How Elkins Resort Enhanced Guest Experience and Efficiency with Relay

At the Elkins Resort on the shores of Reeder Bay on Priest Lake in Northern Idaho, guests are surrounded by the serenity of nature. Each of the 32 cedar log cabins comes with a granite fireplace for cozying up inside when guests aren’t outdoors enjoying the beauty of the Selkirk Mountains.

Its 25 acres of wilderness and nature offer guests a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of civilization.

While guests may enjoy some time away from their cellphones and devices, communicating with staff on the property of the sprawling resort often posed a challenge for owner Tracie Szybnski.

Radios with their weak signals weren’t doing the job.

”For years, we were using radios or people’s cell phones or ‘the force’, as you will, to try to communicate with everyone,“ said Szybnski. ”And it all came down to, we need a better method.“

Szybnski and her husband remembered a commercial they had seen for Relay touting its recreational uses as an excellent tool for hiking or enjoying other outdoor recreational activities.

After further investigation, they quickly learned Relay specialized in hospitality and could possibly be an excellent solution for their unique challenges of communicating with staff at the rural resort.

The switch from radios to Relays was easy, according to Szybnski. She says the staff was excited to start using a new tool that would make their jobs easier.

”Everyone was ready for a new application,“ remembers Szybnski. ”So having the Relays was more of a relief to everyone rather than a struggle.“

The issues with fading signals and dead spots on the property quickly disappeared.

”The great thing about Relay is they do literally work anywhere you have the WiFi or cell service,“ said Szybnski, ”If I hear something going on the radio that needs attention, we can get to it right away. And they do work 90 miles away or anywhere in the Nation.“

Szybnski remembers when someone from housekeeping had to leave work to care for a sick child. With Relay and its ability to toggle between WiFi and cell service, they could talk to her with just the push of a button while she was away and get their questions answered quickly.

The durability of their Relays was an added bonus for the Elkins Resort. With its water-resistant and sturdy build, Szybnski has already learned the devices are hard to break.

”We use them on our dock. We pump gas for boats, so that’s very important,“ said Szybnski. ”Our head of maintenance is notoriously rough on equipment. He has run over walkie-talkies and backhoes and vehicles, and so far, I think we’ve only had to replace his once, which is pretty impressive.“

With Relay, Szybnski says she hears staff communicating all day long on the devices with bedmakers, housekeeping, and maintenance on the same page efficiently and effectively getting their work done.

”The makers are saying, ‘Hey, this cabin has the beds made, and it’s ready for Housekeeping to come in.’ And housekeeping says, ‘Oh, it’s ready. It’s done,’“ explains Szbynski. ”Maintenance can say, ‘Hey, I’ve done the barbecues through this section of cabins.’ So just being able to talk to everybody all at once is huge.“

For Elkins Resort, better communication is translating into higher profits.

”It has definitely saved us time and money,“ said Szybnski. ”The staff are more productive. They are held more accountable for where they’re at and what they’re doing. You can follow up much easier. You don’t have to spend your entire day chasing somewhere around a 25-acre property. As you’d imagine, it might take some time to find someone, whether they’re actually working or hiding. So that has helped us quite a bit.“