IQware’s Global Property Management System helps the Saunders Hotel Group make a successful transition after purchasing the Premiere Hotel and Suites in New Haven, Conn.
When the Saunders Hotel Group purchased the Premiere Hotel and Suites in New Haven, Conn., in 2007, the firm invested $4 million in extensive renovations and upgrades. New furnishings were installed throughout the 112 one- and two-bedroom suites; bathrooms were given new detailing including granite countertops; kitchen facilities were refreshed; all TVs were replaced with LCD flat-panels; a new workout facility was built; meeting room space was added; and the property’s exterior façade was given a facelift.
But one of the most important upgrades to the Premiere Hotel and Suites is one guests might never see: the installation of IQware’s Global Property Management System.
“Right away, we realized the features and functions of the IQware Global PMS really suited the hotel very well,” says John Malenfant, Director of IT for the Saunders Hotel Group. “We were impressed that IQware is far from just another legacy system — IQware constantly is making updates and keeping its Global PMS current. Users immediately can tell that a lot of thought and hotelier input goes into the IQware system. It’s designed just right for lodging applications. And IQware’s Windows-based graphical user interface is great — a huge improvement over the system we had inherited.”
The IQware Global Property Management System is a suite of fully featured hospitality applications developed to completely satisfy the unique requirements of small to large hotels, condo-hotels, resorts and multi-property operations. With more than two dozen add-on modules to optimize operations, IQware is Your Single-Source Technology Partner through ongoing customized training, user-driven technology development, 24x7 support and lifetime upgrades.
David Perkins, President & CEO of Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based IQware, said the company has spent the past 26 years listening to, and following through on, hospitality property managers’ needs as well as those of their unit owners and guests: “Our IQware Global PMS offers an unmatched blend of flexibility and functionality because our system truly has been — and continues to be — ‘customer engineered,’” Perkins adds.
Smart Choices
Located just a mile away from Yale University, Saunders’ Premiere Hotel and Suites is the intelligent choice for travelers looking for a home away from home. Premiere’s one- and
two-bedroom suites are at least 50% larger than a typical guestroom and feature fully equipped kitchens, and living rooms and sofa sleepers. Each suite also features complimentary high-speed Internet access, cable TV with free HBO, a hairdryer, an iron and a coffee maker with complimentary coffee and tea. Most suites also include a fireplace. A complimentary full breakfast buffet is served daily and complimentary airport shuttle service is available.
Because of its extended-stay capability, Premiere Hotel and Suites requires a comprehensive,
yet fully flexible, PMS to accommodate the wide range of hospitality options it offers guests.
“For our extended-stay guests, the longer you stay with us, the lower the daily rate. We also have corporate rates available for companies with travelers to New Haven,” says Mariann Aherne, General Manager of the Premiere Hotel and Suites. “IQware gives us the ability to track our corporate revenues, group revenues and occupancy rates with all of this in mind. Even when guests are not sure upfront how long they are staying, we work with them to best accommodate them and alleviate any scheduling issues that might arise. That’s why it’s so important for us to have all of this information right at our fingertips — and IQware gives us just that and more!”
Special Packages
Earlier this year, the Premiere Hotel and Suites was certified as New Haven's first and only Green Hotel by the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. The hotel features numerous energy conservation measures, including energy-efficient lighting, motion sensors and Energy Star-rated appliances in guestrooms. The property also has found ways to eliminate household toxins and improve indoor air quality for guests. The hotel offers a linen and towel reuse program for extended-stay guests, low-flow bathroom fixtures, recycling programs, Green Seal-certified cleaning products, and preference is given to the purchase of environmentally responsible products.
In honor of the recognition, the hotel offers a "It's Easy To Be Green” Package, featuring:
- A sparkling new guest suite;
- New Haven's Green Activities List;
- A local map;
- A hot breakfast buffet daily;
- A healthy daily snack;
- Free local shuttle service; and
- All the regular complementary amenities offered to Premiere Hotel and Suites guests.
