Hotel guests can now access hotel services and local information from the comfort of their own iPad - before and during their stay - with the launch of VirtualHotel from Cardola.

The app eases the stress of planning ahead by enabling guests to view menus and find out about hotel events and local attractions, before they have even set foot inside the hotel.

The application is currently used on in-room iPads within three luxury hotels including The Marbella Club Hotel and The Hotel Puente Romano.

From today hotel guests at these resorts will be able to download the same application to their own iPad, extending the services of the hotel by providing access to information and services wherever they are.

The VirtualHotel application is easy-to-use and, once checked-in, guests will have access to a range of services and options, including the ability to view restaurants and reserve a table, book a round of golf at a local course or request concierge services – all from beyond the vicinity of the hotel.

There is also an option to view the bill and check the local weather.

The application was designed by Cardola, who identified a gap in the hospitality market to increase sales and developed a solution from within a luxury Spanish hotel, as Tim Butterworth, managing director at Cardola, explained: “The application, which we consider as the perfect catalyst for guest engagement, has been tried and tested successfully within three European hotels for over two years. 

“It gives guests a robust and easy way to interact with the hotel and find out about local information, allowing them to make the most of their precious time away.

“Making the app available for download means hotels can extend and enhance existing concierge services and give guests the option of using either the in-room iPad or their own tablet to book services or be more discrete about their request if they feel unable to speak to a member of hotel staff,” he continues.

The application is supported by iPad 2 and iPad 3, providing high resolution images to support content and the option of viewing information in multiple languages - removing the daunting prospect of translating your request from one language to another.