Owners of the ApartHotel mixed-use building advocate Hotelogix's fee structure and ease of use; Direct channel manager has simplified online distribution
[SAN JOSE, CALIF. – FEBRUARY 3, 2015] – When Silk Road Hospitality LLC decided to convert the 19-story Exchange Building (listed in the National Register of Historic Places) in Memphis into a mixed-use hotel and apartment (ApartHotel) rental facility, it needed a property-management system to streamline operational tasks. Representatives of the ownership group, Sardor and Gulam Umarov, selected the Hotelogix PMS primarily for its cloud-based capabilities. The company's fee structure also was a factor, as Silk Road is expanding its short-term apartment rental operation into a viable hotel business. When conversion plans are complete, the The Exchange Hotel will occupy 70 of the building's existing 202 apartments.
Hotelogix is the only cloud PMS currently used in 75 countries, and it's the easiest PMS to get started with. Hotelogix offers all the tools needed to run front desk operations, including an integrated Hotel Booking Engine for websites, unlimited POS for restaurants and spa, housekeeping, and user reports. Front desk staff can use the system in their preferred language of choice, including Arabic, English, French, German, Portuguese, Russan, Spanish and Thai.
"When we first purchased the Exchange Building, we didn't have any technology," said Sardor Umarov. "We used pen, paper and Excel to run the business. Once the website was complete and we were ready to begin booking rooms as The Exchange Hotel, we knew we needed to get a PMS in place. We were drawn to Hotelogix because of its cloud based capabilities and simplicity. All we needed was a computer and a basic Internet connection to get started. Hotelogix does the rest; all system maintenance and database administration is managed in the cloud. This minimal infrastructure combined with Hotelogix low-cost fee structure was exactly what we needed to get The Exchange Hotel up and running."
Starting with FrontDesk
The Hotelogix PMS is built around its FrontDesk module. Hotelogix FrontDesk is laid out as a grid that displays up-to-the-minute status of a property. It is a reservation chart that doubles up as a powerful dashboard. The Exchange Hotel staff is able to draw bookings on it directly or update reservations with simple point-and-click controls. With FrontDesk serving as the heart of the operation, managers are connected to all key areas of the hotel. Bookings from the The Exchange Hotel's website, travel agents, outside channels / global distribution systems show instantly on the reservation chart.
As part of the FrontDesk module, The Exchange Hotel is utilizing integrated modules for Point of Sale (touchscreen enabled, ready for roomservice, integrated reports, supports packages and add ons), Housekeeping (automatic updating of room status and task monitoring), Reports (checking forecasts and tracking progress) and Accounting (manage travel agents, corporate credits and commissions plus manage invoices, payables, ageing reports deductions, etc.). Interfaces are also provided to The Exchange Hotel for online distribution, TripConnect, EPBAX, Kitchen Order Ticket Printer and payment gateways.
"When The Exchange Hotel went live with Hotelogix in October of 2013, they started with FrontDesk and our Web Booking Engine to operate about 25 hotel rooms," said Aditya Sanghi, Hotelogix CEO. "A few months later, as the number of hotel rooms increased to 45, The Exchange Hotel upgraded to add our distribution system as well. Today, The Exchange Hotel is comprised of 50 rooms and growing."
As The Exchange Hotel continues to expand, the property will add on more functionality. In the interim, Hotelogix is providing The Exchange Hotel with data security of the highest standards. Reliable cloud servers are providing uninterrupted service, and property data is being backed-up continuously. The Exchange Hotel staff has access to 24/7 support when needed.
"Since adding Hotelogix, operations has improved substantially," Umarov said. "Hotelogix has adapted to our quick growth. We are more organized. The ability to have several users on multiple computers with Frontdesk active really makes a difference. The direct channel manager connection has really simplified the process for us."
To experience the Hotelogix PMS at no cost, click here to sign up for the Freemium program. For more information on the Hotelogix Freemium program, contact sales@hotelogix.com or call +1-214-245-4631. For details about Hotelogix, visit www.hotelogix.com.
