Case Study: How Center Parcs Use Occupancy Data To Drive Better Guest Experiences.

We initially trialled the HoxtonAi solution on a small scale to ‘kick the tyres’ and see if it’s a fit. I’m glad we did, and was impressed at how it scaled up to meet our needs across the portfolio.

Center Parcs is the UK and Ireland’s foremost short break provider. Its six premium villages each offers multiple activity, dining and shopping options set in expansive natural landscapes.

As an additional component of its controls and infrastructure for its busiest attraction buildings, Center Parcs uses the HoxtonAi solution at doorways to monitor occupancy and avoid overcrowding.

This benefits Center Parcs’ guests in a number of ways, including:

• Avoiding overcrowding
• Maximise the guest experience so it’s not subjectively too busy
• To solve pinch points (e.g.) improve signage or clarity of the messaging, reconfigure the space
• Uncovers insights and trends to better predict site resourcing – such as a surge in visits to some buildings during wet weather.

The occupancy data makes it easier for Center Parcs to manage the site, by aggregating occupancy and traffic data from multiple different doorways, venues and buildings, and making live occupancy alerts and trend data accessible to staff in real-time on a website or phone interface.

Dozens of Center Parcs staff look at the data in real time, throughout every single day.

The data allowed better decisions on site capacities and removed the need to make some assumptions. For example, based on the data, Center Parcs could allow up to 50% more people in some buildings, because people spent less time there than assumed. Increasing the allowed entrances meant guests could make more trips and still stay below the capacity limit.

Operations and site managers can check in real time to see how busy different buildings or attractions are, and to make sure the right resources are allocated to the right places at the right time, freeing staff up to spend more time doing the most valuable thing to guests, helping them have an amazing time.

We needed a solution that was highly accurate, real time and flexible. HoxtonAi was the clear winner, and I’m delighted with the difference it’s made to the business.