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The Benefits of a Tablet POS System for Modern Hospitality

The Benefits of a Tablet POS System for Modern Hospitality

In today’s restaurant and hospitality landscape, staying competitive requires more than just good food and great service; it demands adaptability, efficiency, and a customer-centric approach to every aspect of the business. Technology has become the cornerstone of achieving these goals, and at the heart of it all is the tablet-based Point of Sale (POS) system. Gone are the days of clunky, stationary POS stations—today's tablet POS systems redefine the way restaurants and hospitality businesses operate, delivering unprecedented flexibility and functionality.

Among these solutions, GoTab’s Tablet POS system stands out, seamlessly integrating with any device and operating system while introducing features like shared tabs, which transform the guest experience into something effortlessly intuitive. 

Enhanced Flexibility and Mobility

The fundamental appeal of a tablet POS system lies in its mobility. In a fast-paced environment like a restaurant or hotel, servers and staff need to be able to move quickly from table to table, lounge to lobby, or even out to an outdoor dining area. With a tablet POS, they’re no longer tied to a single terminal, freeing them up to engage guests and deliver exceptional service from any location. They can take orders, process payments, and even answer questions on the spot, reducing wait times and making every interaction with guests more personalized and responsive.

What makes GoTab unique in this space is its flexibility across operating systems. Unlike many POS providers that limit businesses to specific devices, GoTab works seamlessly on iOS, Android, and Microsoft operating systems. This flexibility means that restaurants don’t need to invest in expensive, brand-specific hardware to get started. Existing devices can often be repurposed to work with GoTab, cutting down setup costs and allowing businesses to scale up or down with ease. From small cafes to sprawling hotel lobbies, GoTab’s cross-operating system functionality supports any configuration without the need for specialized hardware investments.

Elevating the Guest Experience

Today’s guests crave a seamless, interactive experience that gives them control over their dining or lodging journey. Tablet POS systems empower staff to fulfill these expectations with tableside ordering and direct-to-kitchen input, reducing the time between ordering and receiving a dish or drink. For guests, this means less waiting and more enjoyment—an experience that reflects positively on the brand.

GoTab goes further by introducing a unique feature that enhances this interaction: shared tabs. With GoTab, guests can open a tab, share it among friends or family at their table, and add to it throughout their stay. This feature transforms the group dining experience, allowing each guest to order, pay, or split the bill independently, removing the friction often associated with group checks. In practice, this means that a large table can manage their orders effortlessly, freeing servers to focus on timely service and hospitality rather than managing individual payment logistics.

Speed and Accuracy that Boost Efficiency

The ability to take orders and process payments tableside is a game-changer for restaurant efficiency. In traditional setups, servers write down orders or try to remember them, then rush back to a stationary POS to input everything manually. This process is not only time-consuming but also prone to human error. Tablet POS systems remove this barrier entirely, allowing servers to input orders immediately and transmit them directly to the Kitchen Display System, significantly reducing errors and wait times.

With GoTab’s streamlined ordering process, staff are empowered to focus on guest service, while GoTab handles the technical work in the background. This automation ensures that orders are accurate and organized, helping kitchen and bar staff prioritize and manage their workflow efficiently. As a result, service speeds up, errors decrease, and tables turn over faster, contributing to a higher revenue potential and a more satisfied customer base.

Cost-Effective and Easy to Maintain

GoTab’s unique ability to work on any device brings even more value to the table. Because it’s cloud-based, GoTab eliminates the need for costly on-site servers, and businesses can continue using the devices they already have, avoiding new hardware purchases. Whether you’re starting a new establishment or updating an existing one, GoTab’s flexibility allows you to save on setup costs and minimize ongoing maintenance, focusing your resources where they matter most: on delivering an outstanding guest experience.

Data-Driven Insights for Smarter Decisions

Beyond improving service, tablet POS systems offer another critical benefit: access to real-time data and analytics. Cloud-based POS systems like GoTab’s enable managers to view sales, track inventory, and analyze customer trends from anywhere, allowing for smarter, data-driven decisions that can boost profitability and enhance the guest experience.

