Recommendations

Since Comfort Inn became part of the Choice Hotels family, its infrastructure has made substantial changes. As a motel, Comfort Inn at Somerset has created an image that meets and even exceeds the standards in the hostel industry, however, there is still much to be improved by their Information systems department.

Outsource Server Maintenance and Up keeping

In the case of Comfort Inn, their computer serves are still located in-house. The whole set up is more of an old fashion style, where the hardware is located in the backroom of the reception. Like mentioned in class, this kind of setup requires a special maintenance, attention and constant monitoring in order to prevent any downtime as a result of failure or troubleshooting, which can potentially add up to large amounts of money. For that matter, we believe that it would be best if they decide to outsource this part of their system to either Google or Rackspace, which could potentially lead to lower cost of operation as well as an increase in floor space.

Moving to the Cloud

If Comfort Inn moved its hotel management system to the cloud it could potentially reduce expenses and dedicate more time to taking care of their guest. Investment into the cloud is cheaper because there are no hardware costs, or cost associated with hardware. There would be no more expenses on in-house IT staff, and no more IT distractions. The cloud would also be an easier way to keep systems and application up-to-date. 

Incorporate Mobile Technology (Smartphones and Tablets)

The use of mobile technology like smartphones and tablets has been an innovated way to interact with technology. Mobile technology is being used in many other business to improve customer and employee interaction. Businesses are starting to create mobile apps that are useful to their customers and make customers more interactive with their business. For example Comfort Inn can create an app for their shuttle service which shows the time and destination for each shuttle. This would be very useful for their business guest who need a quick way to find transportation. Another way Comfort Inn can use mobile technology is through the use of tablets. Newer hotels are keeping tablets inside rooms where guest can find information on nearby locations like restaurants, entertainment locations, and local attractions. The tablet could also provide as a way for guest to order room service instead of having to call. The benefit of ordering food from a tablet is that it could show the hotels room service menu. The tablet could also contain information on the hotel itself like certain accommodations, amenities, and services. This would free up the phones making it quicker to process room service request. 

According to several front desk employees, there are several factors that need to be considered when guests checkout while others check-in simultaneously. There are times when rooms that are not ready for occupancy are mistakenly given out to guest checking in; this usually happens because of inconsistent data and lack of information sharing between the housekeepers and the front-desk, resulting on customer dissatisfaction and inefficiency on part of the employees, both of which affect the image and productivity of the business. This problem could easily be solved if each one of the housekeepers had access to a tablet with an application that could alert the check-in system of the rooms that are available and the ones that are not. Additionally, the application can be use to inform front desk of any belongings left by the guests or any damage caused to the room.