Award Winning Independent Luxury Resorts Favor Integrated Maestro PMS to Streamline Operations, Keep Guests Returning, Increase Direct Sales and RevPAR

Leading High-Touch Resorts Rely on Maestro All-In-One Solution to Maximize Efficiency, Reduce Booking Costs and Increase Revenue; Guests Self-Serve Online to Personalize and Up-sell Their Stay

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 19, 2010

Independent guest-centric single- and multi-property resort operators have freedom in how they run their businesses, but it is not free. While chain properties have franchise support for their operations, marketing, online presence, and staff productivity, independent resorts rely on their management team's experience and support from their technology partners. When independent operators work with solid tech providers that understand their needs, the result is a resort that is more efficient and profitable than its franchise comp-set.

Guest-Centric Maestro understands unique needs of resort operations

"Our independent resort in British Columbia is surrounded by larger properties, and we rely on Maestro's ResEze Web booking engine to maximize our competitiveness and increase online revenue from rooms, amenities, and packages to keep guests' money on property," said Lucy Hallford, vice president finance at the AAA Three-Diamond Fairmont Hot Spring Resort.

"Maestro's Spa, Condo Ownership, and Sales & Catering applications are fully-integrated with its property management system (PMS) and CRM; this gives us a 360-degree view of what guests want so we can provide high-touch service that keeps them returning."

Fairmont Hot Springs reservations agents use Maestro to up-sell all its offerings. "Guests book packages directly from our website with Maestro's Web Connection suite, which helps our ADR and RevPAR," said Hallford. Maestro offers 20 fully-integrated modules to streamline all areas of resort operations.

Online bookings, ADR increase with integrated Booking Engine + Yield Management

Shanty Creek Resorts is the ultimate destination with three properties, over 500 rooms, four championship golf courses, a spa, five dining outlets, and conference center. It uses the NORTHWIND-Maestro PMS multi-property, multi-module hotel software platform with the fully-integrated Web Connection Suite of online management controls for all properties. Maestro's ResEze booking engine maximizes revenue with guest self-serve options that let guests up-sell themselves, enhance service and lower the cost-per-reservation for stays booked directly on the website.

"Maestro helped increase our website bookings by five percent and raised ADR ten dollars," said Leslie Chinn, Shanty Creek Resorts' director of revenue management. "Our Maestro PMS and ResEze booking engine are integrated so online availability is accurate and rates are optimized by our Maestro Yield Management system so shoppers see the same rate at every booking touch point. The online tools also enable us to book groups online." Chinn said "Our staff is more productive thanks to Maestro's Real-Time Web Chat and On-Demand Training included in our Diamond Plus Service."

Savvy resorts use Maestro to maximize revenue at every booking process touch point

Skytop Lodge is a luxury golf resort and group convention center northwest of New York City that is a member of Historical Hotels of America, and a Conde' Nast Johansen's Recommended Lodge. Nearly 80 percent of Skytop's guests and groups are on packages. "We market to specific guest types and focus on all-inclusive packages," said Dan Harris, Skytop's operations manager. "We use NORTHWIND Maestro at every point in the booking process to maximize sales. Quoting one price with all the backup details makes it easier to explain, up-sell, and close the sale."

"Maestro's integrated PMS and Sales and Catering systems enable us to view a group's account anytime to verity billing and payment." Harris noted. NORTHWIND is an excellent partner," Harris said. "As part of its Diamond Plus Service, Maestro created special reports that focus on our unique needs and regularly audit our team to ensure we are using as much functionality as possible and provide customized training. NORTHWIND is constantly upgrading Maestro to make it better, and that benefits our operation. Maestro's free online training keeps our staff operating at peak efficiency."

Barnsley Gardens Resort, a Conde' Nast Gold List resort named one of the 'Top 500 Places to Stay in The World,' uses Maestro to streamline its entire operation. "We rely on Maestro's PMS, Sales and Catering and POS systems that are fully-integrated on one database for instant guest record access so we can anticipate guest needs and provide high-touch service," said Jennifer Ball, director of resort revenue and reservations. "Our staff also values Maestro's free online training webinars and training as part of our Diamond Plus Service."