How Novotel Geelong Achieved a 58% Online Check-in Rate and Increased Room Upsell Revenue by 200% with Duve

Objectives

• Manual Check-In and High Call Volume: All check-ins were handled manually at reception, and the reservations team managed a significant volume of inbound calls before arrival. This increased administrative workload and limited operational efficiency.

• Disconnected Systems and Tools: The hotel was using separate tools for communication, guest apps, and upselling. Managing multiple platforms created inefficiencies and made it difficult to control messaging and optimize the guest journey.

• Proactive Guest Communication: With an on-site construction project underway, guest communication became critical. Without structured pre-arrival messaging, guests risked arriving unaware of disruptions – leading to complaints and additional pressure on staff.

Solution

Novotel Geelong implemented Duve as an end-to-end guest experience platform, consolidating online check-in, automated messaging, upsells, and guest app functionality into one system.

Integrated with OHIP PMS and HubOS task management, Duve enabled the hotel to automate pre-arrival engagement, streamline operations, and centralize all guest touchpoints.

Results achieved with Duve:

• 58% Online Check-In Rate and Reduced Reservation Workload:
  Since implementing Duve, the hotel has achieved a 58% online check-in rate. Through online check-in, the hotel collects key guest information in advance, while also giving guests the opportunity to pre-book add-ons such as parking and discounted breakfast.
  Novotel Geelong reduced inbound call volume and was able to decrease reservation staffing by 8 hours per week.
  Looking ahead, Novotel Geelong plans to integrate self-check-in kiosks, expected to further streamline arrivals and increase digital check-in adoption.
• Upsell Revenue Increased by Over 200%:
  Before implementing Duve, Novotel Geelong generated upsell revenue through a previous provider that required 21% commission on each sale.
  After switching to Duve’s automated pre-arrival upselling, the hotel increased its upsell revenue by more than 200%, in addition to eliminating third-party commission fees and retaining the full value of each transaction.
  Upselling also became more consistent and system-driven through automated pre-arrival messaging, enabling guests to easily purchase add-ons such as early check-in, parking, and breakfast before arrival rather than relying solely on front-desk interactions. The integration with the hotel PMS also streamlined the updating of bookings and confirmation of availability
• Proactive and Automated Communication Reduced Complaints:
  Using scheduled messages across email, SMS, and WhatsApp, the hotel now proactively communicates construction updates seven days prior to arrival. This allows guests to make informed decisions before arrival and has significantly reduced complaint intensity.
  Centralizing all communication into one platform also enabled the team to refine messaging strategy, eliminate over-communication, and better control the guest journey. As a result, staff experience improved alongside guest satisfaction.
• One Unified Platform for All Guest Touchpoints:
  By consolidating multiple tools into Duve, Novotel Geelong simplified its technology stack and created a single source of truth for guest interaction.
  As Todd Jones, IT Manager, explains:
  “We wanted to be a driving force of innovation – to reduce expenses while improving our service and connect personally with guests. Bringing Duve in replaced quite a number of tools we were using individually – communication tools, the guest app, upsells –  and brought all of those together, while integrating with our PMS and task management system.”
  The integration across systems allows individual features to work well on their own, but delivers greater value because everything is connected.

Conclusion

By consolidating tools, digitizing check-in, and automating guest communication, Novotel Geelong transformed its guest journey, driving increased guest satisfaction, while improving operational efficiency.