Case Study: How Staypineapple Became a Guardian of Guest Data
The company
Staypineapple strives to create an atmosphere that is truly guest and experience driven, redefining hospitality.
Industry
Hospitality
Company size
400 employees
Based in Bellevue, Washington, Staypineapple Hotels Inc. is an upscale boutique hotel brand dedicated to exceptional service and innovative design. The organization continues to redefine hospitality standards, and the pineapple, a symbol of hospitality and joy, represents its unique style. Staypineapple Hotels Inc. has 10 boutique hotels in major cities across the United States and over 50,000 5-star reviews.
Staypineapple was concerned about cybersecurity and wanted to proactively protect their clients, employees, and organization. They recognized that the vast amount of personal and financial data that the hospitality industry processes is a prime target for cyber threats. They were aware of breaches at other hospitality organizations. “As a general rule, our industry requires wide and flat access points to information, which creates vulnerability,” shares Robin Koetje, the Vice President of Information Technology at Staypineapple.
The hospitality industry also faces additional security risks: Seasonal business fluctuation and high employee turnover. To support peak travel season, Staypineapple's staff ranges from 350-400 people working at the company's headquarters in Washington and across other states at their diverse collection of hotels. Employees must manage numerous logins across various platforms, with some teams sharing site access. For example, the marketing team juggles credentials to the organization's social media accounts, the IT team oversees admin passwords, and associates must share access to hundreds of websites to support guests. When Robin discovered that credentials were being insecurely shared and employees were reusing passwords, it raised a red flag.
"The hackers out there know our habits. We, as humans, create
security weaknesses."
With customer service and protection as their top priorities, Staypineapple required a way to share group credentials securely and ensure that every employee had the quick access they needed. Staypineapple's IT team knew that credential management technology would only be a part of their solution: They also needed to double down on training their employees in cybersecurity.
"We needed to do more than adopt a tool; we had to change how our people think about their credentials."
With numerous significant events on the horizon, including plans to franchise and a move to the cloud, Staypineapple recognized that now was the best time to find a more robust, organization-wide approach to credential management. They wanted a solution that would free their IT team's time to focus on their roadmap. “We needed a credential management platform that we could trust so we could focus on our other initiatives," Robin shares. "It was also important that the solution mature alongside us.”
Staypineapple's ideal solution would provide:
- A way to create robust, unique passwords
- Licensing that scales to match employee fluctuation
- A secure way to share credentials
- An intuitive user experience (UX)
- An innovative developmental roadmap
The solution: A credential manager that offers accessibility, security, and speed
When Staypineapple discovered Dashlane, the platform's innovation, UX, and security inspired them. "We could see that Dashlane regularly releases new updates and features," Robin explains. While evaluating solutions, Staypineapple's IT team chatted with Dashlane's CEO, John Bennett, which boosted their confidence that working with Dashlane would create a strong partnership between the organizations.
“Dashlane listened to our feedback.”
Staypineapple quickly found that they share a common philosophy with Dashlane, believing all employees are part of an organization's security solution. “Training our people is just as important as adopting a cybersecurity solution,” Robin explains. “The cyber health of an organization requires employees to be aware and careful.”
Dashlane's intuitive credential management, seamless device syncing, and secure sharing appealed to Staypineapple. Another key differentiator for Staypineapple was knowing they would be well-positioned to integrate new hotels as they grow with Dashlane's Site License Program. The Site License Program offers Staypineapple the flexibility they need to support a fluctuating workforce. It also provides employees with enterprise-level security that offers a simple UI and UX, making their jobs easier. The program also streamlines seat management for IT admins, eliminating the need for Staypineapple to purchase additional licenses as the company grows.
“We love that Dashlane can easily scale. Other solutions can leave you in a tough spot and paying for what you don't need.”
Now, Staypineapple benefits from:
- A Password Generator which creates strong, random passwords automatically
- A digital wallet that supports the unlimited storage of payment types
- Secure sharing that lets employees securely share encrypted passwords with individuals or groups
- A mobile app that syncs users' data and credentials across all devices
- Cross-platform compatibility so employees can collaborate while using their preferred operating system
- A Password Health score which is calculated based on all passwords stored in Dashlane and whether they're Compromised, Reused, or Weak
The results: A partnership that promises privacy, security, and innovation
When Staypineapple onboarded employees to Dashlane, they took a two-pronged approach: Adopting an official credential manager and educating employees on cybersecurity.
“It's important for people to know that this isn't just for the company's security or because IT says you have to use it. Dashlane will
protect you.”
When deploying Dashlane, the IT team strategically established sharing groups and organized users, simplifying onboarding and adoption while laying a foundation for growth.
To give employees a head start in Dashlane, the IT team exported passwords from other areas, including Google Password Manager, into Dashlane. Now, employees are importing their own credentials, saving time and resources for IT, and Dashlane helps ensure their passwords are strong and unique.
“Password Health score makes it easy for our employees to find and fix weak and reused passwords.”
To many users' surprise, their Password Health score goes beyond highlighting trouble areas by showing people the reason why certain passwords are rated as weak. "The reasoning sometimes shocks our employees, but knowing why helps train them in cyber health," says Robin.
That's because Dashlane does more than review existing passwords. The solution also bolsters security by helping Staypineapple create new, robust credentials and actively monitoring the dark web for breaches.
"Now we just let Dashlane take the wheel."
Staypineapple has found that Dashlane's comprehensive suite of tools has made data protection approachable for all employees, empowering everyone to be part of the solution. Intuitive credential management for the whole organization means employees can set, forget, and trust Dashlane to secure their credentials.
"Once employees embrace Dashlane, it simplifies everything for them,” Robin says. “They have an epiphany because it makes life easier."
Staypineapple can now provide their employees and patrons with the best security and experience; Dashlane helps with that by streamlining workflows and providing frictionless access while protecting data. For example, Staypineapple employees love the Dashlane app. They can log in on other devices and systems, simplifying their workday.
"Dashlane is better than the solution we were using before."
But Staypineapple is turning to Dashlane for more than just credential support. The IT team regularly uses the Dashlane digital wallet for purchases. "I can't remember our street address, but Dashlane does," admits Robin.
Overall, with Dashlane's proactive tools and alerts, Staypineapple has saved time and has been able to focus on their IT roadmap and franchising goals. Reflecting on how Dashlane has supported StayPineapple's cybersecurity, Robin concludes: "Passwords will always be a priority, but now they don't have to be top of mind."
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