Banff Lodging Co. The Fox Hotel and Suites — Photo by NORTHWIND-Maestro

Markham, ON -- Independent operators are simply more independent than their chain-flagged colleagues. They rely on personal guest service, innovation, and online marketing and booking technology to be successful in their markets. Many indies rely on Expedia's 120+ travel booking websites such as Hotwire.com, Hotels.com, ClassicVacations.com and many smaller 'Affiliate Network" private-label websites for reservations. Automating Expedia inventory updates and real-time optimized rates increase reservations and revenue from this growing booking source.

"Expedia is a large booker for us," says Brendan Stonestreet, Guest Services & Revenue Manager of Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier in Vancouver, BC. "We use the Maestro Property Management System (PMS) for front desk processes and rate optimization. With our Maestro Expedia QuickConnect 2-way interface we automatically sync our optimized rates and availability with all our online channels in real time. It saves our front desk/reservation team many hours of manual input time." Stonestreet said manual staff updates to online channels was time consuming and open to human error. "We have a seamless Expedia integration with our Maestro PMS. The QuickConnect 2-way interface eliminates keystroke errors our team experienced when inputting multiple pages of new reservations and adjusting our availability and rates online."

NORTHWIND is provider of Maestro™ Enterprise Property Management hotel software and reservation software solutions for the industry's leading independent hotel, resort, and multi-property groups. Click here to learn more about Maestro's solutions for profitability and productivity.

The 2-way Expedia interface with Maestro also updates PMS availability when a reserved guest cancels in Expedia. "Our online rates are continuously updated to maximize revenue and our inventory is synced in both systems so we are confident of our room sales. An added benefit of the QuickConnect interface is that we reduced our overall booking costs by reducing the number of 3rd-party online reservation channels. We can ask the NORTHWIND support team if we have questions. Maestro's support is the best I have dealt with from any technology company. They are North America-based and usually answer our questions quickly."

Banff Lodging Company operates 10 hotel properties in Banff, Alberta, Canada. All use the Maestro Multi-Property PMS, 7 with the Expedia QuickConnect interface. Hollie Eckert, Yield and Revenue Manager, Banff Lodging Company said, "Last year we booked about 10% of total company reservations through Expedia, which totals thousands of reservations. Our bookings have increased this year and Maestro's Expedia interface has been a big help. Our Reservations Assistant Manager estimates that the interface saves us 4 hours a day in data entry. This time savings allows our agents to spend more time on the phone and provide a more personalized guest experience."

Eckert said the QuickConnect interface to Banff Lodging's Maestro Multi-Property PMS is efficient. "Reservations are booked in minutes. In the past we had to wait for an email and then have one of our agents input the booking. This created the potential for a guest to call before their reservation was in our system. With the Expedia interface, incoming reservations are 100 percent correct with dates and pricing without the possibility of human error."

"Online reservation channels are an increasingly important booking source. The Maestro Expedia QuickConnect 2-way interface simplifies online channel management, lowers overall online booking costs and provides greater rate control that increases revenue," said Warren Dehan, President of NORTHWIND-Maestro PMS. "This gives independents the ability to manage availability and rates precisely in Expedia to maximize revenue from their bookings.

For a demo of the Maestro Property Management Suite featuring please contact NORTHWIND at 1.888.667.8488 or email [email protected].

Maestro Property Management Solution

Enhance guest service, improve efficiency, and maximize online and offline revenue with Maestro PMS, the industry's most robust and flexible resort software and boutique hotel software solution empowering leading full-service hotels, luxury resorts, multi-property groups, conference centers, condominiums, and timeshare properties. Solutions include Front Office (PMS), Accounts Receivable, Analytics and Business Intelligence, Sales and Catering, Multi-Property Management, Condo & Timeshare Owner Management with Web Functionality, Spa and Activities, Web Booking Engine, Real-Time Yield Management, Dynamic Packaging Golf, CRM, Guest Experience Measurement, CRO, GDS Two-Way XML Connectivity or Integration, Membership, Work Orders, Fine Dining and Retail POS, Online Table Reservations with Web Booking, Concierge, and Guest Experience Measurement. The Maestro PMS is database independent (ODBC Compliant) and may be deployed via Windows, UNIX, Linux, Terminal Services, hosted, and Web platforms.

About NORTHWIND – Maestro PMS

NORTHWIND is recognized in the hospitality industry for its standard-setting Diamond Plus Service and robust integrated Maestro resort hotel software technology. With over 30 years' experience dedicated to developing technology solutions for the hospitality industry, NORTHWIND is a partner who understands you need a scalable, flexible PMS that works the way you do. Maestro applications are engineered for operators who need to manage their enterprise in a real-time environment for the utmost operational efficiency, productivity, control, and profitability.

Barb Worcester