MOAT HOUSE HOTEL CASE STUDY

How Ascom Wireless Solutions provided a complete on-site communication update for a major hotel chain.

The Need to Upgrade

When Moat House Hotels reviewed existing on-site communications in their 43 hotels they concluded that Text Display Paging, which had served the group well for the past twenty years, was not keeping up with the need to increase efficiency and deliver more customer service.

Project Manager, Nigel Joyce, concluded that a mobile two way voice system would provide distinct advantages. The parameters were 100% radio coverage at all sites and flexible installation to cater for the varying layouts of the hotels. In addition, the system had to be easy to use and reliable enough to stand up to the rigours of 24/365 operation in a fast moving environment.

Ascom Solution

After consideration of various proposals, it was decided to run a test at one location, using a DECT based solution put forward by Ascom Wireless Solutions. We were recognised as a well established and reliable system provider to the group and the hotel industry in general.

The teleDECT system used comprised sufficient radio base stations to give complete coverage of the site, indoors and out, plus mobile handsets. This was fully interfaced with the hotels existing Mitel PABX so there was seamless communication between mobile carriers and hard wired phones.

Talker handsets were given to key hotel personnel such as the general manager, head chef, reception & reservations managers, housekeeping and maintenance staff. The handset has functionality similar to ordinary mobile phones and integrates with a wide range of third party equipment, such as door phones, night service or porter systems.

Testing the Concept

The test site demonstrated that direct voice communication among key staff, wherever they were on-site, significantly reduced response times and increased overall efficiency. People were not tied to their hard wired phone location and could instantly be contacted with instructions or queries. Reception managers and housekeepers found it easier to coordinate room preparation, the operations manager could instantly contact maintenance crews, even if they were engaged outside the building, while banqueting staff could keep up to date with progress in the kitchens.

Comprehensive Success

The trial was so successful that it was decided to go for an immediate roll-out across all 43 hotels. The project was completed by Ascom within five months. Subsequently, general managers across the whole group have reported significant improvements in productivity, so much so that plans are now in hand to extend and broaden installations in some locations. Consideration is being given to including hotel customers in the system. This would enable premium room guests and conference organisers, wherever they were in the hotel, to talk directly to, say, the floor manager or porterage staff. Guests could also receive incoming calls and dial off-site into the public network.

As Moat House Hotels’ Nigel Joyce commented: ‘Never before have we had such an enthusiastic and positive response to a development of this kind and scale. The Ascom system is having a significant impact on how we operate and deliver customer service’.

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