| Kokua is a Hawaiian word that means “to serve,” and for
the executive team at management company Kokua Hospitality, it is also
a phrase they take to heart. Formed just two years ago as a subsidiary
of Chartres Lodging, its trail-blazing team of industry innovators is already
overseeing more than $40 million dollars in renovations to a growing portfolio
of luxury and upscale properties, billing itself as “fiercely independent”
with a commitment to world-class service that maximizes owner ROI.
 That
same independent streak is evident in the renovations Kokua is overseeing
at its six properties that include Adams Mark hotels in Indianapolis and
Buffalo; The Inn of Chicago; the Doubletree Hotel Magnificent Mile; the
historic Allerton Hotel, Chicago; and the W Aloft in Maryland. According
to Craig Strickler, Kokua’s corporate director of transitions and projects,
all changes and upgrades across the company’s portfolio, regardless if
they are boutique or business properties, have focused on one thing:
providing guests with useful services that keep them coming back.
Service Where It Is Needed Most
“This is a highly competitive market,” said Strickler, “Differentiating
your properties with unique services and amenities guests do not find elsewhere
is essential to success.” With most of its properties in cities and
near international airports, much of Kokua’s guest base is business or
convention related, though leisure travelers are also an important segment.
For this reason, Strickler recently researched and quickly signed a contract
with Flyte Systems, the leading provider of real-time
flight information, to install its digital airline
travel arrival and departure displays to better serve Kokua’s guests.
“Not only does Flyte Systems provide a valuable, unique amenity that
keeps guests returning, they are aligned with Kokua’s philosophy of superior
service,” Strickler said. High among the accolades he gives Flyte Systems
is its willingness to accommodate customized design requests. “With
the many renovations we are implementing, each property has diverse needs
and Flyte stepped up to meet these specialized design requests for their
FlyteTouch flight information
kiosks without hesitation.” Following Kokua’s design guidelines,
Flyte Systems provided its kiosks in rich woods and high-tech steel sheathing
to match each hotel’s lobby theme. In addition, Strickler says Flyte’s
products deliver what his customers need most these days – flight information
that helps them successfully plan their travel day.
Real-time Flight Information
What sets Flyte Systems apart from PC-based applications is its ability
to post accurate, real-time airline flight arrival
and departure information, not FAA-regulated scheduled departure times
that do not list delays caused by:
-
Air Traffic Control
-
Aircraft maintenance
-
Crew availability
-
Weather
Flyte offers a suite of products that serve the traveling public:
FlyteBoard, FlytePass, FlyteChannel and FlyteTouch.
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FlyteBoard is a wall, floor or ceiling mounted high-definition, flat panel
screen for lobbies, restaurants, bars and other public areas, displaying
flight information for one or more airports.
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FlytePass uses FlyteTouch technology and adds free, secure boarding pass
printing, packaged in an all-wood kiosk.
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FlyteChannel permits guests to view live airport arrival/departure screens
via their in-room TV.
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FlyteTouch enables individual guests to search flight information via touch
screens that display real-time flight arrivals and departures for one or
more airports.
After its initial meetings with Flyte, Kokua began rolling out the airline
information products property-wide as renovations permitted. Because
Flyte uses a property’s existing high-speed Internet connection, installation
can be completed more quickly and easily than other systems.
Eventually, each property will offer all of Flyte’s products to guests.
According to Strickler, the initial roll out has been met with universal
praise, including by the owners. “Just after signing the initial
order we scheduled an owner’s meeting and thought this would be an ideal
way to demonstrate how effectively money was being spent. I called
Flyte to see if they could speed up the installation and they did.
Our owners were thrilled; they thought it was a great idea and loved the
ease of use and accuracy of the information.”
About Flyte Systems
 The
Flyte
Systems Division of Industrial Television Services (ITS), based in
Chicago, Illinois, is the leading provider of environmentally responsible
airport flight information displays for the hospitality, convention center
and digital signage industries and related businesses. It delivers
accurate, instant, airport-centric updates of flight information – not
FAA-regulated scheduled departure times that may omit last minute changes.
Properties are able to differentiate their products and boost customer
loyalty and repeat business with ’glance-and-go’ content critical to a
traveler’s day. Flyte Systems’ product suite builds upon ITS’
47-year history as the leading provider of live flight information to airports,
airlines, government agencies, port authorities and other travel-based
businesses. Flyte Systems was formed in 2007 to offer new Web-based
travel technology and product lines. In addition to using Energy
Star-compliant digital displays, Flyte products help significantly reduce
energy consumption by eliminating unnecessary trips to the airport.
Customers include Marriott, Hyatt, Westin, Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn,
Days Inn, Hilton, Doubletree, Hotel Sofitel, Adams Mark, Renaissance and
Crown Plaza hotels, independent properties and municipal airports.
About Kokua Hospitality, LLC
Kokua Hospitality is a property management firm affiliated with The
Chartres Lodging Group, LLC, of San Francisco. Purposely created by lodging
management and operational experts as a management company with an investors’
sensibility, Kokua Hospitality blends the attention to detail of a customer
service entity with the rigors of a real estate investment concern. The
name (pronounced “koh-kooh-ah”) is Hawaiian for “to serve.” Based in Chicago,
Kokua Hospitality manages a growing portfolio of hotels and resorts nationwide.
For more information on Kokua Hospitality, please visit www.kokuahospitality.com. |