Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008 - (Page 40)

40 Special Report CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE H&MM October 6, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Housekeeping future Continued from page 34 proper engineer via the engineer’s wireless phone. “[The whole process] works within minutes,” said Kirby O’Gara, chief engineer at Shadow Ridge. “If [the engineer] can’t get there within 10 minutes, he should call for some help.” If an engineer takes too long to address the reported problem, an alarm will sound and send the request to other engineers. Systems such as this speed up and clear up communication with the back of the house that makes each worker more efﬁcient. “[Before] there was no tracking and no accountability,” O’Gara said. “The work orders would get lost and there was no accountability. You’re supposed to have [documents] for three to ﬁve years, so it’s automatically saving the ﬁle, and you can save it forever.” Chuck Marratt is the director of information technology for MTM Luxury Lodging. He has seen a dramatic change in housekeeping because of technology, es- pecially at the Bardessono Inn and Spa in Napa Valley, Calif., which is scheduled to open in February 2009. The approach there may be one of the most advanced yet. Thanks to MTech’s REX system working in conjunction with the hotel’s property-management system, housekeeping staff will use iPod Touch technology to keep up to speed with the hotel’s housekeeping needs at all times. Admit It. You’ve Never Needed Us More. With prices rising and revenues slowing, purchasers everywhere are scrambling for a better way to control expenditures and manage their purchasing processes. That’s what BuyE cient gives you. A nationwide network of major suppliers you will de nitely recognize. A negotiated pricing structure that leverages the combined buying power of our members. And an online purchasing management system that allows you to track, budget, and control procurement in every facet of your operation. If you need greater control, you need BuyE cient. It’s that simple. So admit it—you’ve never needed us more. Visit our website at buye cient.com or email sales@buye cient.com. We’ll show you how to take control of all your purchasing with a brief online demonstration. The iPod will show each housekeeper his or her list of rooms for that day, and once a guest checks out—or even leaves the room unoccupied—the housekeeper is notiﬁed a room is ready to be refreshed or turned over. This keeps the housekeeper from knocking on doors or making unnecessary trips. “It leverages the fact we have a converged network,” Marratt said. “The housekeeper has no way of knowing if you are in the room or not. So that’s where you’re really starting to talk efﬁciency with the routine cleaning of guestrooms. “Before [cell] phones, you contacted everyone via pager. When I started in ’81, you paged someone and then they had to ﬁnd the nearest house phone. It allows [the hotel] to give guests the service they want without disturbing them.” Maybe these aren’t robot maids, but it’s a start. ccrowell@questex.com Face Lifts Nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina, the Courtyard by Marriott Gulfport (Miss.) reopened. The property was to have started its transformation on Aug. 29, 2005, the day Hurricane Katrina reached land. The hotel, converted from the Gulfport Beachfront Hotel, boasts a multimilliondollar renovation with fully refurbished guestrooms and upgraded meeting facilities. The Hilton Toronto Airport completed phase one of a major makeover, including the renovation of 268 rooms in the hotel’s South Tower, wireless Internet in public areas and ﬂat-screen televisions in every room. The hotel also added selfcheck-in lobby kiosks and an eco-fuel ﬁreplace and coffee service to the lobby lounge. Compiled by Emily Hanna, ehanna@questex.com 903 CALLE AMANECER | SUITE 100 | SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA 92673 | BUYEFFICIENT.COM CIRCLE NO. 112 http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.BUYEFFICIENT.COM http://www.BUYEFFICIENT.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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