Turtle Bay Resort has been the backdrop for blockbuster hits such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Jumanji, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. But recently, the resort, which boasts 1,300 acres of pristine Hawaiian paradise, has also become the scene for a guest experience as thrilling as those films, thanks to a powerful digital transformation. In the last year, through partnering with Salesforce and consulting partner Thunder, they improved so many aspects of the resort experience that guest engagement increased by 40%. Guests could relax in nature even more thanks to the technology quietly ensuring efficiency in the background.
Digital transformation for in-person activities
Why did Turtle Bay decide to undergo a digital transformation? Across industries, customer expectations are rising. In a recent Salesforce Research survey across 14,300 consumers and business buyers globally, it was found that 80% of customers expect better experiences. For example, it’s easier to chat with a 24/7 virtual concierge than wait for a phone call back during business hours. Customers desire and expect to experience fewer inconveniences where technology is concerned, even on vacation.
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“When you are in hospitality you need to deliver life-changing moments. I knew I had to partner with someone who could lead me on that journey, providing an entire view of the customer under a single pane of glass. When I saw what 360 and Data Cloud could do together…it made total sense for our business. I knew integrating that into our business process would be life changing for the client.” – Robert Marusi, former CCO, Turtle Bay Resort
Along with its picturesque landscape, Turtle Bay offers golfing, surf lessons, horseback riding, helicopter rides, and a myriad of other luxe outdoor activities. Each of these is made up of many small considerations and tasks. Running these operations was made smoother and more efficient with a digital redesign. When a guest decides to visit the surfing school, the customer experience covers all their needs, from booking the surfing lesson to returning their towels. The staff sees a guest’s booked activities and prior conversations listed in the Salesforce platform. Then GenAI takes those items and makes intelligent recommendations of follow-up experiences or services that the staff can then recommend.
Partner with purpose to drive customer and business outcomes
To understand Turtle Bay’s needs and identify relevant challenges, Thunder lived on-site and saw the full experience. They built a relationship anchored in trust and prepared for the long-haul.
After those initial meetings, Thunder led the Turtle Bay staff through a series of exercises to ensure they would get the most value out of their products based on their vision, challenges, and goals. Brainstorming and vision mapping are two of the methods they employed before deciding on a CRM strategy. But choosing and integrating the right technology is only half the battle.
Understanding your customer is the real key to determining the right strategy and driving favorable outcomes. And a great way to determine that strategy is to have a trusted expert join you on the journey. Here are some of the challenges Thunder identified for Turtle Bay:
- Limited personalization capabilities restricted tailored guest experiences
- Legacy software wouldn’t pair with newer systems
- Existing data was contained in a messy and seldom-used tech stack
“We knew what was important to [Turtle Bay]: dreamscape, passion, enjoyment, and guest experience. And we took the technology and matched it to that. The vision map was really a way for us to understand what they really wanted and what tech fit into that vision,” says Chris Beukenkamp, VP of Data Solutions at Thunder.
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People are agents of organizational change
Determining organizational change often starts at the top. Adopting new ways of working and implementing processes happen throughout every level of the business. Once Thunder and Turtle Bay agreed on the strategy, Thunder showcased their expertise upfront and helped the entire team understand what this technology could accomplish.
“Bringing in a diverse range of voices from Thunder, Salesforce, and within our business really helped us accomplish everything we set out to do. It’s important to get opinions and buy-in from everyone — whether they are an executive or mid-level manager.” – Robert Marusi, former CCO, Turtle Bay Resort
One challenge they faced during implementation revolved around buy-in and agility. Marusi noted, “The agility piece was challenging — technology is moving at a rapid pace, but executive buy-in was much slower. I had to find the agile, early adopters to move things forward. Getting everyone onboard with education was tough.” Thunder took a hands-on approach to helping spread adoption, including more in-person workshops to drive speedy success.
The perfect thunderstorm
Thunder’s commitment to solidifying organizational support, advanced planning, and finding the right technology made the difference in this digital transformation. In the case of Turtle Bay, employing the right technology meant pairing many products from the Salesforce Customer 360 platform, including Data Cloud and AI solutions. Here’s how that technology led to real, tangible change for the company and their customers:
- Building out a custom propensity AI model to share guest preferences led to a 20% increase in booking conversions
- Implementing segment GPT capabilities for Marketing Cloud led to a 40% increase in customer engagement
- Funneling guest data into Data Cloud led to a 50% improvement in concierge efficiency — achieved through integration with AppExchange partner app, Hapi Guest for Salesforce
Digital transformations with Salesforce partners
Turtle Bay Resort’s journey from a picturesque film location to a digitally transformed hospitality leader illustrates the power of blending natural beauty with cutting-edge technology. Partnering with Thunder and integrating the Salesforce Customer 360 platform made a lasting difference in their business strategy. They’ve been able to significantly enhance guest experiences and operational efficiency.
This transformation not only met the rising expectations of modern travelers, but also paved the way for future technological growth. The resort’s success underscores the importance of strategic partnerships, understanding customer needs, and embracing technological advancements to create memorable, seamless experiences. As Turtle Bay continues to evolve, it’s a testament to how technology can enrich even the most idyllic of settings.
“If you have the vision of what you want the customer experience to be, you can build your full model after that inspiration,” says Chris Beukenkamp, VP of Data Solutions at Thunder. “And as a Salesforce partner, we’re here to help with that every step of the way.”
