Impeccable Service Keeps the Legend Alive at The Grove Park

The Concierge Assistant system enables historic property to meet 21st century guest expectations

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. October 22, 2008

OCTOBER 21, 2008. With a guest list that includes eight presidents, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Edison in its nearly 100 years of operation, The Grove Park Inn's legendary status is well-deserved. And with solid growth over the past 10 years, many recent awards and a continued investment in flawless service, the legend is not only living, but perhaps just entering its prime.

"At the Grove Park Inn, our vision is to fulfill our legacy as one of America's truly legendary resorts," said Front Office Manager Oscar Alvarez. "Personalized service is a key part of the equation. Every staff member is dedicated to delivering the Grove Park Inn experience to each guest, to view every guest request as special and to ensure everything required of them gets done. This is the meaning of our mantra, 'Everything We Do Matters.'"

Consistent satisfaction ratings over 97%

Last year, The Grove Park Inn implemented the Concierge Assistant(R) system from Gold Key Solutions, a comprehensive hospitality concierge software solution, throughout the hotel to standardize its service and support its unique culture of superlatives. The results are impressive. According to Alvarez, monthly guest satisfaction ratings in the eight months since implementation have been consistently topped 97%, surpassing the property's 95% standard.

"We are providing better service because we have better, faster, more effective communication between departments with The Concierge Assistant," said Alvarez "All guest requests are logged in our property-wide system that up-levels them according to how long they are pending," said Alvarez. "Every appropriate staff member with password authority can quickly verify and respond to requests. For example, when a guest asks a concierge for limo service, the bell stand is alerted and can easily look up the guest's arrival and departure information to schedule the limo without searching through countless e-mails."

The Grove Park Inn, in Asheville, North Carolina, is one of the most sought-after destinations in the South. With a AAA Four-Diamond rating, the Historic Hotels of America property offers:

o 512 guest rooms and suites

o Many fine dining establishments

o A Donald Ross-designed championship golf course

o An award-winning, $42 million spa

Staying ahead of the game

Alvarez also appreciates how the system supports more personalized guest itineraries by matching them to guest profiles and printing them on Grove Park Inn stationary. "For example, if guests are going to the arts and crafts show in Weaverville, the system reminds us of their dining preferences and suggests options in the area that they might enjoy. Guests can plan their whole day around our recommendation or return to the hotel for dinner. In either event, they are always impressed that we anticipated their requests."

Other advantages of the system:

o A faster more professional guest service process thanks to automated accurate information on local locations, events, restaurants, etc.;

o Consolidated information about the best golf courses and other venues in Asheville, as well as Yellow Pages, Rolodex information and Internet links;

o Professional-looking guest itineraries printed automatically with directions and contact information.

Alvarez also said his staff is happier at their positions because The Concierge Assistant helps them do a better job. "There is so much information available on events in the Asheville region, it used to take forever for our team to put together an itinerary," explained Alvarez. "Now a wealth of information is at our finger tips and guests tell us they are amazed at how quickly we are able to meet their needs."