Eccobell: The guest-centric operating system for the hospitality industry

Eccobell believe the hotel industry is being left behind when it comes to adopting innovative technology solutions. According to a report by Oracle Hospitality [1], 73% of guests would prefer to use tech to reduce staff contact [2], while AskSuite reports that just 5% of hotel guests check in online – a vast difference when compared to the 60% who do so in the airline industry [3]. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the founders of Eccobell observed a rushed shift to digitise the hospitality industry, creating a convoluted market with new providers trying to work around outdated legacy systems and manual processes. Not only did the backend software cause pain points, but every facet of the industry experienced a need for dramatic reinvention – from in-room phones being removed for hygiene reasons and being replaced with inefficient messaging systems, to expensive tablets needing to be constantly charged, maintained and updated. Recent advances in technology, combined with the Covid-19 pandemic, acted as a springboard for a multitude of issues caused by multiple integrations across too many different dashboards and legacy systems as observed by the company. This resulted in data silos and security issues on backend systems that ultimately delivered terrible guest experiences on the frontend, which is arguably the most important element of running a hotel.

Eccobell identified that historically, the hospitality industry has struggled to balance technology that is either heavily focused on the user experience but lacks the technical capabilities to support it or is highly technical but difficult for end–users to operate. However, Eccobell is aiming to change this dynamic by introducing guest management technology with user-focused design and experience to change the hospitality industry for both guests and hotel management. 

After establishing a great working partnership in the height of the pandemic, co-founders Daniel Ojeme and Ben Metson joined forces to ultimately build Eccobell. The first major collaboration between the pair was to create a covid vaccination passport prototype using contactless technology. This collaboration organically led to the formation of Eccobell.  

What does Eccobell do? 

Eccobell is an end-to-end guest management platform for the hospitality industry. From online check-in to digital checkout and everything in between, Eccobell helps hotels manage their guest experience, increase operational efficiency, create additional sources of revenue, and aggregate their user data to make informed decisions to improve their services. 

Eccobell provides hotels with the operational technology that aims to reduce overheads, increase guest satisfaction and unlock access to revenue streams that were previously unavailable through its marketplace product. 

The company claims that regular guests of any hotel registered with Eccobell will benefit from a multitude of benefits. Hotels are enabled to make data-led decisions. Examples include that through use of the platform, the hotel will know the user’s preferences before they even arrive. Their favourite type of pillow, specific brand of tea and a discount voucher for their usual Swedish massage could all be waiting on arrival thanks to Eccobell’s technology.  

Eccobell’s technology enables great guest experiences resulting in increased revenue for the hotel, so that everyone wins.  

Who is Eccobell helping? 

Eccobell is building a guest-centric operating system for the hotel and hospitality industry with the aim of being the single tech stack a hotel would ever need.  

The company aims to transform the global hospitality industry for both guests and the hotels themselves. The company’s internal research shows that more than 73% of guests would prefer to use tech to reduce staff contact. By consolidating all hospitality services into one platform, Eccobell strives to help its primary target user, the hotel providers, to enhance guest experiences.   

Eccobell aims to initially target hotels primarily within the EU, the UK, and the US. According to IBISWorld research, in 2023 the revenue of the global hotel market is $1.5 trillion [4]. Further to this, Statista reports that in 2027, the UK market alone will be worth $22.4 billion [5]. Independent research by Eccobell indicates that the global hotel market will increase by 12.3% in 2023, with the US offering the most hotel rooms at 6.5 million, followed by the EU at 7.5 million.  

Why Eccobell is excited… 

Eccobell reports significant interest about its offering from hotel managers around the world. The company graduated from a TechNation accelerator programme and has gone on to attain financial backing from the likes of Google and the Mayor of London office.  

Eccobell was one of 40 companies selected from across the whole of Europe to join a Google for Startups programme, which provided the company with a financial grant [6]. In addition, the company received a grant from the Mayor of London ‘Mayors Entrepreneur Award’. 

How does Eccobell work? 

The Eccobell platform allows hotels to consolidate all existing services and information into one place, helping them increase staff efficiency, guest experience and revenue.  

The company achieves this through an array of native technology solutions. All features are accessed through the ‘Guest Code’, a geo-fenced QR code unique to each room. The Guest Code opens up the Eccobell web-app when scanned by the guest’s own device to gain access to a centralised hub of guest services, information, and communication, bespoke to each enterprise by content and design.  

Native features allow hotels to do away with internal phone systems and wired buzzer intercoms, which could cut costs for hotels by up to 90%, according to independent company research. Through video calls, staff can see any issue a guest may be having, saving a visit to the room.  

Alternatively, guests will be able to use the chatbot AI ‘Belle’, who answers guest queries and can provide prompts through push notifications, such as when breakfast starts. Guests can also browse and receive exclusive discounts on services and activities in the local area from the comfort of their bed.

The next steps… 

The company has chosen to use Floww’s innovative infrastructure to facilitate their next funding round and help them achieve their future goals. Its current focus is on finalising development on its admin dashboard and content management system (CMS) with the aim of becoming a brand standard in the hospitality industry.  

In addition, Eccobell plans to acquire a significant market share of hotel rooms before launching the Eccobell Marketplace. The aim of the marketplace will be to provide hotel guests with an easy-to-use platform for browsing and accessing exclusive discounts on local services such as gyms, spas, and restaurants.

**Floww Markets Limited is a company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Firm reference number 980098.

The information and imagery contained within this article does not represent the opinions of Floww. Floww does not have a view on opinions provided by Eccobell in this article and elsewhere where they may be expressed, and is not responsible or liable for the information within this article.