Hotel Online  .Special Report


Hotel Operators Leverage Technology to Reduce Labor
Costs, Increase Revenue, Drive Occupancy;
ROI Verified
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Companies Use Systems to Boost Internet Bookings,
Raise RevPAR, Occupancy
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HITEC BOOTH # 520
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MARKHAM, ON (NORTHWIND) � June 17, 2003 - When a hotel company buys a new system of any kind, verifying the return on investment (ROI) a year later for their technology outlay is like winning the lottery; you knew it was possible, but seeing the justification in financial terms is the real reward.  Realizing a concrete ROI from your technology investment has nothing to do with luck.  The key to having a technology pay for itself is choosing the right systems for your operation. Experienced hotel operators faced with a difficult economy are proving that investing in new systems can generate revenue and reduce costs.
 
Staff Efficiency Jumps 15%, ADR 5% at Vintage Inns with Single-screen Reservation System

�Vintage Inns wanted an enterprise system that would allow us to sell benefits to guests and combine the separate guest histories from our four hotels into one database to increase booking efficiency,� said Ron Doi, Rooms Revenue and Reservations Manager with Vintage Inns. �We purchased NORTHWIND�s Maestro 


Prince of Wales Hotel
6 Picton Street
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
because it is an enterprise system that allows us to operate more cost-effectively.  Now we manage our properties centrally and our reservation staff has the ability to book rooms for any property from any of our hotels.  The increase in staff productivity is gratifying. In the Maestro system the data for all our hotels is shared between the fully integrated property modules.  Our staff only needs to learn one product, one screen, and one process,� said Doi.  �Since all properties, including our spas, are on a single Maestro database, we can see where guests have stayed in the past, track the experience they had with us, and do guest recoveries to make up for possible past shortcomings.  Another plus is that our ADR jumped up five percent after we installed Maestro.�   Doi estimates staff efficiency is increased by 15% and Maestro has improved accuracy by at least 50% with the elimination of re-keying guest information between systems. 

The four prestigious Vintage Inn properties in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, all hold a Four-Diamond rating from Canadian Automobile Club and American Automobile Club for their elegance, deluxe accommodations, and personal service.    The Vintage Inns owns the Queen�s Landing Inn; the Prince of Wales Hotel; The Pillar and Post Inn, Spa & Conference Center; and the Oban Inn. 
 

Morrissey Hospitality Increases ADR $20, Beats Comp-set 30% with Yield Management

�Minnesota is in a recession but we have the highest RevPAR in our area, based on our yield in a really challenging environment,� said Bill Morrissey, president and founder of Morrissey Hospitality Companies, Inc., a Minnesota based full service management company specializing in lodging, restaurants and catering. �When things get soft what comes bubbling to the top are


St. James Hotel
406 Main Street
Red Wing, Minnesota
inefficiencies and unprofitable areas.  What we looked for � and found � was the right technology to let us unlock yield management potential and mine our rich customer database.�

Morrissey said the company chose the Maestro PMS system from NORTHWIND for two primary reasons: �It is an enterprise system, not a standalone legacy system, and it is user-friendly.�  The company installed the new system at two of its luxury hotels: The 254-room, four-star Saint Paul Hotel and the St. James Hotel.  It did not take long for the technology to deliver.  Maestro�s yield management system helped catapult The Saint Paul Hotel to number one in RevPAR in its competitive set two months after installation.  �We beat our comp set�s occupancy by 30 percent in May according to Smith Travel Research,� said Deborah Hermance, The Saint Paul Hotel�s Director of Guest Services.  �By fine tuning the yield thresholds to raise the rates as occupancy escalated, we also exceeded comp set ADR by $20.�
Hermance also noted that prior to their new PMS system, she and the hotel�s team had to manually yield manage the 254-room hotel daily, which meant being in the system four or five times a day to coordinate separate leisure and group segments.  �Now we are driving higher rates with automated yield, not reacting to every change in occupancy.�
 

Florida Resort Boosts Occupancy with 14% Internet Bookings, Rates Climb

The classy Dunes Hotel is one of the few independent resorts on Pensacola Beach, Florida.  General Manager Beverly McCay was looking for a way to gain an edge on her competition, which are mainly flagged franchises along the Gulf Coast�s outer islands.  With her background at Stouffer 
Hotels, McCay wanted to �raise the resort standard on the beach� so that The Dunes Hotel could stand above neighboring properties.  Her solution was to purchase 


The Dunes Hotel
333 Ft. Pickens Rd. 
Pensacola Beach, Florida
new front office and reservation technology, including the ResEze� Internet booking system and Maestro Property Management System with yield management and CRM functionality from NORTHWIND.  The goal was to get more reservations from the Internet through the hotel�s site, drive rates as high as possible, and be able to mine data from their guest history to market to prior guests for higher occupancy.

