�By combining our operational and financial hospitality expertise with a technology focus, we are expanding our unique position as the largest hospitality-specific consulting firm,� says HVS Boulder Managing Director, Greg Hartmann, who also serves as director of the new division. �We will provide advice on technological amenities and internal informational systems, with a particular focus on functionality, usability, flexibility, and cost effectiveness in a hotel operation.� 

HVS has been monitoring developments in hospitality technology over the past few years and has published numerous articles on the topic.  Most recently, Elizabeth Lauer, a Senior Technology Strategist for the division, was named Author of the Year by Hospitality Upgrade magazine, the hotel industry�s leading technology publication. The formation of this division was in response to client requests for advice on technology issues including budgeting for technology expenditures, current system optimization, new technology selection, vendor responsibility analysis, and technical product contract negotiation.

With an eye toward increased revenues and lower operational expenses, HVS Technology Strategies performs "technology due diligence" on behalf of hotel owners, developers, and operators.  The division's understanding of a property's value proposition allows it to examine a system's usefulness from both an operational and financial perspective.   Additionally, the division�s technical understanding and industry knowledge enables it view various technologies from a business perspective, allowing hoteliers to understand the impact of new technologies on their operations and bottom line.

Hartmann has 15 years of hospitality experience as the managing director of the Boulder office of HVS International and is a graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. Working with Hartmann, as Chief Technology Strategist, is Chris Hartmann, who has 18 years of experience managing large-scale information systems and technology projects. He holds a degree in computer science from Harvard. Together, they lead a team of consultants who are seasoned hospitality professionals with experience in strategic planning, systems development, and support.

HVS International was created in 1980 to satisfy the growing demand for reliable and well-documented hotel market studies and feasibility reports. Today, with a staff of more than 100 specialists in 11 offices around the world, HVS offers a wide range of services including valuations, strategic analyses, development planning, litigation support, executive search, waste management, gaming and restaurant consulting, asset management, investment services, timeshare consulting, operational and management strategy development, and technology strategy consulting.