How St. Lucia’s premier resort destination overhauled the overall experience for their guests and reduced printing costs using in-room tablets
Modern-day travelers look for increased convenience when traveling and hotels are looking to technology to meet those expectations, which has redefined luxury within hospitality. With the desire for increased convenience, hotels looking to provide an elevated guest experience are finding solutions in technology.
The ability to integrate common guest requests with hotel management software creates a frictionless experience while also adding to the bottom line. Guests are empowered to book a spa appointment or place an in-room dining order without having to pick up a phone, which streamlines business operations and can lead to increased revenue.
Requests that once required multiple steps, and often multiple staff members, to complete can now be streamlined and resolved with fewer touchpoints and half the staff time.
Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort, is an early adopter. After seeing the value and opportunity in digital offerings, they implemented the INTELITY platform in 2012. Located in St Lucia, the resort is described as having “lushly landscaped grounds” that “sweep down to the stunning white-sand Sugar Beach and the glimmering Caribbean Sea.”
In addition to the natural beauty the resort offers, guests are provided the latest technology resources. In-room tablets allow guests to easily access all the hotel’s amenities and services while on property.
“We expected what we signed up for, a system that would offer our guests a digital platform for spa bookings and in-room dining requests, not to mention the elimination of printed material in our guests’ rooms,” explained Shearvon Devenish, Sugar Beach’s Information Systems Manager.
Today, Sugar Beach guests can fully engage with the property through the INTELITY platform, which ensures personalized service is available at the tip of their fingers. Tailored offerings for spa appointments and in-room dining makes it easy for guests to make a booking and purchase, increasing revenue generated by the technology investment. According to Business Insider, hotels can increase revenue by 20% per dining order through the use of mobile guest technology like in-room tablets and mobile apps.
Devenish described the INTELITY platform as, “A communication mechanism without interruption” and said, “It has continued to compliment the ease of doing business with our guests while they’re enjoying the comfort of their room.”
Not only does the platform allow guests to create their own experience seamlessly, but it has also driven cost savings for the hotel. Printed materials were eliminated with the implementation of in-room tablets, reducing costs and waste generated by the hotel.
Devenish explains that from the hotel perspective, it was challenging to keep up with the cost of printed brand materials. INTELITY provided a welcome solution to eliminate the expense while also reducing the waste associated with print medium. On average, hotels spend $150 for printed materials per room but eliminating the need to produce these materials results in savings of over $200,000 a year for Sugar Beach. Additionally, in-room tablets can be updated in real-time, ensuring guests aren’t receiving outdated information when a restaurant menu or spa availability changes.
Hotels, like Sugar Beach, are also finding that putting the right message in front of guests can increase spending on in-room dining and other property offerings. With approximately 93 percent engagement across INTELITY’s network of customers, hotel operators and marketers have seen increases in guest spending, especially when using tech in combination with relevant, customized offers.
With the use of INTELITY’s platform, Sugar Beach is more effectively engaging their guests and providing the digital experience modern consumers expect. They’re also replacing outdated mediums, like print, with modern alternatives and eliminating significant costs.
To learn more about how INTELITY has worked with Sugar Beach to improve the guest experience and reduce costs, contact the team today or schedule a demo.
