Maestro PMS and SilverWare POS plan to unveil a new, customizable, mobile tableside ordering and payment platform to customers this month during its free touchless guest journey webinar series. The In-Seat Contactless Platform goes beyond conventional PMS/POS integration to give guests touch free control over their dining experiences. Restaurant patrons can scan a QR code to upload a digital menu, order meals, split the check, add a tip, and pay via their personal mobile devices or post charges directly to the hotel room. All transactional data is shared between the hotel’s SilverWare point of sale and Maestro property management systems, enabling managers to view and track guest spend, identify meal preferences, load and redeem gift cards, apply discounts, and manage loyalty points easily with no additional hardware or mobile app required.

“In today’s post-COVID world, contactless technology is a must for building customer confidence, adding differentiation, and driving revenues,” said Lucky Thalas, SilverWare executive vice president. “We’ve created a digital dining platform adaptable to multiple outlets in the hotel environment that eliminates guests’ touch-point concerns. The In-Seat Contactless Platform replicates the elevated dining experience of a luxury or boutique hotel restaurant, but it is driven through the diner’s mobile device to minimize wait staff interaction.

“As experts in restaurant technology, we developed this platform from the perspective of a seated guest. Menu items and prices are seamlessly synced from SilverWare to the guest’s mobile device for instant deployment. Diners can view the full menu, select a course, name seats for diners, tag allergies, and even request expert service in real time. This is not an online ordering system converted for in-restaurant use, but rather a purpose-built platform for in-restaurant dining that frees up staff to focus on upselling and increasing guest spend … improving speed of service … boosting operational efficiencies … and curating an exceptional dining experience.”

Here’s how it works: Hotel guests use their mobile phones to scan a QR code displayed at the dining table to upload a digital replica of the restaurant menu, complete with detailed item descriptions and images. Diners wishing to pay individually can upload and view the menu on their personal devices. When individual orders are placed, a server will present each person with an order code (via digital print out or tablet computer) adding a layer of security. At the conclusion of the meal, diners add a tip and pay their bills using Apple Pay, Google Pay, other digital form of payment, or post charges to the folio upon room number verification. If only one check is required, the guest hosting the meal can upload each person’s order to his or her phone. When the group order is placed and the provided order code is input, food preparation begins. Throughout the meal, additional menu items can be ordered, gift cards can be loaded and redeemed, and guest loyalty points can be accrued and displayed in real-time via integration to the Maestro PMS. Servers can also identify and treat diners to eligible discounts based on their hotel rate and alert them to any messages that the front desk may have for them.

“Maestro is well aware of the challenges our clients and other hoteliers are facing to build confidence among guests that their properties are safe and able to serve them in a hospitable way by leveraging technology,” said Warren Dehan, Maestro president. “Convenience and contactless ordering are key to improving the guest journey and putting people’s minds at ease knowing that hotel and restaurant management are taking their health and wellbeing into consideration. That’s why Maestro is continually working with partners like SilverWare to extend beyond the PMS to meet changing needs amidst this new normal.”

The joint technology is capturing more than just reservation data between the systems. SilverWare dining reservations are now visible on the single guest itinerary within Maestro, along with detailed check look-up from the guest folio, and IP integration with unlimited sales itemizers. The integration records guest transactions in front-desk ledgers and non-guest transactions paid digitally or by cash, credit card, debit, etc. It also supports house accounts (staff), members, owners, loyalty, club members and A/R accounts.

“This sophisticated level of integration provides a direct link between the front desk, hotel guests, and diners,” Dehan said. “More directly, it gives guests the freedom to use hotel dining amenities and post charges to their rooms, avoiding the need to touch any physical ordering or payment device beyond their personal mobile devices. We encourage all Maestro and SilverWare users to join us July 21 or 22 to get a more thorough explanation of this highly competitive and in-demand digital platform that is pilot tested and go-to-market ready. Soon, we will be adding in-room dining and sales-and-catering components to drive even more revenues from this streamlined solution.”