Really Cool Hotels

    I was trying to sit here and think of something that I could talk to you about in this second to last blog for my class.  I have discussed a LOT of different issues that can be presented at a hotel.  I have shown you many different sites that you could use to find a hotel at a reasonable price, for specific or general inputs.   But, what I haven't written about it why its important.  Think about it.    If there was no Internet the hotel's would still have to advertise in the magazines or the newspaper, or television.  Thanks to today's technology we are able to rapidly and rather fast find a hotel with just the click of a button.   So what are some awesome technologies that have been developed for a hotel?

     I don't know about you but when I think about going to a hotel I think about the check-in in process.  Without a computer and database system for guest information, Hotels would still be trying to keep track of all their guests, and when they checkin in, and when they left on paper, which could lead to errors, and double booking (ironically this still happens even now with computers from my experience).  I took a class in Hospitality tourism while I was at CNM and the entire purpose of the class was to determine the front desk operations. We even had a mock check in program to play with.  Not surprising to me, is that I found features and codes and area's of the program my teacher could not even find himself.  The computer database's that Hotel's function off of are extensive to say the least.  Most have not only the guest list in them, but the employee schedules, and the records which keep track of which rooms are empty and clean. So for example you could see a section of the database that looks like such

Room: 312

Status- Occupied

general Cleaning- no

turnover clean- no

and another that says

Room 313

Status- unoccupied

general Cleaning- yes

turnover clean- in process

 ( the above would say a general tidying is done when guests are still there, but full out cleaning is not done yet by the maids to prep for the next guest.

Maids themselves have their own database's they sometimes have to maintain.  How do hotel's check your not stealing their towels?  They most likely have a database that keeps track of the number of pillows, blankets, and other accessorized items like the TV, desk and coffee maker.   When 2 towels are taken to be cleaned, this can be put into the database system.   Just think about how easy it would be for a person to bilk a hotel out of all their towels, sheets, and supplies if hotels didn't have database systems to keep track of them!  On the same system they have all their inventory they probably have a system to put in for work orders at specific rooms so you would see this

Room: 312

Status- Unoccupied

General cleaning: yes

Turnover clean: yes

maintenance: 2 lamp lightbulb replacements, toilet needs snaking..

Think about this logically.  On the computer network you will have a employee database telling you who's working, and who's not, and a guest database to tell you who's all is there and who isn't.  Ok are you ready for this? I'm going to add another dimension to this.  If you are a rather grande hotel and have a restaurant and you cater you will most likely have more then 6 different kinds of database systems running for the hotel itself.

1) check in

2)Employee

3) Inventory

4) Food Inventory

5) Account management

6)food ordering system

7) restaurant reservations system

8) Room Card system

Ok... as you can see there are many different ways a hotel uses information technology. This is just the tip of the iceberg if you think about it.  I feel there may be another blog after this one, so thats why I put Second to last blog at the top...  So I will leave you this question.

Feel Free to comment please!

Chelsey