Because the Premiere Hotel and Suites is located within 15 minutes of the Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets, the hotel also has developed a special “Shop and Stay” Package for those guests looking to indulge in a shopping tour of 70 designer and name-brand outlet stores. This package includes an overnight stay in a newly renovated executive studio suite with all the expected amenities, plus a free “Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets VIP Coupon Book Voucher” filled with hundreds of dollars of additional savings, over the 25% to 65% everyday savings you’ll find at the premium outlets.
“The ‘It's Easy To Be Green’ and ‘Shop and Stay’ Packages highlight two of the features that truly make the Premiere Hotel and Suites a unique place to stay,” says Lesley Silberstein, Saunders Hotel Group’s Director of Sales & Marketing. “The IQware Global Property Management System simplifies all of these property offerings and special packages, as well as all of the special rates for extended stays, with a streamlined process that helps us optimize occupancy and revenue per available room, while bolstering service and guest satisfaction.”
System of Service
When the Saunders Hotel Group purchased the Premiere Hotel and Suites, Saunders’ management team knew the hotel needed a new property management system. Choosing the right system could be daunting, but IQware made it easy.
“We were very impressed with IQware’s sales and technical resources,” Malenfant says. “IQware is easy to set up and configure. IQware’s technicians walked us, step by step, through the process and helped us customize the system for our needs. With IQware, you don’t have to wait to get help; the solutions are right there. We haven’t had one major hiccup since adopting the system.”
Aherne adds that, from the front-desk aspect, the IQware Global PMS really stands out.
“IQware is extremely user friendly. It’s easy to both understand and train new users on it,” Aherne notes. “If there are any questions, you can always get a knowledgeable IQware staffer on the phone right away. It’s a 1,000% difference from the PMS the property had before.”
About The Saunders Hotel Group
The Saunders Hotel Group is a multi-generation family business known worldwide for its genuine commitment to gracious hospitality, innovation and environmental leadership. Saunders Hotel Group owns and/or operates seven distinctive properties including: the historic AAA Four Diamond Lenox Hotel in Boston, MA; the Comfort Inn & Suites at Logan Airport in Boston; the Marriott Residence Inn in Merrimack, NH; The Hawthorn Suites Hotel in Alexandria, VA; the Hampton Inn in Norwood, MA and The Premiere Hotel and Suites in New Haven, CT. For more information call (617) 861-9000 or visit www.saundershotelgroup.net.
About IQware
Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based IQware has been “Helping Hospitality Partner With IntelligenceSM” for 25 years. Today, more than 5,000 end users utilize IQware software to help best market and manage more than 120,000 rooms generating more than $3.5 billion in gross room revenue. IQware brings with it more than 300 years of combined experience managing hospitality properties and developing and supporting related software. “Built By Hoteliers For Hoteliers,” IQware’s Global Property Management System and more than two dozen add-on modules optimize operations at properties of all types − limited- and full-service hotels, resorts, condo-hotels and timeshares — and all sizes — from regional hotel chains to multi-property management companies to small independents IQware is Your Single-Source Technology Partner through ongoing customized training, user-driven technology development, 24x7 support and lifetime software upgrades. Looking for a competitive edge? Look no further. IQware “Helps Hospitality Better Find, Book, Host, Know & Keep Clients.” IQware solutions offer numerous ROI-generating tools including e-marketing, four-tier yield management, Web-Rez, packages, loyalty points, IQDestinations and IQLink — which pushes your existing PMS inventory directly to the most effective and profitable Intranet, GDS and Extranet channels.. And because IQware’s Global Property Management System has served as the heart of so many hotel operations for a quarter century, today IQware also can provide the lifeblood for Condo Management, Point Of Sale, Sales & Catering, Online Reservations, Spa Management, Marina Management, Central Reservations System and e-CRM electronic (Customer Relationship Management). IQware takes technology partnering to a new level − just ask our ever-expanding family of clients conducting business in two dozen countries. For more information, visit www.iqwareinc.com or call (877) 698-5151.
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