The speed with which technology is moving in the hospitality industry is amazing, everyday there is something new and exciting on the market. Suppliers are working together with hoteliers to provide the best service possible from technology and service, IP is the solid foundation which enables convergence for many of the hotels.
Before there were always separate systems for the PBX, PMS , CRM etc, now it is a one stop shop which may seem difficult but convergence is making it all possible.
Before the wow factor was when a guest could view their bill on the television, today it takes a whole lot more to get the wow factor from the guest. Technology plays a big part today in contributing to that wow factor, after all the guests are expecting more than what they can get at home or in the office when they enter that hotel room. while hotels can use technology to reach the guest outside of the room, via online registration and loyalty club points, the hotel room remains the most important.
Vendors must be willing to work with hoteliers in providing this support, if they are not then the lifespan of their company would be very short."Hoteliers have always been concerned with getting heads in beds. Solution providers must concern themselves with keeping those heads satisfied." Both hoteliers and solution providers have to enter into a business relationship that will be advantageous to them both.
Reading the articles really brings it home as to how much technology is changing the industry. Now less is better, which can be a good thing, getting more done with less systems in place. However, they must be careful and ensure that they do have a backup plan in case something goes array. The next time I visit a hotel I will inquire/ look at their system and see how far along the hotel is.
Phillips, D (2006, March 01). Bring Them All Together - How the WOW the Guest. Retrieved April 13, 2007 from , Web site: http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/_magazine/magazine_Detail.asp?ID=63
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Thursday, April 5, 2007
"Do you know what they are saying about your hotel?"
The internet is a forum where anyone and everyone can express their thoughts and opinions. The hotel business has recognized the importance of blogs and postings and has made it easier for guests to leave their comments and reviews on their websites. This has not always been the case, in the early days of the internet, finding a website which was easy to navigate and leave or read a comment was quite difficult. Now there are a number of site which offer these services and are user friendly; sites such as TripAdvisor.com, IgoUgo.com, Mytravelguide.com and Travelpost.com.
"Many major travel booking sites have now added customer reviews and ratings. Expedia and Travelocity offer guest reviews and ratings while Priceline, Hotwire and Hotels.com provide customer feedback by numeric rating scales (e.g., 4 out of 5 or 7 out of 10). Some sites offer users incentives to post both reviews and photographs. IgoUgo,for example, gives points-style incentives for free gifts from companies such as Target, iTunes and Amazon to users who post reviews or photos.”
However, with the upside of the forum, where potential travelers can use the sites and blogs as a gauge to make a reservation at a particular hotel based on comments from a website or blog, there is also a downside. Granted there will not always be good reviews, hotels have to protect themselves and ensure that those who did indeed write a blog, good or bad, was actually a guest at the hotel. Disgruntled ex-employees, malicious competitors, forever dissatisfied customers or the case of the mistaken site, where the wrong comment is posted on the wrong site, is something that managers have to be on the lookout for.
Due to the effect such comments may have, sites have taken a number of steps to ensure that the claims made are legitimate. Some sites limit who can post a comment, Expedia uses their sign in process to see if the person actually booked a hotel within the given time frame. Others contact the hotel if a poor review is posted on the site to ensure that the validity of the posting.
The biggest problem for owners/ managers of a hotel is finding out what is being written about their hotel. It is a long and tedious task, however when they do find out what is being posted they should immediately take action to rectify the problem and clear any misunderstandings.
The internet can provide a wealth of information. When booking my holidays I do go online and read some of the comments posted. However, it is unclear whether a person wrote a bad comment out of spite or if it was truly warranted. Everyone view and experience things differently. What may be pleasant for me may not be for another individual, and so I do not put too much into what the others are saying. I am willing to take the chance and experience it myself.
Your Hotel? - How guest review Web sites may be impacting your Hotel.
Retrieved March 23, 2007 from, president of Hospitality Technology
Consulting.Web site: http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/_magazine/magazine_Detail.asp?ID=67
"Many major travel booking sites have now added customer reviews and ratings. Expedia and Travelocity offer guest reviews and ratings while Priceline, Hotwire and Hotels.com provide customer feedback by numeric rating scales (e.g., 4 out of 5 or 7 out of 10). Some sites offer users incentives to post both reviews and photographs. IgoUgo,for example, gives points-style incentives for free gifts from companies such as Target, iTunes and Amazon to users who post reviews or photos.”
However, with the upside of the forum, where potential travelers can use the sites and blogs as a gauge to make a reservation at a particular hotel based on comments from a website or blog, there is also a downside. Granted there will not always be good reviews, hotels have to protect themselves and ensure that those who did indeed write a blog, good or bad, was actually a guest at the hotel. Disgruntled ex-employees, malicious competitors, forever dissatisfied customers or the case of the mistaken site, where the wrong comment is posted on the wrong site, is something that managers have to be on the lookout for.
Due to the effect such comments may have, sites have taken a number of steps to ensure that the claims made are legitimate. Some sites limit who can post a comment, Expedia uses their sign in process to see if the person actually booked a hotel within the given time frame. Others contact the hotel if a poor review is posted on the site to ensure that the validity of the posting.
The biggest problem for owners/ managers of a hotel is finding out what is being written about their hotel. It is a long and tedious task, however when they do find out what is being posted they should immediately take action to rectify the problem and clear any misunderstandings.
The internet can provide a wealth of information. When booking my holidays I do go online and read some of the comments posted. However, it is unclear whether a person wrote a bad comment out of spite or if it was truly warranted. Everyone view and experience things differently. What may be pleasant for me may not be for another individual, and so I do not put too much into what the others are saying. I am willing to take the chance and experience it myself.
Your Hotel? - How guest review Web sites may be impacting your Hotel.
Retrieved March 23, 2007 from, president of Hospitality Technology
Consulting.Web site: http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/_magazine/magazine_Detail.asp?ID=67
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)