New hotel brand creates effortless experience through technology.
LONDON – Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, has introduced Lucy, its mobile app that allows guests to integrate their device into their hotel experience. Lucy will give users a seamless and customised stay by transforming their digital ecosystem into a personal hotel assistant by fulfilling requests for services and amenities, functioning as the room thermostat, streaming personal content and more.
Doug Carrillo, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Virgin Hotels, commented, “Our mobile app Lucy, will put guests in the captain’s chair. The technology will be smart and intuitive, and light the way to a more immersive experience within the hotel. We can’t wait to build upon the platform as the brand and our guests’ needs grow.”
Lucy will put many aspects of the hotel experience at guests’ fingertips, before during and after their stay. Functions include:
Before Stay:
- Make room reservations
- Check-in
During Stay:
- Adjust room climate within the Chamber
- Stream personal content onto guest Chamber televisions
- Video and Audio on Demand curated by Virgin
- Transform a guest’s smart phone into the TV remote
- Serve as the Chamber phone to reach concierge, front desk or dining outlets
- Live chat with staff or other guests via the hotel’s chat room and message center
- Request services such as in-room dining, housekeeping or additional pillows while in the hotel or about
- Make dining reservations at the hotels venues
- Step Outside section with recommendations from the local staff
After Stay:
- Review folio
- Check-out
The mobile app will also be linked to the recently announced Virgin Hotels preference program, The Know. By completing The Know questionnaire and using Lucy, guests can request their preferences including what items they want to find (and not find!) in their mini bar.
Lucy is free and can be downloaded by visiting virginhotels.com, the App Store or Google Play (tablet app coming soon).
Virgin Hotels’ first property will open in Chicago on January 15, 2015, with Nashville following in 2016 and New York in 2017. Virgin Hotels continues to explore properties in cities such as Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington DC, and London; locations where it is pursuing hotel and office conversions and ground-up development.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
