Hotel chain checks in centralised database

Hotel chain Malmaison is undergoing a major IT overhaul with the simultaneous implementation of a central reservations database and the replacement of a legacy email system.

The hotel is deploying a hosted database for bookings, reservations and accounting across 15 UK hotels, while gradually migrating 900 email inboxes to an open-source system.

‘Our old Dos-based system ran from separate servers in each hotel with no central control, so regular guests would not be recognised in different hotels,’ said Malmaison group IT manager Chris Lewis.

‘We are switching to an email messaging system running on a Linux-based product because we find it stable and cost-effective, and peer-reviewed software doe not tie you to one standard or to one vendor,’ said Lewis.

The database rollout will be completed by June 2007, with the migration of the email system currently about a quarter of the way through, says Lewis.

‘Hotels still need simple file and print access for word processing, but we will probably be moving that technology towards Linux,’ he said.

‘The benefits of the database include guest loyalty and the ability to market effectively.’

The open-source email system will also deliver reduced licensing and administration costs.

The mail system comprises two tiers of licensing, differentiated by the ability to use Microsoft Outlook.

‘Our standard users don’t need to use Outlook, so 25 of the 30 mailboxes at each of our sites are essentially free, which means we achieve quite a big cost-saving,’ said Lewis.

‘The new email system gives us peace of mind because it is reliable and requires a lower admin head count – moving mailboxes used to take one person three hours, if not more.’

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