CLIENT CASE STUDY Courtyard by Marriott

FOUR WINDS INTERACTIVE Client Case Study :: Courtyard by Marriott

The Challenge

The Solution

With more than 1,000 locations spanning the globe, Courtyard by Marriott required their Visual Communications solution to be powerful, scalable and customizable.

They wanted to be able to showcase a consistent mix of hotel and amenity information across all of their properties. In addition to those standardized features, Courtyard by Marriott wanted to feature location specific travel information, events, attractions and dining options in order to ensure that their guests got the most out of each stay. Considering the amount of information that Courtyard by Marriott sought to provide their guests, combined with the sheer amount of locations within their enterprise, a Visual Communications solution of the scope they required had never been attempted within the hospitality industry.

Introduction

FWI helped Courtyard by Marriott develop and launch the completely interactive GoBoard®—an innovative Visual Communications solution that gives guests access to relevant information in an intuitive way.

Each GoBoard has a default welcome page that displays news feeds, sports scores, local weather forecasts and more. From that welcome screen, guests can navigate to four other pages that provide access to airline and travel information, local attractions, general hotel information and highlights from the Bistro, the hotel’s onsite dining venue. Each page has buttons that allow the user to get more detailed information about specific, flights, meals, events, and local attractions.

In order to simplify the ongoing management of the GoBoard, Courtyard by Marriott chose to use FWI’s Program Management service. A dedicated team of Visual Communications experts at FWI handles all template, content and software updates as well as the proactive monitoring of each GoBoard.

Courtyard by Marriott Uses Visual Communications to Improve the Guest Experience and build Brand Consistency

1,000 GoBoards deployed Internationally

Nearly 6 Million Screen Interactions Annually

The Program Spans 42 Countries

In order to meet the evolving needs of their business travelers, Courtyard by Marriott underwent a brand transformation in 2007. They aimed to create new socially inviting spaces that were equal parts relaxing and functional. They also updated their onsite dining and in-room amenities.

With the central focus of the project on their Courtyard Refreshing Business Lobby, the company wanted to infuse a fun style and flexibility into their lobby spaces that could be easily replicated across multiple locations.

Courtyard by Marriott approached Four Winds Interactive (FWI) to create a focal point for those redesigned spaces. They were looking for a visually engaging digital experience that could help provide brand consistency, but their ideal solution needed to be intuitive and interactive. It also needed to be able to promote the other available onsite amenities.

CLIENT CASE STUDY Courtyard by Marriott

FOUR WINDS INTERACTIVE Client Case Study :: Courtyard by Marriott

About Courtyard by MarriottCourtyard revolutionized the travel industry in 1983 when they launched the first hotel created specifically for business travelers. Since then, business and travel have evolved and so have the needs of their guests. Today, Courtyard by Marriott operates over 1,000 hotels that offer lively social spaces and numerous ways to kick back and relax after a day of meetings or travel.

About Four Winds InteractiveFWI has created the most powerful Visual Communications software on the market.

In addition to powering digital signage networks, users can drive their interactive kiosks, desktops, Web and mobile content from a single, flexible and powerful software platform.

FWI’s customers use its software to communicate more effectively, solve wayfinding challenges, enhance safety, increase sales and create a better experience for their audiences.

Want to know more?Simply get in touch with one of our knowledgeable sales executives:Call: 877.204.6679Email: sales@fourwindsinteractive.comVisit: www.fourwindsinteractive.com

GOAL RESULTS

Outsource Content Management

FWI maintains the GoBoard program, handling everything from content and template updates through maintenance, allowing the hotel staff to focus on their guests.

Create Brand Consistency

Courtyard by Marriott uses their Visual Communications solution to tie multiple global properties together and give guests a consistent experience no matter where their travels take them.

Provide Easy Access to Information

The GoBoard provides access to information that is tailored to the guests’ needs in order to maximize engagement, provide an unrivaled guest experience and promote continued patronage.

The Benefits

Since the program’s launch in 2007, the GoBoard has expanded into 1000 locations across 42 countries, and Courtyard by Marriott plans to continue that expansion to their remaining properties.

At the time of its launch, the GoBoard program was one of the most innovative Visual Communications solutions in the hospitality industry, and it remains so today. Analytics show that combined, the screens garner nearly 6 million interactions annually, signaling that guests appreciate the self-guided access to relevant information. The Hotel’s executive team is pleased with those statistics as well as the peace of mind they gained by outsourcing the ongoing management of their screens to FWI.

“What’s great about the GoBoard is that wherever you go, across the 42 countries where Courtyard exists, the GoBoard is our signature element.” - Callette Nielsen VP and Global Brand Manager, Courtyard by Marriott