Mandarin Oriental, Muscat - mobile ordering & guest directory
Driving operational efficiency, guest convenience and incremental revenue with IRIS mobile ordering
Hotel Overview
Nestled in the heart of Oman, Mandarin Oriental, Muscat is a luxury beachfront destination that blends contemporary elegance with Omani heritage. Opened in June 2024, the property is committed to delivering world-class service, seamless guest experiences and operational excellence across every touchpoint - from in-room dining to wellness facilities and guest services.
With a strong focus on innovation and digital transformation from day one, the hotel implemented IRIS solutions at opening to support both guests and staff across the property.
The Challenge
Mandarin Oriental, Muscat implemented IRIS Mobile Ordering and the Digital Guest Directory since its opening in 2024.
Initially, the adoption of a digital ordering platform was recommended by the Mandarin Oriental corporate team, but after reviewing the solution, the hotel quickly recognised the value of offering guests a modern, digital alternative to traditional phone-based ordering.
The hotel needed a solution that would:
Streamline ordering workflows
Reduce pressure on PBX and room service teams
Improve speed, accuracy and guest convenience
Support both in-room dining and high-volume poolside service
The hotel didn’t want to rely solely on telephone orders handled by the PBX team who would then have to manually relay them to the room service team and kitchen.
The Solution
IRIS Mobile Ordering, fully integrated with the hotel’s Infrasys POS, offering:
In-room dining, allowing guests to order food and beverages from their own device via QR codes, delivered direct to their rooms.
Poolside ordering, available to both residents and non-residents, enabling guests to order food and drinks while relaxing by the pool.
Orders are sent directly to the kitchen, while the room service office is automatically notified - eliminating manual handovers and speeding up fulfilment.
IRIS Digital Guest Directory, where guests can explore hotel facilities, services and local experiences.
“IRIS Mobile Ordering has made a real difference to our revenue generation and how we operate day to day. Around 70% of our orders now come through the platform, which has saved our PBX team hours every week and streamlined the entire process.
Orders go straight to the kitchen, our teams don’t need to make callbacks, and guests can personalise their meals easily. The impact has been substantial, improving efficiency and profitability across both in-room dining and poolside operations”
Benefits
Rapid guest adoption with 70% uptake
Guest adoption of IRIS Mobile Ordering has been swift and overwhelmingly positive with 70% of all orders now going through the IRIS platform.
This clearly demonstrating how intuitive, convenient and easy the solution is for guests to use.
It reflects strong guest preference for digital ordering across both in-room dining and poolside service, while also highlighting the platform’s ability to drive meaningful incremental revenue alongside operational efficiencies.
Significant time savings
Mobile Ordering has transformed the hotel’s internal workflows.
The PBX team have saved hours every week, as they no longer need to take and relay phone orders
The solution removes unnecessary steps, additional workload, and cuts out the middleman, allowing teams to focus on service rather than administration
Orders flow seamlessly from the guest to kitchen (via POS integration) for immediate preparation, with real-time visibility for the room service office.
Improved accuracy
By sending orders directly to the kitchen, errors caused by miscommunication is significantly reduced and there is no need for call-backs or clarification.
Staff find the system extremely easy to use, and the clarity of digital orders ensures consistency and accuracy every time.
Enhanced guest personalisation and higher spend
Guests are empowered to fully customise their orders, including:
Adding special instructions and allergy requests
Selecting modifiers and protein options
Personalising meals exactly to their preferences
This flexibility not only improves guest satisfaction but also encourages higher spend, as guests are more likely to upgrade and tailor their meals.
The hotel is also planning to introduce upsells and related items across menus, further boosting incremental revenue.
Poolside efficiency and increased order volumes
IRIS has been particularly impactful around the pool area.
QR codes are displayed on wooden stands, giving guests a visible prompt to order instantly
Guests no longer need to search for menus or flag down staff
Digital orders are delivered direct to the correct table number
With a pool capacity of 140 guests, this has proven to be an extremely efficient and time-saving solution, helping to increase poolside order volumes, improve speed of service and enhance the overall guest experience.
A seamless digital guest journey
Alongside mobile ordering, the IRIS Digital Guest Directory provides guests with instant access to a wide range of information and services, including:
Hotel facilities and dining options
Spa treatments and wellness experiences
Local attractions and experiences
FAQs and guest services
Loyalty programme information
Digital newspapers
Guests can access everything from their mobile device, wherever they are in the property - creating a seamless, intuitive and modern guest journey.
A more sustainable, paper-free experience
By replacing printed directories and menus with a digital solution, the hotel has:
Reduced paper usage
Improved sustainability
Ensured content is always up-to-date and instantly accessible
This aligns perfectly with Mandarin Oriental’s commitment to responsible luxury and operational efficiency.
