Luxury Guest Automation: Advanced Technology for Better Operations and Guest Experience
Discover how Jetstream transformed business in this detailed case study ⚡ Learn strategies & outcomes that led to success in the competitive market.
November 28, 2023
Challenges
Goals
The Problem
High Street Townhouse, a historic 18 century site, converted to apart-hotel. The hotel that has been running for the last 15 years previously focused on short-term stays. The 2019 pandemic prompted a rethink of its profitability. The new management’s challenge was to transition the building from a traditional operation into a high-end, longer-stay boutique apart-hotel. The vision was to use advanced technology for better operations and guest experience.
Previously, hotel operations required extensive manual coordination. There was a need for new systems for more effective, remote management. Additionally, the challenge was achieving seamless integration between all systems involved in the tech stack.
Another goal was to extend the guests’ stay from five nights to a month.
The Solution
The solution involved integrating cutting-edge technology to enhance both operational efficiency and guest experience. This transformation was spearheaded by Jetstream Hospitality Solutions, with top notch channel marketing and reservation support.
Jetstream’s remote agents use Enso Connect’s Unified Inbox for guest communication and the Boarding Pass guest app for guiding guests through the entire stay. The Boarding Pass guest app, keyless entry and unified messaging streamline guest check-ins and interactions, significantly reducing the need for manual coordination. The focus was on creating a seamless, touchless experience that offered modern convenience, while preserving the building’s historical charm. Additionally, the integration of Minut smart sensors ensured optimal comfort and safety for guests. Dynamic pricing and smart channel marketing attracted longer stays, marking a significant shift to average stay of 5 nights and occupancy rate of 90%.
About the company
Jetstream
Location:
Manchester’s Northern Quarter, UK
Listings:
18 rooms apartment hotel
Employees:
3
Unit Type:
Urban apartment hotel
UK's Top High-Tech Stay
High Street Townhouse, a modern boutique serviced loft apartment building in Manchester City Centre. It is housed in a fully renovated 18th-century historical site. With its 18 suites, it has operated as a hotel for nearly two decades. However, the traditionally managed apart-hotel faced challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, prompting a complete technological overhaul under new management.Mike Liverton and Jetstream spearheaded this tech revolution for the High Street Townhouse brand, leading to unprecedented property performance. They built an efficient tech ecosystem centered on Jetstream’s robust channel management and marketing platform. The tech stack includes integrated Enso Connect’s guest experience suite of tools and Minut smart sensors.The on-site team consists of just three people: guest services manager Alison and two cleaning assistants. Thanks to digitized interactions and streamlined operations, most processes are handled remotely by Jetstream’s team of agents.Thanks to a savvy revenue strategy and dynamic pricing tools, the project now enjoys a 90% occupancy rate, with average stays extending to 5 days or more.
About the short term rental business
Jetstream: one powerful service for channel marketing and reservation support
Jetstream is an all-in-one platform that provides a powerful way for owners, managers and developers of multi-unit, short-term rental properties to maximize revenues and realize opportunities in the short-term and flexible rental market. Jetstream combines best-in-class marketing expertise and distribution technology with high-quality customer support to deliver guest delight, streamlined operations and, reduced financial risk. Jetstream’s expert team does all of the marketing, listing optimization, availability pricing, reservation support, and guest screening … And [drum roll] they don’t get paid until you get paid. (mic drop)
Interview with Mike Liverton, Emmanuel Lavoie and Alison Gould
How did you come up with the idea of High Street Townhouse?
Mike: We have a big passion for all of the guest experience and the functionality that Jetstream, as the entire architecture of our solution and platform, can deliver. I’ve been quite passionate about finding a suitable property or multi-unit type asset that we could apply that solution to. This opportunity really came about by the desire to find an asset that we could really feature and showcase the entire breadth and efficiency, both operationally and from the guest com’s perspective, that our solution in conjunction with all of our partners that we partner and integrate with could provide.
What is unique about this project?
It’s a historic building, so it’s really across from the train station in the historic district of Manchester, so it’s really from the 1800s or so on. So it’s got a very steep, deep heritage and history. The building itself was built originally as warehousing and for the clothing trade around 1850. It was converted to apartments around 15 years ago and has been operated as an apartment hotel, with the emphasis on hotel, so shorter-term stays up until really sort of 2019 when we had the pandemic. We found this property, and it represented an ideal size that we could take on and really ideal in terms of that we could update it and really roll out the Jetstream Solution on it. So it’s marrying the very old, genuinely, and the latest very new of technology.
