Cloudbeds acquires Whistle to solve friction in guest journey
US: Hospitality management platform Cloudbeds, which powers reservations and guest satisfaction for lodging businesses around the world, has announced the acquisition of guest engagement solution Whistle.
Together, the companies say that they will integrate their best-in-class technologies to remove friction points in the guest journey through a single platform.
Richard Castle, co-founder and COO of Cloudbeds, said: “The term contactless is becoming far too synonymous with hospitality. We want more contact between lodging businesses and their guests to create purposeful touchpoints, answer questions and provide guidance through the entire guest journey.
“Research shows that engaged guests spend more, leave better reviews and the majority prefer to communicate via digital channels — Whistle makes it all possible. Whether it’s a booking engine chat or front desk text request, Whistle positions Cloudbeds customers to be a part of the guest journey from discovery to post-stay, removing barriers that might hinder a booking or positive review,” he added.
Whistle’s suite of products includes unified communication tools, digitised arrival experiences and more. Its current customers include major hospitality brands and hoteliers around the world, including Choice Hotels, Accor, IHG and Four Sisters Inn.
Whistle will play an important role in creating a fully frictionless solution that enables guests to engage with lodging businesses on their own terms. Simultaneously, it will give lodging businesses a unified platform to more efficiently manage points of contact throughout the entire guest journey.
Christopher Hovanessian, co-founder and CEO of Whistle, said: “Our goal has always been to give lodging businesses a unique, easy-to-use solution that simplifies and streamlines the way they communicate. Cloudbeds has a clear vision for building a better, more frictionless hospitality experience via a unified platform.
“Together, we can make a greater impact on the industry that benefits not only the guest, but also the property staff and the lodging business itself,” he added.
Following its $150 million Series D raise in November, Cloudbeds says that it has doubled down on its commitment to “more reservations, happier guests” with three acquisitions and the introduction of several new product offerings to address major pain points for both operators and guests. Driven by an aggressive product roadmap, the company has almost tripled in size over the past year, with more solutions set to roll out in Q3 designed to help lodging businesses scale their operations.
Founded in 2012, Cloudbeds provides a platform that is designed to power hospitality, driving streamlined operations, increasing reservations and revenue, and enabling memorable guest experiences for lodging businesses of all sizes and types across the globe. The SaaS company seeks to combine solutions for front desk, revenue, distribution, guest acquisition and guest engagement in a single unified system, enhanced by a marketplace of third-party integrations.
