NATIONAL REPORT— With all of the positive economic activity in the hospitality industry over the last two years, the issue of revenue management has been brought to the forefront of hotel owners’ minds and many of them are revamping their systems and turning to new technology solutions to assist them in monitoring their properties’ profits. One such company making a technology leap is Honolulu-based Outrigger Hotels & Resorts. With a portfolio of more than 50 hotels, the company will soon make the transition to an automated revenue management system for its properties located in Hawaii. “Prior to now, we have had a manual system, but we’ve recognized the value of an automated system,” said Elizabeth Cambra, corporate director of revenue for Outrigger. “It will allow our revenue managers to spend less time preparing data and more time analyzing information and acting upon system recommendations. They’ve been too tied-up gathering the information.” Cambra explained that Outrigger went through a thorough research process to select software to monitor its Hawaii hotels. “We looked at multiple companies [to find]one that lined up with our cultural needs and revenue objectives. When you have multiple hotels located in a very close geographic region, you need to be able to focus on the rooms in each building and the whole cluster of properties as well…Without flexibility [in the program], it wouldn’t bring the return on investment the company expects,” she said. Outrigger’s automated revenue management pilot will go live this summer, according to Cambra. After it is tested for approximately four months, the company will evaluate the ROI and then begin rolling it out in late 2006/early 2007. Boston-based Sonesta Hotels & Resorts is currently in the middle of its roll out of revenue management software at its U.S. properties. The company selected a web-based software solution that would meet its revenue management needs and also had the ability to integrate with Sonesta’s PMS. “Budget-wise, it was a much easier choice than having an on-property system,” said Carol Beggs, vp of technology for Sonesta. “We didn’t have to capitalize as much and it’s fairly easy on our IT staff.” The new revenue management software is already in place at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston and at the Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort Sunny Isles in Sunny Isles, FL and has had a very good response. “It crunches so many more numbers than any revenue director ever could and it gives property directors more information and more useful data they can use to make better decisions. On the corporate level, we now have the ability to look at each property in one centralized system.” Beggs noted the initiative is part of Sonesta’s strategy to bring revenue management to the forefront. “The importance of revenue management is increasing because the market is doing better and the software and connectivity between systems is getting better,” she said, adding that regardless of what software system is in place, proper training and communication is essential. “We get the whole team involved, it’s important that everyone understands the entire process…Every one has a greater awareness of what’s going on and of the tools in place.” Taking a different route is Atlanta-based Lodgian, Inc. According to vp of revenue management Kurt Fuhrlong, the company has built its own internal revenue management tools instead of relying on a third-party software provider. “The system adapts to our portfolio of multiple branded and independent properties…there are a number of components, but our central platform is our Revenue Strategy Calendar that brings data together to make strategic decisions,” he said. Lodgian’s development of its own revenue management system has created a more personalized system that is tailored to the company’s strategies, according to Daniel Abernathy, vp, sales and marketing for Lodgian. “All of the major brands have revenue management systems att
