Energy Management Increase the profitability

Image that in a scorching hot summer day, you enter a hotel to start your sweet vocation. However, before you really can enjoy you time, you have to insert the card into card slot to turn on the power of the room. Next is to adjust the temperature setting of AC, draw the draperies to block sunshine out. After doing all of these, you might already lose your good emotion for your vocation. And it turns out that the hotel owner would lose one more customer. A good energy management system can change this a lot. The new technology provides guest can control all environmental factors including light, temperature, and volume of music with only one friendly platform. This leading system not only increases the convenience for guests but also provides a channel through which hoteliers can monitor the usage of electricity well.

Now let’s see the new system “EvolveNet” developed by Evolve corp. The system enables hotel manager to save 30% ~ 50% utility costs and also enriches guest experience. From the layout of the implement in a hotel room, the system interconnects all the sensors and controllers in the room. When the guests step in the room and insert the keycard into slot. This system will be activated and set in “comfort mode”. The occupancy sensor will check how many guests in this room and adjust the temperature accordingly. Lighting controller will measure the surrounding light and determine how strong the light will be generated by lamps. When the guests leave this room, this system will turn into "energy saving” mode to avoid extra energy waste. Also all the control functions are integrated into one remote controller. Guest can easily use it without being busy around to “make room comfortable”.

Also, this system allows manage to prepare top service for VIP customer, operators can adjust the temperature and light at a very comfortable level before guests arrive at the room. That would impress important guests profoundly and brings reputation to hotel.

On the other hand, this system would facilitate the efficiency of management. All the data measured from the sensor and controller. The back-office software that gives the front desk and engineering the ability to monitor and control the lighting and temperature of each room, wing, floor, or the entire facility remotely, to maximize both energy savings and customer comfort. This system will also generate reports allowing management to understand how energy is being used in the property, as well as view maintenance reports and usage of the all of the devices included in the Evolve system. These features will enhance the quality of management. The pictures show the platform of system which is being used on back-office software.

Interactive Hotel Television System

“Hotels of the future may not have telephones, but you have to a have a television in the room,” quoted from Richard Lewis, SVP at LG Electronics”.

True, TV right now is not only a box bring vivid picture and programs to user. Furthermore, TV can be more “interactive” to users through internet infrastructure including hardware and software. From customers’ point of view, this system can provide more comprehensive services, such us, essential TV show, entertainment package, movie demand, traffic information, and room service. From hoteliers’ aspect, this system can approach saving of manpower on service management, record of customer’s consuming behavior, and integration with PMS (property management system). Mutually, the system can facilitate interactions between customers and hoteliers. For example, the greeting message will be automatically shown on TV when customers turn on the TV. In the other hand, customer can leave message and feedback to express their satisfaction of overall service, suggesting what should be improved.

“TV inn” is a multimedia system designed for hotels, recreation center, and spa to support high quality service in this industry. Customers can enjoy their vocation without going out but have a wonderful and relax afternoon by holding a TV remote.

Image that in Las Vegas, if customers feel tired about crowed environment and want to play blackjack without disturb, they can just stay in rooms, turn on TV and connect to the “virtual blackjack table” to interact with other players.

“TV inn” can bring following major service packages to customers:

- Multimedia package

- Information Package

- Service Package

- Entertainment Package

- Multimedia package:

Ÿ   Free Television: Free channels and hotel information channel

Ÿ   Pay Television: limited access channels, guest confirm to pay with remote control

Ÿ   Video on Demand: mega-hit and topical movie. Gust can preview and then order movies.

Ÿ   Internet on screen: guest can link to popular websites to browse information online.

- Information Package:

Weather forecast

Checking / Sending Message: Hotel service center can inform guests through TV screen

Ordering history: guests can check order in their temp room account during their stay

Alarm clock

- Service Package:

Hotel can inform the guest about all its offers. Using the menu on screen the system can inform the guest about all the goods and services available (the list of services with the description of the service specificity, working hours and contact phone numbers), or enables making on-line orders with at door to door delivery. Through this system, hoteliers can make guests have better perception of provided services.

- Entertainment Package:

This system offers information of how the guest can spend his free time. The external service providers are connected in this networking. Guests can search information and arrange their trip. This system can add value in the whole tourism industry. 

Electronic Locking System with Wireless DNA

The video below introduce a leading edge technology application for a locking system which is”The RFID Lock with Wireless DNA". Through this wireless technology, this locking system can be management and monitored remotely. Users can easily cancel lost key during a trip, customer can do the auto check-out without time waste in a line, bringing advanced value to guests and hotel owners.This system also enables users to use cell phone with built in code as the room key, increasing the mobility of usage.

