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INTRODUCING... PLUM
SERVING WINE, JUST AS THE WINEMAKER INTENDED
H The hi-tech guest experience in hotel
rooms has so far been limited mainly to
just a handful of items.
Guests can automatically open or close
the curtains, watch TV on their bathroom
mirrors, stream a device to the big
television, toggle the temperature from a
tablet, book activities and services, etc.
But the tech is now shifting to how
guests can manage the food and beverage
element of their in-room experience.
Plum, a US-based, wine on-demand
technology company, has this week
launched a version of its product
specifically for hotels.
The idea is that the device (stainless
steel, 17 inches high, 20 inches deep, 15
14 Housekeeping management
inches wide, 50 pounds in weight) sits in a
hotel room and acts as a virtual sommelier.
A touch-screen allows the guest to
choose from a selection of wines (each
with a description and notes as to their
origin), then a glass is poured (a bit like a
coffee dispenser) into a glass.
The device automatically tracks
consumption, bills the guest profile and alerts
housekeeping when bottles need replacing.
Plum says the technology gives hotel
managers “the freedom to choose the wine
and price point that best matches their
guest’s preferences”.
“F&B executives can change wine
seasonally, offer premium wine for their
suites, or even customize the bottles to
match the preferences of their VIP guests.”
Automatic wine is something that has
also caught the attention of Marriott,
with it recently starting tests of a similar
service (a “portable wine cart”) through
its Element brand, which is activated by a
guest’s hotel room keycard.
www.plum.wine