Preferring to stay independent, we have not formed any opinions regarding
the results which are in many cases extremely interesting, and enlightening
- we prefer to leave the drawing of conclusions to yourself, and for you
to judge the results based upon your own personal circumstances. Some of
the lists are long and I have intentionally left them so in order that
you may get a true picture as to how the market views technology from an
operational and adoption perspective.
I believe this information will be of use to operators and vendors,
and I sincerely hope the publication of such will be of benefit to the
industry as a whole.
Where percentages are not shown there have been multiple choice responses
and these are shown in alphabetical order.
Tell us about
you, and your property
Your property;
60% Hotel (City)
20% Resort
18% Other
2% Service Apartments
How many saleable units do you have?
40% 100-300
25% 300-500
20% 1,000+
7% 50-100
6% 600-800
2% 800-1,000
What is the average Age of your guests?
34% 35-40
34% 40-50
15% I have absolutely no idea
15% That's a good question
2% 50+
What is Your Role?
36% Other
25% General Manager
18% IT Department
12% Sales and Marketing
5% Rooms Division
3% Accountant
1% F&B Manager
What age range are you in?
33% 31-40
28% 41-50
21% 50+
18% 20-30
What is your ALOS � Average Length of Stay?
36% 2.5 nights
18% 3 nights
16% 1.5 nights
15% 2 nights
7% 4 nights
5% 5 nights
3% above 5 nights
What is your average room rate per night exclusive
of Breakfast, Service and Tax?
38% under US$100
16% US$150-175
12% US$125-150
10% Greater than US$300
9% US$200-250
9% US$100-125
6% US$175-200
When was the last time you authorized a capital
purchase that was Technologyrelated and over US$1,000?
I cannot approve these items - it has to go through
the owner
I have never approved these
US$1,000 is over my approval limit
At what level do you consider your own technical
skills to be?
Excellent
Good
My kids are better at this stuff than me
My staff are more IT proficient than me
Have you ever attended a training course for
any of the IT components in your property?
72% Yes
28% No
Do you feel that you have a good grasp of the
technology in your property?
71% Yes
27% Somewhat
2% No
If asked, I could list ALL the technology items
in my property.
62% Yes
26% May take me some time
12 % FALSE
Do you use a PDA?
55% Yes / and it�s great / but not very much
45% No / it�s a waste / I�m going to buy one
Do any of your team members use a PDA?
73% Yes / One or two / Many
27% No / No - but I wish they did (it would help
them be more organized)
Do you browse the web
For stock-market trading
Just for fun
Looking for a job
Looking for industry news
My kids are better at it than me
Yes - at the office and at home
Yes - only at home
Yes - primarily in the office
Do you use an Instant Messaging system?
All of my Department Heads have it on their PCs,
and I use it to communicate with them
AOL Instant Messenger / ICQ / MSN / Other
For Personal use
For work
I find it useful
I use it to chat with friends and family
It annoys me, and I see no real benefit
What is this?
Do you read HOTEL Asia Pacific?
72% No
28% Yes
Do you read any online hotel related publications?
70% Yes � daily
27% Occasionally
3% No
Have you ever visited a hotel technology show
like HITEC?
40% Yes
30% No
23% Not yet - but I would like to - I think it
would be a good idea
5% No, but I send someone
Have you ever participated in a business discussion
outside of your property and company with regards technology?
76% Yes
24% No
What type of internet connection do you use
at home?
40% Dial Up Line
30% Cable Modem
20% ADSL
6% Wired
2% I don�t use the internet at home
2% Wireless
Do you use the internet while traveling such
as for doing email?
98% Yes
2% No
Have you ever used a HSIA (High speed internet
access) while staying in a Hotel that is NOT your own?
45% No
34% Yes, and it was good
15 % Yes, but it was nothing special
4% It was expensive
2% I have never stayed in a hotel that had such
a facility
Have you ever purchased anything over the internet?
80% Yes
13% I don't know what all the fuss is about
- it was easy and very helpful
5% I wanted to - but did not feel secure
2% No
Do you have an online money-market or share
trading facility?
48% No
52% Yes
Do you have a mobile phone?
