The Westin Fort Lauderdale, a property managed by TPG Hotels and Resorts, offers guests oceanfront vistas and the staff pride themselves on unparalleled service. The hotel offers 24-hour in-room dining, a couple of restaurants, 32,000 square feet of adaptable venue space, a ballroom and a rooftop deck.

The hotel was looking for new technology to ensure the safety and convenience of guests and staff alike while boosting operational efficiency. The Westin management decided to implement Staff Safety and Hotel Asset Management from ASSA ABLOY with implementation of Vostio Location Solutions to ensure a rapid response to the precise location of an emergency and to provide endangered hotel employees with immediate support. Equipping all employees with their own alert device, the property can instantly pinpoint the exact location of a staff member in distress. 

The Staff Safety device uses Bluetooth-based beacon and cloud-based technologies, for which users can transmit a signal to first responders via text message, including relevant room and floor information to ensure swift response times. Using an escalation procedure, the device ensures that a timely response is always achieved by issuing alerts to more senior personnel on unresolved employee safety threats still requiring immediate attention.

“In a hotel environment, it’s imperative to provide employees with the most advanced safety and security features possible,” said Ryan Minton, General Manager at The Westin Fort Lauderdale. “Our top priority was to identify a solution that would reassure our staff that in an emergency, they would always have a lifeline.” 

Through the use of AI and Bluetooth sensors, the integration of location technology equips the resort with asset locating technology. Using the Hotel Asset Management feature to identify the location of the property’s luggage carts in real-time, the Westin can provide guests with access to luggage aids by ensuring abandoned carts are returned to the property lobby.