Hihotels by Hospitality International has expanded its suite of programs designed to support dialogue between the company and its franchisees.
The expanding communication suite includes:
- Advisory Council: Launched in 2023, this forum, which includes franchisees, a vendor and hihotels director, meets quarterly and gives franchisees a seat at the table in shaping hihotels' future.
- hihub: Introduced in December 2023, this digital platform, with a growing user base, serves as an information hub that facilitates communication between franchisees and the hihotels team, offering educational resources to support hotel operations.
- WhatsApp Group: Rolled out in Q1 2024, this real-time messaging platform allows franchisees to contribute to system-wide improvements and build stronger relationships with other franchisees and the hihotels corporate team.
- Newsletters: INNside Track, a longstanding quarterly newsletter, is designed to keep franchisees informed on industry and marketing trends, company updates, events and networking opportunities. It’s complemented by An Update from Chris Guimbellot that highlights challenges, opportunities, and new programs. Each communication includes Guimbellot’s phone number and encourages franchisees to reach out to him at any time with questions, concerns, ideas, and feedback.
- Assurance and Marketing Program: A trusted initiative with directors who help service properties and provide owners ongoing sales, marketing, and operations support.
- Regional Conferences: hihotels conducts smaller, regional conferences to nurture personal connections.
Hihotels credits its approach to communication as a contributing factor to its retention rate and the longevity of franchisees in the system.