Technology Streamlines
Hospitality
High Touch Meets High Tech
Wendy Tappan
Coastline ROP
Externship Goal
• My goal throughout this externship
opportunity was to update my
knowledge of the industry mainly
focusing on technology.
Externship Training
• Teri Rosales the Human Resource Supervisor at the
Marriott Newport Coast.
• Director of Security David Kubik at the Surf and
Sand in Laguna Beach.
• The Fairmont Newport Beach with Kamia Kinchlow,
Business Travel Sales Manager and Rei Strand, PR
and Marketing Coordinator.
• The Ritz Carlton with Rena Benrubi who was the
Manager of Quality.
Behind the Times
• Typically hotels and much of the hospitality
industry are behind the times in technology.
– It is expensive to change over 100+ rooms to
computers, plasma screens, etc.
– We also consider ourselves “high touch not high tech”
which means our customers want to interact with
humans more not computers.
• Business travel however is the number one
reason people travel so we have to keep up and
meet the demands of our customers in technology
or fall behind.
Marriott Newport Coast
Student Tours At Marriott
Marriott Newport Coast
Teri Rosales – Human Resources Supervisor
 One of the biggest changes I found was in human
resources where many companies have tried to go
“paperless”.
 By going paperless I thought there would would
no more files, but that is not really possible.
 Many files need original signatures and need to
be kept on property for legal reasons.
Marriott
• Documentation in the computer system
( paperless) is:
– The application
– Employee information
– I-9 check (residency)
– Training materials
– E-mail
Marriott
The Employee Files contain:
• I-9 documentation
• drug testing
• sexual harassment
policy
• employee
handbook
• benefits
• written warnings or
disciplinary actions
• awards
• resumes
• background check
• any other property
specific information
necessary.
Marriott
Teri has learned 6-8 computer systems to run Human Resources. The
ones we discussed are:
• PeopleSoft – Software used to input new hires.
• Applications – All persons applying at any Marriott must apply on
line.
• I-9 and E-Verify- Checking residency status of an employee.
• Email and Internet Security – This is the way managers communicate
on property and to corporate. There are also controls on Internet
access.
• Training – Marriott offers a variety of training courses on-line to their
employees.
• Management Master Scheduling- All managers have access to a
master schedule and can set up meetings and post them to the master
schedule.
Surf and Sand Resort
Laguna Beach
Surf and Sand Resort
David Kubik – Director of Security
Security is fairly standard in the items that
they use, a two way radio, ear piece, and
cameras installed throughout the property.
What is crucial to security is to keep our
staff out patrolling the property
consistently.
This is where technology has come in.
Surf and Sand
• The new technology that ensures that the
guards patrol the entire property every time
is the installation of microchips with bar
codes on them throughout the property.
• As the guard comes to each scanning
station they have a handheld scanner and
must scan the barcode.
The Fairmont
Newport Beach
The Fairmont
Kamia Kinchlow, Business Travel Sales Manager
Rei Strand, PR and Marketing Coordinator
• Part of PR and Sales is to learn to follow the trends,
and the trends that we were discussing and
following this time were eco-friendly and organic
products, Twitter, and social networking.
• Many of the hotel companies are trying to determine
how to use Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to their
advantage, but worry about pitfalls.
The Fairmont
• Now, just a few months after our discussions, most
hotels are cashing in on this phenomenon and the
Fairmont is no exception.
• I went on Facebook today and Fairmont has a
Facebook page with links to twitter.
• On twitter there are many deals at Fairmont’s all
over the world. One particular deal that stood out
was at the Santa Monica Fairmont where twitter
users receive 50% off the hotels summer rate if they
book the date online. They call them “suite tweets.
Go to www.twitter.com/Fairmont hotels.
The Ritz-Carlton
Laguna Niguel
The Ritz-Carlton
Rena Benrubi Manager of Quality
• This position in many companies is called
Total Quality Management (TQM). She was
in charge of all of the comment cards,
customer service calls, complaints and
reviews for the entire property.
• Every property tract their customer service
scores and management bonuses are even
based on these scores.
The Ritz-Carlton
• There are goals that must be met by each
department, usually at least 90% or better, of
customer service scores or the management team
will not receive their bonus pay.
• Now, all of this is pretty standard in the hotel
industry, the new part, is the technology.
– The scanning of the cards
– the amount of unique reports you can create for your
department and team and individual staff members
– Accessibility to the rankings of every hotel in the company
at any time on the computer is really unique and an
excellent tool to motivate.
Conclusion
• This was a great experience! I learned how
technology can enhance the guest experience; as
well as, streamline the work that we do.
• Facebook, twitter, and social networking are
enormously successful and if the industry can
learn to use this they will be on the cutting
edge.
A Great Experience!
• There are many jobs that have been created in hospitality
due to technology.
– Programming
– IT
– On-line reservations including: price line, hotels.com,
travelocity.com, and many more.
– Consultants
• I am currently adding all of the technology items that I
learned about into the appropriate lessons and I am
working on a lesson just discussing the benefits of
technology. I feel the students will have a lot to add to
this.