Larkspur Hospitality unveils "Virtual Laundry Maid"

Sure, it's still laundry. But it's almost like something out of "The Jetsons." When Larkspur Hospitality Company introduced the friendly voice of its new Laundrimate system to guests of its Larkspur Landing and Candlewood Suites hotels, the chore got a 21st Century makeover.

Laundrimate, provided by Web Service Company, is an automated system that monitors the availability of the washers and dryers in the hotel's laundry room. When a guest calls the system, it advises whether or not a machine is free. If not, the guest gets a call back from Laundrimate when a machine becomes available.

According to Peter Mulligan, president and COO of Larkspur Hospitality Company, this "virtual laundry maid" service is the next-best thing to a private, in-suite laundry facility.

"Our guests will no longer have the annoying experience of hauling their laundry to the laundry room, only to find that the machines are all in use," said Mulligan. "We've found a way to use technology to make our free laundry facilities more convenient."

The addition of Laundrimate is part of Larkspur Hospitality Company's planned move toward integrating more technology into its properties. Only one other hotel chain in Northern California so far uses the Laundrimate system.

"We installed Laundrimate because we were looking for a way to integrate as many high-tech amenities as possible into our properties," Mulligan added. "Laundrimate is a point of interest for our guests that helps us stand apart from our competition."

The Larkspur Hospitality Company's extended-stay properties, located in Northern California, Oregon and Washington State, are known for providing guests with amenities not typically found in traditional hotel rooms.

SOURCE: Larkspur Hospitality Company