l CEOs Offer Attendees Their “View From The Top”

ST. PAUL DE VENCE— During a Unisys conference panel, moderated by HOTEL BUSINESS® Associate Publisher Jay Schultz, entitled “A View From The Top,” hotel executives offered their views on technology in the hospitality industry and what steps they were currently taking to stay on cutting edge. John Tsunis, president/Long Island Hotels, suggested that hotels put as much emphasis on technology spending as they do their FF&E and property renovations. “Owners have to be more prepared to not put all the profits back in their pocket, but back into the hotel,” said Tsunis. He added that to attract business travelers to a hotel, the property needs more than a good location, it needs technology. “At Long Island Hotels, we want to know who are customer is. Have high-tech amenities if you have high-tech guests,” he stated, adding that with three suburban New York properties located near several high-tech corporations and colleges, Tsunis knew he had to upgrade his technology amenities. “Know the location of your hotels to local businesses,” he said. Because of the demographic in the area surrounding several of his properties, Tsunis is looking to install wireless Internet at the properties. Michael Marshall, principal of Marshall Management, which manages several hotels in the Mid-Atlantic, noted that having a strong on-line presence is also important. His hotels, many located on the Maryland beaches, cater heavily on leisure travelers, so Marshall management developed a website that meets those travelers needs. “Leisure travelers are using the Internet for something different, which is why we use IPIX and virtual tours,” he said. He also participates on destination websites, like one geared for Ocean City, MD hotels, and pays an extra fee per quarter to appear first on that site’s listing. “We’ve really seen the money come back to us,” he stated. He also purchased extra domain names that lead travelers to his website. “The key is how you get them to your site,” he added. -Diana M. Rodriguez