Breeze Technology is bringing its visually-led, QR-code menu platform to hotels, giving room service a much-needed makeover. The new system, which is currently implemented at select hotels in New York City, New Jersey and Florida, makes it easier for travelers to enjoy in-room dining, whether or not the hotel they are staying in has an on-property restaurant.
Breeze can work with any hotel, no matter what size, whether they currently operate their own restaurant, have an existing room service offering or don’t offer dining at all. Now, hotels that have never been able to offer room service can easily do so. Breeze partners with local restaurants to become third-party room service providers for hotels without on-site dining. Guests simply scan the Breeze in-room QR code with their smartphone and receive a curated menu from a local restaurant or ghost kitchen specifically selected by the hotel. No apps or downloads are required.
Hotels with in-house restaurants are using Breeze to increase room service revenue and provide a better experience for their guests. New York City’s TRYP Wyndham Times Square South has reported significant revenue increases since using Breeze, including a 21 percent increase in room service orders, and a 23 percent increase in alcohol sales.
“Breeze has made our room service so much more efficient. Guests love the convenience of ordering from their phones, so they’re ordering a lot more. Our staff can also change the menu whenever we want and even turn it off at certain times. This flexibility lets us do a lot more than we previously could and Breeze is changing what is possible for hotel F&B,” said John Sharma, owner of PanExpress Travel, a management company for Wyndham hotels, including the TRYP Wyndham Times Square South.
Breeze provides more operational efficiency for hotels with existing room service offerings because staff doesn’t have to spend time answering calls or taking orders. Instead, when a guest orders from their phone, it goes straight to the kitchen POS. Hotels can also customize the experience for guests. Food and drink items can be modified in real time depending on the time of day, day of week or even tailored to the guests’ specific needs.
“Ordering room service from your smartphone is better than picking up a landline and sifting through binders to find a menu. Breeze makes room service more accessible for guests and much easier to use,” said Founder Stefan Kouumdjiev. “Of course people have been doing this through delivery services, such as Seamless or Uber Eats, but with Breeze, the hotel gets to curate the experience. They choose and change the menu items, and control how the items are packaged, presented and priced. Breeze also reduces the number of delivery drivers wandering around the property and eliminates guests having to meet delivery drivers outside, which is more important now than ever.”
Word about the platform is traveling fast and according to Kouumdjiev, Breeze is on track to onboard more than 100 hotels by the next fall.
“The best part about Breeze is our flexibility. Hospitality operators are racing to adapt to customers’ changing tastes and needs, and we are giving them the tools to adapt in real time,” said Kouumdjiev. “Beyond in-room dining, guests can order from the pool, the beach, meeting rooms and wherever else hotels want them to enjoy a meal. Breeze is setting new boundaries for what is possible with F&B at hotels. We’re excited to keep working with our clients to find creative, new use-cases for our product.”