 BOSTON
� January 3, 2006 � The InterContinental Boston, a new luxury hotel located
on Boston�s historic waterfront, is delivering a five-star level of guest
service to its guests with the help of GoConcierge, the lodging industry�s
leading Web-based guest service operations system. GoConcierge, which was
implemented at the 424-room property when it opened in November, is produced
by Los Angeles-based GoConcierge.net.
�We are pleased that the InterContinental Boston, like the seven other InterContinental properties that have installed our system, is experiencing similar results�efficient hotel operations and superior guest service,� says Adam Isrow, executive vice president of GoConcierge.net. Instead of using paper-based processes to track guest requests such as restaurant reservations, the hotel�s four-person concierge team uses GoConcierge�s online Guest Task Calendar. The calendar is color coded, which makes it easy to highlight open, pending and closed tasks. Instead of taking minutes to locate a reservation or note, it takes just seconds. �It has made our guest service processes seamless,� says Nelum Gunewardane, director of front office operations at the hotel. �Tasks roll from one day to the next and are never lost. We can easily see those tasks that have been completed or that are pending.� Once a reservation is made for a guest, GoConcierge makes it easy to print out or e-mail a personalized confirmation letter that includes the hotel�s logo, the guest�s itinerary, as well as point-to-point driving directions. �We get a lot of positive feedback about how professional our itineraries and directions look,� says Marc Simoneau, chef concierge at the hotel. �GoConcierge also simplifies the staff communication process,� Gunewardane says. �It reduces the number of calls and makes it easy to communicate from one shift to the next.� Robust Restaurant, Attraction Database Concierges at the InterContinental Boston utilize GoConcierge�s customized location database to quickly generate restaurant and other area attraction information. Hot buttons on the GoConcierge screen link to transportation, flowers, amenities, room changes, lost and found, and more. Other departments that have access to GoConcierge include front desk, guest relations, and Instant Service, the hotel�s guest service center. The reservations department, housekeeping, executive office, bell staff and conference service department also have access to the system. When a guest requests a room change, someone at the front desk will enter a task in GoConcierge. A bellman, upon seeing the alert message on his screen, will proceed to move the guest from the current room to the new room. Once that is done, the bellman will close the task within GoConcierge. �GoConcierge reduces the number of calls between the front desk and our bellmen,� Gunewardane says. �It allows the bellmen to spend more time with the guest.� If a guest leaves an item in a guestroom and a housekeeper discovers it, she will report it to her supervisor. The supervisor will then enter the item in GoConcierge in the lost and found area and note the room number and what was found. A concierge, upon seeing the alert, will either call or e-mail the guest to tell them about the item. Once an item has been returned to a guest, the task is closed within GoConcierge. Gunewardane says she generates numerous types of reports from the Web-based system. Each provides a valuable overview of operations over a given period of time. She can easily see what tasks remain outstanding. For the lost and found department, for example, she can check on what items have been left by guests. An amenities report details how many were delivered and the time span from request to completion. �The reports generator allows us to do a lot of tracking and trending,� Simoneau says. �The transportation report makes it easy to consolidate our end-of-month reports for our service providers. I like the fact that it is very customizable.� Concierges �In the Know� Concierges throughout the InterContinental Hotels Group participate in the company�s �In the Know� program, an effort by InterContinental to promote its concierges as local experts to Priority Club members. Gunewardane says GoConcierge makes it easier for her concierge team to meet the expectations of the hotel�s most loyal visitors. �With GoConcierge, they are able to provide a level of service comparable to that found in the finest hotels in the world,� she says. �Because our concierge team has added so many efficiencies with GoConcierge, I can easily recommend it to other hotels.� �The InterContinental Boston, like its sister properties that have implemented our system, has quickly discovered the benefits of GoConcierge,� Isrow says. �It is a testament to the product itself and the willingness of the hotel�s staff to maximize its capabilities.� Additional InterContinental hotels currently using GoConcierge include those in London, England; New York; Cleveland, Ohio; San Juan, Puerto Rico; San Francisco; and Chicago. About the InterContinental Boston: The InterContinental Boston features 424 luxurious guestrooms and suites�each featuring impressive harbor and city skyline views. The hotel is located within walking distance of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and includes 32,000 square feet of its own conference and banquet facilities. An international bevy of cocktail and dining options are available to guests, including the Miel �Brasserie Provencal,� the hotel�s signature 24/7 restaurant. The InterContinental Boston�s Spa & Health Club encompasses 6,600 square feet and offers massage therapy and other treatments. Go to www.intercontinentalboston.com or call (617) 747-1000 for more information. About GoConcierge.net:
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