GoTab’s reporting tools are designed to provide deep insights into every aspect of the business, from high-performing menu items to peak dining times and customer preferences. With this information at their fingertips, business owners can make informed choices about menu updates, inventory management, and staffing, all while staying attuned to customer needs and preferences. In the competitive hospitality industry, these insights are invaluable, helping businesses adapt quickly and stay relevant.

A Scalable Solution for Growing Businesses

As businesses grow, so do their needs. One of the most compelling benefits of a tablet POS system is its scalability. Adding new devices or expanding to new locations is far easier with a cloud-based, tablet-compatible solution than with a traditional POS setup. The flexibility to add new tablets and configure additional locations with minimal cost and effort makes tablet POS systems ideal for businesses with growth on the horizon.

GoTab’s POS system was built with scalability in mind. Its ability to function across any operating system means businesses can expand seamlessly without worrying about hardware compatibility. Whether a single device needs to be added for a seasonal event or an entire new location is coming online, GoTab can be integrated quickly and easily, ensuring consistent, efficient service for every guest, everywhere.

For businesses that want to stay ahead, GoTab’s tablet POS offers the tools to not only meet guest expectations but exceed them, paving the way for a more efficient, scalable, and guest-centered approach to service.

To learn more about how GoTab can elevate your guest experience, request a demo today 

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Situated “in the heart of it all, yet tranquil enough to make you feel away from it all too,” The Limelight Hotel Snowmass offers 99 hotel rooms and 11 residences, as well as footsteps-to-gondola access in winter and summer — right in the middle of Snowmass Base Village.

The Situation

Especially over the last few years, the Limelight Hotels IT team had witnessed a significant shift to contactless technology in the hospitality industry. After evaluating friction points in the guest journey, aligning with modern technology platforms in their restaurant was determined to be an effective way to offer elevated contactless dining experiences to their guests while also evolving their technology platforms to continue to support long-term company goals. Limelight Hotel partnered with GoTab to provide an enhanced on-demand dining experience on par with the brand’s reputation for exceptional guest service.

The Solution

Reducing Staff Touch Points Without Sacrificing Guest Experience

Guests are now able to begin a tab from their room or the property’s restaurant by scanning a QR code, texting a link to friends or family members on the ski slope to add in their orders, then meeting up together at the patio or lodge to enjoy their meal and après ski festivities without interruption. By streamlining tasks like inputting orders and processing payments, this eliminates friction for hotel staff and allows them to focus on delivering renowned guest service for a memorable experience. Since partnering with GoTab, Limelight Snowmass has consistently seen higher check averages and sales.

“We found the Point of Sale platforms we were looking at offered the guest and staff limited opportunities to further reduce touch points or improve the traditional restaurant experience. The GoTab platform enabled the guest to take an active role over the flow of their experience while simultaneously reducing touch points and further streamlining restaurant operations.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group

According to the Limelight Hotels team, some of the other platforms that were evaluated were either missing some of the pieces they were looking for, had weak customer support models, or had little willingness to develop integrations to existing hotel platforms already in place. To that end, GoTab integrated with cloud-based platform, Infor. Together, GoTab and Infor are providing dynamic solutions to support central, efficient service across hotel amenities and deliver exceptional guest experiences.

“Previously, guests would call down to the restaurant to begin an order from their room or while they were out enjoying the ski slopes. Using GoTab, guests can now place orders from anywhere on the resort, giving them the on-demand service they want without interrupting their day. GoTab empowers us to give control to the guest, reducing touch points and streamlining overall restaurant operations, making Limelight Hotel the resort of choice for Snowmass.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group

Since introducing GoTab, The Limelight Hotel has seen a consistent level of upsells and items sold per check resulting in additional revenue capture. They have been able to maintain service levels in their restaurants during periods when there was reduced staffing available without significantly diminishing the guest experience.

The Benefits

Eliminate Phone Orders – Take Orders from the Slopes. Guests can start a tab from their room or on the mountain without interrupting the flow of their day.

Future-Proofed Technologies – Delivering elevated contactless ordering via integration with the Infor hotel management platform.

Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.

  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.

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