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Reservation Nexus is 100% web based and can be accessed at work, at home and on vacation. There are no additional costs for having it on all your inn's computers. There is no software to install or upgrade. Reservation Nexus is a living system, with new innovations every quarter. With Reservation Nexus , you avoid having to buy a new software version every couple of years.

With limited budgets and a highly dynamic market, it is critical to stay ahead of the hospitality information technology curve. With cloud computing, organizations can extend the life of their existing systems with new innovations, improve time to market of new systems through affordable pricing, and ultimately gain competitive advantages in the hospitality industry.

accurate hotel information straight from the source

the ability to compare, plan and share with friends and family.

John F. Davis III, a highly experienced hospitality industry visionary with a history of entrepreneurial successes, is Chief Executive Officer of Room Key

"Finding the right hotel is complex and, unlike booking a flight or reserving a car, it is a personal decision process - one which no one understands better than hoteliers

our goal is to make the experience of finding the right hotel as personal and enjoyable as the experience of staying in one

provide customers with a wide range of travel options and the confidence that they will receive exceptional rates

management team in place and a compelling search tool unique to the market today, Roomkey

is well positioned for success and will quickly become a large scale marketplace

IHG's online innovations, Roomkey.com is another industry first, offering guests breadth of choice alongside all the benefits from booking directly through our own websites."

Room Key's new and unique offering will embody the best of what hotel company websites offer consumers, giving them confidence in their booking decisions -- a personalized and welcoming experience

meaningful value to our owners and franchisees by showcasing their properties.

consumers will value the relevant pricing information, independent reviews, and in-depth property information

hotel technology goes way beyond in-room entertainment and cloud computing. It touches every corner of a hotel and has significant impact on how your guests perceive their stay, how efficient and satisfied your employees are and how well you can manage the bottom line. Technology can be complicated, frustrating and at times expensive, but you can’t afford to ignore this critical area of hotel operations.

Hotel owners are under increasing pressure from their brands and their guests to upgrade their properties

The Simphony platform can be preloaded with tax information for all jurisdictions that trucks visit.

At the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago recently, Mobi Munch showed off the LudoTruck, one of 28Los Angeles’ well-known mobile eateries, equipped with the 28Micros Workstation 5 running Micros Simphony, a cash drawer, thermal printer, SunTronic 42-inch high-brightness LCD and DT610 wireless tablet. The LCD displays video, static image marketing and streaming entertainment media. The Micros hardware, also used in demanding environments like cruise ships and trains, is free of moving parts apt to fail, like hard drives and fans, Soulakis said. 29

is testing a new POS system running on iPads in a few trucks, said co-owner Josh Hiller. In addition to handling sales, it manages inventory and staff scheduling for a price of about $2,500, he said.

“This solution is powerful and our customers love it. The system is very fluid and flexible in particular for content updates. With this new, simple and intuitive technology, Novotel reflects its commitment to provide guests with an ever more innovative hotel experience.

"I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."

Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well.

Yet more card-free security systems are on the way.

Many industry watchers are keeping an eye on Houston's largest hotel, the vast 1,200-room Hilton Americas–Houston. The hotel has a facial recognition system that can identify and track guests, employees, and even suitcases. With 700 employees and an annual $16 million payroll, the system offers benefits such as employee time-theft monitoring and prevention for the hotel. But travelers aren't that concerned about employees taking an extra cigarette break. What it means for you is that the system includes alerts if unwanted people are on the property and a response time of mere seconds if there's an incident. Customer service is heightened as well: Returning guests will be recognized and greeted by name. And with 1,200 rooms worth of luggage in transit, the system makes it a lot easier to find lost or misdirected bags.

not everyone wants to be on-camera, all the time. With concerns about "snooping" and a Truman Show-like lack of privacy, might guests feel that systems such as this are too intrusive in our hotels? "

Technology is opening new doors to hotel safety, and the way we navigate hotels is set to change in the blink of an eye. Or the swipe of a cellphone. Or the print of a finger. With futuristic systems like scent and iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, hotel security is being taken to the next level. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;} Those plastic key cards that once seemed so innovative will soon go the way of the actual key. The new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access. Much like the cruise world's one card system, these cards may soon make hotel stays easier by allowing guests to pay for services, as well as to check-in and check-out, through a single device. Travelers may even be able to save preferences on the cards, from pillow type to floor choice. RFID cards are already in use at New York's Plaza Hotel, and Starwood Hotels are considering introducing them into their hip Aloft and Element properties. But travelers worried they will constantly have to traipse back to reception every time they lose their card need not despair. Security systems in some hotels do away with cards altogether. "In addition to Radio Frequency Identification, there are also systems that use a smartphone, such as an iPhone," says Frank Wolfe, CEO of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals. "When a guest checks into a hotel and provides their phone number, they get an encrypted sound code via text message." You can then play back the code to unlock your room door.

Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well. Movement-activated video-capture systems were showcased in New Zealand in September 2010. Researchers are at work on devices capable of recognizing an individual's gait or walk and even their DNA. Frank Wolfe says, "If you want to go 'way out there', there are some systems being explored that can allegedly sniff someone, and also systems that can recognize the pattern of blood veins on a human being which are apparently unique to the individual," says Wolfe. Quite common in Japan, vascular-recognition systems such as this are still "several years off," according to Wolfe. "I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."

The technology revolution

The Lobby/Living Space Revolution

Design emphasis moves from global to local, uniformity to individuality

Small equals big in the design revolution:

Hoteliers have to consider investing in the latest advancements in identification technology to ensure the safety of their guests, business and reputation.

One of the latest innovations to be launched in the customer security market within the hospitality industry is non-contact Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology

Radio Frequency Identification is currently at the forefront of hotel security throughout the world

One good thing that comes from outsourcing is being trendy. Many brands are doing it and it is the trendy thing to do.

Another very negative result of outsourcing the accounting function is brain drain and the resulting challenge it creates in succession planning.

On the positive side, another idea about outsourcing accounting is the creation of a different kind of finance and accounting leader;

If you are thinking of outsourcing your accounting, think again. It is not a good decision. It will cost you dearly and your investment will suffer.

Hotels are a high-volume transaction retail business. Every day a hotel sells hundreds or thousands of rooms to many different customer segments. In addition, it services thousands of food and beverage customers.

When a hotel outsources they typically outsource payables, some parts of purchasing, general accounting, sometimes accounts receivable and almost always the daily audit and revenue functions.

Companies feel compelled to move, to innovate, and sometimes these changes are not in their best interest

These functions in a hotel are like filters, collecting all the errors and working with operations to get them back on track

the costs savings in the short run are completely upside down – in other words – no savings.

The hotel loses track of so many invoices so they start logging the scans and cross referencing these with the outsourced company.

If there are no entry level positions, no revenue auditor and no middle management, then how does a hotel grow controllers and directors of finance?

they are not going to have financial leaders that understand the hotel business and all its insane nuances.

This in theory is exactly what I think hotels should be doing – developing the business skills of the non-financial managers.

The fact is these systems and processes are always in need of constant and diligent attention

Colleagues in the operating departments need constant oversight and this boils down to finding out what is wrong with the data and communicating back to these areas.

“The Visual One PMS and InfoGenesis POS solutions incorporate an accessible user interface with a variety of reporting tools to help us improve productivity and capitalize on revenue opportunities.

InfoGenesis® POS

, a leading point-of-sale solution among luxury hotels and resorts, is a comprehensive POS system that combines highly interactive terminal and tablet touchscreen applications with industry-leading offline capabilities.

item configuration capabilities

nu and

multi-language support, help to drive service flexibility and increased operational efficiency.

Visual One® PMS is a comprehensive and fully integrated property management system that offers

a wide range of features and functionality, including

front office operations, guest history, housekeeping, reservations management and more.

user-friendly interface is laid out

with quick-feature icons and drag-and-drop capabilities.

has modules for accounting, activities,

guest marketing

spa management

catering

with Visual One supporting their hotel operations, Wild Rose can improve productivity and focus on creating lasting connections with guests that encourage repeat stays.

Agilysys has been a leader in hospitality software for more than 40 years, delivering innovative guest-centric technology solutions for gaming, hotels, resorts and cruise, corporate foodservice management, restaurants, universities, stadia and healthcare.

Agilysys is known for its leadership in hospitality, its broad product offerings and its customer-centric service.

In fact, IT investments had a marked positive effect on revenue growth; for example, a $1 increase in IT expenditures per employee was associated in our study with a $12.22 increase in sales per employee.

more competitive, the effect of IT on profitability increases.

A possible explanation for this finding is that services allow greater IT-enabled customization and personalization.

All other things being equal, executives should accord higher priority to IT projects that have the potential for revenue growth over those that focus mainly on cost savings.