Honoring 2010 Hotel Visionaries

Each year, Hospitality Technology presents a select group of lodging companies with its Hotel Visionary Awards to honor their outstanding vision and achievement in technology and service innovation.

The 2010 winners showcase the great range of innovation that can be accomplished in every sector of the lodging industry. First, we recognize JHM Hotels, an owner-operator with 40 properties, which leveraged a paperless invoicing and document management tool to drastically improve and 'green-up' its back-office operations. The technology has allowed the company to eliminate storage costs and manage labor much more efficiently, while providing full visibility into its financials for compliance and audits.

Next, we recognize business-class brand Courtyard by Marriott which has redesigned its lobbies to incorporate interactive digital signage as a centerpiece. Dubbed GoBoard, the LCD touch screens were developed specifically for Courtyard by technology partners Microsoft and Four Winds Interactive, and feature live news feeds from USA TODAY, airport and area information, way-finding, maps via Microsoft Virtual Earth, and more. Since completing the lobby redesign project, Courtyard reports a 10 percent rise in guest satisfaction scores and a 27 percent increase in intent-to-return scores.

Finally, CityCenter, a joint venture between MGM MIRAGE and Dubai World, is the first-ever Hotel Visionary Award given to a multi-brand project. The LEED-certified urban community opened in late 2009 on the Las Vegas Strip. CityCenter is a fantastic example of not only technological innovation, but of what partnerships can accomplish when dedication meets innovation. The specific CityCenter collaboration of MGM MIRAGE, technology vendor Control 4, and luxury hotel brand Mandarin Oriental (which opened a hotel in the complex in December 2009), along with JHM Hotels and Courtyard by Marriott, have earned an HT hats off for their efforts.

 

For more insights from Abby, click here.