Elite Island Resort is a privately held group of companies comprising an impressive collection of all-inclusive Caribbean resorts. Established in the mid-1980s as Antigua Resorts, the company grew quickly and became Elite Islands Resorts in the late 1990s. Today, it specialises in relaxing escapes, honeymoons, weddings and spa holidays and is ideal for couples, families, friends and groups.

In Barbados, the group owns The Club Resort and Spa, the island’s sole adult-only all-inclusive resort, located oceanfront on the island’s West Coast.

The Challenge

When the Elite Group took over The Club, it found an outdated phone and internet system in place with a contract that had expired three years prior, but one that was still being enforced financially. Joerg Roterberg, Vice President of Operations, recalls; “This system led to bad quality of service being provided to our guests, the cost of the system was unreasonable, the equipment being used was outdated, the service received was terrible and, to top it off, there was a lack of trust since the provider had not notified us that the contract had expired.”

“The situation we found ourselves in was unfortunate because financial discipline and trust are vital for the effective operation of a resort,” he continued.

To avoid the situation getting any worse, the company invited businesses to tender for the new switchboard and communications solution, which also included all cell phones and internet for both customers and the resort’s offices.

The Solution

Roterberg recalls; “Digicel Business submitted a very professional proposal which was presented by senior members of its management team. The know-how, as well as the value for money and the advanced technologies presented as a solution for our communication problems, made the difference when compared to the alternative proposals.”

The appropriate due diligence was conducted by the Digicel Business team and this was the foundation for the proposal submitted. Digicel Business stayed in close contact with The Club’s IT Department and Roterberg described the communication on the technical level as “excellent“.

He continued by saying; “Digicel Business was the only company to take a blank page approach – and it paid off. The solution identified and presented by Digicel Business was the best option for the needs of the Club – and its parent company, Elite Island Resorts, agreed.”

Designed to provide guests with a secure, resilient and easy to operate communications platform, ranging from in-room phones to Wi-Fi internet, the solution implemented by Digicel Business was an Avaya IP Office. This is a safe, reliable and easy to operate communications system, scalable for the eventual roll out of all IP phones. It is also more cost effective than The Club’s previous arrangement, with the resort now owning the system and all maintenance carried out by Digicel Business.

While installing the solution, there were some delays due to the age of the cabling at the resorts, however, Roterberg commented; “There are always hitches when a new system is being installed and this was no different, however all challenges were resolved professionally and in an adequate time frame.”

As a result of the solution installed by Digicel Business, Roterberg says; “We at The Club are able to function on a much more professional basis, offering all promised services to our guests and ensuring a professional internet solution. We are also able to upgrade our financial reporting capabilities and our communication and back up services which we do in conjunction with our head office in Florida. All of these steps require a stable and reliable communication platform.“