The Situation Like all Hyatt Regency resorts, the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach boasts superior service and top-notch amenities. A mouthwatering array of food and beverages are available throughout the resort. The Californian is the resort�s signature restaurant, where guests enjoy California cuisine in a dramatic setting. At Pete Mallory�s Surf City Sunset Grille, guests are served in a fun and light-hearted surf atmosphere. Other options include two lounges, 24-hour in-room dining, and Surf City Grocers�an Island-style market offering gourmet snacks, pastries,

Location: Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa Market Segment: Resort Technology: Mobile POS, gift cards, offline capability, banquet functionality Return on Investment: Improved guest convenience, increased efficiency, improved visibility to business metrics

The Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach required a highly flexible and open systems point-of-sale (POS) solution to integrate with their proprietary property management system. The POS solution also needed to be accessible from a shared user interface that groups guest transaction data into various back-office reporting output. Ultimately, the resort�s management needed their POS solution to contain all this functionality while being easy to use. Ease-of-use was important in allowing management to focus on the business of serving guests.

Finding the Right Solution

Managing a grand opening of a large hotel resort is no small task, and one that Hyatt Regency takes very seriously. Brand reputation is on the line. And for the hospitality industry, reputation is everything.

Hyatt undertook an extensive decision-making process in order to find the right POS solution that could handle their immediate operational needs, grow with them into the future, and help them deliver the level of service their reputation depends on.

�We chose Revelation from InfoGenesis for Huntington Beach after a successful implementation in our Chesapeake Bay, Maryland property,� said George Vizer, Vice President, Food and Beverage for Hyatt. �We couldn�t be more pleased with the opening. The InfoGenesis team was remarkable. The professionalism of their project team and superior product architecture combined for a winning solution. InfoGenesis has helped us provide the high level of service our reputation depends on.�

Seeing Return on Investment

The Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach has seen impressive return on investment since their InfoGenesis solution has been implemented. Tight integration with existing software and opportunities to take advantage of new integrated technology have helped the resort become more efficient and better able to serve guests. In addition, the reliability and ease-of-use inherent in the solution has allowed staff to better focus on guest needs.
 

Mobile POS

In addition to 19 IBM SurePOSTM touchscreen terminals located in resort restaurants, cafes, bars, and gift shops, handhelds are used to serve guests at poolside. Guests can order food, beverage, and retail items directly from their lounge chairs. After the items are delivered, charges can be settled at poolside or can be applied to a guest�s account, which is settled at checkout.

For guests, this technology helps provide superior convenience and service. For the resort, the additional benefit comes from having a unified POS system. All order information automatically posts to a single POS system through an advanced XML (eXtensible Markup Language) interface. This technology allows for consolidated reporting that helps managers to make more intelligent decisions based on information from all their outlets.

The handhelds also provide the server with instant menu information. Having easy on-screen access to item information eliminates the need for extensive memorization and reduces long training times. All this increased efficiency has lead to greater guest convenience and satisfaction.

�The InfoGenesis XML strategy for system interfaces was a key differentiator for us,� said Robert Bansfield, Vice President, MIS for Hyatt. �The Revelation POS software, linked with handhelds, has given us a complete solution that allows us to provide a superior level of convenience for our guests.�

Better Service Through Integration

This high level of integration extends from new mobile devices to existing solutions the resort has already implemented. For example, through an interface to their existing property management system (PMS), InfoGenesis is helping the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach see significant efficiency increases by eliminating duplicate data entry and manual compilation of data. These common tasks are now automated, saving staff many hours of administrative work.

Revelation�s open architecture allows users to take advantage of other best-of-breed applications by readily accessing the data stored in the SQL Server database. This centralized database pulls the entire enterprise together, providing access to information from all outlets in real time.

�At Hyatt, our goal is to leverage technology to help us provide better guest service,� added Vizer. �The level of integration Revelation offers helps us achieve success. Seamless integration with our PMS means guest accounts are always current. This helps us interact with our guests in an intelligent, responsive way.�

Banquet Functionality

InfoGenesis also created feature functionality specifically for Hyatt to enhance catering and banquet operations. All event information is prompted for at the POS terminal and printed on the client check. Reporting of financial data relevant to these events is viewed via the Revelation Reports Module. Manual recording of event detail is no longer necessary, saving staff time and the resort money.

Offline Capability

Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach management also appreciates the advanced offline capabilities of Revelation. These capabilities allow the resort to set up a terminal and operate a cash bar for an event or banquet anywhere in the facility by simply setting up a terminal in offline mode. This offline functionality allows terminals within outlets to process orders locally and then sync up all data automatically. When a connection to the server is reestablished after the event, all checks that are stored on the terminal�s hard disk are uploaded to the server for processing. This feature not only makes it easy for staff to serve guests in convenient locations throughout the resort, but also allows the resort to increase revenue with the confidence that no transactions are unaccounted for.

These offline capabilities, combined with IBM terminals, ensure the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach years of trouble-free service. This reliability means resort guests are never inconvenienced by technology. Instead, guests are consistently served by resort staff at the highest possible level.

Superior Reporting

Hyatt is taking advantage of the InfoGenesis Partner Program to develop a custom reporting tool. This tool allows Hyatt to export data to perform comparative analyses between properties. This solution gives unit, regional, and corporate operations managers instant reports on business performance�permitting them to make immediate adjustments to changing business conditions. This capability helps Hyatt achieve the objective of increasing its profit margin. 

Hyatt food and beverage managers can now use information to identify necessary adjustments that need to be made, easily organize and implement those adjustments, and evaluate the results from many different perspectives. Key performance indicators can be monitored and acted upon swiftly, rather than waiting for data to be compiled into month-end reports. Hyatt management now has the tools necessary to make creative use of information for things like menu engineering and implementation of cost control measures that have bottom-line impact.

Flexible and Creative Guest Service Options

The ease-of-use inherent in the Revelation system makes for smooth rollouts of new customer service programs. For instance, the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach uses gift cards. Set to prepaid amounts, these cards can be used at any outlet. The resort is also planning to offer guests a frequent dining program. All these programs are implemented within their InfoGenesis solution.

To date, Hyatt has also installed Revelation POS at their Chesapeake Bay, Atlanta, and Newport properties. Hyatt management understands that partnering with a quality POS solution provider allows them to better focus important internal resources for maximum efficiency and to serve guests at a consistently high level.

To find out more about the technology solutions InfoGenesis provides to resorts, call us today at 800-242-5434 or visit www.infogenesis.com.