Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) has recognized two hotel companies — Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Lugano Dante Center — with its EMEA Technology Innovators Award for the creative and innovative application of existing technology within their hotels.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts created a central ticketing platform for hotels and offices to manage guest and staff requests and issues, following an IT call-center model. The team developed a Service Centre application on a Microsoft Sharepoint platform with a separate SQL database for ticket reporting data. The project replaced a structure where each property had its own dedicated system; the new system costs about 1/10 of the prior structure and requires less staff. Next year Mövenpick plans to add a mobile app and investigate the possibility of integrating with property management systems.
Hotel Lugano Dante Center developed the Happy Guest Relationship Management tool from the ground up. Starting in 2009, the hotel distributed iPhones and iPads to all staff to allow for full engagement with the guest. Guests can directly communicate with reception staff for any need, and the relationship with the guest continues after the stay. There is almost no paper used by the property, and almost every document that used to be printed is now available to staff members electronically within a few seconds.