Technology’s Role in Hotel Operations Management (Part 1): History and Challenges
Call it the accidental boss. Born at the dawn of the computer age to digitize check-ins and calculate guest expenditures, the hotel property management system (PMS) started in earnest. In fact, it was hardly a PMS at all. These early systems were more akin to a series of not quite [...]
Case Study: Cobblestone Hotels
Based in Neenah, Wisconsin, Cobblestone Hotels is a premiere upper-midscale brand with currently over 140 hotels open, under construction or in development across 18 different states in the United States. Founded in 2008, Cobblestone was a small brand and couldn’t originally envision the success they achieved in ten years. [...]
3 Ways to Improve Guest Loyalty at Your Hotel
Encouraging guests to come back time after time can be a challenge. Whether you run a hotel chain or a quaint, boutique bed and breakfast, guest loyalty is likely one of your main priorities. Since many hotels now have to compete not only with each other but also with OTAs [...]
3 Ways Technology Can Improve Your Hotel’s Concierge Services
Hotels that are dedicated to providing great customer service devote a substantial amount of time and energy developing and cultivating their concierge services. The concierge desk provides valuable services to guests and can ensure that their stay is an overwhelmingly pleasant one, and in today’s digitally connected world, concierge desks [...]
HITEC 2018: Your Guide to the Houston Convention
If it’s summer, it must be HITEC. For those not in the know, it’s the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference, the hotel industry’s longest running hotel technology conference. It also happens to be the largest event of its kind, and the most attended. And for good reason - it’s [...]
Stop Human Trafficking Now!
The human trafficking crisis has burst into the American consciousness during the last few years. What was once happening in the shadows, and behind closed doors in places such as hotels, is now getting a bright spotlight shown on this catastrophe. And its making people act. The International Labour Organization [...]
Ready or Not… GDPR Compliance Is Here
GDPR at a glance By now you have probably heard about the new privacy law enacted by the European Union (EU) that took effect May 25, 2018. Called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the new law impacts those organizations based in the EU, and it also potentially applies to [...]
SkyTouch launches learning management system
SkyTouch Technology launched the SkyTouch University learning management tool, and enhancements to its SkyTouch customer community. SkyTouch customers can now customize training modules to educate staff regarding on-property best practices, and processes for achieving key objectives, such as improving the guest experience and driving revenue. Read full article here.
Get to know the Kensington Park Hotel
In this week’s SkyTouch customer spotlight, we travel to the Kensington Park Hotel in San Francisco, an upscale hotel that shares a unique space with five other entities. The building is owned by the Elks Lodge in San Francisco, who occupy several floors including a health club in the basement. [...]
Cyber Security: Your Hotel May Depend On It
The security of your data is critical to your business. Credit card fraud topped $24.7 billion in 2016, according to Nilson. Hoteliers must follow strict rules based on the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which requires all companies that accept, process, store or transmit credit card information [...]
Two Ways That Technology Can Mitigate Rising Labor Costs
North American hotels are experiencing record revenue as the economy continues to grow, but there is a downside to all this economic growth. Wages in the hotel business are rising faster than rates, which can cut into a hotel’s margins. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that total compensation for [...]
Harnessing Your Hotel Data to Drive Profitability
There’s an old Latin adage “knowledge is power.” Though the phrase itself dates to early recorded history, it’s still as relevant today as ever. It’s especially true for the modern hotel business. It’s now possible to turn what was once invisible data into actionable insights from which to make smarter, [...]
That Reservation Could be Costing You
One of the biggest challenges to a hotelier’s bottom line is guest acquisition costs. It’s why we’re seeing major hotel companies such as Hilton create ad campaigns designed to encourage customers to book direct. According to Forbes.com, third-party online travel agencies (OTAs) charge up to 30% in commission fees per [...]
Property Spotlight: King Hendrick Motel – Lake George
After a winter full of blizzards, many in the Northeast are dreaming of summer right now. This week we travel to upstate New Year to visit a seasonal property that is part of the SkyTouch customer community. The King Hendrick Motel sits on four acres in the heart of Lake [...]
Monetize Your Hotel Guest Check-In
Hotels are now charging guests more than ever before. But in many markets, new hotel construction is eating away at demand and lowering overall occupancy. That makes it more difficult to continue increasing rates at the same pace as the last several years. According to R. Mark Woodworth, Senior Managing [...]