CASE STUDY sector to reach a stage where they can provide very stable connectivity to other hotel brands within the group . So now , I can say loudly and proudly that the delivery gap for our wireless offerings to guests is not there anymore .”
Othman said with the increase in guest satisfaction with wireless services and a saving in the number of man-days required for solution management and administration , the impact on revenues especially now as the market is starting to pick-up will propel the company for more growth . “ The freed-up hours for the IT teams means that they can now allocate and focus more time on creating innovative digital services that boost customer experiences through our app and other digital platforms .
Othman said commercially the company has benefited from the Aruba implementation as the rollout has had an impact on the bottom line .
“ I ’ ve been working with the company for more than 20 years now and we started as a group using Aruba and HP ’ s complete networking portfolio from switching , gateways , wireless access points and wireless controllers some 15 years ago . Back then , we rolled out the HP switching and wireless array , and all these technologies were first implemented at our Grand Rotana Resorts & Spa in Egypt . That is one of the most prestigious resorts in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and the project was implemented in the early 2000s ,” he recalled .
Since then , Rotana ’ s relationship with Aruba has grown from strength to strength with the hotel chain benefitting immensely from the technology and expertise from the networking solutions vendor .
Othman added : “ We have something in the hospitality industry called the delivery of service gap . The service delivery game is not only the technology service delivery , but I ’ m also talking here about the hotel service delivery , where you feel like you are giving this much of services to customers however , the guest satisfaction is that much . So , there is a delivery gap . What we aimed to achieve as a group across all our brands was reaching 85 % to 90 % of the guest satisfaction in terms of the wireless technology and coverage we were implementing . We achieved considerable help and assistance from the local ISPs in the UAE . This has also enabled these ISPs to grow their domain expertise and specialisation in the hospitality
According to Othman , the implementation of Aruba technology has stood the company in good stead and prepared it to ride the anticipated growth and pick up in tourism numbers as people plan to start travelling again after a difficult period during the pandemic .
Jacob Chacko , Regional Director – Middle East , Saudi and South Africa , HPE Aruba , said : “ In the fast-paced hospitality sector , only true innovators can consistently lead and stand out . Rotana Hotel Management Corporation is always keen to leverage the latest Digital Transformation technologies . With Aruba ’ s technology in place , the group now has a rock-solid platform on which it can continue to innovate and keep delivering on its commitment to guests , employees , and other stakeholders .”
Looking ahead
Rotana Hotel Management Corporation is upbeat about business prospects in the coming months and year ahead as business conditions start to improve . “ Overall , we are happy with the sort of expertise Aruba brought to this project and the time it took to implement it . In the coming 12 to 18 months , we will have more demands for the HP and Aruba team , but now , I ’ m not quite sure what those demands will be ,” he said .
Othman explained that because the relationship with Aruba is not a new one , developing new initiatives between the two parties is made easier because the IT teams know each other well . “ Aruba understands our business model and IT environment very well . The company is committed to helping us continue to innovate in order to serve our customers with exceptional services and experiences that standout . Over the years we have worked on various projects and each project opens up another avenue for us to invent something that improves our customer service and bottom line ,” he said . p
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