What makes the program unique is that:
- DineIN features only local restaurants that are handpicked by hotel staff based on positive personal experiences.
- Orders can be paid via one of three secure methods: bill to room, bill to mobile wallet or input credit card on the tablet.
- Upon arrival at the hotel, orders can be delivered to guests at the front desk, at a location of their choice or to the room (successfully proven during pilot testing to meet hotel security protocols).
- All delivery drivers are vetted by HCN and trained by the hotel to follow brand food service delivery practices.
- HCN self-manages the full room-service operation and shares profits with the hotel.
DineIN was first piloted in more than 1,000 hotel rooms in San Francisco. By dropping money-losing, self-managed room service and replacing it with DineIN, more than $500,000 in newly generated food service revenue was achieved over a 12-month period, according to HCN. A new pilot is underway at 3,000 hotel rooms in Chicago showing similar results.
“Prior to launching DineIN, we put the Eat Street app on our tablets (similar to Uber Eats) and never got above 50% guest satisfaction,” said HCN President Kevin Bidner. “After taking over the service and managing it ourselves, we never achieved less than 80% guest satisfaction.”
He added, “Guests got a better meal and a better deal. They loved having the best of local restaurants handpicked by the hotel, delivered to the room and billed to their folio like a room-service order. The fact that guests paid the same amount as if they had walked into the restaurant was the icing on the cake that made this program the industry’s first viable replacement for room service. The fact that we proved this and succeeded with it at a 1,500-room flagship property shows the industry that a viable solution to the room service problem has finally arrived.”
On average, 5% of guests will order food through room service or a meal delivery service. Using a conservative 3% of guests ordering meals through DineIN, the net benefit comes in at $6 per room per month, a portion of which is shared with the hotel.
“Even though room service is a challenge to run cost-effectively, hotel guests still expect it in full-service properties—therefore, someone must provide it and manage it,” said Neil Schubert, HCN chief product officer. “HCN’s DineIN delivers room service without traditional hotel operating costs and makes it a net operating profit. Operators love the efficiency and profitability, and guests love that they can get a taste of the local market affordably and delivered their way—and it’s showing in hotels’ satisfaction scores
Tags: DineIN, Hotel Communication Network (HCN), Kevin Bidner, Neil Schubert
