The four-star Kingsley hotel in Cork turned to technology to help deliver a socially distanced service – using new processes that enabled it to continue trading whilst keeping guests and staff safe.
Using tablet technology, the Kingsley was able to provide a contactless service for order taking and guest requests, whilst also enhancing efficiency due to staff having to handle fewer guest inquiries directly.
The technology was supplied by SuitePad, Europe’s leading provider of digital guest communication solutions for hotels. Implemented in each guest room, the tablets provide a digital platform for information on hotel services and ordering room service, while also offering an open communication channel to the front desk for guests.
This facilitated a responsive, high-quality service, allowing for effective communication between guests and hotel staff. Food ordering and other services were accessible from an easy-to-use in-room tablet, with the added bonus of reduced paper use.
Emily Ertz, Front Office Manager at the Kingsley, said: “Fortunately for us, all hotel information, guest activities, and local attraction information is located on the SuitePad, meaning answers to any questions guests may have previously asked the front office team are available at a simple touch of a button, creating a speedy and safe environment for staff and guests alike.”
The Kingsley hotel had already employed the services of SuitePad in March 2020, which meant the systems were already in place to manage guest requests, with hotel staff already confident in its application.
Initially, the hotel had opted for the technology to improve its environmental processes, hoping to cut down on the need for printing and paper for the likes of menus, guest directories, and various pamphlets, while also allowing it to communicate restaurant specials, spa availability and more. Now though the Kingsley has been able to use SuitePad’s technology to full effect to maintain a positive guest experience within a turbulent period of hospitality.
National travel restrictions saw potential guests narrowed to County Cork only – creating just a small pool of potential customers. With SuitePads being in place though, the hotel was able to offer services and packages that took advantage of the tablets’ technology, such as ordering room service and booking timeslots in the spa and restaurant – without adding to the strain of stretched staff dealing with new processes. This helped to drive revenue at a crucial time.
Emily Ertz continued: “From the day SuitePads were introduced in our bedrooms, we have received a reduced number of phone calls for guest requests to the reception desk to book dining, request amenities such as extra towels, order room service, or request IT Assistance. All these calls would have previously come through the main reception desk, meaning we now spend less time on the phone and in return allow us to give our full and undivided attention to the guest in front of us.”
Moving forward, Kingsley can use its SuitePad offer to further its original aims; reducing paper and printing, improving the guest experience, and helping to generate revenue by making guests aware of the full range of the hotel’s amenities and various offerings.
Fergal Harte, General Manager of the Kingsley, said: “We’re very pleased with the feedback we’ve received from our guests since we introduced SuitePad into our rooms. They appreciate the ease with which they can book facilities and services around the hotel, receive special offers and get information about the local area. The Green Option, which gives guests the opportunity to forego some of their housekeeping in return for a complimentary beverage, has proven to be a great success. Suitepad has also allowed us to remove most of our printed marketing collateral and given us the opportunity to effectively communicate our commitment to sustainability.”
Moritz von Petersdorff-Campen, founder and managing director at SuitePad, commented on the success of their usage, saying: “It’s fantastic to see the impact the new SuitePads have had at the Kingsley. The fortunate timing of the installation brought a new – initially unforeseen – benefit to them, which made a difference at a crucial time. Now though, the tablets can come into their own as originally intended – with the Kingsley able to use SuitePad’s green credentials to help further its initial environmental goals.”
For more information on how the Kingsley improved with SuitePad, download the free case study: The Kingsley Hotel – Distanced service while upholding the reputation for quality.
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