Smart service in practice: Evaluating the impact of digital ordering and POS integration at Crowne Plaza, part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts

The Topic

As guest expectations evolve, technology has become the quiet engine behind effortless service and memorable dining. For a full-service hotel managing multiple venues, from restaurants to in-room and poolside experiences, the real challenge lies in maintaining consistency, efficiency, and profitability without losing the personal touch that defines great hospitality.

To address these challenges, Crowne Plaza, part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts portfolio, adopted Shiji’s Infrasys POS and Stellaris Digital Dine, a powerful integration designed to optimize order flow, eliminate manual inefficiencies, and empower guests through self-service ordering. The result is a connected F&B ecosystem that delivers real-time communication, seamless payment handling, and data-driven operational insights.

The Study

In collaboration with the Crowne Plaza,  part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts, Shiji conducted a focused evaluation of how integrated restaurant technology can optimize service and operational performance across multiple dining outlets.

The study aimed to determine how a connected POS and digital ordering platform could improve service delivery, operational consistency, and guest experience within a full-service hotel environment. Specifically, it assessed the impact of this technology on order accuracy, staff productivity, guest satisfaction, and centralized data management.

Participants:

• Lynn Clemente, Director of Culinary and F&B Services, IHG Hotels

• F&B Management Team, Crowne Plaza

• Technology Partner: Shiji Group

Methodology

The study draws on qualitative interviews with key stakeholders and operational observations from the Crowne Plaza F&B leadership team. As the property implemented Shiji’s systems from the outset, comparisons are based on historical benchmarks and professional experience across similar IHG properties.

Analysis focused on:

• Order accuracy and processing efficiency

• Guest engagement and satisfaction

• Staff productivity and workload reduction

• Reporting and data utilization

The mobility and ease of use have significantly improved order handling and reporting efficiency across venues,” Lynn Clemente, Director of Culinary and F&B Services, IHG Hotels.

Key Findings & Insights

Operational Efficiency & Staff Productivity

Before adopting Infrasys POS and Stellaris Digital Dine, F&B teams often struggled with manual order-taking, delayed communication between service points, and double-handling of payments.

Today, Infrasys POS’s mobile accessibility, via iPads and handheld devices, has streamlined these processes dramatically.

• Orders can be taken and payments processed on the spot, eliminating paper trails.

• Real-time syncing between outlets ensures accuracy and communication efficiency.

• Reduced manual input enables staff to focus on guest engagement rather than administrative tasks.

Accuracy & Reliability

With 95% of room service and poolside orders placed directly through Stellaris Digital Dine, order errors have been virtually eliminated.

This automation reduces miscommunication between guests and staff and ensures that requests are transmitted instantly to the kitchen and service teams.

Key Impacts:

System Integration & Data-Driven Management

Infrasys POS integrates seamlessly with Crowne Plaza’s existing hotel systems, centralizing reporting and operational oversight across multiple outlets.

This integration minimizes manual data entry and ensures consistent performance insights that can be shared across the broader IHG network.

“This setup allows for centralized data management, making it easier to track performance, share insights, and maintain consistency across outlets,” Lynn Clemente

Guest Experience & Service Consistency

The introduction of Stellaris Digital Dine has redefined guest convenience. Guests can now browse menus, place orders, and make payments directly from their mobile devices, whether in-room or poolside.

Results:

“Stellaris Digital Dine allows guests to order and pay from their own devices, promoting convenience while easing staff workload,” Lynn Clemente

Financial & Resource Efficiency

By deploying QR code ordering at the pool, Crowne Plaza eliminated the need for dedicated order-taking staff while maintaining (and even increasing) sales throughput. Although implemented from the hotel’s opening, prior experiences indicate strong financial efficiencies in similar IHG setups.

Observed Benefits:

• Reduced labor costs at pool outlets

• Improved order capture and upselling potential

• Higher operational scalability with fewer resources

Metrics Summary

Conclusions

The partnership between Crowne Plaza,  part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts and Shiji Group exemplifies how digital transformation in hospitality can drive measurable gains in efficiency, accuracy, and guest satisfaction. Through Infrasys POS and Stellaris Digital Dine, the hotel has created a unified F&B ecosystem that simplifies operations, empowers guests, and supports data-driven decision-making.

Looking forward, the Crowne Plaza Sydney team envisions continued innovation in digital guest engagement, sustainability practices, and scalability across IHG’s broader network, positioning the hotel as a leader in smart hospitality technology adoption.

Solutions Implemented:

The hotel deployed Infrasys POS in conjunction with Stellaris Digital Dine to deliver a fully integrated in-room dining and F&B ordering ecosystem. The key components of the solution include:

• A guest-facing Digital Dine interface enabling browsing, customization, and ordering of in-room dining menus via personal devices.

• A multilingual, intuitive user interface designed to align with global guest expectations and reduce friction.

• Seamless backend integration with the Infrasys POS system, ensuring real-time order syncing, accurate routing of orders, and efficient payment processing.

• Reduced touch-points for guests, enhancing privacy and convenience by allowing self-service ordering and payment without requiring staff to manually take the order or process the transaction.