GREENVILLE, SC— Guests have come to expect in-room hot beverage service as well as a good quality coffee at the Wingate Inn, Greenville Airport, according to Ron Searle, front office manager. Four years ago the Wingate Inn switched suppliers as a cost-saving measure, “and our guests picked up on it right away. It was a different grade of coffee and we ended up going back to our original supplier,” Searle said. The property has a high percentage of repeat customers who quickly notice changes, he said, adding “Our one-time guests didn’t know the difference.” For its in-room coffee and tea service, the Wingate Inn has a small six-cup brewer by Mr. Coffee in each room, Searle said. The coffee is the Higgins & Burke brand and is supplied by Filterfresh. “The Higgins & Burke coffee is pre-measured and sealed within a filter so the guest just has to put it into the basket of the coffeemaker and there is no mess with measuring,” Searle said. Three packets of coffee are put in each room, including two regular and one decaffeinated. “The tea we use is really a generic type and purchased through U.S. Food Service,” he said. “When the guest wants tea, they use the coffeemaker for heating the water.” Condiment kits are also offered and include creamer, sugar, an artificial sweetener, stir stick and napkin. Each guestroom has china cups for the hot beverages, Searle noted, with disposable foam cups also available. Popular Choice “We don’t have things like cocoa in the room but we have a hot beverage center in the breakfast area [of the lobby]with cocoa, coffee, tea and cappuccino available 24 hours a day,” he said. About 70% of the guests take advantage of the in-room service, Searle indicated. “Coffee is by far the most popular hot beverage. Based on what we restock, tea is probably 5% or less of the volume,” he said. Searle estimated that 92% of the Wingate Inn’s clientele is business-oriented and 8% leisure. He also said that 90% of the guests are men. “We’re a business hotel and we find that our guests primarily use the in-room beverage service when they’re working in their room, either in the evening after they’ve been out, or during the day if they’re conducting business,” Searle said. Also, to cater to the business traveler, Wingate Inn offers high-speed Internet access in every room; two phone lines; a two-line speakerphone with voice mail; free local telephone calls; and a cordless phone. There is also a 24-hour, complimentary self-service business center featuring two computers, both equipped with color printer and high-speed Internet access. In the morning, guests are generally inclined to take advantage of the Wingate Inn’s continental breakfast rather than opting for the in-room beverage service, according to Searle. “We have an extensive breakfast with more than 50 items including hot and cold cereal; Danish; rolls; fresh fruit; waffles; pancakes; eggs; and biscuits and gravy,” he said.
