TECHNOLOGY
HOW ONE HOTEL COMPANY IS LEVERAGING ITS APP DURING THE PANDEMIC .
Contributed BY ELLIS BOOKER
GOING
TOUCHLESS
Like every hotelier , Provenance Hotels has been adjusting its operations in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
After the Portland , Oregon-based company closed several of its U . S . properties in response to state mandates or market forces , it reopened Villa Royale in Palm Springs , California , in mid-June , followed by Hotel Lucia in Portland , Oregon , and Hotel Preston in Nashville in early July .
The reopenings were made possible , in large part , to an array of touchless technologies and re-imagined customer experiences . The strategy seems to be working . Villa Royale , a secluded , 36-room adults-only hideaway , was sold out for the first two weekends , with drive-distance guests coming from Los Angeles and San Diego .
At Provenance , the heart of its digital approach is a “ virtual concierge .” The face of the service is Paige , an illustrated avatar and persona . Paige is still being built out by Alice , a developer specializing in guest-facing mobile apps for hotels , but the Provenance team explains Paige ’ s persona as “ a creative and curious type , with a voracious appetite for learning ,” and as a destination insider that can share recommendations and activities .
According to Provenance executives , the platform will enable dynamic content in the form of efficient text messages among guests and hotel staff . It eliminates some paper products , such as
48 hotelsmag . com September / October 2020