From friction to flow: Hey Lou leaps into the future with Mews

OPERATIONS

The economy hotel group from Germany was ready for a digital revolution and found an equally visionary partner in Mews.

Why it matters: Founded by long-time industry experts, Hey Lou is an innovative and sustainable hotel concept that operates seven economy hotels across Germany: Frankfurt Airport, Friedrichshafen, Hildesheim, Karlsruhe, Monheim am Rhein, Nördlingen and Piding. A central pillar of the Hey Lou concept is integrating AI into daily hotel management.

The team is focused on comprehensive digitalization and creating a seamless 360° digital guest journey tailored to individual needs. Both guests and staff benefit from simplified processes and time savings, thanks to the unique networking of systems within the hotel's own software and hardware landscape.

Top 3 Core Objectives: “Our partnership with Mews allows us to elevate the guest experience to a new level through the digital Welcome Desk with Mews Kiosk and seamless transactions via Mews Payments. All our systems – from the booking platform to the check-in process to the payment terminal – communicate perfectly with each other.” Linus Bihn, Head of Digital Processes & Customer Journey

Long check-in queues: Staff shortages made it essential to streamline operations, aiming to reduce front office tasks and guide guests towards self-service.
Payment revolution: Before switching to Mews, Hey Lou struggled with a fragmented payments system. They had difficulties integrating the payment acquirer's API with their PMS, so their accountants often had to manually fix errors and even reverse payments.
Seamless onboarding and training: Onboarding and training staff in hospitality can be challenging due to high turnover rates. New hires need to learn quickly and adapt fast, which can be hard without clear and easy-to-follow training materials and support.

Innovators Mentioned

Mews

Daniel Schleser

Expert Digital Hotel Processes & Customer Journey

Hey Lou

""We’ve worked with several PMS providers, but Mews University offers the best training portal. It’s so straightforward that our staff had almost no questions and combined with a short personal training they are ready to start.""

Daniel Schleser

Expert Digital Hotel Processes & Customer Journey

👍 Expert Digital Hotel Processes & Customer Journey Daniel Schleser said that "We’ve worked with several PMS providers, but Mews University offers the best training portal. It’s so straightforward that our staff had almost no questions and combined with a short personal training they are ready to start.":

""We’ve worked with several PMS providers, but Mews University offers the best training portal. It’s so straightforward that our staff had almost no questions and combined with a short personal training they are ready to start.""

⚖️ The selection process: During their research process, Daniel Schleser evaluated Mews's product differentiators, customer support, and holistic value as a strategic partner and ultimately decided that Mews was the best fit solution:

Expert Digital Hotel Processes & Customer Journey Daniel Schleser said, about their decision: ""We’ve worked with several PMS providers, but Mews University offers the best training portal. It’s so straightforward that our staff had almost no questions and combined with a short personal training they are ready to start.""

📈 The results: Mews Kiosk was the perfect solution for Hey Lou. By replacing traditional front desks, the team created a more welcoming environment, encouraging natural interactions between guests and staff. Mews Payments streamlined and connected all transactions, helping Hey Lou go 100% cashless. Guests can settle their bills with a quick card swipe, and for staff, everything is automated, eliminating manual work.

• <2 minutes to check-in via Welcome Desks powered by Mews Kiosk
• 50% faster payments through Mews Payments • Staff use mobile phones with the Mews app, making bulky tills and cash handling a thing of the past
• Seamless onboarding and ongoing customer support • Staff training via interactive live courses, walk-throughs, videos, quizzes and hands-on practice