IT managers byte back

They are the people everybody has on speed dial for those technical emergencies, so Hotelier gave five Abu Dhabi-based hotel IT managers their chance to speak out at this month’s roundtable debate hosted at Choices restaurant at the Yas Island Rotana Resort, Abu Dhabi

How has the IT manager’s role developed with advancements in technology?

Hakam Sourani: It’s totally different to 10 years ago. Now IT is so important to guest services. IT was a back-of-house job, just one guy making sure that the administration system worked, but now it has come to the front of house. For example, a decade ago you wouldn’t find an IT guy in the rooms interacting with guests.

Roger Tabbal: Nowadays everything is IT based; from audio-visual (AV) systems and equipment to Internet Protocol television (IPTV) and management control systems. The IT role is becoming more diverse.

Manoj Bhatnagar: Until today IT has been an expense department, but it should not be seen as an expense. Technology is an investment. The more you invest in technology, the better results and better revenue you achieve.

Mohad Nasim: I agree. Some owners ask ‘why do we have to spend on technology?’ They need to change that psychology. It is no longer just an expense; they will see a return on investment. IT that is implemented now will affect the future — it has to be right so you won’t have to change it.

How can hotels boost revenue through their IT departments?

HS: IT departments generate a lot of money from IPTV, internet charges and equipment rental, such as AV. Without the right IT an event cannot happen, but there is not a document that says IT has generated ‘such an amount’ of revenue. These profits are not taken into consideration when a member of the IT department is refused US $100 to go to an industry event because you are only considered as an expense department, whereas the reality is to the contrary. I see a lot of events generate enough revenue to justify sending my entire team to Las Vegas for a vacation, but on paper we’re looked at only as an expense. It’s time for finance directors to look at the IT department with an open mind and prioritise investment in this area.

MN: If finance directors audit revenue from IT they will see that it is one of the best revenue-generating departments.

Why does the finance team view IT as a non-profit department?

MN: Hospitality accounting systems identify exactly where profit is coming from so they can budget.
However, the latest edition of these systems, that most hotels continue to use, still identify IT as a non-profit generating department.

RT: Also, the revenue generated from IT has not always been that high, but many of the recent advances in technology have added to the hotel’s revenue stream. Now the first thing guests do when they enter the room is open their laptop and connect to the WiFi network, then they switch on the IPTV and pay to view on demand.

Have guest expectations changed in terms of facilities they expect to be available at a five-star hotel?

MN: The guest experience starts before they come to the hotel from when a client logs onto the website and makes a reservation. Then guests specify they want a room with WiFi and this and that technology; they’re no longer interested in the pillow menu.

HS: Particularly for business hotels, guests are outside from around 8am to 6pm so they need assistance beyond these hours, which means that as a department we have to be more flexible to their needs.

MN: Guests are more demanding. If their iPod is not working they call IT, if they have no WiFi or mobile phone signal in their room they call IT.

How have IT departments developed to deal with the technological demands of the modern-day guest?

RT: IT departments need to be trained to deal with guests in a professional manner and you need to make sure you find quick solutions because when you’re dealing with guests they will not wait. If you’re not solving the problem, you’re not meeting their expectations. So first, we have increased our manning in the IT department and we now have dedicated staff to handle guest-orientated queries. Second, I have changed the working hours. We have a night shift, a morning shift and a weekend shift so we’re more flexible.

MN: We give training every two or three months to front-office staff. If I want to go to a guest’s room I have to check if they are available, but a bellboy can unlock the door. So we started an IT butler service where we train the bellboys, reception staff and security on basic IT skills. If they can’t help, they call me or my assistants.

HS: We have a dedicated IT butler service. These are IT professionals who work in the front office and deal with guests’ IT enquiries.

Salah Eldesoky: That’s the same as us; we have a dedicated team trained on different technologies. The competition forces you to introduce such services. In the past, it was never in the job scope to provide technical support to guests, but when you look around and see competitors doing it you’ve got to keep up to date with the market.

How do you cope with guests’ growing technological demands?

HS: It is very challenging because guests come with gadgets made in different countries. They have different connections and configurations so you need to be familiar with thousands of systems and different brands of laptops, and so on.

MB: Guests want to connect to their office through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) so they can log onto their email accounts. We have too many demands for this and each connection needs an Internet Protocol (IP) address. However, we don’t have enough IP addresses and that is something that they have elsewhere in the world so guests expect it.

RT: We have applied for so many IP addresses for VPN connections.

Why are there not enough IP addresses?

