“Innovations are driven forward much faster thanks to hotelkit, and every employee can contribute to the discussions.”
Hermann Arlt
General Manager
Living Hotel am Deutschen Museum
The Living Hotels of the Derag Group combine classic hotel rooms with comfortable serviced apartments at 17 locations across Germany and Austria. In 2012, to meet high demands for communication, innovation, and efficient day-to-day operations, the group introduced hotelkit,a digital platform that has since been continuously enhanced and is now firmly embedded in the daily routines of all hotels.
A key factor in this success was the introduction of hotelkit’s Multi Property feature, which enables hotel groups like Living Hotels to manage multiple properties within one shared platform. Each hotel retains its own individual workspace, while an overarching administrative layer facilitates the exchange of information, standardization of processes, and knowledge sharing. Staff can communicate across properties, collaborate on projects, and benefit from one another’s experience—all within an intuitive, user-friendly interface tailored to the needs of modern hotel operations. The following success story illustrates how impactful the implementation of hotelkit has been.
Challenge
Improving Cross-Property Communication
Living Hotels brings together a diverse collection of hotels, each with its own unique character. This made it especially challenging to implement a unified communication structure across all locations without compromising the individuality of each property. At the same time, there was a strong need to streamline processes by making them more transparent and digital. Standards had to be established to ensure consistently high-quality service across all hotels. The goal was to improve internal and external communication and harmonize workflows while always preserving the distinct identity and spirit of each hotel.
Solution
Multi-Property Structure for Seamless Collaboration
Living Hotels was one of the first partners to actively participate in the early development and rollout of hotelkit. From the very beginning, the group collaborated closely with the hotelkit expert team to not only implement the platform, but also shape it with practical input from the field. A unique aspect of the implementation was the introduction of a multi-layered structure: each hotel uses hotelkit to manage its internal day-to-day operations, from task assignments and shift handovers to knowledge documentation, while an overarching platform connects all properties. This allows staff to work more efficiently both locally and across properties. A centralized handbook maintained by headquarters is automatically synced with all hotelkits. Information can be targeted to specific groups within the organization, fostering not only a technical infrastructure, but also a vibrant culture of collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Results
Knowledge Hub & Driver of Innovation
The introduction of hotelkit not only fulfilled the objective of improving cross-property communication and standardizing operations, but also unlocked new opportunities for collaboration, engagement, and ongoing development. The platform has become a central tool that gives employees clarity, fosters shared understanding, and facilitates the flow of information. Over the years, a comprehensive knowledge base has been created, accessible to all team members at any time. hotelkit has also established itself as a true innovation hub: new ideas are submitted, discussed, and further developed—a process in which staff from all properties actively participate. From guest feedback to creative proposals for design and service enhancements, hotelkit has become the digital gathering place of a dynamic hotel group.