I encourage staff to call me if there is a problem
I hate receiving work calls outside of office
hours
I never use it
Its a great tool and helps me stay in control
Its an encroachment on my private life
The number IS NOT printed on my business card
The number IS printed on my business card
As a GM or Manager, do you prepare your own
letters on a PC, or do you get help?
78% I do it myself
15% I have no problem with this, and it adds
to my efficiency (and saves cost)
5% Depends on the complexity, sometimes I start
and then someone helps me with formatting
1% I firstly dictate into a machine and someone
else does it
1% I hate it - but have no choice
Since my property installed an email facility,
I find yourself working;
All the time
Evenings
Harder
Less
More
More efficiently
Same as before
Weekends
Do you get frustrated if your emails are not
answered immediately, or within 30 minutes to one hour?
65% No
30% Yes/YES !!
5% I get anxious
When was the last time you looked at your company
website?
40% Today
20% Couple of days ago
20% Last Month
7% Yesterday
5% Two weeks ago
3% That�s someone else�s job
2% We don�t have one
2% WOW-Long time ago
1% Never
Attitudes
towards Technology
What three things do you hate most about technology?
Ability to interface with existing equipment
Addicting
Advertised benefits rarely materialize (cell
phone coverage areas, for example).
Applications that don't do what they say they
will or won't do it the way they say they will
ASP Providers Don't Talk to Each Other-each one
has own own angle and business agenda
At times it feels as though it consumes your
life, cell phones, e-mail, voice mail, pagers! How does one get away from
it all!
Becomes obsolete too quickly.
Breakdowns
Bugs & compatibility software & hardware
problems
Bugs in the system
Buying a product and finding out that it is outdated
within a month
Can get extremely complicated if not managed
properly
Cannot afford to keep "up to date"
Changes every day
Comparison shopping is difficult and time consuming
Computer crashes
Computers
Conflicts between software/vendors
Constant maintenance that is required
Constant Upgrades
Cost so much
Cost to upgrade or change older dos programs
to window programs
Cost, Cost, Cost.
Customers have limited knowledge of high tech
items
Different versions of the same product with a
varying price tag but only has one or two small changes.
Doesn't necessarily save time and certainly doesn't
save money
Down time!
Downtime can be very annoying to our customers
Duplication of hardware
Email advertisements.
End-to-end business process missing in hospitality
tools
Equipment that does not work correctly/service
persons who are not helpful
Ever changing
Everything has to be NOW
Expectation of an immediate response
Expensive/costly
Explaining how it works and the potential benefits
to superiors.
Hardware becomes obsolete
Having a hard time to cope with progress. What
is the most advanced today will be obsolete within a year.
Help lines are always congested
High cost to upgrade technology and need to do
it constantly
High investment cost
Hospitalities resistance to moving forward with
the technology times
Hotels that do not have e-mail addresses for
sales people
How fast it changes...too fast for corporations
to do a thorough cost/benefit analysis. By the time the capital
expenditure's approved, newer better tech has already come out!
How quickly it becomes outdated
I don't hate anything about technology itself,
but as far as hotels are concerned: It's frustrating to me that the majority
of hoteliers don't understand how important having
High Speed Internet Access is to the decision-making
process of a growing number of business traveler's. To add to that,
offering Wireless Internet Access to the Public Areas, Lounge, Meeting
Rooms, Sleeping Rooms, etc, gives a business traveler the ability to move
freely about the hotel, rather than being tied to their hotel room (where
they will have a more difficult time spending their $). While this
technology is not new, the infrastructure that allows for this convenience,
has finally caught up to the idea itself. If I have to stay
at a hotel that doesn't have High-speed access, I will search for
a hotel in the area that has this access to spend my money for dinner,
drinks, etc.
I don�t have enough time to learn all of the
new programs/software
I hate not being able to take care of problems
myself, we have an IT manager on property that is supposed to be
called first. Just takes more time.
I like being in control and not depending on
the "atmosphere"
I spend to much time on the computer
I'm hooked to it but my capital budget does not
allow me to improve my technology as much as wish.
Incompatibility of older DOS programs with windows
era networks.
Increased expectations of due dates, sending
information, project completion or workloads in general due
to assumed efficiencies.
Inflexibility
Is there security or privacy?
