March 6, 2002 - On the north bank of the Ottawa River just minutes from downtown Ottawa and near the largest high tech park in Canada awaits a surprise: the verdant 152-acre Château Cartier.  Recently named �Canada�s best downtown golf resort� by Golf Canada Magazine and owned by Resort Investors Int. ULC, the four-star convention resort property caters to high caliber clients.  Technology executives, government policy makers, and fashionable tourists drive the property to make guest service its top priority. 

�Resort Investors strongly believes in reinvesting in the resort which means giving our guests the best in accommodations and services.  We give our guests everything they want, as much as possible,� explains Francis Caron, Château Cartier�s Front Office Manager. 
 

In the past year that meant a $1.4 million room renovation, and technology upgrades with NORTHWIND�s Maestro PMS system that streamline sales and catering bookings, finesse year-round packages through yield management, and provide detailed guest history reports which put employees and clientele on a first-name basis.  Ginette Levesque, Sales and Catering Coordinator for the Château, noted she is now saving 15 to 20 minutes per sales call with the new Maestro Sales and Catering software.   She ploughs the time savings back into improved customer service and

Château Cartier 1170 Chemin Aylmer  Aylmer, Québec  Canada

�It has gone from having to retype everything to a client asking, � I need the same package as last week.  Can you do it for me?  It was 100 people for two days, no bedrooms, F&B, and meeting space.� We can book that business now in under three minutes and the clients don�t have to wait for us to  go back to the sales team,� Levesque continued. 

Caron also noted the property�s ADR is up for the year thanks to the Maestro Yield   Management module, which also helps with seasonal packages.

The Château Cartier Spa Sante� is a great source of pride and room nights for the property.  With pool, hot tub, weight training, a separate air-conditioned aerobic/exercise room, as well as indoor squash and racquetball courts, many of the hotel�s guests come solely for the golf and wellness packages. 

�Packages are a large part of our guest mix,� commented Caron, �We offer combinations of amenities and services at all times of the year.  In fact, our Valentine�s Day package proved to be very good for us.  I programmed it in the Maestro system in a few minutes, and then configured the yield management part to meet the dates and occupancies surrounding the package.   Yield can often be very time consuming because you are looking a year ahead, but the new system is well designed so I have more time to spend with guests and staff.� 

Caron estimates he spends about 30% of his time on IT functions, a savings of five to six hours a week.  Before installing the yield management module he spent half of his time on IT. 

In addition to the hard numbers of cost containment, Caron outlined some of the soft benefits of Château Cartier�s technology upgrades.  �I have more time to be creative, to think clearly, and to make more lucrative decisions.� Caron also praised his employees:  �Everyone is smiling.  The stress level is way down.  The employees actually have time to talk with each other and our guests, which is important in a hotel work environment.�

Alain Miroux, General Manager of the four-star Château Cartier Relais Conference Resort sums it up:  �The employees at Château Cartier work hard to know our guests and greet them personally.  It is the small extras that make a property special.  Our renovation has left us with a beautiful hotel.  The Maestro enterprise system has put new tools into our hands and continues to be an essential tool at our property.  We consider NORTHWIND our partner in guest service.