The luxurious, landmark InterContinental Chicago was built in 1929 as the Medinah Athletic Club in the heart of Chicago�s world-famous Magnificent Mile. The property was purchased in 1988 by InterContinental Hotels, known for its international portfolio of historic restorations, and later underwent a sweeping, multi-million dollar renovation that was completed in 2001. The result of that renovation: a four-story lobby with grand staircase and cast bronze ornamentation, 792 totally refurbished guest rooms and suites, more than 40,000 square feet of choice conference and banquet facilities, and a stunning blend of architecture and art from around the world. 

The InterContinental Chicago�s sumptuous physical beauty, however, is equaled�even enhanced�by its management�s commitment to top-quality guest services . . . and that, in turn, has been enhanced by the property�s recent switch-over from MTech�s Espresso! quality-management software to the even more streamlined, Web-based HotSOS solution. 

Smooth migration, immediate results

�Our Espresso! was a very effective and valuable quality-management tool, and when MTech introduced HotSOS a few years ago, we decided it would provide an even greater enhancement of our guest-service center�s ability to meet our guests� needs,� said John Barbier, the InterContinental Chicago�s Director of Information Technology. �We migrated all our existing guest-services and maintenance-history data from Espresso onto HotSOS, which with MTech�s help went smoothly and quickly. Even just a month after its deployment, we can see that HotSOS has significantly streamlined our ability to manage anything from a guest�s request for extra towels to problems with a particular guest room�s heating or air conditioning.�

Barbier said the Espresso!-to-HotSOS migration was completed in mid-May, and added that that the switch-over has resulted in three major benefits.

�The HotSOS user interface is much easier to use, and it can be used by any of the staff, not just guest services staff,� he said. �If a housekeeper or a bellman sees a problem that needs to be fixed, or a guest requests a service from any staff, they can immediately access HotSOS using any computer or telephone and instantly communicate with staff responsible for taking care of the problem. Second, the system is hosted by MTech, so we get all the benefits that go with that, such as not having to set up and maintain the system on-site. And third, HotSOS allows a much greater level of detail to be included in the work order. In short, HotSOS is a much more effective means by which to get our guest-services job done.�

Barbier, a former employee of IT vendor companies, has the unique advantage of being able to judge hotel technology from a vendor�s and an end-user�s point of view.

�I�ve installed numerous systems, both as vendor and user, so I�m very aware of how hotel staff can be resistant to change when a different system is implemented,� Barbier said. �In the case of HotSOS, however, our employees� response has been extremely positive�there has been no resistance to change. I�ve never seen such overwhelmingly positive acceptance on the part of a hotel staff.

�In addition, the response from MTech to our request for system changes�for example, changing reports that we wanted in a different format�has been great,� he added. �HotSOS simply helps us deliver better guest services by giving our people the best tool available to accomplish that task�and when you can deliver better guest services, it�s very good for business.�

Improved services, higher guest satisfaction equal better bottom lines

�We�re very gratified that the InterContinental Chicago has joined the growing list of world-class properties that are turning to HotSOS to enhance their guest services and, by doing so, the level of their guests� satisfaction�and, in turn, their bottom line,� said Luis Segredo, President and Co-Founder of Miami-based MTech. �John Barbier and his hotel�s staff are discovering what all our hotel clients have discovered�namely, that HotSOS delivers improved work-order dispatching, expanded data manipulation, and better report generation and sharing options.

�The bottom line,� Segredo said, �is that HotSOS creates the ability for any hotel to offer world-class guest service quickly, thanks to smarter management decisions that are based on up-to-the-minute, enterprise-wide business intelligence.�

About InterContinental Hotels
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 3,600 hotels and 537,500 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well-recognized and respected hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel IndigoTM, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. For more information, please visit the InterContinental Hotels Group Web site at www.ichotelsgroup.com.

About MTech
Since 1993, MTech has developed and installed solutions to help hotels work smarter � not harder. The company is on track to double its client base to more than 1,200 hotels this year with the introduction of HotSOS (pronounced �hot sauce�) � comprising a suite of Internet-enabled, enterprise-level quality and customer relationship management applications available on a subscription basis. The company�s Espresso! client server/site-based quality management software suite and PM-Works Internet-based preventive maintenance centric solution (also integrated as a subset of HotSOS) have been market leaders for more than a decade. MTech�s solutions are uniquely positioned and proven to help hotels improve communications, increase productivity, and maximize guest satisfaction. Unique telephone, email and alphanumeric paging interfaces improve overall workflow and communication between departments and streamline data collection and dispatching processes. Production, sales, pre-installation, and ongoing world-class service and support are provided from the company�s headquarters in Miami. For more information on the company, please visit www.m-tech.com.