Contents

• Introduction 2
• Front Office 3
• Communications 4
• Guest Services –Concierge 5
• Marketing and Sales 5
• Housekeeping 6
• Conclusion 7
• References 9

Description

Hospitality industry in the past few decades is increasingly adopting technology in its operations, be they front office booking, room management, inventory etc. (Connor & Murphy, 2004, p. 1). IT investment in hospitality industry is no longer seen as additional costs to operations but is seen as strategic infrastructure that gives edge with competition. Some of the benefits of IT infrastructure in the hospitality industry are ease of use, centralized database that connects to all the departments, remote management, and the speed of operations. The modern internet technology such as e-commerce has enabled customers to find out availability of rooms, room rates, book the rooms and even pay online. According to Gregory and Brieter (2001), there was 54 percent increase in customers using internet to obtain travel information, bookings and hotel arrangements between 1998 and 2001 (Yeh et al., 2005, p. 3). IT infrastructure not only enables efficient use of resources within the hospitality industry but also offers customers ease of use. This paper reviews the research paper ‘Analysis of Hoteliers' E-Commerce and Information Technology Applications: Business Travelers' Perceptions and Needs’ by Yeh et al. (2005), from the perspective of a Front Office Manager in a hotel. The paper draws experience of the Front Office Manager to fill the gaps in the research. The paper also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of IT infrastructure in the hospitality industry. The essay finally concludes as to whether IT investment in hospitality industry is a boon or bane.