Transforming Guest Engagement: How Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites Leveraged TrueTour™ to Boost Premium Suite Bookings

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

The Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites offers an award-winning all-suite experience in downtown Vancouver, featuring pet and family-friendly accommodations with separate living and bedroom spaces. Renovated in 2017, it has 226 rooms and 4,000 sq. ft. of meeting spaces in a prime location near attractions, shopping, and dining. The hotel experiences seasonal visitor fluctuations, catering primarily to business travelers in winter and leisure travelers during summer, when they make up 80-90% of guests.

Why it matters: We had the opportunity to talk to Melanie Koller, the Director of Sales and Marketing, who partnered with Visiting Media back in 2021 through an introduction made by the CVB Destination Vancouver.

She explained how the two organizations worked together to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Top 3 Core Objectives: After renovating in 2017 and launching a new restaurant in 2020, Melanie faced challenges from COVID-19 and travel restrictions. During the same period, CVB Destination Vancouver was struggling to attract visitors to the city due to these same limitations.

Provide an immersive experience: To navigate this situation, Melanie worked with Destination Vancouver to implement an innovative tool to showcase their offerings effectively. The partnership between Destination Vancouver and local hotels proved highly successful, with Destination Vancouver facilitating the implementation of TrueTour across Delta Hotel and several hotels in the city.

Innovators Mentioned

Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites

Visiting Media

Melanie Koller

Director of Sales and Marketing

Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites

"One thing we know is that once we’ve had someone come through our hotel, the conversion to win that group multiplies by at least 50%. This tool is definitely useful for being able to hop on a call and give prospects a hotel tour as if they were here."

Melanie Koller

Director of Sales and Marketing

👍 Director of Sales and Marketing Melanie Koller said that once guests visit the hotel, the likelihood of converting that group increases significantly. This tool allows them to conduct virtual hotel tours over calls, enhancing the prospect experience:

"One thing we know is that once we’ve had someone come through our hotel, the conversion to win that group multiplies by at least 50%. This tool is definitely useful for being able to hop on a call and give prospects a hotel tour as if they were here."

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

Director of Sales and Marketing Melanie Koller said, about their decision: "Honestly, I can't imagine not having it now, even though people can travel freely. It's kind of become part of the way we sell. And it makes things convenient."

📈 The results: Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites experienced three significant results by utilizing TrueTour in their sales strategy.

- Streamline Sale Cycle: Melanie said they use TrueTour as part of their sales process, having the link on the team’s email signature and added to their proposals for events and group stays all the time. They also recently linked the tours on their website for transient guests and support direct booking.
- Increase Their Revenue With Premium Suites: Their goal has been encouraging more guests at their all-suites hotel to book premium suites rather than just settling for standard suites. While standard suites are easier to sell, promoting the unique features and views of premium suites has resulted in a 9% increase in paid premium occupancy compared to last year, supported by the use of their virtual experiences. With the use of Visiting Media’s platform, they focus on maximizing revenue by getting more guests to choose premium options instead of relying on complimentary upgrades from standard suites. For her, offering an immersive experience for prospective guests increases the conversion rate significantly.
- Leveraging their Hotel at the CVB: By working directly with the Convention and Visitor Bureau, Delta Hotels successfully leveraged TrueTour to showcase their offerings and the stunning landscapes of Vancouver, achieving success on sales for both business and leisure travelers.