�The ResEze Internet booking engine gives us an opportunity to manage The Dunes� online availability and yield Internet reservations the way larger chains do.  Since January 1, 2003 over 14 percent of our reservations are coming from our site, with virtually no fees attached,� said The Dunes� McCay.  �Our rates for Internet reservations are only $10 below rack; we pass along that discount to train our guests to book online.  Before now, online booking systems may have been affordable but they were not real time, which resulted in lost room nights.�  The ResEze system seamlessly integrates with Maestro�s yield management.  �If I put restrictions on arrivals, rates, or add minimum night stays to boost my revenue and occupancy as we fill up,� McCay continued, �they are automatically picked up through ResEze on the Internet.  Online reservations are increasing, even though we are not in Expedia, Orbitz or any other Web company.  We learned how to steer buyers to our site, and we use Maestro to market to our strong repeat business segment to boost business in our off season periods.� 

Maestro is a complete multi-module property management suite of applications that are scaleable to support multiple properties centrally from a single server, or from separate servers, or as an ASP application over the Internet.  It is available in Windows®, UNIX®, Linux® and browser-based thin-client versions and includes, Front Office, Sales and Catering, Yield Management, Customer Relationship Management, CRO, Tee times, Club and Spa Management, Accounts Receivable, Condo/Timeshare Accounting, Point of Sale, Work Order Maintenance, Back Office Accounting, GDS Connectivity, ResEze Web Booking Engine, and Centralized Multi-Property Management.

About NORTHWIND
NORTHWIND (www.maestropms.com), known in the hospitality industry for its service and state-of-the-art technology, is widely respected for providing hotels, guests, and corporate management companies with flexible software solutions.

Based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, with a network of dealers and offices worldwide, NORTHWIND is a leading supplier of software for hotel owners and operators who need to manage their enterprise in a real time environment for maximum operational control and profitability.  Designed to handle any size hotel, resort, meeting/conference center, multi-property and for the enterprise, NORTHWIND's Maestro solution offers the most productive working environment, which includes the following suite of products:  PMS, Sales & Catering, Club/Spa Management, Corporate Reservations Office, Multi-Property Management, Condo/Owner Management, Yield Management, GDS Connectivity and ResEze (Internet Reservations).  This comprehensive multi-platform (Windows 9X/NT/2000/XP, Unix/Linux, Terminal Server & Web Enabled) suite is recognized as the solution of choice for progressive and demanding organizations.  NORTHWIND is a total solution provider that offers leading-edge technologies, and unparalleled training and support. 

NORTHWIND will be demonstrating its systems at the HITEC Show in New Orleans, LA - June 24th-26th, 2003 at Booth #520. Attend Daily  Interactive Sessions - 

"Pro-Active Yield Management", The sessions: 
Tuesday, Wednesday, June 24th, 25th - 1:00pm & 4:00pm & 
Thursday the 26th  12:00pm.

"Getting The Most Our Of Your Data", The sessions: 
Tuesday,  Wednesday, June 24th, 25th - 1:45pm & 4:45pm & 
Thursday the 26th - 12:45pm.

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Contact

NORTHWIND
60 Renfrew Drive, Suite #235
Markham, ON L3R 0E1
Phone: (905) 940-1923 ext - 229
1-888-NORTH88 (667-8488)
Fax: (905) 940-1925
Email: [email protected]
http://www.maestropms.com

Also See Swan Lake Resort and Conference Center Reduces Check-In Time 25%, The Yarrow Golf & Conference Center Smoothes Operations for Well Heeled Clientele / May 2003
Bodyguards, Health Consultants Help Stressed-Out Professionals Take A Break At The Caribbean�s Premier Spa Adventure Resorts / May 2003 
Maestro Enterprise Suite Leverages Strong Functionality for Multi-Property Operating Companies, Delivers Centralized Management, Cross-Selling, CRM Advantages / April 2003
NORTHWIND Commits to Clients' Profitability, Support Fees to Remain Low in 2003; Four Diamond Service Initiative Announced, Maintenance Renewal Fees Unchanged for Clients in Coming Year, Users Drive Enhancements / Feb 2003
Northwind Appoints Dave Carrick Director of Operations, Increases Value-Add to Customers Using Maestro Property Management Solutions / Jan 2003
Northwind Appoints Atoy Moya as New Client Service Specialist; To Build a Stronger Partnership with Existing Clients / Sept 2002
Maestro Adds The Sizzle To ResEze / June 2002 
Barnsley Gardens Charms the World Using Integrated Sales and Catering, PMS from Northwind / June 2002
Northwind - Forsys Maestro-SilverWare Collaboration Provides Unique Hotel - F&B Outlet Operating Efficiencies, Optimizes Guest Services and Customer Loyalty / May 2001 
Canadian Hotel Owner-Operator Drills Down into Maestro PMS from NORTHWIND to Pump Guests, Profits Into 26 Properties / April 2002 
Château Cartier Resort Boosts Annual ADR and Sales With Maestro PMS, Yield Management, Sales and Catering from NORTHWIND / March 2002 
Maestro at Northwind Off to a Good Note in 2002 / Jan 2002 
NORTHWIND Announces Two�Way GDS and Internet Travel Portal Integration through Newtrade Technologies Inc. / December 2001 
Pacific International Hotels� selects Maestro Property Management System / Nov 2001 


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