SAN FRANCISCO, CA (May 4, 2015) – CheckMate, the leading travel technology company advancing On-Demand Hospitality, today announced the launch of "CheckMate Conversations." This communication platform is the first in the industry to enable seamless communication between guests and hotels through any mobile channel - SMS, email, or mobile apps - at every stage of the customer's journey. For hotels, a single dashboard streamlines communication and provides context on each guest so staff can efficiently manage multiple conversations.

"For today's traveler, mobile communication is second nature; now he or she can communicate requests with a hotel just as easily," said Drew Patterson, co-founder and CEO of CheckMate. "Over 80 percent of travelers using CheckMate's service select SMS as their primary means of communication and hotels can respond in kind. In addition to fulfilling customer requests, CheckMate Conversations provides two-way communication so hotels can proactively interact with guests throughout the journey."

How CheckMate Conversations Works

CheckMate Conversations operate at every stage of the guest journey. Guests can begin a conversation before they leave home as part of the mobile check-in process or at the front desk upon arrival. Hotels respond to guest communication through the CheckMate Conversations Dashboard, which can be accessed both on desktop and mobile devices. The portal aggregates communication from every channel - email, SMS, and native apps - so staff have a single interface to manage activity from every guest.

CheckMate Conversations Screenshot of Guest to Hotel SMS— Photo by BusterCheckMate Conversations Screenshot of Guest to Hotel SMS— Photo by Buster
CheckMate Conversations Screenshot of Guest to Hotel SMS— Photo by Buster

Hotel Benefits

  • Increased Guest Engagement: CheckMate Conversations turns every mobile device into a communication channel for the guest. Hotels can anticipate needs and offer services such as spa treatments, in-room dining and reservations.
  • Greater Loyalty Through Delighted Guests: Engaging with guests through mobile communication results in more convenient service and reduces long waits on hold or in lines. Fast, efficient communication delights guests and creates loyal customers. Guests are already raving about the experience on TripAdvisor.
  • Engage Every Guest Through CheckMate Data Partners. Through CheckMate's partnerships with leading hotel distributors (Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity, TripAdvisor, Concur, Kayak, Sabre, BCD Travel and Virtuoso), hotels can reach more guests.
  • Additional Staff Time Through Streamlined Guest Interaction: Customizable templates support a quick, efficient and consistent reply process, faster than phone or in-person conversations.
  • Empower Employees Through Comprehensive Guest Profiles: Customer profiles for each guest enable hotel staff to identify guests by name when they arrive and interact on a warmer, more personal level. Profiles are based on the hotel's historical booking data as well as social profiles. Now hotels know which guests write TripAdvisor reviews before they arrive.
  • Greater Insight Into Guest Interaction: The CheckMate Conversations dashboard captures guest interactions that previously would have vanished. Managers can view communication in real time. A robust tracking and reporting tool provides transparency into guest communication by employee, timeframe and other metrics.

What Travelers Are Saying on TripAdvisor

  • "At 12:15pm on the day of arrival I got a text message to say the room was ready so this was a brilliant service, hopefully more hotels will start to do this." --Chris R
  • "Wonderful service as I received an email offering me online check-in which I availed of, making our arrival and early check-in hassle free." --foodnwine5
  • "I did the online check-in before arriving which was really handy and saved time. It's a great service to offer." – Cara79

EDITOR'S NOTE: Screenshots of guests interactions and TripAdvisor reviews available upon request.

About CheckMate

CheckMate is the leading travel technology company advancing On-Demand Hospitality to build a better guest experience. From before check-in through departure, CheckMate's tools enable hotels and their guests to have a two-way conversation through any means of communication - email, text, or a native app. CheckMate's mobile tools improve every facet of the guest experience – from a mobile check-in that avoids a wait at the front desk and deals on room upgrades to alerts when one's room is ready. More than 100 hotels, as well as dozens of online travel agencies, metasearch sites and TMCs are using CheckMate's On-Demand Hospitality tools to improve the guest and user experience.

CheckMate was founded in Jan. 2013 and was acquired by Room 77. Room 77 has raised $43 million dollars from leading travel and technology investors. For more information visit http://www.checkmate.io/.

For more information about CheckMate or to schedule an interview with CheckMate founder & CEO Drew Patterson, contact Kellie Pelletier, [email protected] or call/text 917-514-5851.