As hotels navigate an increasingly fast-paced industry,
seamless operations have never been more important. From enhancing guest
experiences to streamlining behind-the-scenes processes, technology is playing
a crucial role in transforming hotel management. To dive deeper into this
shift, ExploreTECH caught up with Marius Donhauser, Founder and CEO at hotelKit, to talk
about their successful collaboration with Radisson Hotel Group and the real
impact it’s making on hotel operations.
During our conversation, we also explored the launch of
hotelKit’s Facility Management tool—a powerful new solution designed to
simplify maintenance workflows and boost operational efficiency. By partnering
with Radisson Hotel Group, hotelKit has helped standardize operational
procedures across multiple properties, improving communication and efficiency
at every level. Now, with their latest innovation, hotels have an even more
robust toolkit to enhance day-to-day operations.
Radisson’s operational overhaul: A success story
Radisson Hotel Group, with its vast global portfolio, faced the challenge of maintaining consistency across properties operating under different management styles and regional constraints. As the hospitality industry becomes increasingly competitive, the need for efficiency is more pressing. The company recognized that adopting a unified platform was essential to bringing all its operations under one streamlined system, ensuring smooth communication and consistent service delivery across all properties.“The hospitality industry is evolving rapidly, and
efficiency is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity,” says Donhauser. “Hotels
need solutions that seamlessly connect teams, streamline operations, and
enhance guest experiences.”
With this vision in mind, Radisson sought a solution that
would provide them with real-time communication, task tracking, and operational
oversight. Implementing hotelKit’s SOP module allowed Radisson to standardize
processes across all its properties, from housekeeping to front office and
maintenance. Now, the Radisson Hotel Group connects 40,000 users in 350 hotels
across 95+ countries via hotelKit.
The result was a noticeable improvement in guest
satisfaction scores. By reducing paper usage, each hotel saved the equivalent
of 30 trees per year, contributing to sustainability efforts. Additionally,
operational optimizations led to a 5% reduction in energy costs, further
enhancing efficiency. At Radisson Hotel Bergen, housekeeping saved 24 hours per
week, the room assignment process became 75% faster, and room status
communication improved by 77%. Overall, there was a 40% daily time reduction in
housekeeping operations, boosting productivity and streamlining hotel
management.
“By finding hotelKit, we found the connecting medium that
we were looking for: A communication platform that enables us to transmit SOPs
to all hotels and makes communication across the different hotel sites
possible, which is of utmost importance in hotel chains,” says Chema
Basterrechea, Global President and COO, Radisson Hotel Group.
From reactive to proactive maintenance
While streamlining daily operations was a significant win, maintenance and facility management remained a challenge. Like many hotel groups, Radisson faced the consequences of reactive maintenance—addressing issues only after they had disrupted operations. This model often led to expensive emergency repairs and damaged guest satisfaction, as maintenance problems were handled in crisis mode rather than being anticipated and prevented.“One of the biggest challenges hotels face is reactive
maintenance,” Donhauser explains. “Waiting until something breaks down costs
money and impacts guest satisfaction. With hotelKit, we help hotels transition
to a proactive strategy.”
By using hotelKit’s platform, Radisson was able to track
maintenance requests, monitor repair progress, and evaluate the completion
status in real time. Maintenance teams no longer relied on inefficient, manual
tracking or disconnected workflows. Instead, they could prioritize tasks based
on urgency, ensuring that essential operations ran smoothly while addressing
facility-related issues before they escalated.
This shift from a reactive to a proactive maintenance
model saved both time and money for Radisson, as it allowed them to address
problems before they disrupted the guest experience.
Radisson’s continued digitalization journey
As Radisson continues to embrace digitalization, the collaboration with hotelKit has been integral in shaping their path forward. According to Patrick Apostolo, Senior Director of Operations, Radisson Hotel Group, “It has not only facilitated our daily work routines, but it has also freed us from our insular thinking. In the hospitality industry, there is this old belief that every hotel is its own little kingdom, convinced that it is doing everything right. We overcame this. Today, we are all connected with each other and able to exchange ideas and suggested solutions.”The next evolution: hotelKit Facility Management Tool
Building on the success of the SOP module, hotelKit’s introduction of the Facility Management tool marks a significant leap forward in maintaining hotel facilities. This new tool is designed to elevate maintenance workflows by enabling preventive maintenance and automating scheduling.“Facility management is the natural next step for us,”
Donhauser adds. “Our new tool automates maintenance scheduling, tracks
equipment performance, and ensures that hotels can prevent downtime before it
disrupts operations.”
By using the Facility Management tool, hotel teams can
now plan and schedule maintenance tasks in advance, eliminating unanticipated
breakdowns. The tool automates equipment maintenance, setting tasks based on
usage and performance data, which streamlines daily operations and eliminates
the need for manual scheduling. The centralized system provides real-time
tracking of maintenance activities, offering an integrated solution for
reporting and evaluating service history.
Key features of the Facility Management Tool:
- Clear
Maintenance Calendar – Hotels can plan and schedule maintenance tasks in
advance, ensuring that teams stay ahead of potential issues and remain
organized in their approach.
- Automated
Equipment Maintenance – The tool automatically sets tasks based on
equipment usage and performance data, eliminating the need for manual
tracking and scheduling.
- Comprehensive
Activity Overview – All maintenance activities are logged in a central
system, giving teams real-time insights into service history, ongoing
repairs, and upcoming tasks.
- Downtime
Prevention – By adopting a proactive maintenance strategy, hotels can
reduce costly breakdowns and maintain smooth operations.
The future of hospitality operations
With Radisson already benefiting from hotelKit’s suite of operational solutions, the introduction of the Facility Management tool represents another critical milestone in the transformation of hotel operations. Preventing breakdowns, reducing downtime, and enhancing overall maintenance workflows ensures that hotel teams can focus on delivering exceptional guest experiences, rather than dealing with the disruptions caused by operational failures.“Our goal is to empower hotel teams with technology that
simplifies their work,” Donhauser concludes. “With solutions like our Facility
Management tool, hotels can run more smoothly, staff can focus on what really
matters, and guests enjoy a seamless experience.”
This next evolution in hotel operations promises to
create a ripple effect throughout the hospitality industry. By combining
operational efficiency with smart maintenance strategies, hotelKit is setting a
new standard for hotels looking to embrace digital transformation. With this
approach, hotel teams have the tools to stay ahead of maintenance challenges,
ensure smooth operations, and ultimately deliver a better experience for their
guests. Radisson’s success is just the beginning—hotels worldwide are poised to
benefit from this new era in hospitality technology.
As the hospitality sector continues to embrace digital
transformation, solutions like hotelKit’s integrated operational and
maintenance platform are proving to be the cornerstone of efficiency,
communication, and guest satisfaction. Through partnerships with industry
giants like Radisson Hotel Group, hotelKit is redefining what it means to
deliver seamless, technologically advanced hotel operations—paving the way for
a new, smarter future in hospitality.
