Information Technology Infrastructure in The Hospitality Industry

Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY

Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
College: Industrial Technology

Campus: Bambang
Bachelor of
DEGREE Science in COURSE
HPC3
PROGRAM Hospitality NO.
Management
Lodging APPLIED BUSINESS TOOLS &
Management & COURSE TECHNOLOGIES
SPECIALIZATION
Food Service TITLE
Management
YEAR LEVEL 2nd Year TIME 3 WK 3- IM 2
FRAME HRS NO. NO.
I. COURSE OVERVIEW
This course elicits the various components of IT infrastructure
namely the hardware, software and network components. It embraces the
technology employed in the hospitality industry and how information are
process in every hotel operations. OVERVIEW
II. DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. Identify and explain the IT infrastructure and its components
2. Discuss the Role of IT Infrastructure in Hotel Operations
III. COURSE OUTLINE
1. 2.1. IT INFRASTRUCTURE & ITS COMPONENTS

2. 2.2. ROLE OF IT INFRASTRUCTURE IN HOTEL OPERATIONS
3. 2.3. TECHNOLOGY IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY –
EXPLORING
4. THE VERY LATEST TRENDS
IV. COURSE CONTENT
2 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
Every organization requires computers to run its operations smoothly and hotels
are not an exception. And hotels working world over have been revolutionized by new
innovations in information technology and adoption of computers. Computers have long
been a part of hotel industry offering a way organized data in doing business
transactions. Front office is the core back bone of the hotel where computers are well
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |1
“In accordance with Section 185, Fair Use of a Copyright Work of Republic Act 8293,
the copy righted works included in this material may be reproduced for
educational purposes only and not for commercial distribution”
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
equipped with dedicated software called property management system. Computer

applications are central to front office operations in today’s modern hotels. For new
properties, computers are standard pieces of equipment; for existing hotels, computers
are being integrated into everyday operations to assist in providing hospitality to guests.
Computer applications include routinely processing reservations as well as handling
registrations, guest charges, guest checkout, and the night audit. Interfacing, electronic
sharing of data, of hotel departments such as food and beverage and the gift shop
through point-of-sale, an outlet in the hotel that generates income (restaurant, gift shop,
spa, garage); maintenance through monitoring of energy and heating and cooling
systems.
2.1. IT INFRASTRUCTURE & ITS COMPONENTS

What does IT Infrastructure mean?
IT infrastructure refers to the composite hardware, software, network
resources and services required for the existence, operation and management of
an enterprise IT environment. It allows an organization to deliver IT solutions and
services to its employees, partners and/or customers and is usually internal to an
organization and deployed within owned facilities.
IT infrastructure consists of all components that somehow play a role in
overall IT and IT-enabled operations. It can be used for internal business
operations or developing customer IT or business solutions.
Typically, a standard IT infrastructure consists of the following
components:
The positioning of the hardware at workstations is based on the same

work flow analysis used for any new process or equipment. Considering the
needs of the guest (who will be the end user), the employee who will operate the
equipment, and the other staff who will want access to information. The
information one has gained from the needs analysis will assist in explaining
particular needs to the computer consultants who will install the required property
management system. The installation of the electronic cables that connect all of
the hardware need also to be analyzed. Installation and replacement of cables
that run through walls and floors can be costly for a hotel property. The
requirement for airconditioned atmospheres for proper computer functioning
should also be investigated; in guest service areas, this may not present a
problem, but in other areas, it may pose difficulties.
HARDWARE
This is the “physical” part of an IT infrastructure, and comprises all the

elements necessary to support the basic functioning of the machines and devices
constituting the infrastructure itself. Servers, computers, storage and data centers,
switches, hubs and routers, as well as all other equipment such as the power,
cooling, cabling and dedicated rooms.
Choosing Hardware Choosing hardware for a PMS is not as difficult as choosing
software. Today most available hardware is compatible with standard computer operating
systems (such as Microsoft Windows).
This consideration is essential because most software programs are written to run on
these standard operating systems. Hence one must choose hardware based on its ability to
handle the software that needs to be checked with the hardware vendor.
Other technology factors to consider include the following working concepts:
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |2

IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
1. Processor speed: It helps to know, how fast a central processing unit

