As part of their refurbishment in Autumn 2009, Novotel London West were looking for a digital wayfinding solution to improve their clients' experience. The aim was to make better use of the hotel's directional signage throughout its vast conference facility and multiple reception areas.
The brief was to upgrade their current booking system and to utilize a mix of digital wayfinding signage by directing delegates to conference and meeting areas of the hotel and to entertain guests with marketing messages to help promote their facilities.
Navaho's MediaCAT Wayfinding solution was selected as it met all these requirements, while having the added advantage that it could be installed with minimal impact to the existing infrastructure and work with their busy client environment.
The MediaCAT network controls 32 meeting room location screen displays, 13 wayfinding screens and four marketing message screens in areas of the hotel such as the group bookings reception, the conference centre reception, conference corridors and the hotel lobby and bar. Due to the sheer size of the hotel, previously guests were finding it difficult to navigate their way around the hotel with the mixture of traditional static signs and paper-based notices which required constant attention and updating from staff. With Navaho's MediaCAT wayfinding solution, the hotel now offers clear digital displays ranging from 17- to 42-inch screens. Now, guests are aware of their current location, which floor they are on and how to reach their desired destination.
The simple to use system has been tested to the maximum in London West's busy conference environment, where multiple meetings occur on a daily basis and often in the same conference suites. Vital information is updated at a click of a button and displayed instantly.
"With conference facilities for 3,000 delegates located over four floors, Novotel London West needed to implement a system of wayfinding that would allow our clients to find their meeting room easily,” said Steve Erskine, IT Manager London Hotels, Accor UK & Ireland Hotels. “Navaho's system ticked every box. The ease of installation and configuration meant we were able to deploy in a very short space of time without disrupting a very busy operation. We worked with Navaho to create a user interface that any member of staff could use with as little as five minutes of training and provided us with a highly customizable solution that meets both the hotel and the clients’ needs. The system has been so reliable we have not had the need to call support, and any changes we have asked for have been turned around extremely fast. I foresee the relationship between Navaho and Novotel London West being a long and rewarding one."
