CASE STUDY

How the 6PM team uses Minut to create a smoke-free, peaceful environment in Hilton Hotels

$1100

saved per smoking incident cost (average)

Increase

in enforcement of smoking fines

Reduction

in guest complaints

Executive summary

6PM Hospitality Partners was struggling to find ways to monitor hotel rooms without compromising guest privacy. Minut's platform provided 6PM and Hilton Hotels with real-time monitoring without a recording device. By monitoring noise and occupancy, and detecting cigarette smoke, 6PM and Hilton were able to reduce damages to soft furnishings, enforce no-smoking policies, and minimize guest complaints.

About 6PM Hospitality Partners

Founded in 2021, 6PM Hospitality Partners specializes in developing and revitalizing hospitality properties, providing management, investment, and acquisition services. The company partners with property owners and investors to create memorable stays and ensure high operational standardsacross their properties.

USE CASE

Reducing cleaning fees and property damage costs

The challenge

Like many in the hotel industry, 6PM faced challenges with guests smoking in rooms. As smoking incidents can damage soft furnishings and make rooms unavailable during airing, it’s no surprise that costs can add up to around $1,100 in cleaning and repairs per smoking incident. 6PM needed a detection system that would help it manage and mitigate these issues.

"Minut has been instrumental in quickly identifying smoking incidents, allowing us to take immediate action and helping us reduce the associated costs. As a brand, we want our partner hotels to give a 5-star experience, and Minut helps us to ensure that."

Project Manager
at 6PM

The solution

Minut's monitoring platform provided 6PM with real-time alerts for cigarette smoke detection. This allowed the staff at Hilton Hotels to quickly identify and respond to smoking incidents, minimizing damage and associated costs. Minut's room-specific monitors also enabled staff to pinpoint smokers, something that had previously proved a struggle when cigarette smoking was identified only by guest complaints.

The results

$1100

saved per smoking incident cost (average)

USE CASE

Enforcing and proving cigarette-related fines and penalties

The challenge

For 6PM, enforcing no-smoking policies was a constant challenge—the team rarely had enough evidence to collect fines for smoking violations. As hotels, on average, lose up to 32% of fines in chargebacks, this both affected revenue and undermined policy enforcement at their hotels.

“If you can’t prove somebody smoked, it’s incredibly hard to charge them with a fine. Minut has solved this problem for us; even if we don't catch the guest in the act, the logging system provides clear evidence of the incident.”

Project Manager
at 6PM

The solution

Minut's cigarette smoke detector accurately recorded each instance of smoking, detailing the specific room and the exact time of the event. This data provided clear evidence, enabling 6PM to confidently impose fines and effectively reduce the occurrence of lost chargebacks. This functionality ensured the team could uphold policy compliance and protect the profitability of the hotel.

The results

Increase

in enforcement of smoking fines

USE CASE

Enhancing guest experiences and reducing complaints

The challenge

6PM wanted to maintain Hilton Hotels’ reputation for excellence and 5-star experiences across its properties. While most guests left happy, some waited to leave the property before leaving negative reviews about excessive noise from neighboring rooms. Without guests complaining in the moment, the hotel could do little to act or prevent loud guests.

"Before we had Minut sensors, we had no idea how many noise issues there really were—guests wouldn't complain during the stay, but would then leave a bad review. Now, the sensors alert us to problems early so we can fix them and ensure everyone has an enjoyable stay.”

Jessica Helias
General Manager at Tulyp, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

The solution

Minut’s monitoring device provided 6PM with real-time notifications for excessive noise levels. Instead of finding out about poor hotel etiquette after the fact, the staff could act on Minut's alerts and address disturbances promptly. This reduced negative reviews and helped maintain Hilton Hotels' 5-start reputation.

The results

Increase

in positive reviews

Reduction

in guest complaints

6PM Hospitality Partners's future plans

6PM hopes to expand Minut's use across more Hilton properties, along with other leading hotel partners. The team is also looking at using Minut's indoor climate control feature to reduce energy costs and meet sustainability goals by turning off air conditioning and heating between guests.