are located within the hotel , says Jeff Bzdawka , senior vice president of global hotel operations for Hyatt . “ We don ’ t want them to be tethered necessarily to a piece of furniture or to a desk . We want to allow them to interact with our guests in a manner in which our guests want to interact with us , and provide that unique , special experience .”
Mobile ’ s multiple uses Bzdawka explains that although Hyatt ’ s mobile implementation is still relatively
Hyatt ’ s Andaz brand was an innovator when it launched the use of iPads in the lobby for check-in and concierge services .
new and still a work in progress , the approach has already significantly altered the way its hotels operate , from front- to back-of-house . There are also specific instances where mobile usage is already a major improvement / solution for existing issues and methods , whether it is for communicating among staff or guest-to-staff contact .
“ We have either fully deployed or are innovating mobility solutions at every function within the organization ,” Bzdawka says . “ There ’ s applicability across all parts , from engineering — the ability to issue work orders and do preventative maintenance — to housekeeping runners , where a guest calls with a request and we ’ re able to issue the work order through that , to valet car runners , where a guest using a smartphone can say , ‘ I want my car ’ and it sends a text message .”
Hyatt ’ s not alone in that assertion , either . While most hotels can benefit , sources say the larger the property , the increasingly useful mobile devices have become , especially when they integrate with a hotel ’ s property management system ( PMS ). Mobile technology is replacing many of the functions that were previously reliant on phones and / or two-way radios , with the added benefit of offering a digital paper trail that can be referenced later .
“ Mobile for F & B , the rooms department and engineering are huge areas ; F & B in particular when you have a large resort property with several outlets spread across the hotel ,” explains Mike Uwe Dickersbach , vice president of IT for Thayer Lodging , Brookfield Hotel Properties , Annapolis , Maryland . He cautions , however : “ Compatibility with your property management system is the most important thing to understand . Know ahead of time what synchronizes and what doesn ’ t . If someone simply states that they offer an interface , make sure you understand what that really means . Is it a one-way interface ? Twoway ? Is it IP or serial ? What data is presented back and forth and what limitations does the interface have ?”
Txt world In other cases , something as rudimentary as text messaging can be extremely effective . For example , using text as a means of contacting off-site staff is a convenient means of managing shiftbased manpower , especially when needs change on the fly . “ Certainly the text messaging side of
www . hotelsmag . com January / February 2015 HOTELS 51