Success Story: Talbot Collection

Presentation of the Talbot Collection

‍The Talbot Collection is a hotel group in Ireland offering an authentic and warm experience, true to the country's renowned hospitality. Located in the heart of Ireland's Ancient East, its seven 4-star properties provide an elegant and comfortable setting, perfect for a getaway with family, friends or a partner. The properties vary in size, with between 69 and 150 rooms, catering to both intimate stays and larger group visits.

The group's properties:

• Talbot Hotel Stillorgan (Dublin)
• Talbot Hotel Wexford (Wexford)
• Talbot Hotel Cork (Cork)
• Talbot Hotel Midleton (Midleton)
• Talbot Hotel Carlow (Carlow)
• Talbot Hotel Clonmel (Clonmel)
• Talbot Suites at Stonebridge (Wexford)

Tech stack: 

• CRM: LoungeUp by D-EDGE
• PMS : Hoist (Planet)
• Channel Manager, Central Reservation Office (CRO) and GDS: D-EDGE Hospitality Solutions  
• Booking Engine: Net Affinity

Their results 📈:

In just 3 months, the Talbot Hotel Stillorgan achieved:

• €2,500 in additional revenue generated through email campaigns
• 72% open rate and 34% click rate on pre-stay emails
• An average session time of 5m on the Guest App

The challenges faced

Talbot Collection was facing several issues, including:

• A desire to digitalise check-in procedures and move towards a paperless process
• Duplicate and unverified guest data
• Low additional revenue, despite upselling opportunities

By integrating the LoungeUp CRM, Talbot Collection is modernising the entire guest joruney, with a particular focus on the pre-stay phase and a strong ambition: to offer a seamless, fully digital experience.

By digitising the guest journey, particularly in the pre-stay phase with seamless online check-in, we streamlined the entire check-in process, reducing time and improving operational efficiency.
- Flavia Serrano, Group Commercial Manager

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Thanks to the integration of LoungeUp, Talbot Collection was able to implement solutions tailored to its specific needs. These tools effectively addressed the challenges faced, while improving the management of the guest experience at every stage.

A personalised and automated journey for each guest

A fully customised guest experience designed to offer a seamless and tailored stay, with the goal of maximising additional revenue and reducing the workload for operational teams.

Online Check-in

Ten days before arrival, an email is sent to guests to remind them of their booking and introduce everything they can enjoy at the hotel. It also includes personalised service offers (breakfast, dinner at the hotel restaurant, or a bottle of wine...).

• 100 personal email addresses collected in 3 months, enriching the guest database
• €2,500 in additional revenue through personalised offers over the same period

The goal of this campaign is to anticipate guests' needs ahead of their stay, personalise their experience and generate additional revenue through targeted, relevant offers.

These emails include links to the hotel's Guest App, allowing guests to explore available hotel services, discover local activities or even reserve a table for breakfast. 

The automated and accurate data capture has significantly enhanced the quality of our guest information, enabling us to personalise communication effectively and upsell relevant -services. This has not only boosted customer satisfaction but also led to additional revenue generation.
- Flavia Serrano, Group Commercial Manager

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Three days before arrival, an email is sent to guests who haven't yet filled out the pre-stay form , inviting them to do so. This allows the hotel to collect their email addresses and preferences in advance.

Reception tablet for Check-in

To complete the check-in process while maintaining a paperless approach, the hotel has introduced a tablet at the reception desk. Registration forms, pre-filled using data collected beforehand, are signed by guests on arrival. This solution simplifies administrative tasks and saves time at the front desk.

Objectives:

• Streamline hotel operations by anticipating arrivals
• Provide a 'paperless' guest experience
• Enhance check-in efficiency by minimising time at reception
• Improve data quality and accuracy through direct PMS integration 

Collection of online reviews

One day after departure, guests receive an invitation to rate their stay through an intelligent star rating system.

• 1 to 3 stars / 5 → the guest is redirected to an internal questionnaire. Responses are sent exclusively to the hotel, helping identify areas for improvement.
• 4 or 5 stars / 5 → the guest is invited to share their review on Google or TripAdvisor, helping to boost the hotel's online visibility with positive feedback.

The goal of this approach is to manage the hotel's online reputation effectively: amplifying positive reviews on public platforms like Google and TripAdvisor, while using less favourable feedback internally to refine the guest experience.

Success across the entire group

By digitalising the guest journey, Talbot Collection has not only enhanced the overall guest experience, but also achieved gains in both additional revenue andoperational efficiency. 

The integration of LoungeUp has streamlined every stage of the journey, from pre-stay to post-stay, while reducing the administrative workload and delivering a smooth, paperless experience. 

With tangible results, this success has led the group to roll out the solution across all its properties. A true example of successful digital transformation, demonstrating the powerful impact of innovation in the hospitality industry.

The positive impact on both guest experience and our internal processes encouraged us to roll out the solution across the Talbot Collection group.
- Flavia Serrano, Group Commercial Manager

A centralised and efficient distribution strategy

Beyond the digitalisation of the guest journey, Talbot Collection relies on a unified distribution strategy, made possible by the D-EDGE CRS (Central Reservation System). Serving as the central hub of distribution, the CRS consolidates all availability and pricing data and disseminates it in real time to all connected channels, both internal and external to D-EDGE, such as the PMS or the booking engine.

The Channel Manager and GDS (Global Distribution Systems) solutions play a crucial role in indirect distribution, ensuring optimal visibility of the hotel's offerings on third-party channels (OTAs, travel agencies, tour operators, etc.). Thanks to this seamless interconnection managed by the CRS, Talbot Collection guarantees price consistency and optimal inventory management, while significantly reducing the risk of overbooking.

This integrated approach, linking CRM, distribution and the guest journey, is fully aligned with a sustainable performance strategy and the strategic development of revenue growth.

For more information about the Talbot Collection: www.talbotcollection.ie