(CPU) makes calculations per second; expressed in MHz (the
abbreviation for “megahertz”)
2. Disk drive: It’s a place in the computer where data is stored or read;
hard or floppy—31⁄2-inch versus
3. Zip drive Megabyte: 1,024 kilobytes of formatted capacity Gigabyte:
1,024 megabytes of formatted capacity
4. Access time: the amount of time required for a processor to retrieve
information from the hard drive; recorded in milliseconds
5. Internet: a network of computer systems that share information over
high-speed electronic connections,
6. I/O ports (input/output devices): keyboards, monitors, modems,
mouse, joystick, light pen, printers, and track balls Monitor: It’s a
television screen with color or monochrome capacity to view input and
output data, control column width and line length of display, adjust
height of character display, and allow visual control.
Hardware Selection - The hardware should be selected to run the needed

software. - the basic factors to consider here are the Processor speed, Disc drives, I/O
Port for connecting peripheral devices & for networking, Monitors/touch screens,
Keyboards, Printers, Modems and Supplies: paper, forms, ribbons, ink, toner, cartridge,
floppies, DAT, CD-RW etc.
The other factors to be kept on mind while selecting the hardware are:
a. Positioning of hardware: based on the workflow analysis done during needs
analysis.
b. Does it benefit the guest, who will operate it, who all will require access to the
system at that position?
c. Climatic condition: whether air-conditioning required/not especially in back-of-the-
house areas.
d. Ergonomics: psychological & physiological effect of computers on people.
SOFTWARE
It refers to all the applications used by the enterprise both for internal
purposes and to provide its services to customers. Software includes web
servers, Enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management
(CRM), productivity applications and the operating system (OS).
The OS is the most important software component and is responsible for
managing the hardware itself and connect the physical resources to the network
infrastructure.
SELECTION OF PMS The steps involved in selection of a Property
Management System are:
STEP 1: Identification of Need Firstly an analysis is done by hotel
operators/management to determine whether there is a need of computerized
system or not. The following steps are followed in this process:
a. Selection of a team is done, comprising the representation from all the
departments at all levels from all the shifts to analyze the needs.
b. Analyze the flow of guests that could be done by an analysis of the
guest cycle.
c. Analyze the flow of information from other departments to the front
office e.g. billing information, room status information etc.
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |3

IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
d. Analyze the administrative paper work produced in other departments.

e. Evaluate the needs that have been identified in terms of importance.
f. Combine the needs to determine the desired applications
Software Selection
Today, software is available in modules to cater to different areas in a
hotel. Based on requirement, as deduced from the needs analysis in step 1, a
hotel may go in for the entire PMS or parts thereof. Proper software selection is
very important, as it involves a, heavy investment. Configured or customized as
per the need of the hotel.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
- The decision regarding purchase or rental of a PMS needs to be taken
because of heavy investment that could tie-up the cash flow of an organization.
- And if the cost benefits are not realistically projected, profits may
difficultly to be achieved.
- Analyze the savings in terms of overtime paid to the employees, losses
due to late charges, cost of marketing database collection, wastage of energy.
- Advantages of outright purchase, discount for full payment in cash,
finance charges, depreciation.
- Advantages of lease: continuance of cash flow, application of lease
payments to purchase price, tax advantages of leasing etc.
NETWORK
Although is not strictly necessary for an IT infrastructure to function, the
network is essential to establish internal and external communication of all
elements and devices.
The network part includes all the hardware and software elements
necessary to ensure network enablement, internet connectivity, firewall and
security. It ensures that personnel get access to stored and transferred data only
from strictly controlled access points to reduce the risk of data theft or damage.
MEATWARE
Since they contribute to constituting the enterprise environment and
guarantee its functions, associated personnel and processes such as ITOps or
DevOps are also part of an IT infrastructure.
Human users, such as network administrators (NA), developers, designers
and end users with access to any IT appliance or service are also part of an IT
infrastructure, specifically with the advent of user-centric IT service development.
TRADITIONAL VS. CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURES

All the components mentioned above that constitute a traditional
infrastructure are usually owned by the enterprise itself and managed within their
own facilities.
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |4
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
Needless to say, the larger the IT infrastructure, the more space, power,
personnel, and money will be needed to run it. Today, part of this infrastructure
can be virtualized and rented from third-party services to cut the costs.
Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) are all relatively new options that allow
businesses to rent software, infrastructure, services and human resources from
external vendors who will deliver them using the internet. All the components
rented are hosted and managed in cloud servers that employ their own IT
infrastructures.
Since all these resources are built on virtualization technology, they can
easily be scaled up or down as the needs of the business employing them
changes.
[ CITATION Tec20 \l 1033 ]
COMPUTER APPLICATION IN FRONT OFFICE:

