Ibiza hotel links guests to Facebook at the touch of a button

Making life easier and more enjoyable for your customers in the hospitality arena is really important. And if your customer is a social, clubbing crowd who thrives on fun and novelty then installing a system that puts Facebook, or the next drink, literally at your fingerprints could be one way to sell your brand.

Using technology to improve the customer experience is one way that hotels can differentiate. When your guests are young, social and tech-savvy it seems there is more a hotel can to not only build the brand but also generate revenue. The Spanish hotel chain Palladium Hotel Group has been proactively pursuing developments that help guests to pay for food or the Internet at the touch of a button. Initially this meant leaving behind cash, credit or debit cards for transactions but it has gone as far as to do way with devices for accessing Facebook.  

Recently, the group’s Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel chose to let guests share their holiday experiences on their Facebook page via ‘Facebook totems’ located within the property. According to the group, users can post photos, status updates and check-in by linking their fingerprints to their Facebook profile. Once linked, each Facebook totem dotted around the venue recognises the unique fingerprint and links straight through to the users’ Facebook account. The aime is to accentuate the highlights of a property which include panoramic views over the Mediterranean coastline, parties featuring DJ’s and so on.

This initiative follows the implementation of identification and fingerprint payment system at the group’s flagship property, The Ushuaïa Club (part of Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel).

Here EyeforTravel’s Ritesh Gupta talks to Alfonso Giménez, associate director of marketing at Palladium Hotel Group, about how they are using biometrics and Facebook to impress guests and build the brand.

EFT: Can you explain how your property is making use of PayTouch technology today and what is the ultimate objective?

AG: Technology is a key focus at Ushuaia and our intention is be at the forefront of technological innovation. PayTouch approached us with this pioneering technology and after verifying the security and functionality, we thought Ushuaïa would be the ideal venue to launch this initiative.

The system is perfect for our guests as it allows them to register their credit card to their fingerprints in a 100% secure environment, allowing them to enjoy their holiday without worrying about their valuables.

EFT: You’ve already introduced some interesting technologies, but tell us about this new initiative featuring biometric and Facebook technology?

AG: The new initiative allows the fingerprints to be registered to the guests’ Facebook pages as well as their credit cards.

Our guests tend to be very socially active and they love to let their friends and family know what they are up to on holiday. In this way, once they have registered their fingerprints to their Facebook account, they can take photos, update their status or check-in via on any of the hotels’ Facebook totems by just swiping their fingerprints. It’s quick, easy and secure.

EFT: What factors were taken into consideration when launching this initiative?

AG: Where to place the totems was a key factor. We decided to place the camera totems in some of the most photogenic areas of the venue, such as right in front of the main stage.  This means that our guests can post images of themselves with a strong likelihood that a world famous DJ will appear in the background.

The totems are strategically placed around the venue, based on vantage points, ease of use, footfall etc.

With the Paytouch initiative, it was imperative that we highlighted the security of the system. Naturally, guests want to feel reassured that their finances are safe and we have been able to reassure them that the system is fully compliant with PCI-DSS security standards, offering faultless identity verification via the scanning of the user’s fingerprints.

EFT: Do you have any concerns about any potential negative impact –like guests talking about a bad experience at the property which can then posted on Facebook?

AG: No because the status updates are pre-programmed by our team. These can be changed as regularly as we like so for example it might say ‘Watching David Guetta in front of the main stage at Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel’.

The users can choose whether they accept one of these status updates, whether they take a photo (using our countdown camera totems) or whether they ‘check-in’. Often they will do all three!

EFT: How do you intend to measure the return on investment from this initiative?

AG: Initially ROI wasn’t our main objective. That said, on one hand, there is an increase in spending from clients who make use of their Paytouch account, they tend to use the payment method three to five times a day; they speed up the paying process versus paying with a credit card - when clients show their ‘two fingers’ up at the bars, the crew already knows they are requesting Paytouch as their payment method; they tend to be highly social individuals, so they like to show their friends about the novelty and so become ambassadors for the brand and the system. On the other hand, gaining loyal Facebook fans is part of our social media strategy as these tend to be followers of all promotions, early booking offers, merchandising campaigns and so on.

EFT: How do you expect to enhance the customer experience with this initiative?

AG: It’s a hassle free and secure system for our customers to use. It allows them to leave their wallets in their hotel safe and enjoy the party.

EFT: Have you piloted biometric and Facebook technology? Are you getting a positive response?

AG: Yes, Ushuaïa launched this initiative. It’s certainly not for everyone but most of our guests love it and are happy to use the totems multiple times during their stay. On the business side, it also helps build the brand of our partners. There are many products that now want to be aligned with Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel and this technology allows us to add value to collaborative campaigns.

For example, if we are working with a specific drinks brand such as Heineken, we could have a totem next to the Heineken bar saying something like ‘Enjoying a refreshing Heineken at Ushuaia Ibiza Beach Hotel’.

EFT: How many properties are going to feature biometric and Facebook technology? What’s in the pipeline for the entire chain?

AG: Well, we have just opened ‘The Ushuaïa Tower’, the partner property of The Ushuaïa Club (the original building) and we have placed a number of totems in the new Sky Lounge. At present, we don’t have plans to extend to our other properties. 

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