While hotel room night revenue in 2022 is projected to reach $168.4 billion, within one percent of 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, continued staffing shortages are expected to contribute to slower recovery of revenue from food and beverage and other services, according to The American Hotel & Lodging Association 2022 State of the Hotel Industry Report.

To accelerate food and beverage revenue recovery, properties such as Morongo Casino Resort and Spa are turning to innovative technology that enables guest self-service dining reservations and payment around-the-clock every day to stimulate increased revenue through additional availability and frictionless service.

Agilysys self-service kiosk technology now enables Morongo’s latest all-you-can-eat dining concept The Marketplace by Fabio Viviani. For one price, guests can enjoy unlimited dining selections conceived by the celebrity chef and presented at seven stations that represent offerings from different areas of the world.

Using kiosks located directly in front of the restaurant, guests schedule and pay for dining by the day, time, and guest count of their choice. Earned points, complimentary gifts and other offers can be redeemed at the kiosk and deducted from the dining cost. When the reserved table is available, the guest receives a text alert and checks in with the restaurant host.

Agilysys enables data from The Marketplace by Fabio Vivani dining experience to be integrated with Morongo’s end-to-end food-and-beverage systems as well as overall room, casino, and property systems to provide guest spend analysis and understanding. The system has improved the all-you-can-eat dining experience by empowering guests to self-select and reserve dining days and times rather than waiting in line for availability and by processing payment at the time of the reservation, eliminating checkout wait times. Morongo has seen an immediate increase in all-you-can-eat food and beverage revenue and has been able to focus employees on other areas where they are needed.

"At Morongo, the guest experience is paramount, and we value the important role technology plays in continuously innovating and improving that experience,” said Richard St. Jean, chief operating officer for Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. “As a trusted Morongo partner for a number of years and the proven provider of the integrated point-of-sale and property management technology already throughout our resort, the decision to work with Agilysys to develop the POS technology at The Marketplace was an obvious one.”

When developing The Marketplace concept, the Morongo technology team chose to implement solutions that enable convenient guest experiences while also freeing time for employees to provide enhanced world-class guest service.

“We’ve been thrilled to welcome thousands of guests – both new and familiar – to The Marketplace since its opening,” added St. Jean. “Our self-service POS/seating system has enabled them to spend less time in line and more time enjoying the resort the way they want, whether that is playing their favorite slots and tables, enjoying a live band, or sipping cocktails with friends. Further, the eased line management affords our Marketplace hosts the opportunity to deliver a more personalized level of service to our diners.”

The Morongo Casino Resort and Spa complex also uses Agilysys solutions for its core property management (PMS) and point-of-sale (POS) needs, as well as for mobile check-in/out, digital keys, mobile self-service food and beverage ordering, contactless payment, and accepting and tracking cashless transactions wherever guests are throughout the hotel, casino, spa, and pool deck.

“We are excited to be part of the Morongo success story,” said Jeba Kingsley, vice president professional services of Agilysys. “Morongo has seen an immediate boost in revenue as guests are spending less time waiting in lines and more time enjoying all that the property has to offer. By adding our self-service kiosk technology to our other property management and point-of-sale solutions on property, we have been able to help Morongo improve employee experiences to help retain the best employees, and in turn, elevate guest experiences to capture more revenue.”

Morongo uses Agilysys solutions to optimize experiences across a variety of guest options, including: a hotel with 272 guest rooms, 32 suites and six casitas; a world-renowned casino with 195,000 square feet of gaming; a 24-hour fitness center; a luxury spa; nine restaurant concepts ranging from fine dining to quick service; and poolside plus 24-hour food and beverage service. The complex also includes the Morongo Travel Center, a gas station and convenience center with 32 fuel pumps, EV charging options and eight Tesla Superchargers, a car wash, dog park, and a 100-slot machine gaming area of its own.

Located near Palm Springs on the Morongo Indian Reservation, what began as a small bingo hall in 1983 has grown into one of the most established and successful Native American casinos in the state of California. The present Morongo Casino Resort and Spa opened in 2004 and is one of the largest tribal gaming facilities in the United States.