Blog #5

Hotels these days are looking for more and more channels to distribute their brand. One of the more popular ways customers are looking for hotels is on the internet. One of the world leading lodging franchise operators, Choice Hotels International Inc, has introduced a newly designed website called ChoiceHotels.com. This website is designed to meet the online customers hotel needs and desires in their search for a hotel by using direct feedback and input from hotel guests as well as other extensive research. The company will then make the changes that the guests have suggested, making their future customers stay more enriched for their travel needs. Some enhancements of the website include, the Ability to search by attraction, city, Zip Code, address, and more using a single entry, finding the best deals with hotel comparisons, highlighted deals and amenity icons, being able to easily compare rates and packages according to needs and interests, having a personalization feature to save favorites for trip planning and faster future booking, streamlining online profile and account sign-in, and improved Choice Privileges pages for easier account management. The company has also been able to continue expanding it's customers opportunites through applications on the iPhone and other mobile devices.

Global Distribution Systems and channels have totally become a huge part of the hotel industry. ChoiceHotels.com is just another means of helping hotels get their name out there. I like the idea that a customer's ideas and thoughts can actually make a difference. I am a person who is reluctant to fill out surveys and opionion sheets because i always feel as if they are tossed to the side and not really taken into account, because i always hear the same complaints from people that have just experienced what i have experienced in the past...filled out customer suggestion sheet and all. However, it sounds like the ChoiceHotel.com website has it's act together. The internet can bombard a potential customer with so much information that sometimes they just pick the first thing that shows up for them rather than picking a hotel that will work for their needs and wants. If somebody always finds a hotel through the ChoiceHotel.com website it is nice to know that they can personalize their searches in so many different ways like by price, city, amenities, interests, and needs. Our job as future workers of the hotel industry is to make sure the customer will be happy. If they aren't pleased from the start of booking their reservation online, then that will make our job that much more difficult.

"Choice Hotels Takes Guest Input to Heart: Revamps Website According to Direct Feedback" , Hospitality Technology, 2/4/2010

http://www.htmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=3E19674330734FF1BBDA3D67B50C82F1&tier=4&id=0ADC9F26611D487D98090EA0685E9994

Blog #4

Data from one of the world's largest hospitality shows have shown that even despite hard economic climates that the Internet usage from business and leisure guests at leading hotels has increased 50% since 2009. iBAHN, a leader in digital entertainment and solutions also found out that not only are the guests utilizing the internet services more, but they are also spending 60% more of their time on the internet as well. Ypartnership, an author of the closely watched National Traveler Monitor, found out two thirds of buisness travelers have downloaded music (67%) and another 60% has downloaded video, while one half has downloaded news (54%)or entertainment (52%). This information is relevant to hotel's because the model of "free internet to the guest" is becoming unreasonable and uneconomical do to the fact that some guests have different bandwidth needs. Bandwidth costs are starting to increase a lot and hotels will begin to see their bandwidth expenses rise without receiving any benefits to their daily rates or occupancy. However, an earlier study that was done found that if a guest was unhappy with their internet service that they would not return to the hotel.

Well this is quite the pickle! Offer internet or go broke paying for the bills? Sometimes its hard to choose your priorities. Internet is a huge commodity now and places that don't have internet just aren't doing as well as they places that have it. Lets face it, there are so many places that are willing to offer the free internet that if other places began to charge for it that there would begin to be a problem. However, if hotel's that were struggling needed to receive some sort of compensation for it, they could add it into the cost of the room. That was the guest wouldn't realize they are paying for the internet. Or the hotel could have a computer station set up, similar to the Courtyard Marriott at the University of Delaware, where they could monitor the amount of bandwidth used by the customer, so if they tried to download anything that would take up a lot of bandwidth they would be notified. It would do the establishment worse to rid the place of internet access to customers all together. I know personally that i expect to be able to use the internet when i am on vacation and i know others do to. Keep the internet, figure it out.

Blog #3

Cox-Hospitality Network is an advanced, full service facility-based provider of high tech video, data and video solutions, as well as creating and introducing new technology for in- room guest services and data technology for the hotel-gaming industry. Their new technology is designed to offer optimum guest satisfaction and experience. A highlight of the new technology is the 1o gigabit fiber optic circuit that runs to a telecommunications junctions room which provides Cox services into properties that can lengthen out to a 67 acre urban destination. The technology is using Internet Protocol television (IPTV)in order to provide 230 channels of domestic and international TV, and 75 of those channels are commercial free, including one to check your flight reservations. Cox-Communications Las Vegas provides state of the art video-on-demand, high definition, digital cable and interactive services, as well as wired and wireless services to more than 125,000 guest rooms in the worlds largest gaming and resort hotels. Cox-Communications is the third largest US cable company, which serves 6.2 million residences and businesses. Cox company is also advancing new technology in cable telephone, commercial care, and outstanding customer care in the workplace. All in all Cox-Communications is one of the top pioneers in advancing hotel, and commercial technology.

