By Ben Schumacher, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, VP, Operations, Southeast Asia and Pacific Rim - 9.16.2021
Gaining a head start in booking – especially before a property even opens – is an advantage any hotelier would welcome.
And it’s an opportunity Suzanne Pentecost, General Manager of the newly-built Ramada Suites by Wyndham Taranaki Street Wellington in New Zealand, seized – thanks to the hotel’s OPERA Cloud property management system. The cloud-based PMS eliminated the need for an on-premises server and orchestrated the work demands of the entire staff.
“We were able to have our hotel online and able to be booked prior to opening, which definitely helped with our occupancy,” said Pentecost, who’s overseeing the 117-room hotel in Wellington – part of Wyndham’s continuing expansion in the region. “I have used lots of property management systems and find OPERA Cloud very user friendly and easy for our staff to learn.”
Helping our hotel owners open faster was just one of the many reasons why Wyndham Hotels & Resorts entered into a global partnership with Oracle Hospitality and selected OPERA Cloud. It’s the latest in a growing list of hotel technology initiatives that we’re pursuing to give our franchisees the tools they need to gain a competitive advantage and accelerate their recovery. For example, migrating to OPERA Cloud can be done remotely in a matter of days, not weeks, which translates into faster openings.
OPERA Cloud offers a host of operational enhancements and efficiencies that not only help our owners deliver a better guest experience but lowers their IT costs by getting rid of expensive and difficult-to-maintain, on-site hardware.
Ramada Suites by Wyndham Taranaki Street Wellington is one of two new hotels that we’ve just opened in New Zealand; the other is the 93-room Ramada by Wyndham Newmarket Auckland, which also is equipped with the OPERA Cloud. The additions bring Wyndham Hotels & Resorts total number of properties in New Zealand to 15.
One of the biggest benefits of using OPERA Cloud is the direct, two-way interface between the hotel PMS and Wyndham’s central reservations system. Through OPERA Cloud, hotels can directly manage their rates, inventory, and stay restrictions that are synched with the CRS, which means such data is instantly pushed to our many distribution channels and partners.
Typically, maintaining rate parity is a difficult task because of the plethora of channels and the need to constantly monitor and update them all. Pushing rates directly and consistently from one system to all channels alleviates such complexity – and allows more direct bookings to flow through local channels, which reduces booking costs. That efficiency enables hoteliers to save on resourcing and payroll costs associated with managing multiple systems.
For Pentecost and her team, the two-way interface has played an instrumental role in executing revenue management strategy.
“It has been much easier for my staff to manage inventory via OPERA Cloud and have it update all channels almost instantly without having to check different channels,” she said.
OPERA Cloud’s compatibility with our CRS illustrates the property management system’s integration capabilities, which we believe is one of its most-important attributes. Fast, simple integrations – and access to Oracle Hospitality’s extensive partner network – will be key to rapidly incorporating third-party innovations that best meet the needs of an ever-changing marketplace.
Integrations with OPERA Cloud already are delivering other advantages to our franchisees, including: automated management of the Wyndham Rewards loyalty program; real-time data submission for market analysis centers; and connectivity to our recently launched mobile app, which allows hotels with compatible door locks to offer keyless check-in.
Joon Aun Ooi, President, Asia Pacific, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts said, “The launch of OPERA Cloud is part of Wyndham’s larger strategy to enhance the long-term success of our hotels through connectivity, distribution, and loyalty. We are seeing growing interest from hotels across Asia Pacific looking to leverage new technologies to optimize their operations and we are delighted to see our two Ramada by Wyndham hotels in New Zealand be the first to go live with OPERA Cloud.
“Our owners and management teams are taking advantage of the benefits that Wyndham’s new solution offers through enhanced connectivity that drives bookings, automated processing and consequently, cost efficiencies. We’re encouraging our owners and partners to embrace the cloud to fully participate in the recovery that’s finally starting to emerge.”
Ben Schumacher serves as VP, Operations at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Southeast Asia and Pacific Rim. Ramada Suites by Wyndham Taranaki Street Wellington features 117 contemporary rooms and conference facilities, close to the famous Lambton Quay in the heart of the central business district and Courtenay Place, known for its entertainment, dining and nightlife. The six-storey new-construction hotel offers studio, one and two-bedroom apartments, and some rooms with kitchen and laundry facilities. The 93-room Ramada by Wyndham Newmarket Auckland is ideally positioned in the popular business precinct, featuring premier shopping, dining and entertainment. The five-story, newly constructed hotel offers a range of modern-design hotel rooms and studio apartments, as well as one and two-bedroom apartments featuring fully equipped kitchens and in-room laundry facilities. The hotel’s high-tech purpose-built meeting room is ideal for small to medium sized meetings and cocktail functions.
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