"Switching from Micros Opera, the work flows much easier freeing our people from administrative tasks to dedicate to customers."
The two Charme hotels Algila and Roma 1880 are stunning antique properties in Ortigia, the heart of Syracuse, Italy. The hotels combine modern amenities and superb location with cultural traditions and authentic architecture. In these spectacular historical buildings, designed and furnished in traditional style you will find highly professional staff that will take care for your pleasant and memorable stay.
Watch video testimonialQ: Please tell us a few words about yourself and your property
AP: I'm the CEO of a small company who owns two Charme hotels in Ortigia, the ancient centre of Syracuse, Sicily, for a total of 100 rooms. Our hotels are most appreciated by the customers and also the highest priced in the area.
Q: What type of software were you previously using to manage your property?
AP: We used Micros Opera since opening the first hotel in 2008. When we acquired the second in 2013 our first option was to install Opera also there, but we were put off by crazy prices from Micros (now Oracle) for what I see as old technology, meaning a server-based installed software. The investment and complexity was even doubled when we asked to integrate the databases of the two hotels (as is natural, being 500m apart). I leveraged my previous experience as a data and dot com entrepreneur and spent quite some time to select a modern, SaaS (or cloud) software, with the following characteristics in mind:
Q: What was the major challenge that you wanted to solve with the adoption of a (new) hotel software?
AP: First of all easy introduction and quick training-on-the job of new front office employees and faster service to customers, all in a safer ITC environment (100% up time in any event), with minimum time dedicated to backoffice tasks that software can perform better than humans.
Q: How did Clock PMS provide the solution for your challenge?
AP: Even after years of experience in software, I can't even start Opera (as I never read the manual) while in a few minutes and just looking at the software menu I could easily create a booking. When a young born-digital front office trainee set eyes on Clock, he/she can easily start working and be productive and will be autonomous in a couple of months, whereas Opera required them one year to get to the same level of confidence.
In Clock PMS we could set rate rules that allow us to maximize revenues and Revpar adjusting prices to occupancy in an automatic way and easily answer to requests on prices and availability from special customers (MICE and TO), whereas before the same tasks took half of hotel's manager time.
Q: What else has changed in your property management since Clock PMS has been deployed?
AP: Saving time on front and back office time, we have a better customer care; with a more complete software support, we moved to those offices many tasks that previously required the hotel manager attention - when they are not directly performed by Clock (as is the case of revenue management). In the end, this means more attention to customers and towards sales = higher profits.