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Compare WebRezPro vs Oracle vs ResNexus and more to see pricing, reviews, integrations, and other options for each

Even though using beacon technology for proximity marketing is still in its infancy in the restaurant industry, this technology has already demonstrated some of its potential by virtue of increasing labor and overall operational efficiency while boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty. Beacons can help increase restaurant and bar sales, improve customer service, and provide more value for their customers, which should lead to customer loyalty. The possibility of applying beacon technology in the restaurants and bars opens a window of opportunity to engage diners and also enables restaurants to create more tailored experiences for them. Restaurants can use beacons to send alerts to people nearby about many table/seat availability and encourage them to make reservations or walk in. Or if the restaurant is very busy, restaurants can send the menu to their phones, so they can browse it while waiting for their tables. Restaurants and bars can build profiles of returning customers and provide offers based on past preferences. Thus, returning customers can benefit from improved and personalized customer service. During quiet hours or days, restaurants and bars can efficiently manage their staff and service, because of the data they have been collecting using beacons. Diners can even pay for their meal or drinks using their mobile device without having to wait for the waiter to come over and accept their method of payment.

This articles talks about what beacon-based proximity marketing is and its usefulness in restaurants.

Beacon technology has been around for a long time - prior to 2013 - but cost kept it unpopular. Initially only real big hospitality players had this tech. Now cost is no longer a limiting factor, but companies are limited to customers/potential customers who have a compatible app or the companies own app already on their phone, so they can push the proximity messages.

This essay is interesting that It gives you general knowledge about how to purchase a PMS on a reasonable price.  there is a link that lead you to a page that can help you find a PMS provider based on your need. And there are also several links on the page that can lead you to essays about PMS, such as "Introduction to property management software", "Features of property management systems".

SalesPro is not a new system to the hotel industry. Directors of Sales and Sales and Catering Managers would be lost without a system to keep track of their meetings and conferences, as well as to collect payments and maintain guest listings and price brackets and rate plans for those groups. Food and Beverage directors find it helpful as well, as each group maintains their own banquet event order and the food and beverages are charged accordingly. What is new, however, is that hotel SystemsPro is enhancing its hotel SalesPro to include mobile options, where hotel sales teams and managers can obtain remote access to the system for real time information about the property. This is a handy tool, as sales representatives are frequently traveling and seeking new clients by completing sales calls externally. Should a client be interested in the pricing or availability during a sales visit, the sales manager can then immediately seek the information and provide it to the client. Efficiency and convenience are key factors for consumers when choosing a space, whether it is for their meeting, function, guest room needs, or anything else for that matter. Being able to immediately provide the answers to the questions that a client may have will gain the advantage, and potentially persuade the client to book the space or facilities on the spot, as opposed to having to contact them at a later time with the information, as by then, the client may have already made a decision to go with someone else. SalesPro is already a top choice for hotel businesses, as it boasts a high performance, and boasts to help boost sales and reduce operating costs. It also claims to offer property solutions that include reporting capabilities, allowing enhancement of a quality guest experience. This new development is simply an additional benefit to the system, and is offered to SalesPro users at no additional cost, making it that much more of an asset to the sales team.

This article summarized seven reasons to switch to a point of sale system.1. Your "sudden shrink" no longer goes undetected. Almost every modern POS has a receiving and inventory module that, when used properly, can help pinpoint the cause of the shrink. 2. Markdown management is much easier. The trends in POS are not just inventory accuracy but the use of pricing models to allow for markdown management. 3. Promotions can be tracked more successfully. 4. You can maintain control in absentia. Many operations suffer in employee efficiency and customer service when the boss is away. Automating a host of functions via a POS can help boost those areas, no matter where the head honcho happens to be. 5.Your prices are consistent from one location to the next. a POS system automates overall inventory control, helping to keep stocks in proper balance depending on demand and other factors, which can vary from one location to the next. 6. You get many tools in a single package. Most POS systems have add-on modules like payroll time clocks and customer preference databases. That removes the need for small businesses to invest in separate systems for those purposes. 7. You can make better use of your personnel. A good POS allows you to allocate your human resources to the customer service area of the business. That means they no longer have to be counting, calculating, ordering, and checking cash-register accuracy.

