High-Tech Hospitality

GROWING UP IN THE hospitality industry in the '70s, I had a "cool" job working at a downtown Indianapolis hotel. From the "Amazing Kreskin" who said I was "better than he was" because I knew his room number when he walked up to the front desk (front desk associates always know celebrity room numbers)

We used a rack with room cards representing the guest rooms. Reservations were received from around the country by Teletype machine. Paper reservations were filed alphabetically by hand. The front desk used metal room keys that were filed in real mailboxes. Guest names were manually and legibly written at check-in enabling the hotel telephone operator to direct guest phone calls to the appropriate room via a switchboard with plugs. Room charges were posted using an NCR machine. There were fax machines, though they were seldom used. Answering machines, voice mail and cell phones were nonexistent, as were CDs, DVDs, iPods, HDTV and TiVo. Computers were rare and the World Wide Web meant nothing. The most sophisticated piece of electronic equipment in a hotel room would have been the television.

Fast forward to 2006. High-tech hospitality and service is the name of the game today. Business travelers and professional meeting planners have high expectations. Hoteliers are responding to these expectations with high-tech products and services. The option of checking into a hotel via computer is already available at many hotels. Video checkout is an industry standard. Room key cards are programmed to expire on departure dates. Free highspeed wireless Internet access is highly desired though hard-wired Internet access is a less attractive alternative.

Frequent guests earn loyalty points, airline miles, rewards and honors. Hotels recognize guests by name, bed pillow, room type, smoking and refreshment preferences.

Companies can become a hotel key account by establishing an LNR (locally negotiated rate) and book reservations through a TPI (third party intermediary) using a link on their Internet Web site. A professional meeting planner can issue a RFP (request for proposal) through a third-party planner requesting hotels to respond in PDF file format via email. While the personal touches are still critical, the power of technology and the ability to be responsive cannot be underestimated.

To even more effectively focus on service and customer demand for high-tech products and services, the Holiday Inn Select Airport will undergo a $6 million renovation and conversion to a Crowne Plaza Hotel this fall.

Is the hotel business still "fun"? Of course it is. However, in this era of instantaneous information and high expectations, hotels must be well versed and quick to respond to the ever-changing aspects of the industry, technology and their competition. A hotel's ability to quickly adapt and deliver is the key that opens the door its future success.