MINNEAPOLIS, SoftBrands, Inc. (AMEX:SBN) , a global supplier of enterprise application software, today announced that Larkspur Hotels and Restaurants has successfully implemented the SoftBrands Epitome multi-property management system (PMS) at multiple Larkspur hotels in San Francisco's Union Square.

SoftBrands .Net property management system is built on the Microsoft .Net (TM) Internet framework and provides a highly functional and scaleable system in an Internet native centrally deployed environment (so workstations need only run Internet Explorer (TM)). Hotels have the option to run all properties off a single, centralized server. Centralizing the application simplifies the hotel's IT infrastructure to a database server, application server and an interface device server making future upgrades simpler and faster and reducing the IT support and security burden at the hotel properties.

"Implementing the Epitome (.NET) PMS as a web-based solution allows our team members to access PMS data from any computer, which is a huge advantage as we have centralized sales and reservations for these hotels," said Todd Maxwell, vice president of technology, Larkspur Hotels and Restaurants. With our hotels being located within four blocks of one another, centrally managing data is a key benefit."

Using a single guest database for these hotels allows Larkspur staff to see guest history at all of its Union Square hotels. This ability helps hotel staff to easily identify guest stay issues and recognize those guests who are loyal to Larkspur hotels when visiting downtown San Francisco. The single database also facilitates customer relationship management (CRM) opportunities, since Larkspur no longer has the issue of duplicate guest records spread out across separate databases at each hotel.

"In addition to application advantages, we are also seeing advantages in IT. We now have two PMS servers – a web server and an application server – to maintain our hotels. The time we used to spend managing separate hotel PMS systems can now be spent maximizing the availability of the multi-property Epitome system, located in our datacenter which has redundant power, internet access and proper cooling systems," said Maxwell.

"Larkspur Hotels was looking for a reliable partner who could provide the sophisticated technology solutions to meet their requirements along with responsive service and support," said Jo Masters, vice president and general manager of the Americas hospitality business. "The SoftBrands Epitome PMS offers the flexibility and features Larkspur needed to effectively manage its Union Square hotels. Our industry-leading 24x7x365 customer support also helps Larkspur receive maximum value from its technology investment."

About Larkspur Hotels and Restaurants | Established in 1996, Larkspur Hotels and Restaurants is a rapidly growing hotel company based in Larkspur, California. Larkspur owns and operates 23 hotels in areas of California and the Pacific Northwest. The company also offers Kuleto's Italian Restaurant in downtown San Francisco and its own brand of Three Degrees Restaurants with locations in Portland, Oregon; Los Gatos, California and Tiburon, California. For additional information on Larkspur Hospitality and its affiliates, visit .

About SoftBrands Hospitality | SoftBrands Hospitality provides central reservation, property management and business intelligence software that can be centrally managed to support many properties within a hotel chain as well as less complex offerings that can be installed on site at an independent hotel. Our distribution service, Karyon, allows hotels to easily manage rates and inventory availability across all four Global Distribution Systems and many other online sources of demand. SoftBrands is committed to the Hospitality Industry and is an active member of OpenTravel, HTNG, HSMAI, HFTP, HEDNA, AH&LA, AAHOA, NBTA & PHMA

About SoftBrands | SoftBrands, Inc. is a leader in providing software solutions for businesses in the manufacturing and hospitality industries worldwide. The company has established a global infrastructure for distribution, development and support of enterprise software, and has approximately 5,000 customers in more than 100 countries actively using its manufacturing and hospitality products. SoftBrands, which has approximately 825 employees, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with branch offices in Europe, India, Asia, Australia and Africa. Additional information can be found at .

Christina Lanier
Public Relations Director
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