Fixing a Traveler's Pain Point: Why Robinsons Hotels' Go 24/7 Is a Gamechanger
%20(1).jpg)
It’s a common problem for travelers: you get to your destination (or have to leave it) at an odd hour, and either you wait for your hotel room to become available or pay an extra night so you’re not spending the rest of the time waiting for your ride or flight out on the streets. It’s a prickly pain point that many lodging places have sought to address.
ALSO READ
Luxe Address: The Residences at the Westin
EXCLUSIVE: Why RLC REIT Is Country's Biggest, According to Robinsons Land President Frederick Go
In the Philippines, one hotel group believes it has the solution. Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR) recently introduced Go 24/7, a feature that provides guests flexible check-in and check-out times. That means guests have the power to choose what time they can come in or go out of the hotel without worrying about whether the room will be available or whether they will be charged for an extra night if they go beyond the standard check out times of most hotels.
In an interview with Esquire Philippines, Joy De Mesa, RHR group director of sales and marketing, says the idea came about because of the gradual easing of travel restrictions after the pandemic.
“Looking at that landscape, much of the guests’ itineraries are dependent on the available travel/flight schedules. Plus, the term “revenge travel” has been trending as the restrictions are eased off,” De Mesa says. “We thought to ourselves, coming from the pandemic, we were already able to provide a no-frills hotel, so why can’t we be flexible, too? So, we huddled together with our operations team to introduce the concept and GO 24/7, and RHR’s signature offer was born.”
De Mesa says RHR is the first hotel group to introduce the concept in the Philippines.
“It is thoughtful,” she says. “There is a strong desire to provide utmost convenience, a relaxing and restful stay for guests, and it’s very easy on the pocket.”
How Go 24/7 Works
Go 24/7 will initially be available in eight of RHR’s Go Hotels properties around the country: Dumaguete, Iloilo, Lanang-Davao, Mandaluyong, Otis-Manila, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, and Manila Airport Road. The rate starts as low as P1,600++, which De Mesa says is about 20 percent more than the hotel group’s regular rate.
“This is still a great value because typically hotels charge an extra night for late departures and early arrivals,” she adds. “Soon, Go 24/7 will be available in all our 24 properties, from Grand Summit in General Santos, six Summit Hotels, two GO Hotels Plus and 15 Go Hotels nationwide.”
To avail of the offer, guests need to book at least 72 hours before the check-in date. De Mesa says they just need to declare the check-in time during booking. If there are any changes in the times after the booking was made, charges are waived if the hotel is informed at least 48 hours before check-in.
Guests would also need to pre-pay the booking so it’s guaranteed. “Non-guaranteed reservations will only be held within a 24-hour period, or it will be released automatically,” De Mesa says. “Likewise, if reservation is cancelled within 48 hours prior to check-in date or guest is a no-show, the first night will be charged.”
The question is whether these flexible check-in and check-out times affect regular hotel operations, especially room turnaround. De Mesa says Go 24/7 is set in certain room allocations per property.
“That is to say that, for now, this is on a per property allotment based on operations team’s provision to ensure that we are able to fully support this, not only in terms of cost but more importantly in terms of room turnaround: cleaning, sterilizing, preparing welcome amenities,” De Mesa explains.
Go 24/7 will be a permanent feature for RHR properties and will be a signature offer of the hotel group. The hotel exec foresees it to become “highly beneficial” for travelers.
What’s ahead
A unit of Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) of the Gokongwei family, RHR has become a vital contributor to the conglomerate. In fact, in RLC’s 2022 financial report released on Friday (March 10), RHR reported revenues surging by 94 percent to P2.33 billion compared to the previous year. The company pointed to higher average room rates, increased F&B (food and beverage) sales, and the resurgence of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) events to the recovery.
On top of its Go 24/7 feature, De Mesa notes other offerings from the group that guests can look forward to from RHR for the rest of the year. This includes the return of the Westin brand in the Philippines with the opening of The Westin Manila this month in the heart of Ortigas business district, and the offerings of Fili Hotel at the Nustar Resort’s Fili Hotel, which is touted as the first authentic 5-star Filipino hospitality brand in the country.
Esquire Philippines is published by Summit Media, which is a unit of the Gokongwei Group.
.png)