The Computers are used in various sections of Front Office in a Five Star
Hotel from pre arrival to thepost departure of the guests in following ways:
Reservations
1. Guest data
2. Room inventory
3. Deposits
4. Special requests
5. Blocking
6. Arrivals
7. Departures
8. VIP
9. Projected occupancy
10. Travel agents
11. Guest messages
12. Report
Registration
1. Reservations
2. Guest Data
3. Room inventory
4. Room status
5. Security
6. Reports
7. Self check-in
Room status
1. Room inventory
2. Availability
3. Reports
Posting
1. Point of sale
2. Room
3. Tax
4. Transfer
5. Adjustments
6. Paid out
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |5
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
7. Miscellaneous charges
8. Phone
9. Display folio
10. Reports
Call Accounting
1. Guest information
2. Employee information
3. Post charges
4. Messages
5. Wake-up calls
6. Reports
Checkout
1. Folio
2. Adjustments
3. Cashier
4. Back office transfer
5. Reports
6. Guest History
Night Audit
1. Guest charges
2. Department totals
3. City ledger
4. Cashier
5. Financial reports
6. Housekeeping Inquiries!
Reports
1. Reservations
2. Registrations
3. Checkouts
4. Housekeeping
5. Credit balances
Back Office
1. Accounts payable
2. Accounts receivable
3. Payroll
4. Budgets
5. General Ledger.
Reservations
The reservations module in computers consists of subsystems that can receive

individual guest or group data, check a guest’s booking request against a data bank of
available rooms, and store this information for future usage. The guest data are received
through a personal phone call or through another computer in the referral system. All of
the possibilities or room types and locations, room rates, and special requests can be
matched with the existing room inventories. This information can be stored for up to 52
weeks (or more) in most systems. Information concerning guarantees with credit cards
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |6
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
or confirmed reservations is captured at time. Details on deposits, blocking, times of

arrival and departure, VIP guest lists, projected occupancies and reports on these
reservation functions assist the front office manager. The guest who is checking out of
the Citrus Valley, and wants to make a reservation at the Gold Rock Inn for that evening
can have the reservation confirmed within seconds. The guest information already
available in the data bank, and through electronic transmissions, the request is verified
(via a check of the existing room inventories held in the data bank for the Citrus Valley
by a central computer. Similar procedures can be followed by other referral agencies.
Registration
Computerized guest registration modules have greatly improved the check-in

process. Because information is already been captured at the time of reservation, hence
less time is required for registration. The front desk clerk need only verify the guest’s
request for room type, location, and rate with room inventory and room status. Similarly,
provisions for walk-in guests without reservations are even handled. Method of payment
is also established easily. The hard-plastic key can be issued after the security module
has changed the entrance code for the room. The guest registration procedure can also
be completed by the self-check in process, a procedure that requires the guest to insert
a credit card having a magnetic stripe containing personal and financial data into a self-
check-in terminal and answer simple questions concerning the guest stay.
Call Accounting
The call-accounting module of a property management system automatically

posts telephone charges and a predetermined markup to a guest’s folio. The individual
subscriber to the telephone system (the lodging property) can charge a service fee for
any local or long-distance call. The hotel can now use the telephone system to generate
profit rather than to simply supply service to the guest. Further, the ability to make a
profit through adding service charges, combined with the increased frequency and
accuracy of electronic posting, has made the call-accounting option very desirable.
Checkout
The PMS has played a commendable job during checkout procedure. The
inconvenience of guest checkout (long lines, disputes over charges) is greatly reduced
with the PMS checkout feature, which prints out an accurate, neat, and complete guest
folio within seconds. Disputes over guest charges still occur at the time of checkout, but
not as often. The posting of a long-distance telephone call to room 201 instead of room
209 is less likely to occur with a PMS, because the PMS interfaces with the call
accounting system and the phone charge cab be automatically posted to the guest’s
electronic folio. Efficiency at time of checkout is also improved when the desk clerk
retrieves a hardcopy of the folio and presents it for review to the guest. The PMS
monitors already indicated method of payment made by guest at check-in, an imprint of
the credit card, the floor limit, an amount of credit allowed by the credit-card agency, and
house limit and an amount of credit allowed by the hotel. These controls help to avoid
high debit balances; the amount of money the guest owes the hotel. Last-minute
purchases of products or services are automatically posted at the point-of-sale terminals.
Night Audit
The night auditor acts as a desk clerk and posts the room and tax charges, the
night auditor even balances the guest transactions of the day. To extend credit to
guests, debits and credits, the amount of money the hotel owes the guests, must be
balanced on a daily basis. The debits originating from the various departments must be
checked against the totals posted to the various guest folios. The credits, in the form of
guest payments, must be accounted for by reviewing the guests’ outstanding balances.
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |7

IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
Inquiries/Reports
The inquiries/reports feature of the property management system allows

management to retrieve operating or financial information at any time. The front office
manager may want to check the number of available rooms in the room inventory for a
particular night, the status of the number of guests to be checked in, the number of
guests to be checked out for the day, the current room status from the housekeeping
department, or the outstanding balance report, a listing of guests’ folio balances. These
reports can be produced easily on a PMS. The inquiries/reports feature of the PMS
enables management to maintain current view of operations and finances.
Back Office
The hotel’s accounting office, known as the back office, uses the accounting
module of a property management system, which assists in the overall financial
management of the hotel. PMS simplifies the accounting processes. These include: the
labor-intensive posting procedure of accounts payable, which is the amount of money
the hotel owes vendors; the transfer of accounts receivable, which is the amount of
money owed to the hotel.
Different Systems Used in Front Office by Hotels:
1. FIDELIO is one of the world’s bestselling front office systems, and it is the system of
choice for many hotels like Hilton International, Inter Continental, Mandarin Oriental,
Forte and many other chains and independents around the globe. Fidelio was able to
create the original electronic room rack. Complete, graphical plan illustrations of
each floor allow front office staff to monitor and control the occupancy of every room
in the building. Using a system of twelve different colour codes, the status of each
room is visible at a glance – either currently, or at some future date. Yellow indicates
a room is “clean and vacant”, blue is “dirty and arrival expected”, and so on.
Reservations data can also be shown in tabulated form to give an overall occupancy
picture for any specified day. For group bookings, from the most complex convention
to airline allotments, the group and block management functions handle it all. Master
billing, split rates, staggered arrivals, package plans, group history, room type
control, block forecasts and traces – they all help to optimize group business, without
the time consuming paperwork. As well as handling room management, FIDELIO
Front Office maintains all guests’ accounts, and offers numerous other facilities such
as mailing, word processing, and customized printout of confirmation letters, guest
messages and other documents.
2. MICROS
HOTEL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND POINT OF SALE

SOLUTIONS One of the oldest and leading software developer can help in operating a
single boutique hotel or an international hotel chain, MICROS hotel property
management systems are robust enough to handle all of the elements involved in hotel
revenue management with the flexibility one needs for day-to-day operations. Our
restaurant point of sales systems integrate with the OPERA Enterprise solution, allowing
to link Point of sale transactions, back office functions, and guest management
capabilities in a single system. All of the systems are modular, so one can take the
solutions required.
3. HOST:
The-Host Hospitality Management System will transform the way one manages
hospitality business for good. It is powerful, feature-packed, user-friendly hotel
management software that empowers staff to take complete control of inn keeping
business - no matter the size. The software can handle from 300 room Hotels to small
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |8
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
cozy Bed & Breakfast retreats. Moreover, onsite-training ensure that staffs have the
tools and confidence to use the system to its absolute maximum. The-Host Hospitality
Management System provides the following: Reservations, real time online web
reservations, front desk, back office, guest billing, reporting, point of sale and a lot more.
Everything one would require as an hotelier, innkeeper or lodging provider. It is a
business management system, not just a reservation system. The-Host not only
successfully covers every aspect of conventional guest and property management
systems, but goes beyond with features only associated with systems costing many
times more.
4. OPTIMA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Optima PMS is a state of the art; Windows based Property Management System
that incorporates the latest in advanced technology. It is designed to provide all the
features of a sophisticated Front Office system linked with other computerized hotel
applications on the same relational SQL database. Optima PMS places all the vital
information needed for optimum operation at the manager's fingertips. All information
can be viewed on-line, printed in a large variety of reports or shown on graphs.
Advanced icons and color-coding give the managers an excellent overview of all hotel
operations and allow them to maintain precise management controls. It is a profitable
marketing tool, as it captures a wide range of data needed to make the correct marketing
analysis. Information analysis is simple, quick and precise, emphasizing revenues,
budgets and yearly comparisons in combination with data of occupancy, segmentation
and other guest information. The Optima Property Management System enables
maximum performance, utilizing the latest technology. Together with the use of a
modern GUI it offers the ultimate system for any Front Desk. Optima is a most powerful
and advanced Front Office system based on years of experience and on highly
sophisticated development and focus teams, including superior hoteliers, engineers and
front office specialists. These teams have researched and 'brainstormed' to meet the
highest standards of the hospitality industry for the next century.
ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN FRONT OFFICE:

