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Rich Siegel Talks with Wendy Mertz, VP of Non-gaming Applications for Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, to Discuss What This Iconic Brand Is Doing to Reinvent Itself After a Pandemic.

How does one of the industry’s most iconic and recognizable hotel brands reinvent itself after a pandemic? On this week’s HU High Five with Rich Siegel, the HU president and publisher sits down with the vice president of non-gaming applications for the world-famous Hard Rock Hotel group. Wendy Mertz tells us about the innovative steps her company is taking as the world bounces back from the global pandemic that brought travel to a halt in the first half of this year.

Not even her twenty years in the business with Hard Rock Hotels prepared Wendy Mertz for what happened to the industry when the pandemic hit in early 2020. “During the past few months we’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to reinvent how we do things, whether it’s bringing contactless payment into the environment, or putting temperature checks in place to keep our guests and our staff safe … things like that,” said Mertz In addition to implementing changes with current operations amidst the crisis, the company is looking toward the future by launching an innovative new brand called Reverb by Hard Rock.

“It is a lifestyle brand where social interaction is key … Technology is at the forefront of this brand … Reverb was built to put things into place the way you (the guests) want to use it. So, if you want to call and talk to someone, you can. If you want to book something on a website, you can. If you want to do something via chat, you can.”

Reverb will introduce guests to Eve, their version of a virtual concierge. Eve will use technology to guide guests virtually through their stay.