Digital Concierge

Version imprimable

Marriott’s Courtyard group of hotels has introduced the GoBoard 4.0, a virtual concierge kiosk.

Located in the hotel’s lobbies, it provides real time news, weather and wayfinding. Users can also the kiosk to access flight and hotel information. It also provides a list of local attractions, with directions to each.
 
Courtyard expects to deploy the GoBoard to all 850 of its hotels in 35 countries over the next few years.
 
 
“We continually strive to ensure that we are in touch and in tune with the needs of our business travelers,” commented Brian King, Vice President and Global Brand Manager of Courtyard by Marriott. “These travelers need quick, easy access to different kinds of information at different times of the day.”

 
In the morning, frequent business travelers tend to look for headline news, financial information, and weather reports. That information was previously available in the form of printed newspapers and a faxed weather report displayed at the front desk. “Guests would toss the papers into their briefcases on their way out, and may not even find time to read them” says King.
 
In the morning, guests also need directions to business meetings. Later in the day, these same travelers look for information such as the location of local restaurants or entertainment venues. “When a guest asked for directions, a front-desk associate unfolded a large, paper map and tried to point out the best route,” describes King. The hotel wanted to integrate technology that simplified those processes for its guests and for its staff, while allowing hotel general managers to focus on managing the properties and not on managing the technology.