Hotel Technology Next Generation

The transparency of room rates in virtually any city today makes it is easy for hotel guests to rate shop and change their mind after they book a reservation. The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club is reversing this trend by using the internet to build stronger relationships with their guests. The property implemented Cendyn’s eConcierge, a web-based system which enables guests to begin the process of planning their stay weeks or months before arrival as soon as they make their reservation. Click here to learn more about Cendyn’s solutions.

The AAA Four-Diamond Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club located on the campus of Duke University in Durham, NC, had a higher cancellation rate than it preferred before it implemented eConcierge. Today, the online internet marketing system enables guests to create and maintain a personal preference profile and connect with the property by making dining reservations, scheduling golf tee times, and other property activities long before they check in. eConcierge responds to reserved guests with personalized confirmations and allows guests to pre-plan and book excursions to nearby attractions and recreational activities to make their stay more memorable. And guests respond with far fewer cancellations and additional revenue.

"We offer our reserved guests activity packages, room upgrades, and a host of other amenities and revenue generating services they can schedule online to enhance their stay," said Lene Kiester, revenue/reservation manager. "The result is fewer cancelations because our guests value being informed about the details of their visit before they arrive. This strengthens their commitment to our property because they plan their activities in advance." To further strengthen the relationship, the property uses eConcierge to create itineraries and email them to guests so they can begin their activities as soon as they check in. "Guests have a more personal relationship with Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, and those relationships result in higher revenue and greater guest satisfaction."

A strategy to increase ‘stickiness’ eConcierge is a web-based solution that enables Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club to counter the habit of many travelers to quickly book a room online to ensure they will have a place to stay during their trip, then comparison-shop and revise their decision. "eConcierge increases the ‘stickiness’ of our online reservations and builds loyalty because our guests value our suggestions for services and activities that enhance their visit," said Kiester.

eConcierge also tracks each guest’s activities and preferences for a more comprehensive CRM strategy. "The Cendyn data goes directly into our PMS’ guest profile so our staff knows what each guest requested in past visits," Kiester said. "This helps increase our repeat business because we can assure guests we know their preferences and will honor them every time they visit us. Repeat guests are treated like family at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, and the family is growing."

About Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club
Located on the campus of Duke University, the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club is an Award-winning hotel like no other in the region. Built in the style of an old English country inn the hotel is nestled on a 300-acre site and situated in the heartland of North Carolina. The Inn features the Duke University Golf Course, 271 elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites, the award-winning Fairview Dining Room, the Bull Durham Bar and superb meeting facilities for groups from 20 to 600.

Only 20 minutes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport and 15 minutes from Research Triangle Park, we offer our guests a quiet and elegant retreat from life’s busy roads and hectic paces. Amid our tall pines and stately hardwoods you will experience the perfect guest experience; you’ll come to understand why our friends merely call us "the Inn." Since the late 1800s, the Duke name has been associated with both excellence and achievement. The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, named for Washington Duke himself, is proud to carry on that prestigious tradition, excelling in providing exceptional service and gracious southern hospitality.

About Cendyn
Cendyn, based in Boca Raton, Florida, leads the hospitality industry in broadening revenue by applying a managed services culture and approach to a single source of integrated solutions uniquely proven in the hospitality and tourism market.

Established in 1996, Cendyn is a full-service interactive sales and marketing agency whose solutions are used by over 9,000 hotel and travel destinations worldwide. The company is a solid resource of hospitality professionals who innovate solutions that include website marketing, website design, branding, search engine marketing and interactive products such as eProposal™, eConcierge™, eSurvey™, eInsight™, eContact™, eConnectivity™, eBooker™, and eMenus™. Clients include Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Hilton Worldwide, Marriott and other chains and independent properties. Cendyn, the recipient of prestigious awards for website design, innovation and marketing programs, extends its "Power of We" culture into the community through sponsorships of the YMCA, youth teams and community outreach; the Boca Helping Hands food bank; George Snow Scholarship Fund; Boca Raton Historical Society; Florence Fuller Childhood Development Centers, and community projects of the Junior League of Boca Raton. To learn how Cendyn’s products and services may broaden your revenue base, please visit our website www.cendyn.com. Let Cendyn show you how far an idea can go!