From two brothers owning a few motels to now owning 11 branded hotels in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, Nofar Hotel Group has grown with smart business moves and by valuing their employees. More recently, they’ve implemented hotel texting to help their teams operate smoothly and ensure guests have the best possible experience.

A family-owned mindset 

Headquartered in Michigan, the Nofar family started operating and managing hotels over 30 years ago. “We’re a family company, so we really embody that,” Jonathan Nofar, regional manager of five hotels in southwest Michigan, said. “Each property carries that culture, and everyone has each other’s back.”

Following in his father’s footsteps, Jonathan has helped the hospitality group elevate its operations in the past five years. Improving both internal and external communications has helped hotel teams work better together, through channels such as hospitality texting—currently about half of the portfolio uses Kipsu for their hotel texting platforms.

“Implementing [Kipsu] has really improved our communication, and there is a direct correlation to our scores,” Jonathan said. “Since we started [Kipsu] until now, our guests’ ‘love’ score is up at all properties.”

In it together 

Hospitality messaging isn’t the only way Nofar Hotel Group is excelling in hospitality. What makes their properties unique, according to Jonathan, is that they believe in the growth of each individual team member.

“From the front desk, to housekeeping, to management, every individual is given that trust, empowerment, and guidance to grow and do better,” Jonathan said, even if it means growing and moving on from their company. 

“That’s what fulfills me, more than the business, because this is real. We’re in this together,” he added. To further show appreciation for their employees, they’re focusing on giving back to team memers in 2023 with increased holidays, paid time off, and wages. 

Investing in team members isn’t only essential to the culture at Nofar Hotel Group, but has helped them stay afloat in difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. While still ongoing, during the thralls of 2020 Nofar was able to keep all team members on, increase wages, and pay employees an additional hazard pay on top of it. Additionally, there is no member on the team that has been there for under three years.

“Because we are a family company, we like really embody that… [similar to] a family you want what's best for one another,” Jonathan said.

Creating a home away from home

With a familial culture and hospitality messaging, the hotels managed by Nofar have really seen improvements in the past year. “It’s very helpful, it’s now part of the checklist,” Jonathan said of using Kipsu at the front desk to communicate with guests.

In addition to sending welcome messages and post-stay messages, his team also uses hotel texting to send useful information digitally, such as TV guides and restaurant guides for the area. “It makes communication with the guests much easier,” he said, mentioning that it also creates a channel for guests to acknowledge the efforts of team members.

A partner for just under a year, Jonathan first met Kipsu team members in person at an IHG conference in the spring of 2022. Explaining quite honestly some aesthetic issues he had with the platform to Kipsu team members, he was able to see changes to the platform within a few months. 

“The care that Kipsu has, it’s really a partnership and [I know] they’re really listening to me,” he said.

Hospitality messaging also lets guests know that Nofar Hotel Group cares: One guest left a message thanking the team for their cleanliness and hospitality during a time when her family was staying at one of their locations for a month due to an insurance case. A family taking care of a family!

Nofar Hotel Group is one of many management companies using hotel guest messaging to improve both the team and guest experience. Learn more about how hospitality messaging can help your hotel or schedule a conversation with the Kipsu team today. 

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