Madonna Inn

Nested in the natural beauty of San Luis Obispo, California, the Madonna Inn and its three internal retail shops radiate an eccentric pink excellence of their own that attracts celebrities and whimsical wayfarers from across the globe alike. The Inn is famous for the extravagant and unique décor of each guest room and the premise at large – especially around holidays, when they go all out with their decorations. This, along with their fine cuisine, local entertainment, and much more, is part of the extravagant experience Madonna Inn offers its patrons.

The eclectic experience is augmented by the venue’s three shops, which are powered by the Retail Pro software platform. A clothing boutique, a gift shop with glassware, candy, and Madonna Inn-branded mementos, and a gourmet shop with wine, chocolate, cheese, and toys offer a broad variety of the lux facets of Madonna Inn and give each patron the joy of bringing home a small treasure from their vacation. Lauren Chester, the Retail Coordinator for the shops, told Retail Pro International in an interview that they

At the boutique, the Retail Manager, Cheri, who has been with Madonna Inn for over 30 years, leverages her fashion expertise to give customers the pampered experience of having a personal shopper. With her cultivated eye, Cheri chooses the apparel and style that will be most flattering to each customer’s unique figure and tastes. If a particular item is out of stock, a shop associate will create a special order through Retail Pro, so every customer leaves satisfied.

Beneath the pomp and pink, Madonna Inn is still a business, and patrons have come to expect this caliber of shopping experience every time.

Retail Pro provides the retail management platform that makes this unique experience happen. From the outset, the management team at Madonna Inn worked closely with their Retail Pro Business Partner, Big Hairy Dog Information Systems, to define the optimum workflow and customization for their particular needs. As a business that is primarily a venue, Madonna Inn already had in place hotel management software, so integration between these and Retail Pro was of first priority.

Thanks to the integration through the Retail Pro Property Management Link, Madonna Inn can offer their patrons the ease of connected shopping. The technology integration allows the shop clerk to bill that purchase directly to the patron’s room, so customers have supreme ease in buying memorabilia from the gift shops or ordering add-ons like customized gift baskets with champagne, chocolates, and cheeses. In addition, the café runs the Retail Pro touch menu presets and is integrated across the board, giving customers complete freedom to satisfy their every craving without the hassle of going back up to their room for their wallet.

To get everyone up to speed on how to use the software, Madonna Inn had on-site training for their clerks. Even after the comprehensive training, however, they still encourage every clerk to practice with the Retail Pro functionality by diving right in and exploring everything. “We know that since there are different access levels, new employees can’t actually hurt anything in it when they tinker around,” Lauren told us.

Lauren added, “There is a learning curve, of course, like with anything else. But after one month, we were fairly comfortable using Retail Pro. After 6 months, it was easy! And we’re still discovering new functionalities. Employees help each other learn more efficient ways to use the software.”