'˜Digital concierge' app targets holiday properties

A 'digital concierge' is launching in Edinburgh today, targeted at property owners and small businesses offering holiday accommodation to 'close the information gap' for guests.

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Julie Grieve, founder of Edinburgh-based Criton. Picture: Alan RennieJulie Grieve, founder of Edinburgh-based Criton. Picture: Alan Rennie
Julie Grieve, founder of Edinburgh-based Criton. Picture: Alan Rennie

Julie Grieve is behind bespoke mobile app Criton, based at the CodeBase technology incubator in the capital and backed by Scottish Enterprise. She is eyeing annual turnover of up to £5 million and international growth having already launched in China.

Grieve, formerly head of serviced apartment group Lateral City and serviced office group Abbey Business Centres, has self-funded the venture’s development from proceeds of the sale of her shareholding in the latter.

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“The use of smartphones and tablets in the hospitality sector has created a new platform for operators to interact with their clients in a variety of ways,” said Grieve, who has timed the launch of Criton to coincide with the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group’s digital solutions for tourism conference, taking place today at the National Museum of Scotland.

She added: “Having a Criton app for a holiday property is a cool way to present guest information – it works off-line which can be critical in areas of Scotland where there is no phone signal and is never out of date. It closes the information gap; guests know everything there is to know at the touch of a screen.”