Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott
“By passing on transactional processes to guests, we have saved 2 full-time staff members and improved delivery times.”
Hotel Overview
Located in the airport grounds, the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott hotel features 594 bedrooms, modern amenities, and a signature service. Perfect for busy travellers, guests can rest after an eventful day of travel in their spacious hotel areas, ergonomic workspaces, and soundproof, floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping airport views. Meals can be enjoyed at the Aviation Grill, the Greatroom, or in guest rooms, each offering inventive American fare.
“We now live in a society where a lot of the younger generation do everything on their phones and prefer to self-serve online so mobile dining is ideal for these guests.
All our guests enjoy the convenience and ease of online ordering. With orders processed directly in the kitchen, their meals are delivered quicker, and the overall guest experience is enhanced.
The number of orders and guest spend is increasing year on year so we enjoy a substantial return on investment .
It’s easy to manage and has simplified my life no end!”
Hotel Requirements
Online ordering was first introduced during the pandemic to provide contactless table service in the restaurant and lobby areas, as well as orders for pick up and room service.
The concept was so well received the hotel has expanded the service and continues to offer online ordering to both guests and non-residents to drive revenue and meet the needs of today’s digital-savvy guests.
Solutions Installed
Mobile Dining (Table-side ordering and in-room dining)
Benefits
Effortless Ordering
QR codes are displayed throughout the hotel for residents and non-residents to access mobile dining. Guests can either arrange a delivery or pick up and pay online via the Bonvoy app, or they can pay via credit card, which is the main payment method for non-residents.
Increase in F&B Spend and Orders
The increase in mobile dining (for in-room dining orders and orders to pick up) has boosted overall F&B income. It now accounts for 14% of the total F&B revenue that’s generated at the property. The convenience and speed of online ordering appeal to guests and are preferred to going outside the hotel or dining at the airport.
Saved 2 Full-time Staff Members
As room service orders are processed online, the front desk team are freed up and no longer needs to deal with the influx of orders over the phone. The hotel used to have 3 full-time ‘At Your Service’ members of staff taking orders on the phone, now they only need one. Staff have been redeployed to liaise with guests face-to-face, providing a more personal service.
Satisfying Guest’s Needs
With the hotel being located next to Newark Airport, it’s less of a destination resort and more of a traveller’s hotel, so in-room dining is perfect for weary travellers that don’t want to get dressed up for dinner (or converse with people) and prefer to relax in the comfort of their rooms. Guests enjoy the convenience and ease of enjoying a meal in their rooms like they are at home.
Speed of Delivery
With orders going directly to the kitchen (bypassing the front desk), deliveries to rooms are quick and efficient, taking no more than 20 minutes maximum. Turnaround times for table-side ordering have also increased.
Easy Staff Tipping
Guests can now add tips to their orders – runners who deliver orders to the rooms can now be tipped online. Not only does this drive more gratuities, but it also avoids any awkwardness with the guests on delivery.
Secure Payments
The partnership with Freedom Pay delivers safe and secure transactions. Payments via credit cards are ideal for non-residents – it eradicates them having to pay when they pick up their order, saves time and minimises any lost revenue (through non-payments).
Easy to Manage and Edit
The staff find the platform user-friendly and simple to edit. It’s easy to learn and train new members of staff on it. The manager simply changes the menus and adds/removes items at the click of a button. Images of all the meals are taken by a professional photographer and uploaded to the menu which helps drive sales.
All Preferences Covered for Table-side Ordering
In the Greatroom [casual lounge area], the hotel offers guests the choice of self-service (via mobile dining) or full service (waiter service).
They enjoy giving the guests both options to suit their varying needs – solo travellers, business people, and younger guests (Gen Z-ers and millennials) mostly order online on their phones, whereas the older generation mainly opts for waiter service.
Sustainable Operations
By providing a digital ordering experience, the hotel has been able to limit paper menus meaning printing costs have been reduced, the paper has been saved and time spent distributing menus is minimised.
By passing on some of the transactional processes to guests and providing menus via QR codes, staff resources have also been optimised.
Ideal for Business Events
Mobile dining is beneficial for corporate events and board meetings. All delegates/attendees are given the QR code; they order and pay (either individually or on the same house account) and state what time they want their order delivered to which meeting room. Simple, convenient and easy to process for both parties.
