SMART HOSPITALITY

SMART HOSPITALITY

text Mario Hajiloizis

Technology and Four Seasons hospitality were united in last year’s comprehensive renovation of the hotel. Like every lasting relationship, this is a marriage that requires – and receives – ongoing attention and investment in order to grow.

Tapping into the latest advanced technology that best suits the needs of hotel guests is no easy feat. Over the past 12 months, the Four Seasons has been doing just that, especially since the recent extensive renovation across the hotel.

With new ‘smart-room technology’ now in the guest rooms, the hotel set out on a mission to make your stay as comfortable and hassle-free as possible.

One way it achieved that goal with resounding success was by introducing new in-room 9.7-inch Samsung tablets which essentially operate as your ‘onestop-shop’ for various services.

From controlling in-room lighting, air conditioning, electric curtains, ‘Do Not Disturb’ or ‘Make Up My Room’ lights outside your door, to ordering room service and booking spa treatments – it’s all there, at your fingertips.

“Looking at the wide age range of our guests, we realized – looking five to ten years ahead – our clientele is much more ‘involved’ in tech; so we decided to introduce this tablet,” says Executive Director Nick Aristou.

A special tablet at reception allows you to check out from your room and have the invoice sent to you by email.

The tablet is not only a ‘smart’ universal remote control for various functions in the room, but also a source of all the hotel information and services you might need during your stay. After viewing the room services menu on your tablet, you can ‘click and order’ for delivery of your food and drinks order – a feature which has seen room service orders increase by 30 percent since the tablets were introduced. “Guests responded enthusiastically,” says Nick. “Ordering room service has proven to be the most popular tablet functionality so far.” You can also use the tablet to view and book spa treatments, browse the web, and give feedback on your stay.

From a sustainability perspective, the tablets have eliminated paper from the guest rooms – such as the previous in-room dining menus, hotel information directories and letters with various messages that are sent up to your room. “Each guest now gets personalized notifications – from taxi pick-up to check-out times – sent directly to their tablet,” Nick adds.

ALWAYS CONNECTED

To ensure that you are ‘connected’ wherever you may be at any time within the hotel, the Four Seasons invested over €100,000 over the past two years to upgrade WiFi connectivity to 8MB in-room and across all public areas, including the lobby, ballrooms, restaurants, swimming pools and on the beach. Guests are also able to connect up to 8 personal devices in-room, meaning that being online at the hotel has never been easier.

A WiFi-based call button system is also available on the beach, enabling sunbed users to alert waiters without getting up. All you have to do is push your ‘Syscall’ button, and a waiter will soon come over to take your order.

APPS ON THE GO

Another new technological step forward this year, and a first for the island’s hotel industry, is the incorporation of Four Seasons’ restaurants in the global OpenTable reservation system.

This means you can now make reservations at the hotel’s restaurants through your phone using the OpenTable app – in addition to the booking options via in-room tablets and the hotel website. The OpenTable app allows you to peruse the restaurant menus, see available dates and times to book, and read reviews.

In the tech pipeline, guests can look forward to a first iOS and Android app for the hotel. “It will essentially be a smaller version of the in-room tablet, which is expected to be ready for spring or summer 2017,” Nick says, and it will serve a very useful purpose: As soon as you book a room at the Four Seasons, your confirmation process will include an email with a link to download the app, which will provide all hotel news, information, and weather updates, and will enable restaurant reservations. It will even have the functionality to unlock your bedroom door so keys will no longer be needed.

Whether we like it or not, technological advancements are increasingly becoming more evident, and in many cases ‘essential’, in today’s world. The Four Seasons has made it clear that it is embracing these advancements to the maximum, for the optimum benefit of its guests.