It allows companies move projects forward before
they think all the way through the process
It changes so quickly its hard to stay on top
of it
It costs way too much
It creates work
It generates too much data and not enough information
It generates too much paperwork
It gets outdated quickly
It improves way to fast making it hard for me
to justify purchases!
It is constantly changing
It is impersonal
It is mostly Ugly - Technology needs to be made
some it blends in with decor
It is never as reliable as you wish it to be
It provides almost too much information.
It provides such a tremendous volume of information,
I think it leads us to over analyzing the data, and making too many
decisions based on micro information, rather than the big picture
It ties up my life at all the wrong times!
Its ability to interface with other disciplines
effectively
It's always changing
It's changing so fast, difficult (or impossible)
to catch up.
It's lifetime is too short. One year on the desktop
and the machine is out dated
Junk Email
Knowing the best solution to get involved with
due to the constant change.
Lack of hardware, software and communication
equipment specialized for the hospitality industry!!! Lack of high speed
available at hotels and in many areas in the U.S.
Lack of integration
Lack of money
Lack of open architecture design of software
for cross platform communication.
Lack of support
Lack of training
Lack of true communication standards
Learning curve can be lengthy
Long waits for service on help desks.
Loss of documents
Managing IT systems/GDS systems/internet booking
channels, takes time that I should be spending with guests and staff
Manuals which cannot be read by normal people
Microsoft
Monopoly
Need to manually backup
Never enough
New program information is often not explained
clearly for a non-specialist
Not as user friendly
Not as user friendly
Not clear as to the demands/required for proper
use
Not user friendly
Nothing
Nothing
Often easier to do it the old way
One becomes completely dependant on computers
and software. There seems to be no alternative
PC�s that crash
People are too dependant on it
People can be losing the fun aspect of using
technology
People that do not keep up with it
Poor orientation and training tools
Product that doesn't work!
Programs that are not compatible
Reliance upon it when systems do not work.
Screens distract from people
Seems as soon as you have something, there is
now something better (and cheaper)
server down
Short product life cycles requiring constant
re-investment for the same net results.
Slow connection to corporate network in NYC
SMART ASS MICROSOFT ADS THAT POP UP ON YOUR SCREEN
AND YOU HAVE TO WORK TO DELETE
Software interfaces with operating systems troublesome
Software that crashes
Software that hasn't had the bugs worked out
of it.
Software upgrades
Some products not being user friendly or compatible
with other programs
Some suppliers are very confusing and tend to
sell things that very few Hotels need unless you have a strong IT support
in your hotel.
Some technical problems which is beyond my knowledge
and ability
Sometimes the manuals are too large to think
of reading
Spam
Spam e mail that you cannot get rid of
SPAM/COOKIES
Still too many things to learn
Support
Surveys
Teaching new areas to people who don't want to
learn
Tech/vendor support
Technology should be intuitive and easy to use
without requiring hours of training and tome-sized manuals
That no one in my organization gets it!
The areas I do not know enough about and trying
to talk to vendors about it
The cost to revamp Legacy Systems
The curve. Early adopters - big risk & high
price- but high rewards, Main Stream
- low risk & price - but now everyone has it, Matured - low risk
& price - but now it is almost obsolete
The disconnect between operational needs and
the product offerings of many tech vendors
The growing amount of unwanted emails
The move to greater technology, the prevalence
of overpaid IT departments with no human interaction skills, and the ubiquity
of the internet have drastically reduced internal and external customer
service levels in every industry to the point where bad customer service
is now seen as the standard and no customer service is a close second
The number of options - Too many products that
are similar in nature promoting themselves
The promise of technology exceeds what it can
deliver.
The resistance of companies to upgrade and take
advantage of the technical changes that are available
The time that needs to be invested, usually outside
of paid work hours, to keep up on new programs or systems only to find
them obsolete or updated again in 1-2 years
There are no standards out there. It does not
all work together.
Things are constantly changing. Which is
a good thing, however that means we need to be constantly educated
TIME MANAGEMENT AND EMAIL
To be up date
To many new items on market
To Slow
Today it is in vogue, tomorrow it is obsolete
Too Costly
Too Expensive
Too fast out of date
Too many new items on market
Too many separate systems with few quality interfaces
Too many sources to check (three separate e-mails,
three voicemails, instant messaging, etc.)
