Langham GM on Tech and Service
Linda Zhou, General Manager of The Langham Chicago, explained on a recent podcast how her hotel uses technology to enhance service. She noted that while reservation platforms are becoming smarter, the competitive edge comes from using that data to provide real-time alerts to hosts, enabling them to adjust seating for VIPs to ensure privacy or prominence.
- The Langham's parent company, Langham Hospitality Group (LHG), is deploying a new suite of AI tools across its 31 hotels. This includes an "Experience Agent," a multilingual concierge that communicates with guests via channels like WhatsApp and WeChat to handle requests and anticipate needs. - A key component of the new technology is the "Insight Agent," a real-time analytics tool that analyzes booking patterns, demand signals, and guest browsing behavior to help teams create personalized offers and identify travel trends. For a VIP host, this means the hotel can anticipate the needs of top-tier guests before they arrive. - The technology initiative also includes a "Knowledge Agent" for staff, which serves as an internal resource providing instant information on brand standards and operating procedures. This is designed to ensure consistent and high-level service delivery across all departments. - The Langham, Chicago, has consistently earned a Forbes Five-Star rating, an award based on 900 objective criteria with a heavy emphasis on exceptional service. The hotel is located in a 52-story landmark building designed by renowned architect Mies van der Rohe. - The current General Manager of The Langham, Chicago is Anthony Zamora, who was appointed in June 2022. He was part of the hotel's original opening team in 2013 and previously served as the Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel New York. - Competing luxury hotels in Chicago are also heavily investing in technology. The Peninsula features in-room tablets that control all room functions and provide guest services in 11 languages, while Virgin Hotels' app allows guests to control room settings and order services via their smartphones. - The broader trend in luxury hospitality is using AI to create detailed guest profiles based on historical data and even social media to pre-select rooms, adjust temperatures to past preferences, and flag VIPs for proactive upgrades.
