New York—June
16, 2010—For F&F Realty Ltd., owner and operator of seven
nationally
franchised hotels in Illinois, renovations today don't come without
investing
heavily in guest-service technologies -- especially those that help
travelers
to more easily conduct business while on the road and mirror the
services they
already rely on at home or in the office. At the Crowne Plaza Chicago
O'Hare
Hotel & Conference Center in Rosemont, a recent multi-million
dollar renovation included the development
of a new Business Center environment from TTI Technologies that is
reaping big
rewards in guest satisfaction and revenues.  TTI (www.ttitel.com)
provides self-service solutions to hotels, resorts,
and hostels that are easy to operate, require minimal staff
interaction, and
include design, installation and on-going 24/7/365 management and
support.
Solutions include: Driver’s License, Passport and ID Scanners;
Self-Service
Business Centers; Boarding Pass Printing Stations; Self-Service
Concierge and
more. TTI will showcase its solutions at the Hospitality Technology
Exposition
and Conference (HITEC) June 22-24 at the Orange County Convention
Center in
Orlando, Booth No. 559."Taking care of business is easier than ever before with the hotel’s new business center from TTI," said Eli Finestone, F & F Realty Director of e-Commerce. "We equipped the area with five computer workstations, a printer, scanner/copier and plenty of plush seating for laptop users. And, as part of the Business Center, we created Boardroom Express, an eight-seat conference room that rents by the hour. Available 24/7, it’s ideal for those seeking a professional, private setting near O’Hare to conduct interviews, board meetings, depositions or similar events." Finestone said the new Business Center is not only a big hit with guests, but it's a big revenue generator for the hotel. Previously, F&F realty outsourced its Business Center operations to a company that did not share revenues. Since the hotel partnered with TTI in March, however, usage rates have increased 50 to 100 percent, and for the first time, the hotel is making money from this outlet. "Today's guests are willing to pay for business services as long as those services support what they need to do, when they need to do it," Finestone said. "Convenience is key. As long as travelers can browse the Internet and communicate 100% in the same way they do at home or on their office PC -- on a familiar desktop environment -- it instantly makes communicating and conducting business remotely extremely convenient and stress free. That's a service guests are willing to pay for. "When we began looking for an established partner to manage our Business Center operations, TTI Technologies stood out from among the many service providers in the market for several reasons, including: its familiar desktop with browsing convenience, its virtual multi-lingual keyboard that solves language barrier issues, its commission program based on generated revenues, and its ability to provide automatic upgrades to the latest software at no charge,” he said. “It's a quick and no-cost way to upgrade our Business Center equipment for the benefit and satisfaction of our guests. There's nothing simpler." Finestone said guests also don't have to work on an empty stomach, as Business Center users have access to the full menu from the property's Chicago Fire Oven. Proud Partnership  “We are excited that the Crowne Plaza Chicago
O'Hare has selected TTI for its Business Center," said Bridget Werba,
TTI
VP Business Development and Marketing. "There is a real paradigm shift
today from hotels offering business services as a free amenity to
charging for
services because they can now be delivered in a familiar and convenient
format.
No matter what model a hotel chooses, TTI recognizes the importance of
offering
multiple options to fit the unique needs of each property. We have
developed
custom packages to fit each hotel's or brand's requirements, including
unlimited free services, semi-free services and paid services.
There is no risk, only gain.”One reason TTI has become the popular choice for hotels is its new Business Center software that features a familiar home office experience by providing the entire Windows System on the PC desktop. Users around the world now instantly recognize the desktop, select their browser of choice (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari), and open/edit documents in their preferred program. Because of this enhanced Desktop, Werba said usage rates have been on the rise across all properties, including the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare. The Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel & Conference Center, located at 5440 North River Road., is situated directly across the street from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. A wealth of dining and entertainment options is also within walking distance, while O’Hare International Airport is only a mere one-and-a-half miles away. Downtown Chicago, shopping malls and family-friendly attractions are all within 15 miles from this upscale, full-service hotel. The hotel's guestrooms have been completely re-styled and are eco-friendly. Guestroom amenities include refrigerator, in-room safe, cordless telephone, 32-inch High Definition LCD television, double paned windows to eliminate sound and Full size sofa-sleepers in all King bedded rooms. Wireless high speed Internet access is available in all rooms. In addition to the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare, F & F Realty Ltd. also owns and operates the Crowne Plaza Glen Ellyn-Lombard; the Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro; the Doubletree Libertyville-Mundelein; the Doubletree Arlington Heights; the Holiday Inn Express Palatine and the Howard Johnson Downtown Chicago. For details on TTI's full line of business services, call (888) 692-4262 x201 or e-mail [email protected]. About F and F Realty Skokie, Ill.-based F & F Realty, Ltd., has been active in the operation and management of residential and commercial real estate in the Chicago area since 1979. The company currently manages seven nationally franchised award-winning hotels including: the Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro; the Crowne Plaza North Shore in Mundelein, IL; the Crowne Plaza O’Hare, Rosemont, IL; the DoubleTree Arlington, Arlington Heights, IL; and the Holiday Inn Express Palatine, Palatine, IL. It also operates four restaurants: Birch River Grill--An American Kitchen in Arlington Heights, IL; Dine, and Metro-Klub, both located in Chicago; Karma in Mundelein, IL; and Glen Prairie Fine Food & Drink, Glen Ellyn, IL. About TTI Technologies International 
TTI has been
delivering innovative solutions since 1991 serving hotels, resorts,
hostels,
airports and retailers. TTI’s technology
includes ID Scanners, Self-Service Business Centers
and Concierge Kiosks, Luggage Storage Solutions, ATMs, Signature
Capture
Devices, and more. With an international headquarters in New York City
and satellite offices in Phoenix, San Francisco, Boston, Ft.
Lauderdale, and
Mumbai, TTI is well equipped to anticipate and deliver exceptional
service. For more
information, visit www.ttitel.com. |