Event planners has to negotiate with hotel sales to lower some of the expenses.  This article speaks of ways to save money which is by hosting most of your  events at the same property throughout the years; this will get clients to  return. Hotel sales manager should discount guest rooms offer because they offer  great profit margin than any other event service. Sales planners should compare  prices and try to secure the best price.  It's best to try and negotiate food  and beverage requirements because hotel managers and event planners will always  try to keep their guests happy. Negotiate the audio and visual expense by asking  for discounts and expenses to be waived if possible. Also be flexible on time,  space and dates. 

This article discusses the development of new electronic distribution channels for hotel suppliers and consumers to use. There has recently been an emergence of new search engines such as roomkey.com and room77.com that offer a different booking experience than the more established Expedia.com or Orbitz. Roomkey.com is offering a search for high quality hotels with price transparency and links to direct booking on the hotels website. www.roomkey.com Room77 is interesting because it shows the rates of many other OTA websites, all the standards plus some less common sites. You can choose what OTA site you want to book from. The highlight is that room77.com offers floor plans of hotels where you can see the view from multiple rooms and even how far the closest elevator is. www.room77.com Another important emerging channel is mobile phone applications that are geared toward last minute travelers. These channels typically offer a limited inventory at up to a 30% discount. The discount group is yet another new development in distribution channels. Websites such as Tingo.com offer an automatic refund if the price drops after you book your reservation. www.tingo.com Social media also has to be considered. Online reviews can have a tremendous impact on future bookings and hotels have to take this into consideration.

Great help for my Strategic Management Class! Thank you...I wish though, there would be more numbers...But thanks anyway

This article deals with the seven main reasons on why a company should switch to a point of sales system. There are a few different systems for example Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System. There are seven signs that your business can boom if you consider using pos. POS allows you to always know your inventory going out and in stock. Marking down merchandise is always correct and accurate. Promotions can be tracked more successfully, especially if you have more than one location. You can always have some sort of control, even when the boss is away. The business can also get m multiple tools with pos, such as payroll time clock and customer preference databases. Last, businesses can place their human employees where they really need to be, helping customers.

Here is something interesting for you Mac users. Did you knew that you are actually being charged more to use websites like Orbitz or Priceline? Don't believe me, well check it out. Over the last year or two Orbitz has been working on what they call "predictive analytics". Meaning they are able to predict where consumers will likely book their reservations based on what computer they are using. The article states that, Mac users are 40% more likely to book a four to five star hotel than PC users. Since companies like Orbitz (who took a 37 million dollar loss in 2011) are taking big hits from the lack of travelling thanks to the economy, they are trying to create any advantage they can in order to turn the market around. One thing to point out, is that Orbitz's competitors like Priceline and Expedia said that they do not base their sales on what computers the consumers are using, Apple had no comment. Orbitz said the effort to incorporate Mac vs. PC distinctions is still in its formative stages and isn't evident across the site. Other factors have more influence over results, Mr. Liew said, including a user's location and history on the site, as well as a hotel's overall popularity and promotions. Still, he said, use of a Mac can influence results.

CHECK THIS OUT MAC USERS

The best part of the article is how it states a good POS system is one that doesn't let you waste time with the POS. Instead your attention can be turned to your customers and staff. The system will do everything for you just by a touch of buttons from the screen. All you would have to do is print out the information and it will tell you everything you need to run a sucessfull establishment.

This article focuses on the cost savings a biometric fingerprint scanning POS can have on a restaurant. It eliminates employees from clocking in early and holds everyone accountable for what they do. It makes life easier for management since they can look at all the transaction data and know exactly who to talk to if something doesn't add up.  I think this is pretty cool software. It was less expensive than I would have guessed. The article said the average price for one of these systems is about $2,000. Depending on the restaurant, that can be a small or large amount but I think in the long run that is a small price to pay from a management point of view. 

This article is a series of several blog contributions for successful emarketing on Hotels magazine's website. "Will the Hospitality Industry Tango with Tingo" discusses the introduction of Tingo.com, a new Online Travel Agent (OTA) website affiliated with Expedia.com that guarantees its' customers to refund the difference if the price booked for the room drops after booking. This sounds great right? While of great value to customers, especially those who are money conscious, the article explains that Tingo.com is another industry basher that ultimately makes hotels appear to be ripping their customers off. This type of marketing tool should be two fold- both industry and advertiser friendly and an OTA website such as Tingo.com will potentially strain its relationship with business in the hospitality industry sooner than later. Tripadvisor is pointed out as an example of a major hospitality industry resource that has damaged its reputation with hotels and is continuing to do so. An analysis of Tingo.com is presented including the evaluation of several factors Tingo.com does not consider under its business model. The article deems both Tripadvisor and Tingo.com as "confused and misguided." In conclusion, this article presents valid points that I have never considered prior to reading about the challenges and perception some hospitality industry leaders have. From the customer perspective, both Tripadvisor and Tingo are highly favored for obvious reasons but not consistently for hotels and restaurants.

