Whistle Messaging Inc., a Westlake Village software startup that helps hotels communicate with guests, has signed up boutique hotel group Four Sisters Inns as a client. Whistle’s pricing depends on what package a hotel chooses. It costs $1 to $4 per room per month, on average. Contracts are negotiated on a month-to-month basis. Whistle, founded in 2015, integrates its platform with a hotel’s property management system, channeling customer communications into a simple text chat interface. The software automatically greets every guest with a welcoming text message when they check in, and if guests have requests throughout their stay, say for extra towels, they can ask for them in the text exchange. These functions limit the need for face-to-face interaction with staff. Four Sisters manages a portfolio of 16 boutique inns and hotels in coastal Los Angeles and Orange counties, Monterey Bay, Sonoma and Napa wine country, all of which will now begin using Whistle for guest communications. The company is headquartered in Monterey. Whistle Chief Executive Christopher Hovanessian said his company’s platform lends itself well to hotel operations in the coronavirus economy by enabling the maintenance of social distancing on premise. “Four Sisters Inns is enhancing their entire guest experience by making it easy to communicate with the hotel staff before and during their stay, all in a contactless fashion,” he said in a statement. Four Sisters Collection President Tamara Mims said in a statement Whistle has been “instrumental” in keeping her team engaged with guests, “particularly while we are all striving to observe social distancing guidelines.” “Our guests are experiencing a higher level of service throughout the reservation life cycle,” she added.
