How Hotel Continental manages to be physically distant yet emotionally close to guests in times of pandemic

Hotel Continental has taken a lead in providing post-corona virus measures for travellers staying at Switzerland’s hotels, by leveraging technology provided by Portier Technologies. The property has been working with Hong Kong-based Portier Technologies for several months, and with the Corona virus halting Swiss tourism and now changing traveller expectations, it is in an ideal position to welcome arrivals with confidence.

The Portier Platform is designed to promote ‘contactless engagement’, making hotel staff available at all times, without the need for face-to-face interactions. “Among other things, we will be utilising the in-built Portier Chat to deal with housekeeping requests from guests, thus delivering these services only when they are requested and needed. This will help our hotel staff minimise face-to-face interactions,” said Pascal Küttel, general manager at Hotel Continental.

The property is also keen to point out that Portier Phones, which are placed in each room, will ensure a single point of interaction and reduce the surfaces guests will have to touch, while also reducing the workload of housekeeping staff.

What’s more, the content provided on Portier Phones will serve as an educational resource to guests, prompting them to follow Swiss guidelines in terms of keeping safe and sanitised. “With the Portier Platform at hand, we are leading the way in digitalising our whole offering and minimising physical contact, so as to give our guests a peace of mind for a new reality in travel,” said Küttel. In addition to this, the property will make Switzerland’s hospitality and travel guidelines front and centre of the digital experience on the Portier Platform, providing guests with the needed education in and around COVID-19.

Floris Vermeulen, regional sales director of Portier Technologies emphasised the company’s commitment to being a helper and leader in this new era of travel. “Not just with existing clients, but also with those waiting for deployment, we have been promoting the benefits of being truly digital. The Portier Platform empowers hoteliers to enter the new digital age with confidence, and to deliver an outstanding guest experience by being physically distant enough but emotionally close to guests.”