Too much data and not meaningful information
Training people who don't believe in it
Training staff to properly use it
Trash emails
Trying to connect all things together
Trying to Keep up with the constant changes
Upgrading PC software carries the risk of destroying
the old system that was "ok."
Velocity of change in the discipline - hard to
keep up with
Very time consuming and not user friendly
Viruses
We now receive too many e-mails and too many
attachments
Web sites that are not intuitive and user friendly
When it crashes
When it does not go right
When it hangs and can't get it going
When something goes wrong I cannot fix it myself
When the system crashes and you haven't saved
or cannot retrieve your hard work, these minor details cost a lot of time
to be wasted!
While variety of products is good, it has disadvantages.
With the various options available, there are situations where different
physical locations within the same company might use different applications.
It can be challenging.
Windows operating system
You can't keep up!!
You must always have experts around you
You must stay up to date
Your systems become outdated quickly
What do you see as the real benefits of technology?
A place to burn money
Better analysis
Better inventory management (Rooms, Fixed Assets,
Food, Beverage, Consumables)
Consistent operation
Cost savings
Demographics on guests
Efficiency
Faster access to information
Forecasting
Guest History
Helps staff spend more time with guests
I am not sure there are any
It's a tool, and when used effectively it helps
run and control the business
Less dependence on people
Save staff and payroll
Sometimes, I feel we're better off doing it by
hand
Streamlines the operation
To some extent it gives us a marketing edge
What would you regard as the FIVE most important
IT components in your property?
Accounting System
Back up generator
BMS
Call Accounting System
CCTV
Door Locks
Email
Energy Management
Fire and Emergency Systems
HSIA
HR System
HVAC
IN-Room Entertainment
Internet or Web Reservations System
Inventory System
Mini-Bars
Network
PABX
Payroll
PMS
POS
Sales and Catering
The PC on my desk
Yield/Revenue Management System
If you could have ONE item of technology in
your property (regardless of cost) what would it be?
Hmmm ????
50� flat screen monitor
A centralized server for my Property Management
Systems.
A color copier
A high speed wireless network
A new POS system
A totally interfaced computer system (without
any breakdowns) that serves all areas of the hotel (Front Office, Sales
& Catering, Purchasing, F & B, etc.)
A work flow management system
An integrated PMS that controls reservations,
front office, housekeeping, call accounting, etcetera and the associated
appropriate hardware.
An integrated system which I can use for internet
access, voice mail, data management and project management as well as office
applications
Automated revenue management software
Bio-metric sensors for room security and energy
management
Blackberry
BMS
Business Center
Central reservations system
Check in/out kiosk to eliminate having a person
at the front desk for the full 8 hours during night audit hours
Complete interface/link of all PM systems including
retail, golf and F&B outlets in order to produce a unified view of
total revenue produced by each individual guest. It is a misconception
to think that every guest signs every charge over to the guestroom folio
Complete wireless two way communication, from
cell phones to pagers, etc.
Computers
Conference center related
DIMMER SWITCHES ALL OVER THE ROOMS AND SUITES
Electronic function book
Electronic locks
Energy management system
Faster connections for all PC users - guests
and hotel together.
Faster internet access
Faster Internet Connection & Quick access
through TV
Fiber optic network
Full SAP system
Guest history program/database for recording
requests for future guests visits and mailing of information/news
High speed internet access
High speed computer
high speed internet in meeting and guest rooms
High Speed Internet access in all guestrooms
High speed wireless internet access
HR Lawson system
HSIA
Instant messaging
Internet
Laptop
LCD monitors
Micros
Monitors at the breakfast table that let me order
my food at my convenience. Thus reducing the need for servers (food runners
will be needed), and, if implemented correctly, expediting my order.
Multimedia pc
My PC
New cabling and system audit
New door locks
New Property Management System
Not sure, we don't have any "technology" items
missing that we need.
Optical scanner
PC
Pc's all on network, with hotel's main functions
all integrated and connected to the outside world via high speed connection
PDA communicators for management of all departments.
Especially Maintenance and Housekeeping. Better Energy control
systems.
