Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008 - (Page 34)

34 Special Report CLEANING & MAINTENANCE H&MM October 6, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Housekeeping communication gets more efﬁcient, high-tech By Chris Crowell ASSOCIATE EDITOR n the old cartoon show “The Jetsons,” the future is a world ﬁlled with top-notch technology that pro- in Cary, N.C., a 150-room, ﬁvediamond luxury property, is largely outﬁtted with the latest in housekeeping technology. In particular, The Umstead has implemented tray detection technology from Axxess Industries. When a guest puts a tray outside of the door, housekeeping is alerted from a triangle sensor on the tray that triggers another sensor in the doorway. This immediately alerts the staff to the waiting tray by way of a blinking light. “We have a 30-minute response time. … That’s our personal goal,” managing director Bob Schoﬁeld said. “From a productivity standpoint, [it saves] from staff walking up and down [the hallway]. It streamlines the process.” Schoﬁeld said The Umstead especially beneﬁts because its doors are inset into the wall, making it more difﬁcult to see if a tray is outside a door. The Umstead housecleaning staff also is alerted when a room is available for cleaning. Guests click a button, which sets off another sensor, to indicate they are gone and the room can be cleaned. “You have the same number of staff, but you can manage them on their daily assignments on a more efﬁcient basis,” Schoﬁeld said. The Marriott Shadow Ridge Resort in Palm Desert, Calif., has improved its overall hotel maintenance with GuestWare 3.0 from GuestWare. This system uses interactive voice response to link the housekeeping staff with the property engineers. A housekeeper will go through a typical routine in a guestroom, and if he or she notices a problem, like a broken toilet or a malfunctioned thermostat, the housekeeper will pick up the room phone and follow through a protocol to identify that speciﬁc problem. The report immediately alerts the See Housekeeping | page 40 CIRCLE NO. 114 UMSTEAD O vides immediate, convenient service—especially when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. These fictional housekeeping amenities might never see the light of day, but in our current world there are several devices that can signiﬁcantly streamline the maintenance of a hotel, making the lives of guests, owners and housekeepers easier. The Umstead Hotel and Spa Trays at The Umstead in Cary, N.C., have a sensor in a silver triangle that alerts staff when it’s ready for pickup. http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.commtrans.com

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Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008 Contents NYLO Brands Mix Up Lifestyle Segment La Quinta Eyes Mexico, Canada for Growth Perspective Legally Speaking Marketing Matters Satisfaction Trends Maintenance Doctor HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Independent Hotels Top Hotel Multiunit Owners and Developers Survey Cleaning & Maintenance Music Wallcoverings Supplier News Transactions Softgoods: Bedding & Linens People Events Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008

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