1. Data Storage
2. Guest History
3. Call Accounting
4. Express Check in and Check Out
5. Night Audit.
6. Time Saving
7. Storing Of Guest Preference and Sharing with Chain Hotels.
8. Less Paper Work.
9. Better Coordination with Other Departments.
10. Personalized Service.
2.2. TECHNOLOGY IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – EXPLORING

THE VERY LATEST TRENDS
Technology in the hospitality industry – exploring the very latest trends
Technology is advancing at a faster pace than ever before, and this is

changing both the expectations of patrons as well as the way in which the
hospitality industry conducts its business. Some of the trends in industry are
leading to great improvements and savings for hospitality industry companies;
while some are changing how hotel developers plan their buildings,
infrastructure, management structure and staffing requirements.
 Wi-Fi infrastructure overhauls

NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |9
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
Nowadays, hotel guests who travel with devices such as phones,

tablets and computers no longer see Wi-Fi as a perk, but as a must-
have when they check in at a hotel. Hotel guests expect to be able to
connect to the internet seamlessly and without too many interruptions,
leading hotels to invest in better, faster Wi-Fi infrastructure so that
people can do business and use their technology devices with ease
when they book their stay.
Hotels are also starting to move away from user pay models. In
the past, hotels could charge exorbitant rates and guests knew they
would have to pay if they wanted to go online. Installing and maintaining
a hotel-wide wireless network may be coupled with costs, but many
leading hotel groups have started to install high density Wi-Fi and
started to offer in-building mobile phone coverage as guests have come
to expect these services during their stay (not only for themselves, but
also for their guests if they are hosting a conference or function at the
hotel). It might not yet be financially feasible for hotels to completely
abandon the user pay model, but many of them are re-thinking their
current infrastructure and pricing models.
 Digital conference facilities
Besides being able to offer high

density Wi-Fi for conferences and
meetings, hotels also need to be able to
offer access to audio-visual (AV) and
digital facilities for conferences. While the
amount of AV and digital equipment that
goes into a typical conference room is
fairly minimal, staging companies are often
hired for various projects in order to equip
the facility as required.
A key component in designing effective conference facilities that can

accommodate this type of technology is creating easily accessible, concealed
pathways in ceilings and flooring where adequate power and data
connectivity can be facilitated. If a hotel has extensive conference facilities,
network design becomes critical to ensure indoor mobile phone coverage, Wi-
Fi connectivity, VoIP, real time location services (RTLS) and internet protocol
television (IPTV) as well as all the accompanying AV and digital equipment.
 Mobile communication and automation
In many airports, it’s no longer necessary to stand in a queue to check

in and people are expecting the same kind of easy, technology-driven check-
ins at hotels. Guests want to be able to do everything from checking in at a
venue’s automated kiosk to ordering room service with a digital device
instead of standing in queues and moving around the hotel premises to order
food.
Thanks to digital innovation and social media, guests also expect

digital interactions with the hotel to be personalized. When investing in digital
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) P a g e | 10
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
apps for check-ins, room service and other customer-oriented digital

interactions, hotel operators are investing in systems and technologies that
can personalize the experience for guests, including a guest’s name being
displayed on the welcome desk at a digital check-in station; their food
preferences or past purchases being displayed in a digital room-service order
system; and similar.
In addition, the ‘concierge in your pocket’ concept is fast gaining

popularity due to its ability to allow operators to include useful information
such as surrounding entertainment venues; medical facilities; and similar
services.
Like many of the other technology trends in the hospitality industry,

investing in a check-in/concierge app requires a small initial investment and
can lead to greater efficiency and savings as hotel staff are able to focus on
customer service and property developers don’t have to create large static
reception desks at each entrance and hotel location.
 NFC technology
Near field communication (NFC)
technology is the next-generation short-
range high frequency wireless
communication technology that gives users
the ability to exchange data between
devices. Communication between NFC
devices can transfer data at up to 424
kbits/second and the communication is
enabled when two devices touch each
other, which makes mobile payments (by
touching the smart phone to a credit card)
an instant, secure process. This technology
is also ideal for self check-ins by guests at
hotels as well as the next trend in this article: smart room keys.
Besides payments and an easier way to gain entry to hotel rooms,

