Melia Hotels introduce bracelets to replace room keys and wallets
"At Meliá Hotels International we imagined a new type of vacation in which guests could enjoy all of our hotel services without having to worry about carrying around cash or ID, and that is now a reality thanks to an innovative project carried out with Oracle" says Gabriel Escarrer, Vice President and CEO of Meliá Hotels International. Focused as always on innovation, the Company has taken a further step forward in the digital transformation of the hotel industry with pioneering new technology to improve the guest experience, providing an easy way to pay which means that guests don’t have to worry about carrying cash or credit cards, which is particularly convenient in resort hotels.
Meliá and Oracle have developed a new bracelet that has a Bluetooth connection to the Meliá App to allow guests to unlock the door to their room just by placing the bracelet next to the lock. The bracelet also allows access to all of the services offered by the hotel, such as paying for meals in the restaurant or treatments at the spa. The new bracelet also allows payment in shops and restaurants in the mall that forms part of the resort, meaning guests don’t have to carry cash around during their holidays when they take a walk around the destination or even when they go to the beach or pool (the bracelet is completely waterproof).
Customer experience and security, key factors
As André P. Gerondeau, Chief Operating Officer of Meliá Hotels International, explains, "when we designed the integration of the experience in different hotels with different themes, we began to investigate how we could make it easier for guests to move freely around all the services and spaces offered by the hotels. The answer came through Oracle, who helped us develop the "Meliá bracelet" in record time and meeting all our needs and expectations."
The pilot project for this new technology has been carried out in two company hotels in Magaluf, which over recent years has become a hotspot for new hotel concepts and product repositioning. Next August 17, four additional hotels in the destination will add the devices. Guests staying at the Sol Katmandu Park hotel and the newly opened Calviá Beach the Plaza are already receiving bracelets at check-in which allow them to open the door to their room and pay for all the services in their hotel or in any other company hotel in Magaluf. Guests in any one of the hotels can thus enjoy the restaurants or Spas at any of the 9 Meliá hotels in Magaluf: the Sol House Resort (3 hotels), Sol Katmandu, Meliá Calviá Beach, ME Mallorca, Sol Barbados, Sol Guadalupe and Sol Beach House Mallorca, (stay in 1, play in 9) and even do their shopping at Momentum Plaza.
Bracelets are linked to the Meliá App, allowing users, for example, to control the use of bracelets by children, set maximum credit limits, receive receipts or cancel services. The project is the result of a team effort by Meliá Hotels International and Oracle over several months to develop the tool, the business model and the technology. According to project managers, "it is a dream come true in terms of the personalisation of the hotel experience, something that is a major priority for us: a room that opens when approached by guests, a dinner booked online, access to the VIP list for the best beach club… all with just a flash of the wrist."
"Co-innovation has been key in helping Meliá make this concept a reality," explains Neil Sholay, Vice President of Digital, and Oracle EMEA. "Meliá started this project with the idea and a passion for improving the customer experience. By combining Meliá’s experience in the hotel industry and the innovation and technological strength of Oracle, this project shows that transformative ideas can be made real. In a matter of just a few weeks, we have co-created an experience beyond expectations."
Meliá Hotels International
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