What stands behind the great performance of the High Street Townhouse project?
The integration of cutting-edge technology has been pivotal. By implementing solutions like keyless entry, AI-driven communication, and advanced property management systems, we’ve significantly enhanced operational efficiency and guest experience.Our focus on guest-centric amenities and services has set us apart. We’ve ensured that every aspect of a guest’s stay, from the quality of in-room appliances to seamless digital interactions, exceeds expectations.Our small but dedicated on-site team, led by Alison, adds a personal touch that large hotels often lack. This team ensures that every guest receives individual attention and feels genuinely cared for during their stay.We’ve combined traditional hospitality values with modern technology to create a unique and memorable experience for our guests. This blend of innovation, quality, and service is what drives the outstanding performance of the High Street Townhouse. It’s this combination of history, location, sustainability, and personalized service that sets the High Street Townhouse project apart in the rental market.
How does Enso Connect contribute to Hight Street Townhouse Success?
Enso Connect plays a crucial role in maintaining the high performance of the High Street Townhouse project. Its integration into our operations has revolutionized how we manage guest interactions and property logistics. The platform’s AI-driven communication system allows us to offer personalized guest experiences at scale. It automates routine inquiries and responses, freeing up our team to focus on more complex and personalized guest services.Moreover, Enso Connect’s keyless entry system has been a game-changer. It provides guests with a seamless and secure check-in experience, eliminating the need for physical keys or front-desk interactions. This technology not only enhances guest convenience but also significantly reduces operational burdens, allowing our staff to concentrate on other aspects of guest satisfaction.The platform’s unified inbox feature is another vital tool. It consolidates communications from various channels into a single interface, ensuring that no guest query goes unanswered and that our response times are swift and efficient. This level of responsiveness and organization is key to maintaining high guest satisfaction rates.Additionally, Enso Connect’s integration with other technologies like Minut for noise and party monitoring ensures that we maintain a safe and comfortable environment for all guests. This proactive approach to property management helps us preemptively address potential issues, ensuring a consistently high-quality experience for every guest.In summary, Enso Connect’s comprehensive suite of tools enhances our operational efficiency, guest communication, and overall property management, which are essential components of the High Street Townhouse project’s success.
What is Minut’s role in your powerful tech stack?
Mike: Minut is a key component in our comprehensive technology stack, playing a vital role in enhancing property management and guest experience. Its advanced noise and occupancy monitoring capabilities allow us to maintain a secure and comfortable environment for our guests. This is crucial in a densely populated urban setting like Manchester, where ensuring guest peace and privacy while respecting the local community is paramount.
Alison: We really love Minut and were excited with Minut’s implementation in every apartment and common area. Its preventative capabilities, including noise, occupancy, and air quality sensing, are exceptional. The technology deters guests from engaging in prohibited activities like smoking or vaping, as they know we’ll be alerted immediately.
The integration of Minut with Enso Connect has been a game-changer, enhancing our communication and response efficiency. This seamless integration allows us to swiftly address any issues, ensuring the comfort of all guests. The Jetstream team, working 24/7, monitors these alerts, and with Enso Connect, we can instantly notify guests of any concerns. If the issue persists, we follow up with a call, maintaining a pleasant environment for everyone. This technology not only ensures compliance but also preserves the quality of stay for all our guests, making it an invaluable part of our tech stack.
What are your plans to replicate this success in other markets?
The success of the project has been a testament to our approach, combining historical charm with modern technology and guest-centric services. We are actively exploring opportunities to replicate this model in other markets. Our goal is to identify properties with unique character and potential, similar to the High Street Townhouse, in different cities and regions.
We plan to leverage the lessons learned and the technological infrastructure we’ve established here to other properties. This includes integrating advanced tech solutions like keyless entry, AI-driven communication, and noise monitoring systems to enhance operational efficiency and guest experience.
In addition, we’re looking at markets where we can make a significant impact. Not just in terms of profitability, but also in enhancing the local community and preserving historical buildings. Our focus will remain on creating unique, memorable experience for guests while maintaining the essence of each property’s locale.
