Like many expanding hotel groups Talash Hotels had an array of different property management systems across their estate with no standardised reporting and limited functionality.
The group approached Guestline to review their IT infrastructure to provide a comprehensive, multi-functional property management and distribution solution that was fully integrated across the estate. As a leading supplier to the hospitality sector Guestline installed their cloud-hosted property management system, Rezlynx PMS, along with Guestline Distribution and EPoS.
The new solution gives the management team the ability to simply switch between the sites at the click of a button to provide the consolidated view they so desperately required. In the past, analysis of each of the sites’ performance was hampered by different report layouts and different methods of calculation. Gaining a consolidated group overview was a time consuming, costly and manual process. The new system eliminates human error and misinterpretation and provides vital financial performance information.
The group opted for Guestline’s Distribution solution as it provides a fully integrated link to the PMS ensuring live rates and availability are displayed on their chosen OTAs (as well as their own online booking engine). This means that they are able to sell down to the last available room ensuring reservation revenues are optimised. Rates and availability are controlled in one place reducing the amount of time managing online sales and sophisticated rate rules ensure that rates are optimised at all times delivering additional valuable revenue and are adaptable to changes in demand. Previously this had been a manual process and a number of rooms were closed out in case of walk-ins, or undersold at times of peak demand as the rate wasn’t optimised.
To protect and maximise their food and beverage revenues, the Talash Group selected Guestline’s EPoS system which is easy to use, integrated to their PMS and mobile enabled – ideal for their busy lounge bar environments. Comprehensive reporting capabilities also help them reduce stock loss improving their profit margins.
By running one PMS, the group can assign staff to different sites, which is a key benefit to groups. Moving staff across the group helps them cope with fluctuating demands as well as aiding staff development and training, providing career progression and thus reducing staff turnover.
A number of their properties are Best Western hotels so it was key that the solutions could link to their Central Reservation system to benefit from the marketing opportunities that the Best Western brand delivers and comply with their requirement for a cloud-hosted PMS. As the largest UK based PMS supplier to the Best Western group, Guestline could deliver a solution that worked not only for their branded sites but provided the same operating system for their non-branded sites. It also gave them the option of moving more of their estate into the franchise if they wanted to.
To drive direct bookings, the Talash group also required an integrated booking engine to provide them with a commission free source of online reservations. It was also important for the group to adopt PCI-DSS compliancy to handle customer-not-present credit card transactions, along with a method of authenticating credit card details without storing any of the credit card details on their systems. Guestline’s PCI solution enables this thereby reducing credit card fraud.
Matt Thomas, Area Manager at Talash Hotels Group commented “One group wide operating platform, with common reporting across the group was key for us to effectively manage our expanding portfolio. Guestline’s solutions have enabled us to streamline our operations, increase our occupancy and drive additional revenues to help fund our growth plans”.
Matt added “Guestline’s integrated operating system including EPoS provides us with the peace of mind that our revenue streams are being protected and the advanced reporting provides us with in depth analysis across the business”.
Guestline’s Corporate Sales Executive Nick Dodd stated “As a leading supplier to the hospitality sector Guestline were able to demonstrate how their integrated systems would help the Talash Group drive additional revenues and compliment their future expansion plans. We are delighted to welcome the Talash Group of hotels to the Guestline portfolio and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with this rapidly expanding group”.
The Talash Group portfolio consists of The Best Western Barons Court Hotel in Walsall, The Best Western Falstaff Hotel in Leamington Spa, The Allesley in Coventry, The Chimney House Hotel near Crewe and Honiley Court Hotel in Warwickshire.
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