Delaware North’s Parks and Resorts division operates in some of the most iconic locations in the country, including Yosemite, Yellowstone and Grand Canyon national parks, Niagara Falls State Park in New York and at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Florida’s Space Coast.
Over the last several years, the team has increased their focus on improving the guest experience by implementing innovative technology solutions to create more efficient and seamless transactions that allow guests to spend more time exploring.
In May, Delaware North launched self-service check-in kiosks at Yavapai Lodge in Grand Canyon National Park. The kiosks allow guests to fully complete the check-in process, including validating identification and creating room keys, which helps to reduce the wait time for guests to check in, especially during peak times.
The Yavapai self-service check-in kiosks from Canary Technologies are the first of their kind for Delaware North and have already been successfully used by thousands of guests.
“We were excited to officially launch the check-in kiosks at Yavapai Lodge and have been very pleased with guest adoption and positive responses to the new technology,” said Jim Zilliox, senior director of technology for Delaware North Parks and Resorts. “This was made possible through extensive collaboration between the Grand Canyon operations team, technology, marketing, sales and many others.
Zilliox added, “Over the last six months we have introduced new technology solutions at our lodging units, including the check-in kiosks, that aim to provide a seamless guest experience.”
The Space Shop at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (left) and nine of the Yellowstone General Stores (right) feature self-service kiosks that allow guests to efficiently check out and spend more time exploring the iconic destinations.
Parks and Resorts has also implemented a significant program to install self-service kiosks in its food & beverage (F&B) and retail operations.
A total of 85 retail and 59 F&B kiosks have been installed across many locations, utilizing systems from technology partners Mashgin, XPR and Tapin2. This includes about 34 retail kiosks at nine of the Yellowstone General Stores that Delaware North operates in the national park and 17 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
“The kiosks have allowed for shorter queue times and more efficient transactions, which is especially important as the parks team prepares for their busiest time of year,” Zilliox said.
Other Parks and Resorts locations where the F&B and retail kiosks have been installed are The Gideon Putnam in New York, Grand Canyon, Kalaloch Lodge in Olympic National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California, Niagara Falls State Park, Nova Guides in Colorado, The Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone in Montana, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, The Squire at Grand Canyon in Arizona, Tenaya at Yosemite in California and The Westin Buffalo.
