The Athenaeum

Background

The Athenaeum, a renowned five-star hotel located in the heart of London’s exclusive Mayfair neighbourhood, faced a unique challenge. In a crowded market saturated with branded hotels and loyalty programs, the hotel wanted to differentiate itself by using technology to create a completely personalised guest experience, while staying loyal to brand values. Catering to multi-generational families and returning guests, The Athenaeum wanted to invest in ways to recognise its loyal patrons, using booking and guest data to create memorable experiences.

Following a recent split from a management group, the hotel underwent a complete overhaul of its technology infrastructure and strategy, which included outdated and inoperable legacy systems.

This transition led to decision-making regarding the right technology solutions that would allow The Athenaeum to maintain its individuality while adopting cutting-edge solutions to personalise and enhance guest experiences.

Operationally, the hotel was facing several challenges:

Lack of a Unified Guest Profile: The hotel had multiple data silos, including outdated systems which did not offer easy access to guest data, hindering the ability to create personalised experiences.

Inability to Extract Data: Legacy systems previously in use made it difficult to extract valuable data about guest preferences and behaviours.

Limited Insight into Loyalty: The hotel needed clear insights into who their loyal guests were and what constituted guest loyalty.

Meeting and Event Space Growth: While not an immediate primary focus, the Athenaeum recognised the potential for growth in meetings and events and wanted a solution that could support this expansion while offering flexibility.

iVvy Solution

The Athenaeum turned to iVvy as the solution to address their challenges. Key factors that led to this choice were:

API Connectivity: After difficulties faced with previous legacy systems, the hotel prioritised a cloud-based solution that could efficiently manage data with open API connectivity. iVvy fulfilled this requirement, enabling data extraction and centralisation.

Scalability: Recognising the opportunity for growth in meetings and events, the Athenaeum needed a scalable solution that would accommodate future needs without overwhelming their current operations. iVvy offered a flexible solution that allowed the hotel to start small and expand as needed.

User-Friendly UI: The Athenaeum valued a user-friendly interface their team could quickly adapt to and work with. iVvy’s intuitive design ensured ease of use.

Yogesh Ram, Head of Marketing at The Anthaneum explained the property’s preference for iVvy over other software solutions, emphasising the ease of use, native settings, and quality of the demo provided by the iVvy team. He stated:

“The thing that stood out to the team was that when they had the demo [with the other product] it was too much. It was the setup, the actual tool itself. It was just way too much for them to get stuck into. iVvy had a nice UX. The team felt like they could go in and they felt like it was explained very well during the sales process and their preference was really for iVvy as well.

So when we got to the final stage, for me, it was high-level connectivity, API, and the fact that it’s easy to use. The fact that settings are native in iVvy. That we don’t have to keep going to you and asking for support to change things and add things for the team. It was ease of use. The team had explained the iVvy team had given a great demo, and that formed the selection process and the final decision.“

Results

Since implementing iVvy, The Athenaeum has achieved several positive outcomes, including:

• Personalised Guest Experiences: The hotel can now use data collected from various sources to create highly personalised guest experiences, catering to corporate guests, leisure travellers, and loyal visitors.
• Improved Insights: With a unified guest profile, The Athenaeum can gain valuable insights into guest behaviour and preferences, enabling targeted approaches and loyalty-building strategies.
• Streamlined Operations: iVvy’s cloud-based solution has simplified data management and increased efficiency, enabling the hotel to focus on delivering exceptional service.
• Preparation for Growth: The Athenaeum is well-prepared to grow its meetings and events business, thanks to the scalable nature of iVvy venue management software.