NFC technology can also be used to personalize a guest’s experience at a
hotel or resort. For example, advertising can be targeted based on gender
and age (so if a child walks by a digital sign in the lobby, the
advertisement can change to promote a local theme park or the hotel’s
kids club) and this technology could also be used to track loyalty points
from a guest’s use of the conference facilities or room service. This opens
many doors for hotels who want to offer a more personalized experience
at their establishment.
 Robots and infrared sensors
Some hotels are already offering more futuristic experiences,

with robots delivering any items ordered through room service to a
guest’s door. A boutique hotel that is nestled between Apple’s
headquarters and other tech companies, called Aloft Cupertino, has
a robot butler called Botlr that is able to move between the various
floors of the hotel in order to take items such as toothbrushes,
chargers and snacks to guests. These types of digital systems not
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) P a g e | 11
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
only make it easy for hotel staff to deliver items to guests, but it also
offers a forward-facing digital experience to people who stay at the
hotel.
Infrared scanners are now also used to minimize disruptions

relating to housekeeping (which is a common complaint from customers).
Instead of hanging a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on doors or having cleaning
staff wake up traveling guests with knocks and phone calls, hotel staff can
take a more innovative approach by using infrared scanners that will
detect body heat within a room and tell cleaning staff that they should
rather come back later if the room is currently occupied.
 Smart room keys
Hotels will increasingly install smart room access systems that

allow guests to unlock their doors by simply swiping their phones across a
keyless pad on the door. Starwood (owner of the Sheraton, Weston and
“W” hotel chains) has already upgraded 30,000 room locks across 150
hotels with this system and Hilton will be implementing a similar system at
10 of their US properties this year. In 2016, they deployed the smart room
key technology globally. This technology will mean that guests don’t have
to worry about picking up keys and front desk staff won’t have to issue
new keys in the event that a guest loses their room key.
Another innovative way to offer a keyless experience is through

fingerprint-activated room entry systems and retina scanning devices.
Retina scanning is even more accurate and secure than fingerprint scans
and hotels like the Nine Zero Hotel in Boston have already installed an iris
scan system in place of key cards to control access to the hotel’s
presidential suite.
 Entertainment on tap
According to a Smith Micro Software

trend report entitled The Future of Hotel In-
Room Entertainment; people are
increasingly plugging in their own devices for
in-room entertainment. The hotel room’s
television, radio and clock are taking a
backseat as travelers use their own
technology to keep themselves entertained.
An earlier survey by Smith Micro Software
showed that 81% of respondents wanted access to mobile video content
at hotels and 55% said that mobile content availability at a hotel would
influence where they choose to stay.
 Cloud services
Being able to provide entertainment on tap and mobile content has

led to the trend of hotels investing in cloud services. While hotels want to
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) P a g e | 12
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
be able to offer digital content, they don’t necessarily want to invest in IT

infrastructure and IT staff, making cloud computing the ideal solution.
Not only is the initial capital investment lower than IT infrastructure

and servers, but it gives hotels the flexibility to expand and adjust their IT
needs along with business growth, invest in upgrades without causing a
complete IT system overhaul and it removes the administrative burden of
managing an IT system in-house. Cloud computing is becoming the norm
and we will continue to see hotel groups replacing their legacy IT
infrastructure with cloud solutions.
 Feedback on social media
Technology has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives and

hotel developers need to realize that almost any person checking in at a
hotel, resort, spa or lodge, will have a smartphone in their pockets.
Many companies in the hospitality industry are already using social

media to their advantage as guests check-in on location-based social
media apps, tweet about their experience on Twitter and share their
holiday photos with friends and followers on Instagram and Facebook.
This trend will continue and hotels can expect to see even more social
media engagement from guests who use these platforms to give feedback
about their experience, complain and give compliments about their stay.
Hotel staff are also expected to provide feedback and address and
complaints or queries from guests in real-time.
From an online, reputation management perspective, this is a trend

that marketers and hotel management need to manage proactively.
Consumers don’t make decisions about where they’re going to travel to or
book a stay in a vacuum – they turn to community-developed content and
rating systems such as Trip Advisor and social media to make decisions
about holiday destinations, hotels and leisure. This shift has led to many
hotel and leisure groups developing active social media monitoring and
communication strategies in order to stay on top of what’s being said
about them online and making sure that both marketing and operational
staff address feedback that has been given online.
An additional way in which operator can take full advantage of

technology in this space is using it to communicate how well they are
doing (in real time) with respect to their various environmental initiatives
(such as real time electricity/water usage reporting, etc.)
 Converged LANs to support multiple services
Converged local area networks (LANs) will also help hotels to

