The Ridge Hotel Garners WCEDA Business Innovation Award

MODERN REDESIGN TARGETS MILLENNIALS, BOOSTS WALWORTH COUNTY OVERALL

Lake Geneva, WI – Demonstrating a commitment to innovation with its recent multi-million-dollar redesign, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin’s Ridge Hotel was awarded the Business Innovation Award from the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance (WCEDA) at the organization’s November 10th annual meeting.

“The Ridge Hotel’s extensive renovation was an intentional approach to appeal to millennial travelers and locals who want to live and work in the area,” said WCEDA’s Executive Director Derek D’Auria during the award presentation. “The Lake Geneva area already has an upscale brand. The Ridge is now opening this brand to the millennials and will help our area tap this enormous target segment.”

Specifically, D’Auria pointed beyond The Ridge Hotel’s sleek, contemporary facelift to the technological and cultural upgrades that further strengthened the hotel’s competitive edge and performance. “Today’s e-social consumer and hospitality customer wants soundproof meeting rooms, convenient impulse areas for grab-and-go, plug-ins and media throughout a property and speed of response,” said D’Auria.

The Ridge Hotel responded with such innovations as floating ceiling sound barriers; an inviting coffee and wine bar strategically situated in the open lobby; real-time information projected throughout the public spaces on flat screens at eye level; and a completely new Wi-Fi system with enough bandwidth to allow every room and customer to stream Netflix on three devices at the same time.

Ridge Hotel General Manager Todd Baior accepted the Business Innovation Award on behalf of the hotel and its management company, Paloma Resort Properties. “The Ridge Hotel’s redesign gives our property – and the Lake Geneva area as a whole – a leg-up in a very competitive market,” said Baior. “When we book more rooms, we help raise sales – and the tide – for area businesses.”

“Our goals dovetail with that of WCEDA as a whole,” said Baior, “in that by creating successful state-of-the-art facility, we also provide more jobs and attract qualified millennials as both employees and guests.”