Personal Computers as Permanent Guests

Computerworld November 7, 1983

Hotel Chain Using Micros in Reservations Net

PHOENIX             Personal computers are becoming permanent guests at hotels belonging to the world's third largest hotel firm. With the installation of 635 IBM Personal Computers in hotels throughout the U.S. and Canada, Ramada Inns, Inc. has become the first hotel chain to use the micros as reservations terminals. The Personal Computers have been linked to the company's main reservations computers in Phoenix and to other hotels in the chain which has 97,000 rooms in more than 600 inns and hotels.

"We had a homegrown system which we developed over 10 years ago that ran on Digital Equipment Corp. processors," said Nicholas Bredimus, vice-president of the Information Services Division for Ramada here, "but it wasn't appropriate for the '80s. "We changed our main reservation system and cut over in December 1982 to an IBM-based system which uses the Airline Control Program operating system used by most major airlines and travel companies”, said Nicholas Bredimus.

"Then we followed up with a replacement of all the terminals. It just happened that at the time we were looking for a replacement terminal, IBM announced the Personal Computer”, he added

The Personal Computers were installed at the rate of about 60 per week over a 90-day period past September. "The reason we chose IBM wasn't necessarily for performance but because that's where the availability of the best programs was. So it was a software decision," he added.

Reservations can be sent via the Personal Computer to individual Ramada Inns or to one of four reservations centers in Omaha, Neb., Toronto, London and Frankfurt, West. Germany. Presently, the Personal Computers have been installed only in the company's North American hotels. Ramada personnel are able to make, change and confirm reservations as well as supply guests with detailed information about any Ramada Inn worldwide.

According to Bredimus, future uses for the Personal Computers include electronic mail, hotel inventory, labor forecasting and financial planning and reporting. "The use of the terminals for reservations is their primary function. But the main reason we went with the Personal Computer was because it's not a dumb terminal and because of all the things that we could do locally at the hotel."  Bredimus said.

The Personal Computer has been programmed with information on travel agencies and holders of Ramada Pacesetter cards. “When a travel agent or Pacesetter card holder calls for a reservation, all a clerk needs is the agent's code or the card holder's number” Bredimus said.

The computer then prints all of the pertinent reservation information, including home address and credit card number. The computer also stores addresses and phone numbers for Ramada executive offices, reservations centers and sales offices worldwide.  "Up to this point, the performance of the units has been excellent," according to Nick Bredimus.

"We put a tutorial system right into the software because it was designed for people who have no prior experience with computers, and it actually shows them what every key on the keyboard does."

Besides saving time and adding to guest convenience, the Personal Computers are expected to reduce Ramada's communications costs, which will supposedly allow the hotel chain to keep its prices down.