How Corduroy Inn & Lodge Solved Seasonal Staffing Challenges With Canary’s Self-Service Kiosks

Corduroy Inn & Lodge is a 42-room inn nestled atop Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia. As part of the Wyndham Trademark Collection, it operates as a boutique ski lodge in the winter while serving as a scenic wedding venue in the summer.

Like many small, seasonal properties, Corduroy doesn’t have overnight front desk staff, requiring creative workarounds for late arrivals. To learn how Canary addressed this operational challenge, we spoke with Owner David Billings and General Manager Jim Ed about their experience.

Solutions: Self-Service Kiosk, Mobile Check-In, Guest Messaging, Dynamic Upsells

A Secure Alternative to After-Hours Lockboxes

Corduroy used to handle after-hours arrivals by emailing guests a secure lockbox code. But because many of their bookings come from online travel agencies (OTAs), getting a guest’s actual email address was nearly impossible. With Canary’s Mobile Check-In, guests input their contact information ahead of arrival, making it possible for staff to send pre-arrival instructions.

“Since OTA reservations didn’t give us contact information, we couldn’t get them the lockbox code before the front desk closed for the night,” said David. “That meant we would have to wait for them to call whenever they did arrive. With Canary’s Mobile Check-In, we get their information every time.”

Kiosks Cover Staffing Gaps When the Desk Is Closed

Corduroy’s staffing hours shift throughout the year: the front desk is open late during peak ski season, but closes as early as 4 p.m. during off-periods. In addition to lock box complications, this also meant that credit cards weren’t always put on file for incidentals. Now that after-hours guests check in on a kiosk, the team is confident that they have all the information stored in a compliant way.

“Because we're only 42 rooms, it just doesn't make financial sense to staff a front desk 24/7,” said David. “But we had no way to get cards for incidentals and taxes from OTA guests unless we were able to catch them the next day. Canary lets us make sure we have all the info we legally need.”

Guest Messaging Keeps Travelers Informed

Guests are less likely to answer a phone call while traveling, so Canary’s Guest Messaging makes sure Corduroy can still stay in touch. Before a guest arrives, Corduroy staff send property details, the estimated time when the room will be ready and information on how to get in touch. At checkout, guests get departure instructions so everything is made clear.

“Canary's Guest Messaging is so helpful,” said Jim. “It makes it so much easier to contact guests right on their cell phone while they're traveling.”

Simplifying Early Check-In and Late Checkouts

Because of the hotel’s small room count, accommodating last-minute early check-in and late checkout requests wasn’t usually possible. Now, Canary's Dynamic Upsells let guests reserve early check-in and late checkout in advance so Corduroy can guarantee availability for guests who want it.

“That was always a friction point around early check-in,” said David. “Now, if a guest requests it through Canary, we can have our housekeeping staff prioritize that room so it’s guaranteed. This means when they show up, we have the room waiting for them.”

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Amanda McDowell

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