Supporting a Strong Vision of Guest-Centric Hospitality
Singita operates a collection of 12 luxury safari lodges and camps in five di fferent regions of three African countries. Guided by their philosophy of the interdependent aspects of community, conservation and tourism, Singita has built a holistic structure and business model that enables them to sustainably support the local communities, the wildlife and ecosystems and the tourists that are drawn to the area. Situated in Africa’s most renowned and remote wildlife reserves, each of the 12 Singita lodges offers an intimate experience with a range of 6 to 15 rooms at each property.
Each lodge offers a unique experience in its own right, from “off -the-grid” tented camps to private villa style homes. A stay at Singita o ffers the opportunity to be immersed in the wilderness and experience intimate wildlife encounters without sacrificing any of the creature comforts. Days are filled with game drives on open vehicles with professional Field Guides, walking safaris, visiting one of the successful community projects or simply relaxing at the lodge. With a dedicated team of staff and a private butler a stay at Singita is truly a care free experience.
Singita needed a system that would not only retain a complete guest history and profile, but also provide a single database to serve all 12 lodges in the three di fferent countries.
Singita initiated a search for a hospitality management system that could support their guest-service e fforts. Because Singita guests often return and visit other Singita lodges, Singita needed a system that would not only retain a complete guest history and profile, but also provide a single database to serve all 12 lodges in the three di fferent countries. Each lodge needed access to guest history and preferences and Singita needed to be able to craft detailed and complicated reports that not only power their guest service, but also provide the details needed to maintain and grow their hospitality business.
Singita chose to implement the SMS|Host Hospitality Management System to provide guest-centric property management system capabilities for the 12 individual lodges as well as central reservations functionality for their main office located in Cape Town, South Africa. Each location employs its own server and back-up power to ensure functionality at each site – even without power or connectivity. The Central Reservations office manages configuration, availability and rates to ensure consistency across all the lodges. Each lodge can then focus entirely on the guest experience, utilizing the functionality of SMS|Host as their main tool to provide exceptional guest service.
Singita captures the guest preferences and experiences, tracking all the details with SMS|Host. From the lodges the guest has visited to the butlers that have served the guest, the history is preserved. In addition all of their personal preferences are recorded. Using SMS|Host, Singita builds a guest profile for each and every guest, including spouses and children. The process of recording guest information and preferences begins during the reservations process and continues into the lead-up and preparation for arrival. Once the guest has arrived, their butler continues to capture guest preferences in the individual profile.
“We’re very lucky to be able to go down into that level of detail on guest preferences, then to be able to store it and access it again. Our guests are often blown away when they are greeted so personally upon arrival at another of our lodges.” Yumna Fagodien, Systems and Yield Manager for Singita