MB: It’s expensive to get IP addresses from communications providers; you get only so many free. We have already purchased 15 IP addresses and I have requested 15 more.

Is there a problem with UAE communication providers?

SE: Well, in Europe there are multiple communication companies; if we had that here it would create a better, more competitive environment.

RT: Now we have Etisalat and Du and that has made the competition better. Etisalat did a great job on Yas Island. Due to the pressure from the government and from Aldar, they did everything on time and provided all the services we required.

MN: But we’re still paying so much for a 10mb or even a 4mb line. In Europe you wouldn’t pay that much. Communications are still very expensive.

MB: You cannot explain this to guests. They say they have an 8mb line at their home so they believe they should be getting more at a five-star hotel.

HS: Internet is a commodity now. You will not go to a hotel without an internet connection; it would be like having no water or electricity. We provide the highest-speed internet for a fee and a standard speed for free. We did a survey and guests were happy with that.

RT: We’re also giving two options; one speed free of charge and our best product for a cost. If you want 20mb you have to pay for it. This has reduced complaints because when guests ask for free internet they get it, if they want to connect to a business network they can but they must pay. Most times the company is paying for these expenses and generally business guests’ expectations are much higher.

How do you familiarise yourself with new technologies? Do hotel operators provide adequate financial support for personal development in this area?

MB: It’s more a case of scratching your head and working it out yourself.

HS: Everyone looks at the IT department when discussing budgets; if they need to make a cut they will cut the IT department’s budget. They squeeze the IT budget and forget about all the other departments.

MN: It’s difficult to get approval from finance for anything. We need to build a case study on why we need to purchase a particular part or why we need to go to a certain exhibition.

MB: We have to go to finance, then the general manager.

RT: It’s much easier to go to the general manager first, then to finance. I always find it easier to convince him than the finance department.

MN: That’s because most GMs are aware of the importance of technology. Finance does not look at anything other than digits and they have their hands tied because the system they base their judgments on is telling them that we are a non-profit department.

So if the hotel is not supporting you financially, how do you obtain the necessary training to keep up to date with new technologies and trends to stay ahead of guests’ growing demands?

RT: When a new system is implemented, suppliers provide basic training on the system.

HS: But we need to take courses and see the latest trends. Hotels won’t spend money on the IT department. Hotels will spend thousands to send general managers on a marketing exhibition in the USA for example, which doesn’t have any tangible benefits. However, if you request to go to an exhibition, even an overnight stay in Dubai, you’d have a lot of questions and your request might be rejected.

RT: You’re right, but I disagree in one part. At Rotana, IT is driven through the corporate office to the IT managers at each property through the group’s vice president of IT.

HS: But it’s still important for each hotel IT manager to attend. Did you attend GITEX, did you attend the new generation technology show in Singapore and did you go to the Las Vegas IT show?

RT: The vice president attended.

HS: It needs to be the IT manager who is aware of operations and requirements for his hotel. I’ve been in a regional position and I know that the IT VP does not represent all the hotels. He does not know all the needs of every single property. We sometimes have a lot of challenges and the solution could be a small part for US $200, but you need to know about the part. For example, we had a problem in the guestrooms; the HDTV was somehow bending to the right. I found a $100 motorised part that can be connected to the screen and can be adjusted for the correct angle.

I would not have known about that part unless I was at the exhibition. A VP might have seen the same part, but he would not be interested because he does not know that one hotel in the UAE has that particular problem.

The Hotel Technology Middle East conference was launched in November in Dubai. What is your impression of technology exhibitions in the Middle East?

SE: It is getting very commercial. A lot of these shows have lost their spirit. A long time ago there would be lots of benefits from going to IT conferences, but now they are often just a channel for suppliers to approach you. The first thing you receive is the meetings schedule from suppliers. They are just there to collect business cards so they can call you later on.

RT: Then they call you to offer you products that you already have. They don’t investigate the company before they approach it.

MB: But you can find some good vendors and partners to work with.

What is the general standard of technology products and service suppliers in the Middle East?

MB: Most fail to do their homework. They say that ‘we offer wireless internet in the rooms’ and I say ‘if you checked you would see we’ve had that for five years’.

MN: Suppliers are not committed.

MB: They are not committed because they are handling too many projects at the same time.

Is that because there not enough suppliers in this region?

MN: There is a monopoly here. We don’t have any other option than to use what they are giving to us. If we say we need something today, they might give it us after two weeks.

RT: I agree, and for that reason we are looking to suppliers outside the UAE.

