AUSTRALIA, 29 June 2022 – Designed with new beginnings and renewal at its forefront, the highly-anticipated QT Newcastle has now opened with a slew of striking and curious new details to dazzle guests – not least of all where technology is concerned.
Housed within the heritage-listed, 113-year-old David Jones building on Newcastle’s Hunter Street, QT Newcastle is an important part of the city’s ongoing resurgence and gentrification. The 104-room hotel, which also features a modern-Australian bar and grill, Jana, and rooftop bar, Rooftop at QT, is the cornerstone of Iris Capital’s $700 million reinvigoration of Newcastle’s East End.
QT Hotels & Resorts appointed McLaren Technologies to implement a less conventional technology solution befitting the eclectic address. “With that firmly in mind we chose McLaren to implement the INTELITY© platform because we needed a technology partner to match QT’s vision for the future. We wanted an innovative and forward-thinking guest service system to engage and appeal with our inquisitive guests. What McLaren has delivered is a solution that supports QT’s reputation for intuitive guest experiences with a touch of modern quirk that aligns with the hotel’s unique brand of luxury and style,” said QT Newcastle’s General Manager, Michael Stamboulidis.
Each of QT Newcastle’s guest rooms and suites offers its own 10-inch Lenovo smart-room tablet (with built-in Bluetooth speakers) powered by the INTELITY guest experience and staff management platform, making communication and service ordering from the hotel easy and intuitive. Additionally, guests can book amenities and browse a directory of area destinations and attractions. As part of its functionality, the tablet also includes a Softphone App or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), developed by McLaren partner, Hotel Genie. This replaces the usual guest room telephone allowing for full phone functionality through the tablet. By implementing a multi-use tablet-based solution, operators and owners can now consolidate guest room hardware into an easy-to-clean and sanitize solution, enabling guests to fully engage with the wide range of services, experiences, and information.
QT Hotels & Resorts’ Group General Manager Callum Kennedy said, “QT Newcastle is a milestone project for our brand and the region. It supports the precinct’s ongoing development by bringing together the best of cutting-edge culture and alongside the destination’s loved history and regional appeal.”
Also, powered by INTELITY’s cloud-based platform, the QT’s mobile app is set to deliver a more convenient and digital guest experience for the modern traveler. Using the app, guests will be able to check in pre-arrival from anywhere on their mobile devices. Throughout their stay, guests can use their smartphones as a digital key to access their rooms, make service requests, obtain information about hotel amenities and local attractions, and easily communicate with QT Newcastle’s guest-facing staff. At the end of their hotel stay, guests can manage and approve their statement and check out digitally from their phone. Meanwhile, INTELITY’s back-office workflow management system, GEMS©, automates guest requests and orders, streamlines service, and delivers deep business insights to the management team, allowing them to make adjustments and enhance processes accordingly.
For further information visit www.mclarenint.com and www.intelity.com.
