Expedia launches direct communication tool for Australian hoteliers

The Expedia group’s Australian hotel partners can benefit from better dialogue and engagement with booked guests following the roll out of Expedia PartnerCentral (EPC) Conversations.

EPC Conversations, accessible through Expedia PartnerCentral, is designed to be an easy-to-use platform that opens the lines of communication between booked guests and hoteliers via a message centre. Guests can start a conversation by asking a question or submitting a special request at time of booking. Alternatively, the hotelier can reach out directly to the guest. The tool empowers hoteliers to:

• Create good first impressions and set guest expectations with a custom welcome message
• Build meaningful relations and enhance the guest experience by sharing check-in details or alerting guests when their rooms are ready
• Acknowledge, confirm and manage special requests
• Provide information about the property’s services (spas, concierges, restaurants, etc.)

Drew Bowering, Director of Market Management, Australia for Expedia Lodging Partner Services, said: “Hoteliers have requested the ability to communicate directly with guests having made a booking across Expedia Group websites. EPC Conversations was developed to answer this need, allowing both the guest and the hotelier to interact with each other, to engage from the moment the reservation is made and create memorable hotel experiences.”

“According to a recent study by Gallup[1], there is a strong relationship between guests’ engagement with the hotel and the amount of money they spend.  EPC Conversations was designed to maximise guest engagement, creating opportunities for Expedia hotel partners to increase their top line revenues.”

Daniel Wilson, Reservation Manager at the Watermark Hotel Brisbane, said: “Being able to respond to guests’ reviews in real time really helps us show that we care about their experience with us. It adds a personal touch that’s sometimes lacking in an age of technology. With Expedia PartnerCentral Conversations, we can show guests there’s a real person on the other end, listening and responding to their concerns. Most importantly, it does all this without imposing on the guest – it’s a convenient and discreet way for them to share feedback.”

EPC Conversations is just one of the ways Expedia PartnerCentral enables hoteliers to connect with guests. Real-time Feedback provides hoteliers immediate visibility into guest sentiment by soliciting real-time feedback after check-in by answering three quick questions so hoteliers can address concerns while the guest is still on the property. Expedia PartnerCentral also provides easy access to post-trip reviews from across all Expedia sites, allowing hoteliers to identify guest feedback that requires attention and thank guests for staying with them.