GrandStay® Hospitality LLC, franchisor of the GrandStay® Hotels and Crossings by GrandStay® brands, is growing by leaps and bounds. With 24 extended-stay and select-service hotels in California, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, and an additional 10 hotels scheduled to enter the system in the coming months, the brand needed a cohesive marketing strategy to communicate more effectively with its guests. After an extensive search for the industry's best-of-breed eMarketing and eCRM provider, GrandStay Hospitality selected ZDirect and its ZMail® electronic communication platform.
ZDirect has been providing hotels with eCRM solutions since 2002. The company's hospitality portfolio spans six out of seven continents, with more than 2,000 hotels and resorts using ZMail® and its Mobile suite, including: Mobile Passport, SMS Messaging, Apple Passbook and Responsive Email Design. GrandStay Hospitality is a franchise organization dedicated to customer service. The company's "Every Guest ~ Every Time" philosophy is key to its desire to building better two-way communications with customers via ZDirect.
"ZDirect has an impeccable reputation," said Jon Kennedy, GrandStay Hospitality president. "When we began looking for an eMarketing company, we were well aware of ZDirect's services and customer successes. Several people within our organization recommended ZDirect based on past experiences, as did other management companies with whom we are affiliated. Not only is ZMail designed to help us quickly build brand loyalty and consumer trust, but we will begin building relationships with new customers from markets that before were untapped. If ZDirect enables us to communicate half as well with our customers as they have communicated with us throughout the recent training process, we can't help but to have a very successful eMarketing and eCRM program. GrandStay is a small, transitional company, but we believe that ZDirect will give us the leverage we need to grow our brand that much quicker."
This month, GrandStay Hospitality will begin rolling out ZMail and the ZDirect Dynamic Content Engine to GrandStay Hotels and Crossings by GrandStay properties. The electronic communication tools will enable each property to send electronic guest confirmations, pre-arrival email promotions, post-stay satisfaction surveys and more to establish two-way communication between the hotel and its guests. Engaging guests with personalized dialog will spark onsite spending and result in increased revenues and maximum profits.
"We are thrilled to add GrandStay Hospitality to ZDirect's global portfolio of hotel customers," said Caren de'Ath, ZDirect vice president of sales. "The brand understands the value that eMarketing and eCRM provides, and it is encouraging to see a franchise of this size be so proactive with online marketing. Previously, GrandStay Hotels and Crossings by GrandStay properties did not have a structured eCRM effort as we know it. Today as our partner, and with a new dedicated person in place to manage the eCRM process, the brand and its properties will be widely successful in getting to know their customers better and build long-term relationships through ongoing communication. As soon as training commences with the corporate team, ZDirects services will gradually be phased in across the GrandStay Hospitality franchise."
GrandStay Hospitality will use ZDirect tools to:
Manage custom databases
Optimize delivery rates for each message via desktop and mobile
Create e-Questionnaires on the fly -- including queries for cancellations, meeting planners, and pre-stay requests -- with the ability to edit existing forms or create new ones as needed
Analyze statistical reports driven by interfaces to the hotel's PMS and CRS
Personalize campaigns that boost brand loyalty and bottom line revenues
Build opt-in subscribers
Use purchasing habits and shopping preferences to attract the best customers
Modify existing campaigns for last-minute promotions
Establish a mobile web portal that is fully integrated with the hotel's PMS
Leverage text and SMS to increase customer interaction and communication
For more information on ZDirect, please visit www.zdirect.com.
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About GrandStay Hospitality LLC
GrandStay Hospitality LLC offers a hotel franchise opportunity like no other hotel chain. Our family of brands consists of extended-stay and select-service hotels. We do not believe in "one size fits all" hotel franchises. From conversions to new builds, we follow a back to basics philosophy that provides the flexibility and one-on-one support our franchisees need to succeed. Our commitment to "Every Guest ~ Every Time" has been the foundation of our success. We carry it through from our guest service to our franchise development and relationships. This caring, service oriented approach has been the key to our continued growth.
About ZDirect
Based in Hallandale Beach, Florida, ZDirect, an Enterprise Email Service Provider (ESP) for the Hospitality Industry, is a leading provider of electronic customer relationship management solutions for the hospitality industry. The maintenance of a single guest profile is essential for an effective eCRM strategy. With the Dynamic Content Engine and PMS integration, ZMail® automatically sends intelligent and personalized confirmations, pre-arrival emails and post-departure emails with guest satisfaction surveys via email, mobile communication, SMS, social networks and more. Learn about the real people behind every reservation. Let ZDirect help you convert your prospects to customers and your customers to loyal customers. Real People. Real Profiles. Real Results.
