Major Hotel Brands Embrace Digital Tipping to Enhance Guest and Employee Experience
Several leading hotel groups have recently announced partnerships with digital tipping solution providers to bring contactless tipping to their U.S. and Canadian properties. These moves signal that digital tipping is rapidly becoming a must-have amenity for hotels looking to meet evolving guest expectations and remain competitive as employers.
IHG Hotels & Resorts Leads the Way
IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s largest hotel companies, has approved several digital tipping solutions for use across its portfolio of nearly 6,000 properties following successful pilot programs. Newly approved vendors include Grazzy, eTip, TipBrightly, and Canary Technologies.
“In recent years, we’ve seen customer behavior shifts to contactless payments and QR codes,” said Brian McGuinness, IHG’s SVP of global guest experience. Guests have told us they want a seamless and secure digital tipping platform to recognize hotel colleagues working hard to go above and beyond to make their stay excellent.
Wyndham Aims for Portfolio-Wide Rollout
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,000 properties, has selected Béné as its preferred digital tipping provider. The Béné platform is now available for adoption by all Wyndham franchisees in the U.S. and Canada, making Wyndham one of the first major hotel groups to endorse a portfolio-wide rollout.
The pandemic dramatically accelerated guest demand for digital payment solutions and that trend will only continue in the coming years,” said Scott Strickland, chief information officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “This platform allows guests to recognize housekeepers, wait staff and other frontline team members in a cashless fashion, and at virtually no cost to franchisees.”
Best Western Chooses eTip for Its Brands
BWH Hotel Group, which includes brands such as Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotel Group, has named eTip as its endorsed digital tipping solution for properties in the U.S. and Canada. Using eTip, Best Western aims to create a seamless and secure digital tipping experience personalized for each hotel.
“We’re excited to offer eTip digital tipping solution as a convenient way our valued guests can show appreciation to our dedicated hotel associates,” said Michael Morton, Vice President of Brand Management at BWH Hotel Group. “We are equally excited to offer our associates a choice to receive their tips in real-time directly into their bank accounts through Visa Direct.”
Boutique and Lifestyle Brands Get On Board
It’s not just the major hotel groups getting in on the digital tipping trend. Boutique and lifestyle brands are also moving quickly to provide mobile tipping options for their guests and employees.
Twenty Four Seven Hotels, a third-party manager of independent and lifestyle properties, has implemented the Shiny digital tipping platform across its portfolio. Shiny’s data-driven approach allows Twenty Four Seven to capture real-time feedback to improve operations. The platform’s AI-based features also encourage happy guests to leave positive reviews online.
“With one of the tightest labor markets in industry history and ever-rising costs, it has become increasingly important for us to recognize the efforts put forth by our associates,” said David Wani, CEO of Twenty Four Seven Hotels. “Along with our Daily Pay program, [digital tipping] is another example of the additional efforts we take to ensure our employees are among the most satisfied in the industry.”
Hoteliers Have Options When It Comes to Digital Tipping
As more hotel groups give the green light to digital tipping, individual owners and franchisees have a growing list of approved vendors to choose from. Each platform offers a slightly different set of features and integration capabilities. Hoteliers will want to evaluate their options carefully to find the best fit for their property and brand.
In general, digital tipping solutions offer hotels a quick and cost-effective way to meet guest demand for contactless payment options while also putting more tip income in the pockets of employees. With setup times as short as a few days, implementing digital tipping is increasingly becoming a no-brainer for properties of all types.
To learn more about digital tipping options for your hotel, visit www.jethotelsolutions.com. The experts at Jet Hotel Solutions are ready to help you find the right solution to improve guest satisfaction and employee engagement at your property.