BREAKING BOUNDARIES IN HIGH-TECH HOTEL SERVICES
THE HEIGHT OF HYBRID HOSPITALITY SERVICES
The Capital Hotels, Apartments & Resorts has a strong entrepreneurial foundation and takes a disruptive approach to accommodation. José Soares, IT Director, discusses how he leads technological innovation, driving the company forward
Writer: Rachel Carr | Project Manager: Tom Cullum
Situated at the southernmost point of Africa, South Africa (SA) boasts the continent’s largest and most advanced economy. With each of its nine provinces offering a wide variety of exciting activities, it is an ideal destination for both business and leisure travellers.
As a result, The Capital Hotels, Apartments & Resorts (The Capital) is establishing itself as one of the most rapidly expanding hospitality groups in SA.
“We currently operate 12 hotels throughout the country, with plans for further expansion. Like SA, our brand revels in diversity, serving as an oasis for leisure and business travellers, families, and those seeking stylish and comfortable long-term accommodation,” introduces José Soares, IT Director.
Currently employing 800 dedicated professionals from various disciplines that ensure excellence across every
accommodation, The Capital’s properties boast an impressive array of facilities, including state-ofthe-art conference spaces, modern restaurants, pools, spas, and wellequipped gyms.
“We take great pride in our luxurious penthouses and contemporary apartments, all furnished with the needs of business travellers and families in mind. Our attention to detail comes through in our furnishings, which create uniquely inviting spaces for our guests,” Soares enthuses.
As the IT Director, he is responsible for the entire technology infrastructure, including the software that powers the reservations and team operations, as well as networks that deliver Wi-Fi and support operational requirements.
“Since joining The Capital, I’ve come to appreciate that the hospitability sector is one of the most
technologically rich environments, as a hotel functions simultaneously as an enterprise, restaurant, and a home, creating a nexus of challenges and opportunities for innovation,” he observes.
“I often joke that anything involving an electric current falls under my list of responsibilities!”
INNOVATION IN ACCOMMODATION
What sets The Capital apart from its competitors is its constant evolution and improvement, fuelled by a balance of agility and entrepreneurial spirit.
“In the office, we have a saying, ‘Comfort is where ambition goes to die’. This mindset pushes the team to continually enhance its offerings, always benchmarking themselves against the market to become better, more efficient, and more competitive,” Soares affirms.
Indeed, The Capital has many unique qualities, which Soares contributes to with his approach to IT strategies. Unlike many in the hospitality sector, who heavily rely on outsourcing or off-the-shelf solutions, he recognises the potential of developing and owning core intellectual property.
“This allows us to create truly distinctive and customised guest experiences. My diverse background, especially in marketing, has given me a holistic understanding of business operations. I approach IT solutions from both a technical standpoint and with a keen awareness of what drives business success in our specific context.”
From a technological perspective, the hospitality industry is undergoing incredible innovation and change, as the landscape is shifting from large, traditional platforms to more
cutting-edge technologies that are rapidly being adopted.
The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), for example, has created new opportunities to improve guest experiences and streamline operations, prompting Soares to recognise how the current technological advancements indicate an incredibly thrilling period to be involved in the hospitality industry.
“Within an organisation like The Capital, who encourages
experimentation and innovation, we have the freedom to test new ideas, learn from our experiences, and create truly groundbreaking solutions,” he states optimistically.
There’s an incredible satisfaction that comes from implementing IT solutions that streamline operations and boost day-to-day efficiencies.
Seeing the tangible impact of what we have built on guest surveys and business performance is a reward all on its own.
“WITHIN AN ORGANISATION LIKE THE CAPITAL, WHO ENCOURAGES EXPERIMENTATION AND INNOVATION, WE HAVE THE FREEDOM TO TEST NEW IDEAS, LEARN FROM OUR EXPERIENCES, AND CREATE TRULY GROUNDBREAKING SOLUTIONS”
– JOSÉ SOARES, IT DIRECTOR, THE CAPITAL HOTELS, APARTMENTS & RESORTS
THE CAPITAL’S CUTTING-EDGE CYBER SYSTEM
• For several years, the company has understood the value of leveraging AI and data analytics in its operations. Soares recognised the immense potential for data-driven initiatives early on in his hospitality career. The daily interaction with thousands of guests means a constant flow of information; therefore, this data presents a real opportunity to derive meaningful insights that guide decision making.
• The Capital has been developing a sophisticated data layer to enhance the guest experience and provide valuable insights to its staff. An internally developed toolset seamlessly integrated with its PMS creates a near-native experience for staff and delivers crucial information at their fingertips.
• The system facilitates various operational tasks, from capturing client information upon arrival to managing pit checks and cash acceptance. By incorporating AI and intelligent algorithms, The Capital transformed what was once mundane, repetitive tasks into streamlined, data-driven processes.