My article this week is about how GDS (Global Distribution Systems) can be compared to a seatbelt. The author opens the article discussing the main reasons we still continue to use seatbelts; even though they aren't the most comfortable or fashionable items to use, they still do their jobs in saving our lives when it comes to a collision of some sort. The author is in favor of GDS and makes the claim that like seatbelts, the GDS may not be the most up-to-date or may not appear to be as nice as other local systems to each individual airline, but they get the job done and there are no other systems out there like it that we know of (no other systems that do everything he GDS system does that is). The main topic of discussion that the article is concerned with is the recent decision made by the company Lufthansa to start charging its customers an additional surcharge for using GDS systems instead of going through its own system. The author clearly makes it know that she doesn't believe Lufthansa when they say they are charging this additional surcharge because GDS is the most expensive channel to go through. "Because there's no reason to think that an airline should expect to distribute its products without any cost, Lufthansa's recent gambit seems more of a tactic for increasing lagging direct distribution... Its strategy seems to rest in shifting distribution costs to corporate buyers" claims Rose, the author of the article. The author also points out some of the draw backs of using agency portals, the main reason being that a customer cannot compare rates of other competitors and that agency portals cannot handle high volume transactions like the GDS can. It is also made known that there are costs that come with other channels as well, like the prices you pay for building airline websites and keeping them updated. The author concludes that "Given the history of negotiations between airlines and GDSs, it's impossible to know whether Lufthansa is using DCC as

Follow this link to learn how a jammer works: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone-jammer1.htm Recently, Marriott was found to be noncompliant with FCC regulations that ban the use of any "Jammer"-to include cell, radio, Wi-Fi and others-by any individual or entity that is not an approved federal agent. The result? A $600,000 fine and removal of the jamming equipment from any Marriott property currently participating in the illegal activity. In a regular Wi-Fi network, a user connects to the Internet by connecting to the ISP, which could be a wired modem and separate Wi-Fi router or a combined wireless modem/router that will connect the computer to the ISP server and allow the user to launch their browser where they can search the web or access a particular URL. In Marriott's case, the company utilized a Jammer to prevent users from accessing their chosen ISP-their personal Wi-Fi networks, typically provided via cell phone companies. The jammer functioned by interrupting Wi-Fi signals that operated on a particular frequency. By placing their own Wi-Fi on a different frequency, Marriott's service was the only signal capable of connecting a user to an ISP service and the Internet and was therefore offered at a premium price. The management decision to utilize this technology was short sighted and over all a very poor decision. The decision was made based on the greed of money. By jamming competitors' signals, Marriott was attempting to force patrons into paying premium prices for Wi-Fi service during their stay, including large business accounts (meetings and events). What Marriott either failed to research or decided to ignore was the legality of such a decision. According to the FCC, Jammers of all types are strictly illegal except by approved Federal Entities and Agents. The Marriott management team made their own bed by making a poorly evaluated decision that has since come back to bite them in the rear.

I found this interesting interview of Tina Hoang-To by Jeanette Mulvey. Tina describes what led to the creation of Wedding Spot (the stress of her own wedding) and the growth her company is continually experiencing.  Wedding Spot allows couples to browse, price and compare wedding venues around their preferred location, eliminating the stress of having to visit a high number of different places in order to get of quote. As she described it, I realized it was very similar to what Yelp does for restaurants and bars.  I am not currently planning a wedding but I went browsing through the website and in my opinion this can prove to be an invaluable tool for brides and grooms to be as it saves them time and reduces their stress. It also has a feature that allows users to set a budget.  As more venues join Wedding Spot, I am sure it is only a matter of time before it is a necessary first step to planning a wedding and choosing a venue. 