PMS
Real time instant package bookings
Revenue Management Applications
Revenue Management System
Robot
Secure wireless network of phones and computers
Some Good In room Technology for the Guest
Tech lab w/ different company's products.....so
we can use the one that benefits each individual property
The best available person to run it
Top of the art laptop
Top of the line PDA's for all key management
Total integration of all departments, instant
guest history
Totally integrated system to include, front of
house, heart of house, BC and guest rooms
Totally integrated pms/pos/accounting/payroll/phone/activies
software
Tourist guide on PC at lobby
Unlimited high speed internet access
We have everything that we need or get it in
regards to technology
Web based reservations
Web-cams for security
Wireless
Wireless capabilities for all departments, F&B,
accounting, Front Office, guest rooms, etc., etc...
Wireless communication system
Wireless everywhere for computers
Wireless LAN
Wireless network throughout the hotel.
Wireless, on the go PDA check-in
WLAN for clients
Yield/ Rev management system
Does the Owner of your property believe in
the benefits technology can deliver?
43% Yes
26% Yes, and is willing to spend money on it
providing there is a reasonable RoI
24% Yes, but only up to a point - it's really
tough to go beyond the absolute essentials
6% No, and never will
1% No
If your owner said you could have US$100,000
to spend on anything you wanted (within reason) what would you (as GM)
choose?
Absolutely no idea
Build or renovate the Health Club
Buy a new car or hotel bus
Do something else that is NOT technology related
Fix the pool
Forget it - it will never happen - would be totally
shocked at that response
Interactive Marketing - such as Hotel web site,
cd-rom, eNewsletters etc.
New Coffee Shop
New Lobby
New uniforms
Overhaul the Air-conditioning System
Re-decorate the outside of the property
Renovate Rooms
Shampoo the carpets
Spend it on updating some new Technology items
Update Functions Rooms
Update the Business Centre
About the
Technology in your property
Do you charge guests for local phone calls?
60% Yes
30% No
10% Some guests
For IDD calls - how do you charge?
Flat charge on top of the phone company
Same as billed by the phone company
Small % increase on top of the phone company
Something much more complicated
Has your guest telephone revenue (irrespective
of occupancy) decreased over the last 12-24 months?
58% Yes
15% Very significantly
15% No
11% Not significantly
1% Yes, and I don�t understand why
Do you have any LCD or similar type of electronic
display panels in public areas?
50% No
25% Yes
15% We are thinking about it
10% I wish we did
Do your guest rooms have electronic door locks?
80% Yes
20% No (Some are in process of installing)
Do you have a Business Centre?
74% Yes
26% No
What are the hours of operation (Business Centre)?
40% 24-Hours (7 days)
27% 07:00 - 20:00 seven days per week
19% 09:00 - 18:00 Monday to Friday
14% 07:00 - 20:00 Monday to Friday
Do you have any wireless applications running
in your property?
45% Yes
36% No
15% No / We are thinking about it / Will do soon
3% I think it's too expensive and we cannot justify
the cost against potential benefits
1% I don't see the point
Do you offer HSIA (High Speed Internet Access)?
55% Yes
34% No
11% We plan to
Do you charge for HSIA?
75% Yes
22% No
3% Sometimes we do � depends on the guest
How many people use the service per day as
a percentage of occupied rooms?
36% 5-10%
26% 1-5%
16% 10-15%
13% 15-30%
9% 30-50%
Do you feel that the percentage of HSIA users
would increase if the system were free?
60% Yes
20% Definitely it would - everyone likes it,
but they don't want to pay
10% No
10% Not sure
Even if you don't have it, do you believe that
HSIA should be a free-to-guest amenity?
69% Yes
20% No, it's a premium service, and if guests
want to use it, they should pay
9% No
2% Yes, but I cannot because I am bound by a
contract
Do you have an empty and accessible power socket
within 2-feet of the bed?
86% Yes
14% No
Do you have a modem or data socket in the room
separate to the phone socket?
56% Yes
32% Its part of the phone unit
12% No / we are planning to
What is the maximum dial-up speed for modem
access in your rooms?
61% 56Kbps
21% 28Kbps
12% 31Kbps
4% Never Tested
2% 19.2Kbps
If your guests have (internet) connection problems,
who do they call?
Anyone who can speak their language (techno-speak)
Assistant Manager
Engineering
Front Office
Guest Services
Housekeeping
MIS/EDP
Technology Concierge
The HSIA vendor
Do you believe Male guests are more techno-savvy
than Female guests?
