Dillard Westmoreland is vice president of information technology at Nemacolin, a luxury adventure resort with five lodging options on more than 2,200 acres in southwestern Pennsylvania. He joined the company in 2021, with a directive to simplify and elevate technology and remove friction for guests, members and
associates so that the resort could more readily deliver its trademark Real Life Magic. Prior to working at Nemacolin, he served in senior-level IT roles at various hospitality and retail companies.

Upon joining the company, Westmoreland studied the entire business, gaining an understanding of the operational challenges to ensure that he and his team could deliver tailored solutions. His review included analyzing data related to trouble tickets to determine when IT assistance was needed. As a result, staffing models were adjusted so that an IT person was in the building until later in the evening to cover the last shift change. His IT review also uncovered issues with the resort’s in-room television systems. “Maintenance and front desk staff had stopped reporting problems, thinking that they wouldn’t change,” he said. As a result, the system was replaced resort-wide.

One of Westmoreland’s primary initiatives has been to improve base technology and IT operations. In fact, that initiative served as a springboard to upgrade the technology at Nemacolin during the recent reimagination of The Grand Lodge and The Chateau. “Our goal was to deploy technology that met or exceeded what guests had at home,” he said. As a result, the number of guest room devices on the resort network increased from single digits to more than 30 IOT devices. For example, guests can select various scenarios—such as ‘Morning’ and ‘Lights Out’—and their room functionality seamlessly changes. “At Nemacolin, delivering Real Life Magic extends to the technology solutions.”

Another recent project was to break down siloed systems in order to create a single and holistic view of each guest. Westmoreland partnered with vendors HAPI and Salesforce to craft targeted campaigns, align communications, and continuously optimize strategies. “We’re now delivering real-time, personalized messages that reinforce brand loyalty and help us provide a more curated guest journey,” he said.

One of Westmoreland’s proudest achievements was resolving a particularly complicated challenge that involved integrating mixed unicast and multicast streams for video and audio that had vastly different bandwidth requirements but needed to be sent to the same guest room devices. “A vendor shared with me that he had never collaborated with anyone more dedicated to finding the right solution,” he said, adding that he refused to compromise with a simpler option. “This aligns with my personal philosophy that you can accomplish a lot more when you’re not trying to get the credit.”

At the end of the day, Westmoreland’s mission is to use technology to create unforgettable moments for guests; yet he’s always mindful that it’s an adjunct to the overall experience. “It’s important to blend the right amounts of high-tech and high-touch,” he said. “Guests still appreciate the human element, particularly at a luxury resort.”

DILLARD’S INDUSTRY PREDICTIONS:

AI USE WILL INCREASE, BUT NOT AS MUCH IN THE LUXURY SPACE. “I BELIEVE LUXURY TRAVELERS WILL USE AI TO PLAN TRIPS BUT WILL PREFER TO INTERACT WITH STAFF WHILE ON-SITE.”

PERSONALIZATION WILL CONTINUE TO TREND. “LEVERAGING BIG DATA AND AI TO CRAFT BESPOKE EXPERIENCES ENSURES THAT GUESTS FEEL GENUINELY CARED FOR,” HE SAID.

SMART ROOMS WILL BE IN DEMAND. “EASE OF USE WILL ALWAYS BE A CONSIDERATION FOR GUESTS AND MEMBERS. AND CONSUMERS WHO PRIORITIZE SUSTAINABILITY WILL APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN IMPROVE ENERGY CONSERVATION AND REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT.”