Hotel tech provider RateGain is looking provide hotels with a deep ability to engage with guests before and during a stay, following its acquisition of BCV this week.
U.S.-based BCV, which will continue with its existing management team, has been bought by RateGain for an undisclosed fee.
It is understood a price in the mid-range, double-digit millions of dollars been paid for BCV, which will celebrate a decade this year since its foundation.
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BCV has a number of products within its platform, including 24/7 social media monitoring, reputation management, analytics and content marketing.
But RateGain CEO Bhanu Chopra says the acquisition of the company is part of a bigger, strategic plan to organize a complete "guest management" service for hotels.
Whilst there is inevitably always a lot of focus on social media monitoring of the business, BCV's "powerful platform" will also allow hotels to act as a system "that understands the guest and offer a personalized service," Chopra says in an interview with PhocusWire ahead of the acquisition.
For example, BCV can look at the "digital footprint" of a guest post-booking/pre-stay and give a hotel guidance around what to offer to the customer or include as part of a booking.
When combined with existing information from a guest through a booking, hotels will be able to provide a "unique service to guests," Chopra says.
The tool is mostly used by luxury chain and boutique properties, with high-spending room guests.
RateGain estimates the total customer size is in the region of 100,000 properties.
Combining platforms
RateGain plans to include BCV's services alongside its existing revenue management tools for hotels.
BCV has targeted the hotel sector until now but, Chopra says, its services and tools will be introduced to other sectors that RateGain operates in, such as cruise, car rentals and online travel agencies.
Benji Greenberg, BCV's co-founder and CEO, says: "The new integrated platform will give 125,000+ hotel properties, access to millions of proprietary social profiles to serve the right message, to the right guest, on the right channel, every day elevating the brand experience for guests across the research, plan, book and experience journey.
"We will now have access to far more rate intelligence to ensure we’re hitting the right person across the right platform while increasing guest lifetime value for hotels."
BCV currently has over 20 chains as customers, including the likes of InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt.
It was launched by Benji and Ari Greenberg (CEO and president respectively) in Chicago in 2009.