Michael Levie - Hospitality Net · 2007-10-06 · EHTEC Amsterdam Feb. 19 2007 2 How can we make ... • What would impress them? EHTEC Amsterdam Feb. 19 2007 16 Onestarisborn •

EHTEC Amsterdam Feb. 19 2007 1Michael Levie

EHTEC Amsterdam Feb. 19 2007 2

How can we make “technology”

part of the hoteliers “vocabulary” ?


How can we get the “Hospitality touch”

into the “Technology Professional’s”

mind?


Art vs. science

• Hospitality industry concentrates on providing the art of service…

• Technology firms concentrate on providing usable science…


Hospitality industry:

• Run’s on experience / internal promotions• Little education / most end up in the

industry by default• Slow in its own progression• Hardly any innovation in

design or variety of services• Re-active industry,

not pro-active


Technology industry:

• Knowledge based industry• Focused on innovation• Planning and anticipation are a must• Creating the future• Pro-active industry, little re-active


What keeps the hotelier busy?

Consolidation:- Financial institutions force mergers - Mergers push for synergies / streamlining- Restructuring and better organizations- Measuring results and benchmarking - Central procurement- Merging cultures is taking valuable time


What keeps the hotelier busy?

Trying to keep up:• The Airline industry / Budget Airlines• New frontiers, Eastern Europe, India,

China, or cities like Lisbon, Prague, Glasgow, Budapest etc.

• Technology revolution• Speed of change


What keeps the tech industry busy?

• It’s own revolution / their 15 minutes of fame

• Post internet bubble to stable growth trend• Shortening of platforms and software

cycles• Bringing down cost of initial and ongoing

expenses


Geographical influence

• In all of this the US is way ahead of Europe

• Technology and the Web make geographic borders disappear

• Cultures are merging more and more• Country cultures and regulations still

remain a problem for any activity beyond the US


HFTP – HITEC - EHTEC

• Help me… why is there such a gap between Hoteliers and technology people???

• Aren’t we all Hospitality / Technology professionals!!!

• I believe we need to do a much better job together moving forward…


Together we need to…

• Set joint focus on the needs and wants for the hospitality technology

• Set joint priorities• Work on broad education program• Lower the threshold of

technology-shows for all hoteliers

• Work with the hotel schools, who are preparing the future hoteliers


Who benefits today?

• Mid-size chains 10-35 hotels • Small chains • City hotels • Early adaptors• None hoteliers that run companies in the

industry


Where can we improve?

• Individual hotels -> limited or no knowledge• Mom / Pop’s hotels -> scared of technology• Hotels < 50 rooms -> investment doubt• Companies that know what they want -> scan

the offering and do not find• Large chains ->fight legacy systems and want

to create own systems• For me -> allow me to tell you my

Onestarisborn story


Onestarisborn

• Choosing a niche…the 3-4 star business traveler

• What do they need and want?• What are they willing to pay for?• What don’t they need, or are not willing to

pay for?• What frustrates them to no avail?• What would impress them?


Onestarisborn

• The hotel room and it’s features• The lobby, or better my living room• F&B and services• Staffing -> HK / ENG outsourced

-> Hosts• The construction -> the factory

-> the site• Our positioning -> a life style brand


High Quality / Image

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

••

•

•

•

• Alocation• B location• C location

Low

Low

High

Price

•

••

•

•

Medium

•

•

•

•

Positioning


What were my and are initial technology questions???

1. PMS -> system functionality focused, with a small percentage of features being used

2. CRS -> Single Image, Channel MNGT, do we really offer it / is it really being offered/used??

3. CRM -> It is about our guest, right!!! Why don’t all systems then work from that centrally?

4. Integration -> Most of you were so busy that you could not even consider integrating your CRM with my Philips hotel system


What were some more technology questions???

5. Connectivity and the Internet:• My web-site• Maybe my web-engine• How do I get GDS?• How do I connect to my Philips Hotel System?• My presence on the web through third parties• Who visits my site and how do they get there?


A look at some of the additional challenges…

• Buy hardware or host?• PBX or VOIP?• Interfacing or integration

of systems?• POS and creditcards?• Revenue mngt or not?• Maintenance contracts?• Buy, lease, pay per

usage?

• CRM the very center of the system?

• Distribution and brand?

• Channel mngt + delivery?

• WIFI offering• Web 1.0 to 2.0• Software

personalization's


OSIB partners overview:

Inter-TalkVOIP

Website:

E-Site

Marketing

RoomsTechnology

Philips

Rev. MngtIdeaS

Back officeExact

Direct Connections

AltiusPar

GDS:AltiusPar

IBE:AltiusPar

PMS/POS:AltiusPar

CRS/CRM: Altiuspar


In conclusion;

• Talk my language and please teach me`…really• Let’s talk about the future needs of the industry

and not what you can create for me…• Make it simple for me;

- in your use of language- when I buy or need to change systems- how I pay- how I interface- take away the mystery, please!!!


THANK YOUMichael Levie – [email protected]

Documents

Michael Levie - Hospitality Net · 2007-10-06 · EHTEC Amsterdam Feb. 19 2007 2 How can we make ... • What would impress them? EHTEC Amsterdam Feb. 19 2007 16 Onestarisborn •