Bypass Room Keys And The Check In Desk With Latest Virgin Hotels Mobile App

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Jun 30, 2020, 09:00 ET

MIAMI, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Hotels, the growing lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson, announces an updated version of their mobile app Lucy, rolling out even more contactless features for guests to employ from their own smartphones. The updated app, which the hotel launched in 2015 as one's "personal comfort assistant," will debut alongside the recent reopening of Virgin Hotels Dallas and the grand opening of Virgin Hotels Nashville this July.

The upgraded app will bring some exciting new features; mobile key functionality and chamber selection will be available when joining Virgin Hotels' Loyalty and Preferences program, The Know. The Know members can avoid touching and keeping track of a plastic room key, as Lucy can now handle everything from checking in to unlocking the room directly with mobile key capabilities.

For all hotel guests, Lucy can also control the lights from the palm of their hand, unveiling three new lighting themes: "Get Lit," a bright, master setting; "Get in the Mood," a dimmed, relaxed setting; and "Do Not Disturb," a dark setting for sleep. These features join Lucy's current capabilities including "Get Comfy" controls (thermostat and TV remote functionality) and the ability to order room service anywhere on property.

Virgin Hotels understands that now more than ever, comfort and peace of mind is crucial as people look to begin traveling again. With these new app functions, guests will be able to effectively socially distance and minimize the use of shared devices such as remotes, while still ensuring their stay is hospitable and enjoyable.

Moreover, users of the Lucy app can access Apple Music and jam out to their playlists, exercise in the hotel fitness center with custom routines powered by Fitbod, and purchase hotel gift cards.

"Since the very beginning, Lucy has brought a personal touch to each guest. Now she'll have the ability to help our guests personalize their stay entirely, while also helping them to feel safe and comfortable when traveling," stated Denise Walker, Vice President of Information Technology. "Virgin Hotels has always prioritized the ease of stay and overall guest experience, so we are incredibly enthusiastic about this new rollout."

The updated mobile app will debut tied to the Virgin Hotels Nashville grand opening on July 1^st, 2020, while simultaneously launching at Virgin Hotels Dallas which reopened recently. All future hotel openings will be fully compatible with the new mobile app offerings as well. Virgin Hotels Chicago will see an individual rollout of the functionalities with all above capabilities implemented later in July 2020. The new version of the app also includes the opportunity for guests to provide feedback on their stay in real time, letting the properties work to improve the guest experience almost immediately.

Virgin Hotels' mobile app Lucy will keep its original features, including the ability to book stays, provide local recommendations, order room service, initiate service requests, and provide an up-to-date look at individual hotel happenings, news and programming.

The Virgin Hotels app is available for both Apple and Android mobile devices. To download, search Virgin Hotels or click here.

To learn more about Virgin Hotels and Lucy, please visit www.virginhotels.com. For future developments, please visit https://development.virginhotels.com/.

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About Virgin Hotels:
Virgin Hotels is a lifestyle hospitality brand that combines heartfelt service, straightforward value and a seamless, personalized hotel experience with the track record of innovation and smart disruption that Sir Richard Branson's global Virgin Group has pioneered for 50 years. Each property intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture, fusing with the local landscape and providing a vibrant and inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. Virgin Hotels Chicago - named the "#1 Hotel in United States" in 2016 and "#1 Hotel in Chicago" in both 2016 and 2017, by the Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards - Virgin Hotels Dallas are now open. Locations in Nashville, New York, New Orleans, Miami, Edinburgh and Las Vegas to follow. Virgin Hotels continues to explore hotel and office conversions as well as ground-up development in cities such as Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, and London.