The Grand Hotel

Please tell us a few words about yourself and your property

We are a family run hotel on the Promenade in Lytham St Annes. The Grand (main building) consists of 54 bedrooms, 3 function rooms, Leisure Club with swimming pool & gym as well as a fantastic restaurant called Cafe Grand.

In addition to this, we have an annexe of an additional 22 bedrooms and lounging area called Grand TwentyTwo, located just 50 metres from the main building.

We are very lucky to have such a fabulous position offering some very unique sea views and we wanted a system that complimented our assets.

What was the major challenge that you wanted to solve with the adoption of a (new) hotel software?

We wanted to create a streamlined booking process, something up to date and modern and something that was intuitive. I have always been interested in advancing in the latest technologies and I felt that Clock ticked all the boxes.

What else has changed in your property management since Clock PMS+ has been deployed?

Clock has given us the ability to operate in any area of the hotel remotely. The clearest example is the new line of communication between housekeeping, reception and management with the live room status.

Without speaking to our housekeeping department, we can see what stage each room is at from “checked out” to “in progress” to “ready for arrival”.

This is just fantastic when we have a full arrival and departure, when time is very tight. […] one of our biggest achievements is the huge reduction in paper used. We are virtually paperless! From a guest's point of view, Clock gives them a little more power also. Arrivals can fill in their details, as well as provide their signature on our self service portal prior to arrival.

As well as this, they can inform us when they are 30 minutes away from the hotel, check out and pay their bill from their room and give us feedback after their stay. All points increase efficiency in the service we provide and guests seem to love it!

What type of software were you previously using to manage your property?

We have tried and tested numerous PMS’s, over the last 10 years. They were either not flexible enough or not well enough developed and this affected our online sales which saw a significant drop as a result.

Clock had always been in the back of my mind, and I was anxious to change! After an in depth evaluation, we made the move and here we are today - very happy!

How did Clock PMS+ provide the solution for your challenge?

Clock enabled us to adapt very quickly to a new system. The intuitiveness of the system allowed all staff to pick it up very quickly without lengthy and in-depth training which usually means time away from our customers and busy working day.

Not just from an internal point of view, but customers feedback was that the booking process was much easier online - just three simple steps - which has resulted in a vast increase in online sales.

Is there anything else you want to share about your experience with Clock PMS+ and/or Clock POS?

Main points to be the sheer ease of use, from set up to managing the system on a daily basis. Also, can I add that we are extremely happy with POS and how it integrates with PMS. One of Clock's major advantages is its own POS and PMS.

There are very few softwares for hotels all designed in one! Including the WBE [web reservation system (WRS)] etc!