Mobile Communication Tools Connect Teams at InterContinental Miami
With over 600 employees over 33 departments, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Miami, FL sits in the heart of Miami’s downtown business district with a breathtaking view of Biscayne Bay. As a luxury bay-front property, the hotel is a popular destination for vacationers and business travelers alike; the property hosts events ranging from weddings to large conventions.
To better facilitate the hotel’s mission of providing guests with the ultimate guest experience, InterContinental Miami needed to find a mobile-first communication platform that could reach every single employee, no matter the department or whether they used email. Top priorities considered when assessing workforce communication solutions for the hotel included ways to:
- Improve hotel operations
- Promote and reinforce corporate communications and company values
- Better connect and engage the property’s workforce
An Employee Communications App for Hospitality Management
InterContinental Miami now has a streamlined, engaging, and mobile solution for hotel operations and team communication. In dedicated Beekeeper communication streams, colleagues post company updates, birthdays, work anniversaries, benefits information, new hire announcements, and more. Another communication stream posts available positions and referral rewards, as well as educational growth and training opportunities. Facilitating two-way communication via their employee app, rather than solely top-down, gives everyone a voice within the hotel.
Communication Tools for Hotel Workforce Shift Scheduling
Hotel employees work in shifts, making scheduling a notorious challenge. Many departments at the Miami property, such as housekeeping and the minibar, use Iconic to send PDF schedules weekly through campaigns. From a managerial perspective, this has been incredibly useful because they don’t have to check up on employees to make sure they know when they’re working. From an employee perspective, they love the freedom to access their schedule from anywhere and without waiting for a reply from their manager.
"The Beekeeper team is wonderful! My Customer Success Manager always has an answer and if he doesn’t, he figures it out and responds very quickly. He never says no and solves all my issues. Just this week I came to him with a big idea that hadn’t been done before and he’s already working on figuring it out. The team makes anything feel possible." – Jozenia Cruz Human Resources and Talent Engagement
Mobile Solution for Hotel Crisis Communications
Amidst the chaos of Hurricane Irma, management used Beekeeper’s employee communication app to keep hotel employees informed about the storm. Despite inconsistent cell reception, Wi-Fi was faster and more reliable, ensuring communication throughout the natural event stayed consistent. Before the hurricane, the team provided storm updates, closures, safety precautions, lists of necessities, and made sure emergency contacts were up to date. During the hurricane, a chat campaign was sent to every colleague with the number for the Emergency Employee Hotline, along with other helpful information. After the hurricane, Beekeeper’s communication tools continued to prove invaluable as InterContinental Miami updated team members on impacted hotel operations and when they could safely return to work.
