Kempinski Hotel Corvinus, the first hotel in Hungary to install the iRiS Sommelier, has reported a 21% increase in wine sales per cover during November 2011, compared with the same month in 2010. Giardino, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, adopted iRiS Sommelier to turn their wine menu digital. The application was installed onto iPads in October 2011 and allows Giardino to present their wine cellar in an exciting, informative and impressive way. Diners no longer need to trawl through the heavy, leather-bound, wine menu; they can browse through the list in their preferred language, enticed by the stunning images and detailed descriptions of the wines and regions. Searching by grape variety and regional preference to find the perfect wine is simple. Additional information such as tasting notes, aromas and other characteristics are all available at the touch of a finger.
The iRiS Sommelier allows diners to view each wine label, share easily, select by type of wine, colour, size, grape and region, as well as price, and actually shortlist their preferences. This enables them to discuss these with the restaurant’s Sommelier and waiting staff in person. This smart, personal interaction leads to a more informed dining experience, and an inspired wine selection process that actually reduces wine selection time.
A recent new feature is the Sommelier Recommendations where the restaurant can promote, showcase and suggest preferred wines. This is already a very popular feature and assists diners who are not knowledgeable about their wines, are unsure or perhaps wish to avoid embarrassment.
Operationally, the restaurant can update their wine lists instantly. Changing products, prices and availability couldn’t be simpler and is instant, without any wi-fi requirement in the restaurant. The removal of printing costs enables the restaurant to be more environmentally friendly, allows the restaurant to be pro-active and makes this a compelling advance in the dining experience.
"We are always looking to innovate and provide diners with a better experience. The feedback from our customers has been excellent and they are enjoying choosing their wines more than ever. It brings our wine list to life and allows our Sommelier to interact on a different level with the customers," commented Zoltan Tóth, F&B service manager at the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus.
For more information about iRiS Sommelier please contact iRiS Software Systems.