LONDON Radisson Edwardian Hotels have added QR codes to restaurant menus at 11 of its hotels, allowing guests to access exclusive video content related to their in-house F&B experience.
The codes—which can be scanned by smartphones and other mobile devices equipped with free QR software—direct diners to an online video, hosted on the hotel’s website, that show a “dish of the month” being prepared by the hotel’s chef. The video gives tips and advice on how the dish is prepared and the cooking ingredients used.
“Restaurants are a promotional priority at the moment, and the QR codes give us an incredibly powerful vehicle to help boost the profiles of our hotel restaurants,” says Amy Clarke, e-commerce manager for Radisson Edwardian. “Knowing how a dish looks at the point of ordering can be very influential; therefore, the QR codes will be very advantageous to our guests. But, perhaps more importantly, it’s innovations like this that keep Radisson Edwardian ahead of the curve.”
Hoteliers queue up QR codes
Hoteliers are increasingly discovering the potential of QR codes, which stands for “quick response.” Also called two-dimensional barcodes, QR codes are matrix designs readable by smartphones that automatically trigger commands on the smartphone, from linking to text or video to activating its GPS mapping functionality. The hotel applications for QR codes are infinite, from interactive marketing to on-property way-finding.
QR codes are an especially handy tool for marketers because they make traditional print media directly measurable. By creating unique codes for different ads and placements, it is possible to understand which media is most successful and profitable.
Bangkok-based Dusit International began using QR codes in all consumer marketing materials back in September as a way to monitor the return on investment of its print advertising and collateral. Because consumer familiarity with QR codes still varies greatly from market to market, even within regions, Dusit includes small explanatory labels alongside the codes. “In our key feeder markets in Asia Pacific, UK and Europe, it is becoming a more easily recognizable touchpoint for the traveling public,” says Jennifer Cronin, Dusit’s vice president of sales and marketing. “Smartphone technology is a key communication tool today, and as its usage continues to escalate we intend to be accessible to a more knowledgeable, technology-reliant hotel guest demographic profile.”