Burj Al Arab: Check!

I never thought I would be able to visit the Burj Al Arab but I sure did in during my study abroad trip in Spring 2011 to the UAE! I started this blog for a class assignment and thought nothing of it. Maybe I should write more blogs about exotic places so I can travel there.

Nonetheless, it was such an amazing experience to see the Burj Al Arab and to be immersed in a culture I had no knowledge about. I definintely want to go back! If any of you have a chance to visit UAE, definintely check out the other properities by Jumeirah Group. Although there is no connection, I personally had a really great time at Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi - they had a transparent piano that lit up in the lobby (totally amazing!).

See you sometime again, UAE.
 

They're Catching Up!!!

Team!

It has been a little over two years since we have further personalized each suite with a laptop. From the online reviews, the guests seem to be enjoying the extra comfort of having a personal laptop. Who wouldn't enjoy a freely accessible laptop?

As I was doing some research to further improve the quality of our service, I came across an interesting article found here. It appears that the Lanesborough Hotel (above) in London is also providing their guests with personal laptops in all 95 guestrooms and suites.

Although Lanesborough is the first hotel in London to provide guests with personal laptops, we are the first in the world to go such lengths. Give yourself a pat on the back.

At the time being, it seems that we and Lanesborough hotel are the only two hotels in the world to provide each guestroom with a laptop. There doesn't seem to be any objection to this statement - no other hotel's I have come across provide such amenity. Even with that, competitors are catching up! Technology can't always be used as our competitive advantage. Sooner or later, what is now an advantage will be a norm.

Keep up the fantastic work, Trend Setters.

Stay Different.



Yours truly.

202 Fresh Experiences Under One Roof

How can we leverage with IT?....


Salam, Dream Team!
October 2006

As many of you know, we are known worldwide for our extraordinarily high standards. Our hotel offers some of the most luxurious accommodations, food and beverage, and of course, our top-notch, world’s best service to our guests. In order to keep this reputation, we are constantly improving the quality and assistance we provide to our valued travelers and professionals. Our extraordinary high standards just got higher.

*Fresh* technology will be another factor we add to our list of lush features.

As a basic feature, all of the suites are fully furnished with an office area with Internet access, a fax machine, a printer, and a copier. The newest addition to all suites will be a personal laptop. Now, these aren’t just laptops. Each laptop will run on Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise Edition and include the 2007 Microsoft Office system. This operating system will allow the guests to focus on the content of the screen, instead of how to navigate through the system. With these new additions, our guests will be capable of enjoying a modernized computer experience in their very own suite with easier navigation and instant access to their email accounts, the Internet and, and multi-media entertainment channels.

Installing Vista Enterprise Edition and Office system into 200+ laptops seems like a never ending process. With super advanced technology, all 206 of our advanced-technology laptops were loaded with both features in just 18 minutes. If we used manual techniques to install the systems, it would have definitely taken more than eighteen minutes. Oh, the joy of technology!

In order to accommodate this addition, our IT support team will be trained about the systems these laptops are running on by Microsoft and Microsoft’s Gold Certified Partner, Kalsoft, in order to guarantee that the guests gain the most benefits from the laptops, as soon as possible.

How will having a laptop in each suite enhance the experience of our guests? Depending on the guest, it may or may not be a helpful entity; the laptop may never be touched. But, having a personal laptop is a mind-blowing convenience. No?

We're all about providing our guests with abundant luxurious.

Technology is constantly changing. Our guests are top travelers and professionals who are always seeking the best. We will provide the better. We will always strive to be on top of the game, especially when it comes to technology. So, stay alert! For the moment being, we’ll start here with personal laptops with Vista Enterprise Edition and the Office system.

Stay Different.

Yours Truly.

Extra links to check out:

https://www.microsoft.com/CaseStudies/ServeFileResource.aspx?203645

Thank you, Technology.

How Does IT Affect the Hospitality Industry?

Technology has greatly impacted the kind of service we provide to our customers, here at Burj Al Arab. Most of our special features are possible through technology. The business center in each suite is centered around technology with a personal laptop, private fax, printer, and copier with access to the Internet. There is a hidden network that allows the control of air-conditioning, curtains, and lighting at the touch of a button. How convenient. Thank you, Technology.

At least a 42-inch plasma screen in each suite…. video on demand, DVD….more than 90 cable channels… the list of luxurious technological features we provide in each suite is ongoing.

Technology goes beyond the personal suite. For example: The exterior design, specifically the face, of the Burj Al Arab was carefully designed with a “double-skinned Teflon-coated woven glass fibre screen". Because of technology, the glass fibre screen is able to project a white color during the day and provide as a canvas for the light display at night.


It is evident that technology has greatly impacted the lavish service we provide for our customers. Let’s take a step back and embrace what technology has done for the whole hospitality industry family.

The hospitality industry invests large amounts into IT. Why? Companies in the hospitality industry want to provide the best for their guests. What do the guests want?

Comfort, clean, and up to date fast technology.

IT is used in all of the internal, behind-the-scenes departments, especially in hotels. Software, such as ResortSuite Property Management Software, help with the check-in, check-out, and billing process. Restaurants within hotels use IT to make sure the customers’ experience is exquisite from the time they’re seated to the time they leave. Authorities use IT for a myriad of activities such as controlling finances, developing new strategies and plans to better the hotel, and handling employee payroll. Also, managers and staff are able to respond to complaints in an instant because complaints are quickly processed.

Technology has changed how hotels maintain their guests and almost every other operation. Daily, mundane tasks have been simplified through technology, allowing employees to spend more time focusing on attending to the needs of the guests.

It is now 2010. Guests want fast and easily accessible service that is convenient. It seems hard to please the guests without technology. No?

In very brief conclusion...
It is safe to say that the hospitality industry thrives off of technology.
It is a vital key to success and quality customer care!

Stay Different, Team.


Yours Truly.