Photo courtesy of Monscierge
As guest demand for technology increases in the hospitality industry, add Warwick Melrose Hotel, Dallas among the many hotels making sure they accommodate a growing need.
Warwick Melrose, a AAA Four-Diamond award winner, has been working with technology firm Monscierge to enhance the digital experience for guests, and now it is rolling out even more features.
The hotel, which already features digital readerboards as well as interactive touch screens in its lobby, now uses a cloud-based digital platform courtesy of Monscierge that figures to make life easier for guests, hotel staff and meeting planners.
The platform allows guests and meeting planners to interact with hotel staff online, according to Elizabeth Robinson, senior marketing, guest engagement, Monscierge. Guests can text message staff for amenities and services through a mobile app, while meeting planners and attendees can do anything from ask for IT assistance to request a lighting change in a specific room…all via a single, streamlined platform.
"We were not comfortable implementing this type of strategy until finding and testing Monscierge's centralized software," said Malory Citek, director of front office, Warwick Melrose Hotel, Dallas, via a press release. "With this, we can manage everything in one place, so we don't miss any communication coming from the guests."
The platform is especially handy for a hotel like Warwick Melrose that focuses on the meetings and events sector. The hotel currently has enough meeting space to accomodate 300 people and capacity will more than double when a new conference center is introduced in late 2015.
"We routinely host conferences for several industries that want their event to come off as seamless, and having the option for guests to communicate with staff using our mobile app or their phone's text functionality is ideal," said Larry McAfee, general manager, Warwick Melrose Hotel, Dallas. "Including a meeting planning function so our clients do not incur an added expense from another vendor is game-changing."
It's also become more important for hoteliers to stay up-to-date on technology these days because more travelers are using it.
"Nowadays everyone carries their own device. Everyone is used to having that immediate access to their phone right away, whether it's Google or directions," Robinson told TravelPulse. "We've studied this for years now-that's what the guests are looking for with their mobile device. They want to have the ability to speak directly to the hotel without having to pick up the phone and call them. It's just something everybody is used to nowadays and it's where hospitality is going."
In fact, it's not just the younger generations these days-the older generations are becoming technologically savvy, as well.
Added Robinson: "About a year and a half ago when this (trend) started becoming bigger, we were worried about the older generations and kind of focusing on the younger, trendier hotels that would have that younger clientele. But we've found that in the last year it's becoming more popular for older folks, as well, both for app usage and text messaging. They're becoming more familiar with it and kind of jumping on the bandwagon."
The platform also allows hotel staff and hotel departments to message each other.
Warwick Melrose and Monscierge began implementing the technology earlier this month as the hotel also starts construction on additional on-site amenities.
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