A new invisible service boutquie hotel that offers guest an authenic local feeling and has all the services of a traditional hotel while immersing guest into the location is opening in Washington D.C. An invisible service hotel provides many of the amenities of a modern luxury hotel, but without a front desk or onsite staff. From check-in to check-out, this fictional client is aiming to understand how this new service might provide the best experience for its customers. The client’s ultimate goal is to design an app that visitors use during their stay with the hotel but is still exploring the space and the direction for their experience.

What features are required to exceed guests’ expectations and have them rave about an invisible service hotel and book it over a traditional staffed hotel or Airbnb.

Create a user friendly system where the invisible service hotel exceeds the guests’ expectations in comparison to traditional hotels and Airbnbs.

Stage 1: Booking / Planning

·      Preplanning: The ability to pre-plan the guest’s trip and itinerary after booking, modeled after the app Wanderlog. Guest will be able to pre-schedule breakfast and other services ahead of time.

Stage 2: Day of Arrival / Check-in

·      Check in: Offer multiple options for check-in.

·      Day of arrival: Live chatting with a property rep for customer service feature that checks in on guest to see if the property is up to their standards and they have everything they need.

·      Pre-Order: Pre order option to order delivery on the way to the property from the airport. Location tracker to see how close they are.

 

 

Stage 3: During Stay

·      Breakfast Included: Have a traditional breakfast system modeled after the Walmart Pickup App where guest can order breakfast from popular high quality local resturants and it be delivered to the property

·      Safety: High tech and innovative secuirty and safety procedures in place that offer the highest level of security accompanied with the latest technology to ensure the property is designed with the safety of our guest in mind.

·      Leaving/Returning to property: Offering the guest multiple different secure ways to enter their hotel/room.

·      Local experience: Offering a unique digital way for the guest to book local authentic experiences. Modeled after Airbnb Experiences and city websites like Visit Stillwater (for example), but more curated to our guest.

·      Housekeeping: Feature on the app where housekeeping can be ordered and chosen what you’d like done similar to Walmart Pickup app.

·      Payment: Features where guest will get daily prompts to view the bill, so it is not a surprise to them at checkout.

Stage 4: Check-out / Paying

·      Paying: Offer a check out service that allows guest to charge all things booked from the app to their room/hotel bill with the hotel room acting as a user at checkout so they do not have to login to their personal apps or give out their payment information while traveling. This offer will be able to split payments for business guest or group stays modeling after the app Splitwise.

The research began by researching invisable service hotels in the United States, Europe, and Japan. A list was created from the ways they provided indvisible services and the UX team brain-stormed more options to come up with unique things for this hotel. The team looked back on past travel experiences of my own to identify what guest would want and need to have to make this hotel stand out over Airbnbs. From there, The UX team begin researching other websites and apps to see their guest journey. The team researched apps that they use when traveling and in their daily life that could work well this this hotel model. They created three different personas that booked a stay at this hotel. The UX team revisited the invisible services to ensure they met all three of their persona’s needs. For the branding of this unique, but luxry boutique hotel, The team researched luxury brands and their idenity to ensure the hotel is branded to showcase it’s unique services and experience. 

Solution Stage 1: Booking + Planning

 

Since our services are all accessible through an app, guest can download the app on their own devices and log in with their booking number. Once logged in, pre-programmed guest profiles will be available with a quick pin login customized for each guest, if wanted. Guest can pre-plan their entire trip through a trip-planning feature, messaging system, and Google Maps accessibility. Guest can order food to be delivered to their hotel room when they land or are in the cab on their way to the property. Guest can pre-schedule rides to a landmark or to the airport during their stay. Pre-schedule housekeeping, or their morning breakfast. 

 

Key Research:

– Wanderlog app

– Walmart Pickup

 

Solution Stage 2: Day of Arrival / Check-In

 

Upon arrival, guest will be able to check in through the app. Once they have checked in, they will have access virtual keys and the keypad code from August Smart Lock to enter. In case of a loss phone, the secondary entrance (the keypad) will be available for guest to enter. In case of a low battery or dead phone, there will be a charging station built into the outside of the property that guest will know about upon booking where they can charge their phone.

 

To ensure the highest quality of guest care, the invisible service hotel staff will use the messaging system in the app to reach out to guest 15 minutes after they check in asking if they need anything, if the property meets their standards, or have any questions. If they need something, the app will showcase a menu and they can order more towels, soap, pillows, covers, etc. like Walmart Pickup App.

 

Once checked on the app, guest will be prompted to pre-order a meal to be delivered to their property at or after their arrival. Since this is an invisible service hotel and there will be many deliveries to guest, the property will have a customized delivery safe lockable package box outside of the door or built into the building. Guest can get their package when it is convenient for them and not have to interact with a delivery person.

 

Key Research:

–Walmart Pickup App

–August Smart Lock

–Electric Car Outdoor Charging Port

-Solar Synthesis Outdoor Charging Station

-Delievery Safe Package Box

- Danby Parcel Guard

 

Solution Stage 3: During Stay

 

The app has an ordering system similar to Walmart Pickup and Target Pickup for all services the hotel offers. The guest can filter food services, transportation services, housekeeping service, as well as booking local experiences.

 

Guest have access to view a security camera that is at the entrance of the apartmemt. If the camera detects movement, it records it and allows guest to review the footage if they want to. The August Smart door lock also keeps track of when the door opens and closes and the guest can view that activity in the app.

 

Instead of guest having to log into many different apps, our app has a user profile built in so that everything booked and charged through our app gets billed to the guest’s room with us. This prevents international guest from having to use their card at multiple places and guest stateside to be able to use our app the entire time of their stay instead of jumping from app to app.

 

 

Key Research:

–Walmart Pickup App

–Target Pickup App

–August Smart Lock

–Furbo Dog Camera

 

Solution Stage 4: Check out / Pay

 

The app has a feature that give guest the option to split invoice up between guest or into different transactions. This feature benefits guest in groups because it allows the hotel room cost and taxes to be split equally and has an option to edit the itemized charges from all the services between individual guest so each person will have their own bill. With groups, the itemized bill will show who ordered what. For example, if guest 1 our of 4 ordered lunch the itemized invoice will list the lunch order, the date, and which guest profile the order was placed on. It then allows each individual guest to tender their bills separately.

 

This feature also beenfits guest on business trips because they can split their personal expenses and business expenses up at the checkout phase. They can pay for their business expenses with their work credit card and their personal expenses with their personal card.

 

For guest that does not need to split the bill, they have the option to pay in full with one transaction and invoice. 

 

Key Research:

–Spiltwise