Technology guards your clients: Electronic locking system

The concept of electronic locking system was introduced and developed in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. The advantage is the metal key is no more necessary. This electronic door system was then commonly used by high level and luxurious hotels. There are many types of method for electronics locking system, such as, numerical code, fingerprint, and RFID (Radio-frequency identification). RFID is the majority which is used in hostel industry. RFID door card through the use of radio wave to exchange data between the readers equipped on door to get the identification for unlocking doors.

The card is programmed at the front desk and the specific data is transmitted to lockset to the assigned room. Because of the convenience of electronics of locking system, more than 85% of lodging industry in US applied this system. And this technology has developed to add more value in the locking system. For example, an audit function is available to record the number of entries. This will provide a record of entries by guests and by staff as well. This advantage can effectively reduce the number of stealing; furthermore, this advantage would also increase the safety and quality of guest’s experience in the hotel. 

Central Reservation System (CRS)

In the last post, the GDS (global distribution system) was introduced which is a technology can gather all the price information and room availability from hotels owner and provide those information to customers. Today, I would like to introduce the technology applied in hotel side, a technology we commonly known as hotel reservation systems or central reservation system (CRS). The major function of CRS is the linkage between hotels and GDS. CRS is a computerized system which distributes and stores information of a hotel, resort, or lodging facilities. An hotelier can use CRS to reach GDS and approach the online distribution and sales channels.

Besides providing well connected network with GDS, application of CRS also brings some additional advantage on hotel management with very practical information in each of the following categories:

Room reservation & pricing management:

- Add, change, and cancel bookings

- Standard, package, and group rate

- Table of room type and rates

- Waitlist capabilities

Customers’ profiles:

- Membership or club numbers and tracking

- Notation for special commissions for client, agent, or source

- Outstanding history statistics for past and future stays

Groups & Blocks:

- Groups room control

- Room allotments with cutoff date or days

- Super Group Blocks -single group staying at multiple properties

Administration:

- Transaction activity by agent and CRO

- On-line, written, or faxed confirmations

- Multi-tiered source of business tracking

Reporting:

- Expected Arrivals

- Total Booking Activity

- Monthly Booking Activity Summary

- Daily Booking Activity Summary

    The interface of CRS

    

                                               The network of CRS     

GDS (Global Distribution System) – You can get the better price

Look at the video from Youtube about how GDS works on Priceline. Customers can easily name their own price through i-phone app. The more interactions between hotel owner and customer provide more chance to reach the satisfied price for both sides. "Last night price" is another promotion which Priceline uses to entice customer and sell their empty rooms in the last minute. Cheap price to customers and not-waste for empty rooms to hotel owner is the value created by GDS which didn't exist in the past without GDS system.

GDS (Global Distribution System) – Connect to the world

In this post, I would like to introduce a tool called GDS (Global Distribution System) which is common used in travel industry. GDS is a very power reservation tool for agent making airline, car rental, hotel and other travel services booking. GDS, in 1960s, was first designed and operated by airline companies to track flight schedules, prices, and availability. GDS is a tool using computerized system and digital database to restore information and make transaction through internet. GDS system provides customer access to check worldwide travel service provider through internet. GDS was actually very primary e-commerce business tool. Nowadays, GDS furthermore establish an interface on which all relative service providers, such as airline company, car rental company, travel agent, and hotel, can facilitate B-B e-commerce business model. Because of GDS, customers can seek for total solution rather than ask to different companies individually.

There are currently four major GDS systems: 

1. Amadeus   

2. Galileo 

3. Sabre 

4. Worldspan 

GDS was also common adopted in hotel industry to improve the management quality in following aspects:

Sales increase:

Customer now can easily check the availability of room and compare the price online. GDS also increases the possibility of that customer access to the hotel commercial or advertisement.  

Price and allocation management:

Based on the real-time data in GDS, hotel owner can make best pricing strategy to guarantee the profit. To chose the timing for sale promotion, the historical data and current room-occupancy status can be the best indicator.

Packages:

Through GDS, Hotel is not only selling a room for stay anymore, more comprehensive service could be provided to entice customer. For example, hotel and car-rental can be made into a bundle to increase the customer value perspective.

The chart below is the diagram demonstrate the network of GDS. The role of GDS and the relationship to up-stream user and down-stream travel service provider are clearly depicted.  

diagram is from http://www.faqs.org