Sophisticated and with a nod to the area’s history, the new hotel is offering a fully contactless and paperless guest experience
Sydney, Australia (July 15, 2021) – A commitment to responsible luxury by Newcastle’s first five-star hotel, Crystalbrook Kingsley, has prompted a partnership with Asia Pacific’s leading hospitality solution specialist, McLaren Technologies. The new hotel was keen to embrace mobile-first guest experience technology and environmental change to enhance, not compromise, the quality of its guest experience.
The new hotel, which opened its doors on June 9, worked with McLaren to tailor its approach to technology ahead of its launch, implementing the entire INTELITY® platform, including a branded mobile app, mobile check-in, mobile key, in-room tablets, and GEMS®, INTELITY’s staff suite. Luxury Lenovo M10 Smart Tabs with Bluetooth speaker docks combined with the full digital platform enable a paperless, more seamless stay for guests. McLaren also implemented Apple iPads and iPort LAUNCH for Reception and Apple iPods with iNsync charging station for Housekeeping and Engineering staff to streamline operations.
The 130-room luxury hotel has been crafted within Newcastle’s former Roundhouse Civic Administration Building which sits opposite Civic Park in the city’s Cultural Precinct, providing a new lease on life for the iconic structure. Incorporating the city’s history and culture, the property features a rooftop restaurant and bar with live olive trees lining the corridor and creating a canopy over guest tables.
Crystalbrook Collection’s ongoing commitment to sustainability is evident in initiatives at Crystalbrook Kingsley that include locally-sourced produce from within a three-hour radius of the hotel, the use of upcycled and recycled material in construction, a single-use plastic-free environment, keyless room access, and paperless check-in and check-out.
“In-room tablets are a central and important feature of any modern new hotel,” said McLaren Technologies CEO Matthew White. “Crystalbrook Collection have managed to embrace technical innovation and lead real environmental change without having to compromise on the quality of what they promise guests. The new Crystalbrook Kingsley in Newcastle is a perfect example of responsible luxury in practice.”
In-room tablets offer convenient and comprehensive information and entertainment options for guests, all at their fingertips. Additionally, they offer enhanced communication with the hotel team for anything a guest might need, from booking activities and room service to real-time feedback for service and housekeeping requests. Guests will also be able to use the hotel’s guest app developed by INTELITY to check in when they arrive, use their smartphone as their room key throughout their stay, and check out on either their phone or the room’s tablet when they’re ready to depart.
“A tablet on the bedside, for example, allows us to inform our guests without printed compendiums and menus in the rooms. It provides guests the ability to order in-room dining and other services, book restaurants, and access curated content with ease,” said Crystalbrook Kingsley General Manager Carl Taranto. “The digital experience that in-room tablets offer here in Newcastle not only improves the guest journey and helps us achieve our sustainability goals, but also allows us to seamlessly interact with our guests in a non-invasive way, which is a huge bonus.”
Crystalbrook Collection is an independent Australian tourism and hospitality company with a focus on innovation and sustainability. The new hotel in Newcastle is the fifth Crystalbrook property where McLaren has implemented the INTELITY platform, assisting with aligning the Crystalbrook brand’s green goals with its operational framework and delivering an exceptional guest experience.