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A look at the IT future of a Groningen family hotel
Family-run Flonk Hotels is proud of its Groningen roots.

A look at the IT future of a Groningen family hotel

'IT integration is a profession in its own right'

Flonk Hotels, the new name of Hotel Groningen Centre and Hotel Groningen Zuid, is ready to go its own way. After years of being part of Best Western, the family-owned company is going to shape its vision of hospitality independently and project that it is proud of its Groningen roots. "We want to offer our guests a better experience by innovating in IT. Guests expect a seamless IT experience where all components work (together) flawlessly. That means we face new challenges, especially in system integration," says Herman van der Poel, managing director of Flonk Hotels.

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In a pilot room, Flonk is testing future IT facilities.

Flonk Hotels opted for a solid basic IT infrastructure and easy access to the PMS and other systems residing in the cloud. "Every guest should feel welcome at our hotels and the systems should be supportive of this," says Van der Poel. "What guests particularly want is to be able to arrange things themselves. The human approach and personal contact remain important to me. That is why we are orienting ourselves towards various self-service options. Guests are getting more and more used to these. One example is the development of our app, with walks, calendars and city tours."

IT integration

What exactly does IT infrastructure entail and how does Flonk Hotels ensure that the right choices are made? Van der Poel shares his experiences and advice. "In our hotels, IT includes everything that goes via the internet, i.e. wifi, cash register, PMS systems, pin, lighting, locks, and so on. That's quite a lot, and for that we have a reliable partner and regular suppliers, with good helpdesks. They make sure everything works properly and that we are helped quickly if something goes wrong. IT integration is an area of expertise in which we sometimes think too lightly. How do you ensure solid links with the various partners? Everything has to fit together seamlessly. If one system falters or one link does not work, then errors arise in, for example, accounts or reservations."

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Herman van der Poel, managing director of Flonk Hotels.

Van der Poel himself has an active role in the innovations. "Because I am looking for the best systems for our colleagues and guests, I immerse myself in them and involve the whole team. They ultimately have to work with it, so their feedback is very important. I look at the user-friendliness, safety and sustainability of the systems." A pitfall, according to Van der Poel, is that hotel managers go along with innovations too much or too little. "It is important to stay well informed about what is on the market and what guests' wishes are. However, you should not blindly follow every trend. Involve the people who work with it well, otherwise you will make choices purely based on what you yourself think is nice and good. IT is not an end but a means to offer guests a better service and experience."

Check in

For a better experience, Flonk Hotels wants to combine IT support with personal commitment. One example is check-in. "To avoid long queues at the counters, we want to put an employee who hands out passes and says: 'You can go straight to your room, we already have your details. Please come back later to complete the check-in process.' That way, guests don't have to wait to sign. That is the way of thinking we strive for." For the future, Flonk Hotels has big IT plans. These include developing its own reservation system and an app that will give guests more convenience and service, such as online check-in and direct contact with the hotel. For a seamless experience, Van der Poel is excited about the possibilities of self-scanning and biometric identification (FASTID). "Guests at Flonk Centre can already check in themselves and upload their ID and photo. Again, personal contact is something we need to maintain, making guests happy is our business. We are also realising a pilot room with all future IT facilities. If that meets our expectations and those of the guests, only then will we roll it out to all other rooms." Colleagues are being thought of with an app for night porters. "With this, they can manage their tasks and rosters, communicate among themselves and quickly call for help in case of emergencies. This is how we support the teams to work independently."

Collaboration

Those who want to create an IT infrastructure that is ready for the future need more than good intentions. Van der Poel explains: "We cannot handle the complex changes alone. That is why we are happy to have found a reliable partner in VSA. They provided us with excellent guidance during the transition to Microsoft 365. After a thorough intake, we drew up a clear plan together that took into account all aspects: business continuity, security, backups, integration and management. They have a very knowledgeable helpdesk. If we have a question or problem, they are ready immediately. They can take over the systems remotely and solve problems. We can discuss our future IT needs openly and honestly. Basically a relationship where we give each other space to grow together."  

Four ways to be ready for the IT future:

  • Familiarise yourself with available technologies. Go 'undercover' and see how guests interact with them.
  • See how IT set-up works at fellow hotels. Explore the best solutions together.
  • Involve the team in IT innovations. Brainstorm what the ideal guest app might look like, for example.
  • Make brainstorming on the ideal IT work environment part of the employee training programme.

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