• The company is enhancing its system by incorporating external guest review data to provide staff with real-time information about previous guest experiences. The goal is to develop predictive capabilities that allow negative experiences to be anticipated and prevented before they occur.
PIONEERING PROJECTS
One of The Capital’s key strengths lies in its sales team, and Soares is passionate about enhancing its capabilities through real-time, intelligent sales reporting technology.
“We’ve successfully integrated our customer relationship management (CRM) system and property management system (PMS), enabling real-time tracking of revenue data. This provides our sales teams with an accurate, up-to-the-minute understanding of lead generation, business performance, and revenue streams,” he declares.
By leveraging AI and machine learning (ML) to forecast sales patterns, the project is moving into the next phase. This predictive capability will help The Capital’s teams optimise their strategies and activities, potentially leading to significant improvements in sales performance.
Moreover, the company has developed an intelligent payment system that enables guests to securely store their information and conveniently settle their bills. However, this system goes beyond mere storage, it is designed to tackle common issues such as long check-out queues, unpaid bills, and lost details.
“Drawing on my background in FinTech, I was eager to improve our payment processing capabilities. By streamlining these processes, we’re enhancing the guest experience and bolstering our operational efficiency and financial performance,” Soares explains.
Lastly, by harnessing AI-powered call analysis, The Capital has implemented a system which transforms raw conversations into actionable insights. This provides significant support to its reservations team, who handle thousands of calls monthly, representing a wealth of untapped data.
“OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO CREATE A TECHNOLOGICAL ECOSYSTEM THAT IS FAST, INTELLIGENT, AND EFFECTIVE, BUILT ON MODERN, AGILE STANDARDS THAT WE CAN CONTROL AND ADAPT TO AS REQUIRED”
– JOSÉ SOARES, IT DIRECTOR, THE CAPITAL HOTELS, APARTMENTS & RESORTS
AFRICA OUTLOOK: HOW DO YOU ENSURE YOUR STAFF MEET A CERTAIN STANDARD?
José Soares, IT Director: “Our ongoing training and skills development are paramount. We place a strong emphasis on continually upskilling our staff, particularly regarding cybersecurity. Since we handle sensitive personal information, it is essential that our employees comprehend and implement robust security measures to safeguard our operations.
“Beyond security, we provide comprehensive training on our systems, including our proprietary platforms and third-party software as a service (SaaS) solution for procurement, sales, invoicing, and other critical functions. Our incredible operation’s team has developed detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for each platform, and we conduct hands-on training sessions during onboarding and throughout an employee’s tenure as systems evolve and new features are introduced.
“The attributes we prioritise in our employees are adaptability and a passion for learning. The ability to quickly grasp new concepts and systems is invaluable. We also appreciate individuals who can think creatively and aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo – qualities that align with our innovative and disruptive approach to hospitality.”
“The technology allows us to identify our strengths and weaknesses in real-time, uncovering frequently asked questions, common objections, and missed opportunities. The insights gained empower our teams to refine their approach, leading to improved conversion rates and sales performance,” he elaborates.
Additionally, this data provides valuable feedback to the company’s operations team, enabling it to understand and resolve common complaints and issues.
As such, the capability to rapidly process and extract meaningful insights from thousands of conversations is upending The Capital’s customer service and operational approach.
AHEAD OF THE CURVE
The Capital’s primary focus for the upcoming year is on rapid, sustainable growth, and Soares’ responsibility is to ensure the appropriate technological infrastructure is in place to support the expansion.
The company is doing so by establishing technological standards that meet international benchmarks, encompassing its proprietary software and cybersecurity protocols.
At the core of this strategy is The Capital’s proprietary systems, which act as the central nervous system for all company operations. They interconnect and optimise all aspects of the business, from sales and marketing to guest services and backoffice functions.
“Our objective is to create a technological ecosystem that is fast, intelligent, and effective, built on modern, agile standards that we can control and adapt to as required. In our vision for the future, data is essential; we’re constructing a robust data infrastructure to power the growth and competitive advantage of The Capital,” Soares impassions.
By effectively utilising these information insights, the company
aims to enhance every aspect of its operation, from increased targeted marketing campaigns to more efficient operational processes and personalised guest experiences.
As The Capital pursues this growth and innovation, it’s also closely monitoring emerging industry trends.
“We’re well-positioned to capitalise on the growing ‘bleisure’ travel segment – business travellers extending their trips for leisure. Our apartment-style accommodations are ideally suited for these longer, mixedpurpose stays.”
Furthermore, cognisant of the increasing importance of sustainability in the hospitality industry, the company is exploring ways to integrate smart energy management systems and other green technologies to reduce its
environmental footprint while enhancing guest comfort.
“In essence, our goal is to keep pace with the ever-changing hospitality landscape and lead the way in shaping its future. By using technology and data strategically, we’re positioning The Capital to grow within the industry and redefine modern hospitality standards,” Soares concludes.