create more intelligent buildings. A variety of computer-based building
services can be automated in order to control lighting, refrigeration, air-
conditioning and heating. Besides reducing energy consumption,
converged LANs can also be set up to provide a smarter, more personal
experience. If a guest is known to prefer his or her room temperature at
18°C with the lights dimmed to 65%, for example, this can be programmed
before the guest checks in at the hotel.
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) P a g e | 13
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
 Integrated, seamless
experiences
Technology doesn’t mean that customer
experience can only happen online and
through devices, check-ins and online
comments. All of these experiences need to be
part of an integrated, dynamic system so that
the guests’ experiences are at the forefront of
the marketing and operational team’s mind. If a
guest leaves a comment about their stay when
they check-out of the hotel, for example, the right people need to reply and
acknowledge this type of communication. If a guest leaves a complaint about not
being able to stream mobile content during their stay, then processes should be
put in place to ensure the right person follows up by communicating with the
guest and solving the problem at the hotel.
Marketing, management and hotel developers can no longer work

in silos and these technology trends are giving them the opportunities,
tools and solutions they need to create memorable experiences that can
lead to positive change and growth in the industry.[ CITATION Aur20 \l
1033 ]
V. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Activity 1.1. Using Trip advisor identify at least two hotels operating in
Nueva Vizcaya. Choose one hotel with social media account but without website
and 1 which has both an fb page & website.
1. Write a short report indicating the following details:
A. Fb Page & Website
B. Products and Services including rates And rentals
C. Reservation links if any
D. At least 5 positive reviews
E. At least 5 negative reviews
RUBRIC FOR WRITTEN REPORT

Outcome: Students will write a written report which is logically
organized, have a clear sense of purpose and demonstrate a command of the
practices of effective writing and deepening the understanding of the students on
the impact of IT infrastructure in day today operations of the hotel.
CRITERIA BEGINNER ACCEPTABLE PROFICIENT EXEMPLARY SCORE

1 2 3 4
Focus on No attempt has been Some of the essay Most of the written Entire written report is
Assigned made to relate the is related to the report is related to related to the assigned
Topic written report to the assigned topic, but the assigned topic. topic and allows the
assigned topic. a reader does not The essay reader to understand
learn much about wanders off at one much more about the
the topic. point, but the topic.
reader can still
learn something
about the topic.
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) P a g e | 14
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
Does not go deeply Relates learning Shows great depth of

into the reflection with research and knowledge and learning,
Little or no explanation of learning, project, personal reveals feelings and
or reflection on generalizations and general thoughts, abstract ideas
Reflection of learning, no or few and limited insight, reflections reflected through use of
Personal details to support uses some detail. included, uses specific details.
Learning reflection. concrete
language.
Many grammatical A few grammatical Almost no No grammatical spelling

spelling, or punctuation spelling, or grammatical, or punctuation errors.
errors. punctuation errors. spelling, or
Mechanics punctuation errors.
Organizatio Ideas seem to be The written report The written report The written report is very
n randomly arranged. No is a little hard to is well organized. well organized. One idea
effort at paragraph follow. Paragraphs One idea may or scene follows another
organization. are unclear. The seem out of place. in a logical sequence
transitions are Clear transitions with clear transitions.
sometimes not are used.
clear.
Incomplete and/or The conclusion The conclusion The conclusion is
unfocused. does not restates the engaging and restates
Conclusion
adequately restate learning. personal learning.
the learning.
TOTAL SCORE
Other comments / Observations:
RATING = (
TotalScore
20 ) x 100%
VI. EVALUATION
A. Matching Type. Match Column A with Column B. Write your answers in the
space provided.
COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. Software as a Service A. Hardware
2. Smart Room Keys B. Hotel Reviews
3. Self-Check in C. Hotel Video Clips
4. Robots and infrared D. Keyless
sensors E. Futuristic
5. Platform as a Service Experience
6. Opera F. MICROS
7. Machines and Devices G. NFC technology
8. Integrated, seamless H. SAAS
experiences I. PAAS
9. Infrastructure as a Service J. IAAS
10. Entertainment on Tap K. IATA
VII. FIRM UP
Firm-Up Task
Product Knowledge
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) P a g e | 15
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
You cannot sell what you do not know. This activity aims to set the
student’s mind as a part of a hotel named, The Citrus Valley Hotel (imaginary
hotel only that will serve as a model for this subject.
Below are the number of rooms, services offered by the hotel:
 32 rooms comprised of the following room type:
o 8 Double Superior
o 11 Double Deluxe
o 2 Junior Suite
o 2 Executive Suite
o 6 Family Suite
o 4 Villas
 Café Salinas by Ruins
 Pulag Bar
 Banyus Spa
 Espasyo Function Hall and Garden (capacity 150-1500 pax)
 Laundry Shop
 Travel Zest Agency
 Shuttle Services
 Swimming Pool
 Location is describe to be at the Magsaysay, Tophill, Bambang,
Nueva Vizcaya (near Old Hospital)
Required:
A. Make a brochure for this hotel depicting the various facilities
and services
B. Make a 30 seconds to 3 minutes about the Video presentation
about the profile of the company
*Evaluation Tool will be similar to the written report rubrics
* 1 Pair of individuals is needed in this topic
REFERENCES
Aurecon. (2020). Aurecon. Retrieved 18 2020, September , from Aurecon

