US/Netherlands: Ian Schrager’s PUBLIC Hotel has launched a new guest app in partnership with Amsterdam-based Ireckonu.
Ireckonu has worked with the team at PUBLIC to design and build guest engagement tools that allows users to manage their stay.
Guests can complete a pre-check in process online, stopping by the lobby on arrival to create their room key via iPads. A key sharing feature – where guests can send their mobile keys to family and verified contacts – has been custom built.
Other capabilities include submitting requests directly to hotel staff, browsing a curated list of local places to visit, order food and drinks from the hotel’s market LOUIS, online shopping at retail store TRADE, and access to a music playlist from PUBLIC’s live events.
Speaking about the new app, Schrager said: “We wanted guests to be able to book a room, order a meal, and pay a bill as easy as ordering on Amazon or getting an Uber or Lyft. Ireckonu and its founder Jan Jaap van Roon were the only ones that were able to achieve our goals in a purposeful, creative and original way. They were the only company I trusted who were talented enough to take hotel technology to the next level. They understand how modern travellers act and what the customer desires. Our tech companies in America who actually invented the technology do not effectively communicate with each other, making it impossible to achieve the full promise of this vision. I had to look outside the country for a deeper understanding of how this should work.”
Jaap van Roon said: “Our entire platform is centered around creating an exceptional guest experience. By utilising our ecosystem design, we’re able to create a centralised hub of all data flowing in and out of PUBLIC, updated in real-time. With the mix of our framework and our team’s understanding of all the challenges that a traditional check-in experience encounters, we were able to effectively tackle each pain point at its core.”
Schrager added: “These features allow guests to co-create their own experience, supplementing the level of high-quality service that Public has to offer. As a result of Ireckonu’s ability to streamline the entire check-in process, our dedicated staff can focus on what matters most—providing world class personalised guest experiences.”
Ireckonu is a hybrid middleware solution which uses micro services and business logic to enable and manage data between on-premises and above-property systems. The company’s product stack includes identity management, single view of guest profile, automation, customer data platform, mobile app, kiosk, online check-in/out, business intelligence and more.
