Johannesburg, 18 Sep 2009
In a recent article, published by an online news source, hoteliers were given five strategies that will put them on their way to making a business success of the of the world's most watched sporting event, the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.
Indeed, the article gave concise ideas to hoteliers, guest houses and the like on what measures should be taken to be the best prepared, and more importantly, adequately cater to the expected four hundred thousand additional visitors to the country.
And while measures such as pricing strategies, cancellation policies, length-of-stay are important considerations, it will also be those implemented during the period of 11 June to 4 July 2010 that will contribute to hotels and guesthouses' success.
Creating accommodation that runs smoothly and efficiently will not only enhance the World Cup experience for guests, but also solidify relations for the future, making SA the destination of choice.
Fortunately, one can prepare for the arrival of guests and the smooth running of their stay with technology. Like a lot of other marketplaces, the hospitality industry is no exception when it comes to simplifying operations and improving daily business activities.
Providing connectivity options to your guests is a given - and well-published talking point - however, there are also other technologies such as software solutions tailored to the needs of hotels and guesthouses that are important considerations.
One such technology is a software solution that runs as part of your PBX system, providing you with functionality such as check-in and check-out authorisation, an overview of the room, wake-up system and even message-waiting on suitable phones.
These solutions such as Aastra's OpenCom OpenHotel applications can manage from as little as 20 rooms up to 200. Essentially, the software runs on the PABX and the interface is accessible to the user via a normal Web browser.
This alleviates the need for a dedicated PC to run the application. The receptionist's or any PC can provide up-to-the-minute information on a room's status - for example, whether it should be cleaned or not, if it is vacated or whether a guest requested a wake-up call.
The Web browser provides an overview of all the registered hotel rooms, allowing the hotel staff to determine at a glance the status of all the rooms. This in turn saves on valuable time and ensures that no room is overlooked.
Furthermore, as this software forms part of an overall PBX solution, it will allow for message waiting on the phones in each room, thus alerting the guest that there is a message that needs to be retrieved or picked up from reception.
Also, as these systems are customisable, the hotel can add a status to certain guests ie, VIP, FIFA representative etc, again ensuring that certain guests receive the proper treatment as dictated by protocol or any other special requests.
An advantage of the OpenHotel application from Aastra is that it can be enabled with a 60-day demo licence to allow potential customers to evaluate the functionality of the offering.
In a nutshell, these solutions greatly simplify the guest management process while ensuring that the hotel or guesthouse provides its guests with a professional and prompt service.
With the 2010 Soccer World Cup around the corner, it would be prudent to investigate technology that will add to the smooth running of a hotel or guesthouse. While the event is less than a month long, it can create the foundation for a tourism explosion that will put South Africa well and truly on the international tourism calendar.
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