The Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites offers an award-winning all-suite experience in downtown Vancouver, BC where guests can enjoy pet and family-friendly accommodations with separate living and bedroom spaces, TVs, and coastal views. The building was renovated in 2017 and offers 226 rooms and 4,000 sq. ft. of meeting spaces, making its central location really attractive due to the easy access to top attractions, shopping, and dining.

Vancouver experiences distinct seasons, with summer running from May to October and winter from November to March. Melanie Koller, the Director of Sales and Marketing, shares that their guest mix varies significantly throughout the year. In winter, the focus shifts to accommodating business travelers during the week and hosting small to mid-sized corporate groups for meetings. In contrast, the summer months draw leisure travelers, who comprise 80-90% of the visitor volume, supplemented by group bookings and catering services, especially on weekdays.

Situation

After a significant renovation in 2017 and launching a new restaurant in 2020, Melanie faced significant challenges due to COVID-19 and travel restrictions. Simultaneously, CVB Destination Vancouver struggled to draw visitors as these restrictions impeded citywide group events. To navigate this situation, they required an innovative tool to showcase their offerings effectively, emphasize Vancouver’s landscapes’ unique beauty, and promote collaboration among local hotels. The partnership between Destination Vancouver and local hotels proved highly successful, with Destination Vancouver facilitating the implementation of TrueTour across several hotels in the city.

One of our differentiators, as a city, is that our hotel community works very close together. Whether we are the same brand or not, we’re all individually owned, but we work together as one. Then, once we’ve earned the business, we’ll compete with each other for the booking.

Process

Encouraged by the partnership with Discover Vancouver, Melanie signed up with Visiting Media in March 2021 and had a smooth implementation back then. Onboarding was excellent and thorough, with clear communication and support. Although there were initial challenges in understanding how everything would work, the team provided instructions and guidance. The photography aspect was straightforward, requiring minimal effort from the user. Any issues that arose were addressed quickly, leading to a smooth overall experience.

Solution and Results

Melanie said they use TrueTour as part of their sales process, having the link on the team’s email signature and added to their proposals for events and group stays all the time. They also recently linked the tours on their website for transient guests and support direct booking.

She also uses immersive assets to increase their revenue with premium suites selling. Their goal has been encouraging more guests at their all-suites hotel to book premium suites rather than just settling for standard suites. While standard suites are easier to sell, promoting the unique features and views of premium suites has resulted in a 9% increase in paid premium occupancy compared to last year, supported by the use of their virtual experiences. With the use of Visiting Media’s platform, they focus on maximizing revenue by getting more guests to choose premium options instead of relying on complimentary upgrades from standard suites. For her, offering an immersive experience for prospective guests increases the conversion rate significantly.

One thing we know is that once we’ve had someone come through our hotel, the conversion to win that group multiplies by at least 50%. This tool is definitely useful for being able to hop on a call and give prospects a hotel tour as if they were here.

A Big Win

Melanie mentioned an extended stay deal for a production crew that they were able to close in 2022 worth 1 million dollars for a 3-month stay. “This production crew comes to Vancouver every year, and they do a three-month event. It was 2022, and we were getting out of COVID 2022. Nobody from their team was local, and all conversation was over email and phone. We presented the rooms using the virtual tour and showcased how people could live in them. So, some of our rooms have an urban kitchen suite, and we were able to walk through what that would look like. What I loved about the tours was that I used the dollhouse view to support them with a floor plan as well. Because the negotiation was made through a third party, it was important to equip them with the right resources to present the proposal to the production team. At that moment, the deal was pivotal – about a million dollars that we earned just from that one group to stay at the hotel for those three months.”

She finishes by saying that deals like this impact the business growth for sure, but also has a positive impact on the local employment status. “A deal like this can pay at least four employees over three months during winter, helping to support families and keep their income safe.”

Summary

The partnership between the Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites and Destination Vancouver on implementing TrueTour has proven to be a transformative solution in navigating the challenges of the pandemic and travel restrictions. By leveraging innovative technology to showcase their offerings and the stunning landscapes of Vancouver, the hotel has successfully attracted both business and leisure travelers.

The increase in premium suite bookings demonstrates the effectiveness of immersive experiences in enhancing guest engagement and interest. As Melanie Koller emphasized, the ability to provide virtual tours significantly boosts conversion rates, setting Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites apart in a competitive market.

Delta Hotels Vancouver Downtown Suites Quicklook

• Management Company: Delta Hotels
• Brand: Marriott International
• Segment: Mid-Tier, Full-Service
• Space: 226 rooms (all suites) | 4,000 s.q. f.t meeting space
• TrueTour Facts: 9% increase in paid premium occupancy compared to last year, supported by the use of their virtual experiences