Nottingham Venues Case Study | Nottingham
FLEXIPASS + The Orchard Hotel & Restaurant + The Jubilee Hotel & Conferences
Client USP
Set within the lush, green campus of the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Venues offers more than just exceptional stays. It delivers hospitality with purpose. As part of the university's vibrant ecosystem, their hotels combine the professionalism of a full-service hospitality group with the unique atmosphere of an academic and conference-led environment.
At the heart of this offering are the Jubilee Hotel & Conferences and the Orchard Hotel & Restaurant, two flagship properties designed for comfort, sustainability, and convenience. Whether hosting international academics, business delegates, or leisure travelers exploring the historic city of Nottingham, these venues cater to guests seeking both high-end facilities and a peaceful retreat.
Nottingham Venues prides itself on being more than just a place to stay. It's a place to connect, collaborate, and unwind. With a strong focus on environmental sustainability, exceptional service, and the flexibility to accommodate a wide range of guests and events, they represent a modern approach to hospitality within a university setting.
Photo Courtesy: The Jubilee Hotel & Conferences
Nottingham Venues + FLEXIPASS
This commitment to guest satisfaction and operational excellence is what led Nottingham Venues to implement FLEXIPASS, adopting both Mobile Keys and Webhooks across their Jubilee and Orchard Hotel properties. This empowers a seamless, digital-first guest journey that aligns perfectly with their forward-thinking mission.
FLEXIPASS stood out for its fast and intuitive Mobile Key app, which requires no personal data and is incredibly easy to use, making it ideal for guests expecting both speed and simplicity.
"The FLEXIPASS app was really quick and easy to download and needed no personal data from myself. Loading in the code was quick and easy and gave me access to my room via my mobile device."
– Kerry Morgan, IT Internal Support | Jubilee Hotel
Just as important was FLEXIPASS's ability to seamlessly integrate into Nottingham Venues' existing tech stack. Their use of OPERA PMS, Akia guest messaging, and ASSA ABLOY Vingcard door locks meant that FLEXIPASS's certified integrations and open API made implementation both straightforward and future-ready.
By choosing FLEXIPASS, Nottingham Venues upgraded their guest experience while ensuring operational efficiency across two of their busiest properties.
Challenges Prior Implementing FLEXIPASS
Before implementing FLEXIPASS Mobile Keys and Webhooks, Nottingham Venues faced several operational and guest experience challenges across their Jubilee and Orchard Hotels, particularly due to the high volume of conference delegates and university-linked visitors.
No Digital Keys Entry Option
Without a Digital Keys access system in place, staff had to manually manage physical keys for every guest entering the hotel. This was a demanding task, especially in a conference-driven environment like Nottingham Venues. During large-scale events, handling key distribution efficiently became increasingly difficult, often leading to delays and confusion.
Reception Bottlenecks During Peak Times
With all guests required to check in at the front desk, long waiting times were common, particularly during peak arrival hours. This created friction in the guest journey and placed pressure on reception teams to move quickly without compromising service.
Costly 24-Hour Reception Staffing
Due to the reliance on physical keys and traditional check-in processes, the reception had to be staffed around the clock. This contributed to higher personnel costs and reduced staffing flexibility, especially during off-peak hours.
Limited Data Insight & Missed Revenue Opportunities
The hotel team lacked real-time insight into guest check-in status. This made it difficult to anticipate arrivals, streamline room readiness, or communicate upselling opportunities at key touchpoints. Especially for conference guests, this meant missed chances to personalize offers or optimize operational timing.
These challenges made it clear that a smarter, more integrated solution was needed. One that could reduce friction, support staff, and elevate the guest experience to match the modern standards Nottingham Venues is known for.
Photo Courtesy: The Jubilee Hotel & Conferences
FLEXIPASS’s Solutions provided to Nottingham Venues
To solve key challenges at Jubilee and Orchard Hotels, Nottingham Venues implemented FLEXIPASS Mobile Keys and Webhooks, creating a smarter, digital-first guest experience.
Seamless, Contactless Access with Mobile Keys
With FLEXIPASS Mobile Keys, guests can unlock their rooms easily using their smartphones. This contactless solution reduced waiting times at reception, simplified key management during busy conference periods, and improved overall guest convenience.
Real-time Guest Insights and Automation via Webhooks
FLEXIPASS Webhooks provide instant notifications to connected systems like Akia and Opera whenever a guest enters their room. This real-time data helps the hotel streamline staff planning and, importantly, enables personalized upselling opportunities. For example, sending targeted lunch offers to guests who arrive around midday. By automating communication between systems, Nottingham Venues can engage guests more effectively, enhance their stay experience and gain a higher revenue.
Together, these solutions reduce the need for constant 24/7 reception staffing and free up staff to focus on delivering personalized service.
Implementation & Support
The implementation at Nottingham Venues went smoothly, with the FLEXIPASS onboarding team supporting the process and helping to resolve issues promptly to ensure a quick go-live. This collaborative approach helped the hotels integrate the technology efficiently with minimal disruption.
As Kayleigh Storer, Marketing Manager at Nottingham Venues, shared:
"Working with FLEXIPASS on our recent project was a fantastic experience. Their team was professional, reliable, and went above and beyond to deliver the results. The quality of their work exceeded our expectations, and their proactive communication made the process seamless from start to finish. We're looking forward to collaborating with them on our contactless check-in for our two hotels."
Photo Courtesy: The Orchard Hotel & Restaurant
Results & Conclusion
Since implementing FLEXIPASS Mobile Keys and Webhooks, Nottingham Venues has improved guest convenience and reduced reception wait times at Jubilee and Orchard Hotels. The Mobile Key option meets modern expectations, while Webhooks enable timely, personalized offers that boost upselling.
Operationally, the hotel benefits from better guest arrival insights and streamlined staff planning. Overall, these solutions have helped Nottingham Venues enhance the guest experience and run more efficiently, supporting their commitment to innovation and hospitality.
