How the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach Used Canary to Level Up Their Guest Experience

InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach continues to shape a new expression of coastal luxury on Sydney's eastern shoreline, where intuitive service, thoughtful design and immersive guest experiences come together in one of the city's most iconic beachfront destinations.

Following the unveiling of its multi-million-dollar transformation, the hotel has introduced a series of elevated guest experiences including its ocean-facing infinity pool and terrace, Club InterContinental, pickleball courts and the forthcoming Èliva Spa. Together, these additions reflect a broader vision for modern luxury hospitality that is deeply personalised, seamless and intentionally connected to place.

To further enhance this experience across every touchpoint of the guest journey, InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach partnered with Canary Technologies to introduce a more connected and intuitive digital guest experience platform, including Mobile Check-In, AI Guest Messaging, Dynamic Upsells, Digital Authorizations and Smart Checkout. Canary spoke with Howard Phung, Portfolio Director of Information Technology, about how the hotel has elevated operations, enhanced personalisation and introduced a more proactive approach to luxury hospitality.

A Seamless Arrival Before Guests Even Reach the Coastline

At InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, the guest experience begins long before arrival. Through Canary's Mobile Check-In, guests are welcomed into their stay ahead of time, allowing for a smooth and effortless transition from journey to destination. The enhanced pre-arrival experience creates greater convenience for guests while enabling the hotel team to focus more meaningfully on personalised interactions from the moment guests arrive.

"Mobile Check-In has transformed the way we welcome guests to the hotel," said Howard. "It has allowed us to create a smoother arrival experience while also improving the quality and consistency of our guest insights. Guests arrive feeling expected, recognised and immediately connected to the stay experience."

Creating More Personalised and Intuitive Stays

Personalisation remains central to the InterContinental experience, particularly for returning guests and loyalty members seeking familiarity, recognition and tailored service. With a more centralised guest management system now in place, hotel teams can access real-time guest preferences and insights, enabling a more anticipatory style of hospitality throughout the stay.

"The details are often what guests remember most," Howard shared. "Whether it is recognising a returning guest by name, understanding their preferences or anticipating how they like to experience the hotel, technology now allows us to deliver those moments more consistently and at scale."

Elevating Communication Through AI-Powered Guest Messaging

As a luxury beachfront destination with multiple dining, wellness and lifestyle experiences, guest communication forms a significant part of the hotel journey. Today, the hotel manages more than 8,000 guest interactions each month through Canary's AI Guest Messaging, enabling guests to connect with the hotel more effortlessly while supporting front office teams with greater efficiency and responsiveness. Importantly, every interaction continues to reflect the hotel's elevated and consistent brand voice.

"Maintaining a refined and consistent tone of service across every guest interaction is incredibly important to us," Howard explained. "Canary AI allows us to scale guest communication in a way that still feels personalised, polished and aligned with the InterContinental experience."

Unlocking New Revenue Opportunities Through Curated Experiences

As the hotel continues to expand its lifestyle and wellness offering, creating meaningful opportunities for guests to further personalise their stay has become an important part of the experience. Through Canary's Dynamic Upsells, guests are introduced to tailored enhancements throughout their journey, from room upgrades and valet services to wellness experiences, dining moments and elevated amenities.

"Dynamic Upsells has created a more seamless way for guests to enhance their experience with the hotel," said Howard. "Whether it is upgrading accommodation, adding operational services or exploring new lifestyle experiences across the property, the platform has generated strong engagement while also driving significant incremental revenue."

Supporting Operational Excellence Across the Hotel

In a luxury hospitality environment, operational consistency is critical, particularly when onboarding new team members and maintaining service standards across multiple departments. Canary's intuitive platform has streamlined training processes, simplified administrative tasks and improved access to guest insights, allowing teams to focus more fully on meaningful guest interactions.

"Our teams have embraced the platform very naturally," Howard shared. "It supports stronger guest recognition and ultimately allows our people to spend more time creating memorable moments and delivering thoughtful hospitality experiences."

A More Proactive Approach to Luxury Hospitality

Since implementing Canary, InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach has evolved into a more proactive and insight-led approach to hospitality. With stronger visibility across the guest journey and greater automation behind the scenes, teams can anticipate guest needs earlier, personalise interactions more thoughtfully and create a more connected overall experience.

"Technology should never replace hospitality, it should elevate it," Howard said. "Since introducing Canary, we have been able to take a far more proactive and data-driven approach to guest engagement. It is enhancing operational efficiency while also elevating the overall guest experience every day."

Media Contact

Amanda McDowell

Content Marketing Manager [email protected]