37% No
26% Yes
16% I have no idea
11% Definitely not
10% I refuse to answer the question
Have your guests complained about light levels
in the room?
54% No
30% Yes, too dark
16% I don't believe so
What percentage of your guests do you believe
carry a notebook computer with them?
35% 20-40%
17% 50%+
14% 5-10%
13% 10-20%
8% 50%
7% 1-5%
2% Less than 1%
4% No idea
If your guest is a Business Traveler, would
you say there is a good possibility that they will carry a PDA?
90% Yes
10% No
Your Staff
For your staff who are connected to the internet,
can they browse all web pages, or are they restricted for the pages they
can visit?
50% Open system
34% Restricted
11% I encourage them to surf the net and learn
- within reason
4% No Idea
1% No one has access except me
What is the status of your IT Manager
56% Department Head
26% Executive Team member
18% Rank and File Staff
Who does your MIS Manager immediately report
to?
35% Financial Controller
29% General Manager
21% Other
8% No One
5% Regional MIS Manager
2% Engineering Manager
Apart from your MIS Manager or a member of
the MIS/IT team, who would you consider to be the most IT proficient person
in your property?
A/R Clerk
Accountant
Chief Engineer
Director of Finance
Front Office Manager
Hard to say, several members of engineering staff
are very good
Me, frighteningly enough
Night Manager/ F O M/
Operations Manager
PMS Manager
Revenue Manager
We have IT savvy pro�s in Front Office, Banquets
and HR
If your MIS Manager quit, do you have someone
who can immediately fill the position?
37% Sort of...we could get by for a while
33% Yes
30% No
Does your property have an IT Steering Committee?
70% No
20% We should have one of these
6% Yes
3% We use a Consultant
The Internet,
Reservations and Web Sites
Do you have an internet or web based reservations
system?
64% Yes (corporate)
30% Yes In-house
6% No
Is your internet reservations system effective?
70% Yes
14% No / I think they are a waste of time, because
for the best deals, people usually call the hotel directly
10% Very
5% Not sure, I need to check
1% Definitely not
Is the reservation system operating in real-time
and giving auto-updates to the PMS?
61% Yes
19% No
10% I wish it was
10% It updates fairly quickly
Do people making bookings receive instant confirmations?
67% Yes
12% We send by fax / regular mail
11% No
6% In about 30 minutes
3% In 1-2 Days
1% In 1-2 hours
Do you have GDS access?
70% Yes
18% No
5% Not sure
4% What is this?
3% Planning to
Have you ever tested the reservation system
and made a booking yourself?
71% Yes
20% No
7% Someone else has, and it�s OK
2% I am going to right now
In general - what is the average lead time
for bookings?
25% Over one week
17% 7-days
13% 5-days
10% 3-days
9% No idea
7% 1-day
6% 1-month
6% 2-days
4% 4-days
3% Two weeks
Since September 11, has the lead time decreased?
53% Yes
22% No
15% Not significantly
10% September 11 has nothing to do with it -
the lead time has reduced regardless
Do your Room or F&B promotions either sent
by letter or email have a call to action that leads them to your website?
43% Yes
21% No
25% Yes � some
11% No � that�s a good idea
Marketing
and Positioning Through Technology
From a guest perspective, do you feel that
your property needs to be technologically superior to your competitors?
73% Yes
12% We are quite comfortable in our market position
without having to be so
6% We already Are
9% No / I Don�t think so
Do you envy another Hotel or related business
in your city from a technology standpoint?
40% No
30% To some degree
3% Yes, and it really bugs me because I can't
do anything about it
27% Yes
Do you believe Technology can be used as a
Business Driver to your property?
70% Yes
7% I think they are more attracted by features
like Health Club and Swimming
10% Yes, but not sure how that can be done
6% People are more interested in location
5% In our case - it would not be relevant
1% Have not thought about it
1% No, Pool
Do you receive guest feedback about the technology
in your property?
34% Yes, constructive
23% Yes, Positive
18% No
11% No - but it would certainly be helpful if
we did
8% No idea
6% Yes, Negative
Did you find the survey interesting?
98% Yes / and it was thought provoking / to some
degree
2% No
© [email protected] June 2003
Survey conducted with the help of surveygold.com