SE: It’s a very premature market in this region. The vendor’s sales manager will spend hours with you when they’re trying to close the deal, but once they’ve sold it to you, you won’t see them again. The follow up is not approached systematically, there isn’t the ongoing support there.

MB: We’re paying a lot of money for suppliers to come and maintain the systems, but when we need them they are usually not there.

RT: We have openings all over the UAE, but everything we requested for our Yas Island hotels was delivered on time and from the second I made the order, I received a reply. That’s because Yas Island is part of the development of the UAE and has a lot of support from the government. Suppliers will pick and choose the projects they want, they choose their priorities.

SE: With Fairmont it’s different. I’ve been here for 12 months. I have a list of reliable suppliers and we are on their priority list, Fairmont comes first. I request the service and it is delivered, but maybe not on time.

MB: The service they provide should not depend on what hotel they are dealing with, suppliers should be responsible for all customers.

RT: We need more competition in the supplier market.

What are the steps needed to move the Middle East hospitality IT sector forward?

MN: We can’t operate in a monopoly. It’s the same with suppliers and communications providers. Competition will improve the service. However, the UAE market is still better than that in the wider Middle East.

RT: Attitudes towards IT budgets will change as hotels realise the importance of technology and the role of IT in creating the best guest experience. It will take time. We’ve already started introducing self check-in. Soon everything will be automated.

HS: Attitudes will change with the first hotel to introduce a ‘smart room’. Guests will demand a room that is customised before his arrival to his requirements; he will select the right temperature, decide whether curtains should be open or closed, he will select the TV channels he likes and everything will be controlled remotely.

MN: This will save money on staff and gives guests the impression that you really care for them.

MB: Owners need to invest in ‘future proof’ technology because year to year technology is changing. If you invest in the IT infrastructure now, you will not have to change it after around four-to-five years’ time.

HS: And we have to continue making technology pay for itself to maintain the return on investment.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU:
HOTELIER’S EXPERT PANEL

Salah Eldesoky
Director of information technology
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

Salah Eldesoky describes himself as a “pre-opening addict” having overseen the smooth launch of a number of properties during his 10-year hotel technology career. He has experience in Hilton and Four Seasons hotels worldwide. He came on board for the pre-opening of the new Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi in April.

Mohad Nasim
IT manager
Vision Hotel Apartments

After joining Vision Group as a network administrator in 2006, Mohad Nasim quickly worked his way up to become IT manager for the group. He moved onto the hospitality side of the business in 2006 during the pre-opening of Vision Hotel Apartments in Abu Dhabi.

Roger Tabbal
Director of information technology
Yas Island Rotana Resort & Centro by Rotana, Yas Island

Roger Tabbal started his career as a network system administrator in a five-star Lebanon hotel in 2001 before being promoted to IT manager in 2005. One year later he moved to the UAE for the pre-opening of Fujairah Rotana and then to Amwaj Rotana and Arjaan by Rotana before taking up his current role in April.

Hakam Sourani
Director of IT and AV
Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi

Hakam Sourani’s career began with him overseeing IT in the finance sector. He later joined the hospitality industry and worked for a number of international hotel groups including Starwood. He moved to the Emirates Palace in the UAE capital three years ago.

Manoj Bhatnagar
IT director
The Village, One to One Hotels

Having clocked up more than 18 years in hotel IT departments, Manoj Bhatnager has worked for a number of international brands. His experience in India includes regional head of IT across Radisson’s hotels and overseeing IT for the pre-opening of the first Shangri-La property in India. He came to the Middle East as part of the pre-opening team for La Cigale in Doha, Qatar, before taking up his current role in January 2006.

What are guests’ most common IT-related questions?

“If guests or colleagues have any kind of problem at all, even if it does not relate to IT, they always call IT.”
Salah Eldesoky, director of information technology, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi

“Is internet free? We explain it is the basic package for free, then they see the high-speed option and usually argue because they want it but don’t want to pay.”
Manoj Bhatnagar, IT director, The Village, Onetoone Hotel

“Often guests call to say their laptop is not working. A guest called in the middle of the night saying ‘my laptop isn’t working’. I went to his room and switched it on. He said ‘you are magic, how did you do that’.”
Roger Tabbal, director of information technology, Yas Island Rotana Resort & Centro by Rotana, Yas Island

“A lot of people forget their laptop chargers and ring to ask for one. They think one size fits all and get frustrated when we can’t help.”
Mohad Nasim, IT manager, Vision Hotel Apartments

“Guests return to their room around six and they need assistance connecting to the internet or say their iPod is not working and so on.”
Hakam Sourani, director of information Technology and Audio Visual, Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi