Hotel Online  Special Report
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 Meet Claire� at HITEC:  Digital Alchemy Adds �Personal Touch�
to Delivering Instant Hotel Information via Cell Phone, Blackberry
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Chosen by HFTP as a technology for tomorrow, the new Web-based CRM tool will debut at Guestroom 2010; 
HITEC schedule to be shown at www.DA2GO.com via cell phone
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FORT WORTH, TEXAS� JUNE 21, 2007 � Travelers thirsty for instant information at their fingertips will certainly appreciate the intuitiveness of Claire�, Digital Alchemy�s new Web-based customer-relationship management tool that delivers hotel confirmation information directly to a traveler�s cell phone or blackberry browser. Claire� will debut at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exhibition & Conference (HITEC) June 26-28 in Booth 1219 and at Guestroom 2010, a prototype hotel room and pavilion at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.  

The HITEC schedule will be shown beginning Monday, June 25, at www.DA2GO.com via cell phone to demonstrate the idea in a meaningful and helpful way.

�Claire� is a significant advancement in providing information to hotel guests with a personal touch,� said Don Hay, Digital Alchemy CEO. �We�ve designed Claire� to know who guests are, when they are arriving and departing, and what specific information they�d like to know about the hotel, its services and its attractions. As close to being human as possible in the cyber world, Claire� takes on the persona of a highly-intuitive concierge or personal assistant who knows a guest�s every desire and anticipates every request.

�This revolutionary, patent-pending software increases on-property spending by putting revenue-generating information literally at the guest�s fingertips,� he said. �It�s a cool enhancement to the now-routine emailed reservation confirmation process. Claire� provides information that is created to match the information needs of the guest the moment it is requested and is formatted to perfectly match the specific browser on the guest�s phone.� 

Although skepticism may exist regarding the need to deliver hotel-stay information to travelers via digital media, Hay reminds hoteliers that it was only five years ago that operators were asking �Why do we need to capture email addresses during reservations?� 

�More than 65 percent of all e-mails sent by Digital Alchemy on behalf of hotels to guests were opened,� said Sherry May, Digital Alchemy VP of Sales. �Many of those who opened the email clicked through to a specific amenity or property feature or to the hotel�s shopping page. Now we can extend that ability to the web browser on their cell phone.  That�s a pretty compelling reason why hoteliers need to obtain cell phone information� it�s the next logical progression in the e-marketing cycle.

�Of course,� she added, �this is a pull technology.  Guests must visit a web site on their phone or specifically approve sending a short text message to a guests� cell phone or Blackberry. The power of the system is that travelers can take the initiative to access information from Claire� rather than having Claire� send data to them. It�s a beautiful relationship.� 

Hay offered this scenario: A guest makes a reservation 10 days before arrival. Claire� automatically enables the guest�s cell phone to display a variety of information the guest wants to know. For example:

  • Ten to two days before arrival�Cab rates from airport; how to catch the hotel shuttle; directions from major transportation centers; offer to upgrade room to suite; link to electronic tee sheet for golf outings; hotel phone. 
  • Day of arrival, before check-in�Hotel phone numbers; check-in time; ability to let guest provide expected arrival time to hotel and/or request in-room amenities and pre-check-in information. 
  • Day of arrival, after check-in and through last day of stay�If applicable, a list of activities for guest�s group for the day; hyperlink to hotel map, with meeting rooms highlighted; operating hours and phone numbers for restaurants, spa and other facilities and activities; link to electronic tee sheet for golf outings. 
  • Anytime after 10 p.m.�Room-service menu, activities for the next day, weather information.
  • Morning of checkout�Folio for guest review; the ability to �Click here� for hotel check-out or request late check-out, bellman assistance and/or car retrieval from hotel valet; link to comment card. 
  • After checkout Claire would show a calendar of hotel events and phone-only specials. 
�Claire� delivers information specifically to the device, such as a Blackberry, iPhone, Treo or even a standard cell phone,� Hay said. �Again, this is a revolutionary step in hotel communications and marketing software, one that we think will set the standard for e-marketing in the future�and we�re proud to be the company that�s bringing to our customers.�

Starting Monday, June 25, Claire� demos will be available by visiting www.DA2GO.com on any cell phone where the entire HITEC schedule will be displayed.

About Digital Alchemy
With extensive experience in - and exclusive focus on - the hospitality industry, Digital Alchemy�s team of experts understands the need of hotel management companies and independent hotels for powerful, cost-effective software solutions that improve customer relationships, boost occupancy and drive revenue. The company�s Data2Gold e-Relationship Manager, with five modules, provides an unmatched range of advanced email-based CRM capabilities that increase the effectiveness of hoteliers� marketing programs. For more information, visit www.Data2Gold.com or email them at [email protected].
 

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Contact:

Don Hay
CEO
Digital Alchemy
Tel: (817) 249-0757
[email protected]

Barb Worcester
President
PRpro
Tel: (440) 930-5770
[email protected]
 

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Also See: Casino Resorts Tap Digital Alchemy to Enhance E-Marketing Efforts; Two Native American Casino properties in California say Web-based marketing solution streamlines operations, saves costs and, perhaps most important, boosts guest satisfaction / February 2007
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts Chooses Digital Alchemy for Customized CRM / August 2006
Looking for a CRM Solution at HITEC? Checklist Helps Find Best-Fit Solution / June 2006
Do YOU Have The 'Digital Alchemy Advantage?' Hotels that have adopted property-level email marketing and customized CRM tools are finding themselves light years beyond the competition in online bookings and guest loyalty / May 2006
Digital Alchemy Manages Guest Relations While Hoteliers Handle Hurricane Headaches / September 2005
Digital Alchemy�s CRM Programs Leveling E- Marketing Playing Field for Hotels / June 2005
Digital Alchemy to Deliver One-to-One Database Marketing Tools to MICROS Hotel Front Office Users, Becomes Certified MICROS Fidelio Business Partner / June 2003
No. 1 Westin in North America Taps Email CRM Potential  to Create �Emotional Connection� with Repeat Guests / June 2003

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