Systems

A 24x7 business centre

Many top-end business hotels are already seeing increased levels of revenue and guest satisfaction after recent installation of VSi Automated Business Centre

Add the Crystal Gateway Marriott and the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables to the rapidly growing list of top-flight business properties reaping the benefits - both in terms of guest satisfaction and reduced labour costs - of making available to guests the Automated Business Centre by Vertical Systems Inc (VSi).

Sunnyvale-based VSi is a global leader in guest-services technology and solutions aimed at serving the growing needs of business travellers and mobile users. VSi's Automated Business Centres, with more than 1,000 installations around the world, feature high-speed internet connection, Microsoft Office software, and top-quality equipment - including desktop PC and high-performance colour printer, fax machine and copier - from the most reliable manufacturers in the industry, including Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark and Ricoh, to name a few. The Automated Business Centre from VSi also offers secure access for guests who prefer to use their laptop computer.

The Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, a 697-room business/convention property across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, and the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, a 242-room business hotel in the trendy Miami-area enclave of Coral Gables, are two of the most recent hotels to add a VSi Automated Business Centre.

The Crystal Gateway Marriott had its Automated Business Centre installed in December, replacing its staffed business centre. According to Derwin Swann, the property's director of events management, the old business centre operated between the hours of 7 am to 9 pm- making it inaccessible to guests who needed to use it before or after those hours. "Our guests were looking for a casual work solution that would be available at their convenience, and they told us that," Swann said. "There's definitely enough traffic in our hotel to justify a business centre that's open during hours when we were formerly closed. Since we've had the VSi Automated Business Centre, we've had repeat guests who've told us they love the fact that they can now use the business centre 24/7."

The Hyatt Regency Coral Gables also unveiled its VSi Automated Business Centre in December, as a significant upgrade to what director of rooms Adam Zilber called an 'informal' area in which guests could access computers - but which wasn't a true business centre.

"The VSi Automated Business Centre makes sense for our hotel because it's self-sufficient," Zilber said. "Our property is too small to dedicate a staff member to man a business centre, but with the VSi Automated Business Centre, VSi handles all customer problems should any occur. The location of the business centre near the front desk gives front-desk staff an opportunity to help guests - and that's a plus - or the guest can pick up the direct, no-dial help-line to a VSi tech-support desk.

"The computer and all the equipment are top-of-the-line, technical support from VSi has been outstanding, and even the installation process was impressive - in our case, VSi's vice president of engineering, Idris Kothari, did the installation himself," Zilber added. "The bottomline for us is that guest feedback has been fantastic - guests tell us they're very happy with the VSi Automated Business Centre's convenience and functionality." There are other, literal bottomline benefits as well, said the Crystal Gateway Marriott's Swann. "The VSi Automated Business Centre eliminated labour costs completely, compared with our former, staffed business centre," he said. "Our property is saving about US$ 3,600 a month, and since the start-up costs for implementation weren't all that aggressive, we should show return-on-investment within six months."

Among the benefits and features the VSi Automated Business Centre offers are:

• 365/24/7 availability for guests - boosting guest satisfaction;
• Turnkey operation - no hotel staff is needed to manage the business centre;
• Industry-standard hardware and software (featuring Microsoft Office), high-speed internet access and print, copy and fax capabilities;
• Laptop connection for printing and VPN;
• Automated credit-card payment system;
• VSi's proprietary FreshStart self-sealing software system ensures security and confidentiality for users;
• 365/24/7 live, toll-free phone customer support;
• Custom-tailoring to the hotel's operational needs;
• No-cost option for equipment purchase;
• Positive revenue stream.

"For top-quality hotels like the Crystal Gateway Marriott and the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, business travellers are their best customers," said VSi president Saeed Kazmi, "and they are increasingly demanding 24/7 availability of high-speed internet access and e-mail, print, fax and scanner capabilities so they can conduct their business while they're on the road. The VSi Automated Business Centre is a must for today's business hotel, and we are proud to be partnering with both the Crystal Gateway Marriott and the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables in offering yet another way for them to generate increased revenues and higher guest-satisfaction levels."

VSi's Automated Business Centres also are found in Marriott properties, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, W Hotels and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts (Starwood), Holiday Inns and Crowne Plaza Hotels (InterContinental Hotel group), Best Western Hotels, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Fairmont Hotels, Accor Hotels and many independent properties.