (Back 2 Basics)
Technology as a Tool
Pedro Dias · Smyth | 14

15. Personalization & Customization: On-Property
Tailoring the Guest Experience – One Size Does NOT Fit All
Thank You · Questions?
Robert Cole · RockCheetah | Pedro Dias · Smyth | Sylvie Fayolle · Le Parker Méridien