Glen Eyrie Castle & Conference's New Cloud PMS Transforms Operations
Cloud to simplify our operation. I can remotely monitor property operations from my mobile device which saves time and lets me oversee our operation from anywhere. Plus, we are able to offer guests more personalized service and provide online communication so they rely less on the telephone.
Glen Eyrie Castle & Conference Center’s parent company, The Navigators®, purchased the property in 1953 to be its global headquarters. Since then Glen Eyrie has grown to serve meeting groups, conferences, retreats and become a popular destination among guests and groups. As it entered the 21stCentury, Glen Eyrie’s team realized its existing hotel software was not able to grow with the property’s future guest engagement and centralized operational needs.
In 2017 Glen Eyrie began a comprehensive year-long system selection process that resulted in its installation of Maestro PMS’ sophisticated web browser version hotel software in a cloud hosted deployment. They chose this over an on-premise web browser deployment to reduce the overall IT requirements on property, and ensure that all data was properly handled and backed up in the cloud. They elected to begin with ten integrated modules across all departments to centralize the operation and create a 360-degree view of their guest at every touch point, also resulting in the ability to offer guests real-time single guest itineraries that include all amenities and services in their stay. They explain their process and the exciting partnership ahead.
Glen Eyrie is a unique independent operator with specific needs. “We are on 723 acres with six separate lodging buildings, each with its own atmosphere and amenities. Most of our guests are repeat visitors with specific requirements. Last year we began a hotel software system selection process. We wanted a system based on the latest technology that would make it easy to meet our guests’ stay preferences, let us provide the highest level of guest service, and create a more efficient operation. We selected Maestro PMS,” said Glen Eyrie GM Dace Starkweather.
How independent Glen Eyrie evaluated systems
Glen Eyrie’s system selection process may assist other independents on how to make the best decision for their own operation.
“We conducted an extensive vendor and system evaluation cycle with multiple demonstrations,” said Starkweather. “This began with in-depth research to create a short list of system providers with the functionality we wanted. Our operation is unique, like most independents, so we invited the three finalist vendors to walk our property and give presentations here based on our requirements. Several systems, including Maestro, had suitable functionality, but Maestro’s team was the most responsive to our needs. They have a culture of customer service like Glen Eyrie. They understood how independents operate much better than the other companies, and showed how they could easily adapt Maestro to provide Glen Eyrie with a comprehensive suite of systems. They also offered professional, personal training, support, and post-install follow up.”
Professional training and support are essential for independents
For independent operators without big-chain tech teams, a vendor’s project management, system training and 24/7 all-inclusive support services are essential for a smooth transition.
“We went live on March 5th and Maestro’s install team was great,” Starkweather said. “They were on property for two weeks for installation and property configuration, and stayed with us for two weeks to train our team on the system. Now that we are live, our staff uses Maestro’s Live Chat Support to get personal instruction on system processes that make the system easier to learn. Our owners, The Navigators, have a global presence and a large, experienced IT team that was impressed with Maestro’s professionalism and support. I think having a vendor like Maestro with wide experience supporting independent operators made a huge difference for Glen Eyrie.”
Glen Eyrie Conference Center installed Maestro’s integrated solution comprised of Front Office, Sales and Catering, Activities Management, Retail POS, ResWave Direct Online Booking Engine, Analytics Business Intelligence and other mobile & online applications.
“Maestro has transformed our entire operation and improved our guest experience. We use Maestro in the Cloud to simplify our operation. I can remotely monitor property operations from my mobile device which saves time and lets me oversee our operation from anywhere. Plus, we are able to offer guests more personalized service and provide online communication so they rely less on the telephone,” Starkweather said. “We will leverage more of Maestro’s features to bundle our services in the near future. We made the right decision.”