Aqua-Aston properties add text messaging platform

Honolulu-based Aqua-Aston Hospitality, an operating business of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp., has introduced an intelligent text messaging platform at its managed hotels and resorts. The technology streamlines and scales real-time guest communication, allowing guests to receive contactless service while team members improve operations, elevate customer service delivery and enhance the guest experience.

This new level of connectivity improves communication before and during a guest’s stay, enabling hotel and resort teams to deliver services more efficiently and effectively than before. Since the company began implementing this mobile technology, the platform has been successfully used to answer guest questions, streamline the check-in process, deliver amenities, quickly communicate updates on services (like activities and entertainment) and alerts (like road, utility, and weather conditions) and enable contactless check-out, according to the company.

“At Aqua-Aston Hospitality, we pride ourselves in understanding today’s traveler and staying one step ahead of guests’ expectations. This means balancing high-touch, brand-differentiated experiences with proper health and safety protocols,” said Lesli Reynolds, senior vice president of operations at Aqua-Aston Hospitality. “By introducing this mobile technology, we are able to deliver personalized and convenient customer service to our guests.”

With its new text messaging technology, Aqua-Aston allows guests to request service or ask questions without needing to call or visit a front desk. For example, guests can send a text message to advise the front desk about their arrival time, to request information about guest amenities available during their stay, and to receive a copy of their folio, fresh towels, housekeeping service or a late checkout. Guests can also now check out by sending a text message.

Since implementing the option to text-to-checkout, more than half of Aqua-Aston’s guests have opted to use it. The platform resides with participating Aqua-Aston hotels, meaning guests do not need to download an app before they can text for services. When guests’ mobile phone numbers are provided, guests receive a text message inviting them to conveniently communicate directly with the hotel team on their mobile devices.