Chad Kaydo in his article '7 Things Event Planners Want From Technology Now," highlights the results of a recent survey where industry officials noted what tech changes and adaptations they would like to see as it relates to the Event Planning and Management area of the Hospitality Industry. He noted the following items as the urgent needs of event planners: **Lower Prices - many planners steer clear of the technology due to costs and thus would like to see adjustments in costs relating to new technology. **Integration of Planning Tools - Planners want to be able to connect the different tech offerings used instead of using them in isolation. **Next Generation Apps - Event Apps should be of the same sophistication and simple to use as those of popular consumer apps such as Instagram. **Seamless Social Media Integration - Social Media has become and important tool for event planners. Rene Mark stated that they would like to see "any form of technology that creates a more engaging experience for our clients so that they can interact from the audience, share their experiences online and engage actively with other participants." ** Improved Internet Access - one of the major complaints of planners and something they would like to see improvements on is WiFi access at event venues. Mr. Kaydo noted that planners and tech developers said that the lack of robust, reliable, reasonably priced bandwidth and network services at hotels is slowing the pace of technological advancements across meetings and events. ** Attendee Data Tracking -Improved Technology to keep track of attendee participation. **Help to figure it all out - Planners find it difficult to keep up with technology and to constantly learn how a new device or program works. However this attitude is affecting the results gained from the adoption or lack of as it relates to technological advancements in the Event planning field.

This article describes several different Property Management Systems for hotels. It reports on different pricing methods for the needs of various hotels. For example, large brands have different needs from small independent hotels. By comparing the different pricing fees, a manager can best choose which system is best for his or her hotel.

"The Future of Revenue Management " Hotel revenue management is moving front and centre of the overarching business model for many hotels, and this trend is only set to rise further. Revenue management undergoes constant change, more so than other departments. This is because it is rooted in technological capability. Technology will continue to evolve and more sophisticated methods of guest analysis will come to the fore, as revenue managers keep searching for ways of becoming more competitive. This constant change has contributed in large part to the expanding roles that today's hotel revenue manager is charged with carrying out. After all, it is through inventive marketing strategies that hotels can generate business. Ecommerce, social media, client engagement and relationship management have all become central to the revenue manager's job in order to drive business. The hotel sector is probably more competitive than ever before. Hotels aren't only competing with their cross-town rivals, but inter-city and even international counterparts. Online travel agencies, the rise of hostels, and high guest demands make the industry even more competitive. So, hotels are turning to guest analytics; and new technology is making efficient analysis that produces unique, valuable insights possible.

In this article, the writer informs us on how two system solution based companies are joining forces to give hotels the most accurate and up-to-date data on their companies transactions. These transactions includes the control of inventories, pricing of inventory, and forecasting in order to increase hotel revenue. This allows for hotel managers to better strategize their brand's revenue in order to create more informed decisions. The article highlights what both IDeaS Revenue Solutions and Springer Miller Systems do to support hotels. Many resorts already use both systems. The companies working together allows their solutions to become more streamlined for hotel establishments. Hoteliers largely focus on the guest experience, but are restricted in how they manage inventory and forecast. These tools will allow them to do both at the same time with less manual labor. It sounds like an expensive investment. It's important for managers to decide whether it's worth the investment and predict whether they will see a return on this investment. Thoughts?

This article contains an interview with the CEO of the payments technology company Affirm, Max Levchin. Affirm, established in 2012, is a payment technology firm that allows for travelers to pay for trips via a monthly payment plan. The company fully pays the travel provider and then is responsible for collecting the funds from the traveler. The payment does not need to be paid in full prior to travel. Levchin says that this product is attractive to companies because airline and hotels don't have to worry about interchange, processing fees and fraud. It benefits consumers because they are able to book early when prices are lower instead of "saving up" to book closer to the date of travel, when the trip is more expensive. They have seen an increase in advance bookings with Affirm for trips over $250. He suggests that this will disrupt traditional travel industry e-commerce and make travel more accessible.

Hotels rely on the information that is accessed through different intermediary systems that give each property information on their customers, as well as insight on their comp set. OTAs play a key role in assisting properties generate revenue, they have different processes in place such as pay per clicks or commissions involved when bookings are made through their websites. Marketing plays a key role in both OTAs and a properties direct website. Websites must be user friendly, easily accessible and have the ability to function on a mobile device. Majority of bookings are made online and and increasing amount are being made through a mobile device. Ensuring that each of these platforms creates a welcoming environment for each potential guest maximizes the chances of them booking.

An effective marketing strategy starts with knowing your customers and your goals. it is important to understand how to attract online shoppers, increase conversion rates, and have data mining tools to understand the customer's preferences and booking patterns to be able to develop a long-lasting relationship.OTAs and GDS remain an essential part of the industry, as they provide marketing exposure to a wider range of market segments.