Cox-Communications is definitely a wonderful forward thinking institution in today's hospitality technology. One of the best parts about the hospitality business is making the guest more comfortable and have their stay at your establishment go as smoothly as possible. The technology that Cox is coming up with in the next few years is doing just that. Utilizing the fiber optic circuit to connect different establishments that are miles apart is something that could not have been done just a few years ago. Being able to link over 4000 gaming rooms to one network is definitely changing the way the city of Las Vegas operates. This kind of technology can up the security and safety of casinos, which can be dangerous if they are not handled in the correct way. In a previous blog I talked about the fact that new technology could be taking the hospitality part of our industry out of the equation, but i feel that with the kind of advancements that Cox-Communication is making, that this is not the case. They are making the mundane tasks of our job easier, by making necessary connections within the industry easier. Our world is becoming more high tech, and in a fast paced place such as Las Vegas which is constantly making changes to keep up with the times, it only makes sense to have the best in technology advancements.

Blog #2

Many hotels are being to "embrace the revolution" of new technology by taking on Communication Integrators Inc. (Cii)'s new toy, guestLINK. guestLINK is a device that allows its user to plug in any device, such as an iPod, laptop, personal gaming system, DVD player, camcorder, etc and be able to enjoy the use of those devices through the comfort of their own hotel room. According to the CEO of Cii, this invention is the equivalent to air conditioner and television sets being introduced into hotel rooms, so much so that it "will transform the way guests will spend time in their rooms". Because of the convenience of guestLINK to the guest, it was found that 37% of hotel guests will spend more time in their rooms, which will increase revenue for the hotels through on-site guest amenities such as room service. Cii is constantly dedicated to revolutionizing the hotel industry by enriching in-room service for guests and creating products that are "ever-evolving" with the times. guestLINK is the considered the first of it’s kind connectivity panel that provides ultimate satisfaction both for the guest and for the hotel’s bottom line.

guestLINK is definitely a step up in technology for the hotel industry. This is definitely a great invention for hotels looking to make more money seeing as many people are completely connected to their devices. However, even though some guests may spend more time in their rooms and be ordering a bunch of room service, it also hinders them from enjoying the hotels other amenities. If you are cooped up in your room playing with your iPod, how are you going to go out and enjoy the spa services, outdoor excursions, or for the casinos, the gambling!? I believe that I would be a guest that would think that the idea of the toy is nice but I can guarantee that the hotel wont be getting that much money from me out of it. When I go to places cool like Vegas or Hawaii, I plan on spending as much time out of the hotel as possible because I can play with my computer and iPod any time I want. However, I do think that this device would be great for people who are traveling on business not pleasure. It would definitely be a great device for people on the road that constantly need to be connected. All in all, guestLINK will definitely be the first step in bringing hotel service up to the times.

http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/_news/showNewsDetail.asp?docID=3587

"MGM MIRAGE's CityCenter Las Vegas Offers guestLINK™ Connectivity Technology", Hospitality Upgrade, 1/12/2010

Blog #1

“Automation vs. Human Interaction: Are we Alienating our Customers with IT?” is an article that talks about the possibility that technology could be hindering the hospitality part of our industry and whether or not it is making us lose contact with our customers. One of the main reasons for this happening to our society is due to the internet. Because the internet has become a part of most everybody's daily life, a growing number of customers are choosing to book their flights and hotel rooms online at home. Also many hotels and restaurants back in the day used to be considered mom and pop type places but now many hotels and restaurants focus on consistency in their business rather than authenticity. This worried people in the coffee industry since coffee shops in the past have been seen as a very hospitable environment rather than a fast paced money making machine. However, it is important to realize that the times are changing and the industry is being to look at a generation that grew up with technology as a large part of their lives. Facebook and Twitter offer people the opportunity to connect to these restaurants on a different level and also for the restaurants to offer more promotions and advertisements. In a nut shell, technonlogy can be good and bad for a business. The fact is people are not going to become obsolete, so run your buisness how you want it to be run.

The whole reason I myself got into hospitality was for the opportunity to work with people. I refused to be stuck behind a cubicle all day with stacks of paper and no sunlight. While i am well aware that there are days that this is going to happen, I am sure the days of interaction with others will make my days of signing and stapleing worth it. However, just because i enjoy the hospitality part of our industry does not mean that i think the advancements in technonlogy are taking away from that in any way. I understand that some people in the article were concerned that some businesses wouldnt have as big of an advantage over the ones that have all the fancy equipment (for example: a boutique coffee shop vs Starbucks) but that is their choice to keep it that way. The truth is the times are changing. I am a former coffee shop employee of a place simlar to Starbucks, but just because i had a machine in front of me to help me take orders didnt mean that i was going to stop being friendly, warm, and welcoming to every customer that I came across. Hospitality is not something that one can lose just because you have a computer help you do the math. Human nature is not going to change; people will always appreciate being treated like they are the most important person that ever walked into your life.

Jerry Leman, “Automation vs. Human Interaction: Are we Alienating our Customers with IT?”, Hospitality Technology, 1/5/10

http://www.htmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=3E19674330734FF1BBDA3D67B50C82F1&tier=4&id=957046E73654451A98523749A16B4217