Website: https://www.aurecongroup.com/thinking/insights/aurecons-successful-
hotels/technology-in-the-hospitality-industry-exploring-the-very-latest-trends
Bourgeois, D. T. (2014). Information System for Business and Beyond.
Retrieved from Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/courses/bus206
REVFINE. (2020). Hospitality Industry: The No. 1 Hospitality Information
Guide! Retrieved from REVFINE Website: https://www.revfine.com/hospitality-
industry/
Rodolfa, B. J., Aquino, M. C., Dellova, R. I., & Tiongco, N. C. (2011).
Leadership & Personality Development. Manila: Mindshapers Co.Inc.
Stairi, R. M. (2016). Principles of Information SystemsA Managerial
Approach. Florida: Cengage Learning.
Technopedia. (2020, May 12). Techopedia. Retrieved September 20,
2020, from https://www.techopedia.com/definition/29199/it-infrastructure
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) P a g e | 16
IM No.: BSHM2`-1SEM-2020-2021
WORLD TRAVEL & TOURISM COUNCIL. (2020 ). TRAVEL & TOURISM

GLOBAL ECONOMIC IMPACT & TRENDS . WORLD TRAVEL & TOURISM
COUNCIL.
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) P a g e | 17

Information Technology Infrastructure in The Hospitality Industry

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Information Technology Infrastructure in The Hospitality Industry

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY

College: Industrial Technology

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. 2.1. IT INFRASTRUCTURE & ITS COMPONENTS

IV. COURSE CONTENT

equipped with dedicated software called property management system. Computer

2.1. IT INFRASTRUCTURE & ITS COMPONENTS

The positioning of the hardware at workstations is based on the same

This is the “physical” part of an IT infrastructure, and comprises all the

NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |2

1. Processor speed: It helps to know, how fast a central processing unit

Hardware Selection - The hardware should be selected to run the needed

NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |3

d. Analyze the administrative paper work produced in other departments.

TRADITIONAL VS. CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURES

COMPUTER APPLICATION IN FRONT OFFICE:

The reservations module in computers consists of subsystems that can receive

or confirmed reservations is captured at time. Details on deposits, blocking, times of

Computerized guest registration modules have greatly improved the check-in

The call-accounting module of a property management system automatically

NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page |7

The inquiries/reports feature of the property management system allows

Different Systems Used in Front Office by Hotels:

HOTEL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND POINT OF SALE

4. OPTIMA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN FRONT OFFICE:

2.2. TECHNOLOGY IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – EXPLORING

Technology in the hospitality industry – exploring the very latest trends

Technology is advancing at a faster pace than ever before, and this is

 Wi-Fi infrastructure overhauls

Nowadays, hotel guests who travel with devices such as phones,

 Digital conference facilities

Besides being able to offer high

A key component in designing effective conference facilities that can

 Mobile communication and automation

In many airports, it’s no longer necessary to stand in a queue to check

Thanks to digital innovation and social media, guests also expect

apps for check-ins, room service and other customer-oriented digital

In addition, the ‘concierge in your pocket’ concept is fast gaining

Like many of the other technology trends in the hospitality industry,

Besides payments and an easier way to gain entry to hotel rooms,

 Robots and infrared sensors

Some hotels are already offering more futuristic experiences,

Infrared scanners are now also used to minimize disruptions

 Smart room keys

Hotels will increasingly install smart room access systems that

Another innovative way to offer a keyless experience is through

According to a Smith Micro Software

Being able to provide entertainment on tap and mobile content has

be able to offer digital content, they don’t necessarily want to invest in IT

Not only is the initial capital investment lower than IT infrastructure

 Feedback on social media

Technology has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives and

Many companies in the hospitality industry are already using social

From an online, reputation management perspective, this is a trend

An additional way in which operator can take full advantage of

 Converged LANs to support multiple services

Converged local area networks (LANs) will also help hotels to

Marketing, management and hotel developers can no longer work

RUBRIC FOR WRITTEN REPORT

CRITERIA BEGINNER ACCEPTABLE PROFICIENT EXEMPLARY SCORE

Does not go deeply Relates learning Shows great depth of