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Starwood Reservation Software

tomandrobin

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Here is an article I found this morning, regarding Starwood reservation software. Maybe, just maybe, they are finally moving towards a user friendly program. Also, take note of the software name at the end of the story!


SPI and Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Condo Hotel Software Accord

MIAMI, FL: Systems Products International (SPI) has entered into an agreement with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. to provide them with integrated condo hotel software for Starwood-managed and franchised properties.

Under the agreement, SPI will provide software for managing owner reservations, owner rental and equitable rotation of rental units. SPI will integrate the solution with Starwood’s property management system from Galaxy Hotel Systems LLC, Galaxy LightSpeed®, to provide a real-time solution for condo hotel properties.

“As we began adding condo hotel properties to our portfolio,” says Starwood Vice President of Information Technology, North America Mark McBeth, “we set out to find the most complete, specialized software and a vendor that could integrate seamlessly into our existing property management system infrastructure. We found both in SPI.”

Matt Brosious, SPI director of sales adds, “Of course, we are delighted to have been selected by global-leader Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Working together with the developers of Galaxy LightSpeed, we will have a specialized product unequalled in the marketplace. We look forward to rolling out the SPI Condo Hotel software across their portfolio of condo hotel properties.”

About Starwood
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 900 properties in more than 100 countries and 155,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft(SM), and Element(SM). Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

About SPI
SPI provides major developers of vacation ownership (timeshare, fractional, private residence club and others) with its .NET-based software as either an enterprise suite of software called Orange Systems, or in specific modules to handle marketing, sales, property management, finance, maintenance fee and receivables servicing, centralized reservations or Website access operations. Founded in 1978 and based in Miami, FL, SPI can be reached at 305-858-9505 , sales@spiinc.com or www.spiinc.com.

Media Contact:
Sharon B. Drechsler, RRP
Drechsler Communications
for SPI
602-370-2003
 

tomandrobin

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Here is a page from thier marketing PDF.

ADDITIONAL MODULES
Web Services Toolkit | Give your owners Internet access
to book their own reservations, make payments and check
their own account histories. The SPI Web Services toolkit
provides development tools for your use in creating a
powerful owners’ Web site quickly and affordably.
Business Intelligence Toolkit | Orange Systems’
database can be interfaced with Microsoft’s Business
Intelligence® functionality required by high volume users
needing data warehousing, advanced reporting and
analyses and multi level management tools.
Condo-hotel Toolkit | SPI offers proprietary tools
to administrate the reservation rotation procedures,
usage tracking and owner revenue controls required
to properly manage a condo-hotel.
 

Ågent99

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While expressing my displeasure at a 30+ minute reservation phone call by calling their system "anitquated", the lady mentioned the very same information that they were in the process of significantly streamlining things by having new software implemented very soon.

I'm sure it won't be as smooth as they hope but it is a step in the right direction me thinks. :)
 

Transit

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I hope if they do implement a new reservation system it will be a complete usable product and not another washed down promise.
 

DavidnRobin

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SPI provides major developers of vacation ownership (timeshare, fractional, private residence club and others) with its .NET-based software as either an enterprise suite of software called Orange Systems

ORANGE SYSTEMS!!! Wow - that is incredible... Nodge knows all...

I'll believe it when I see it...
 

nodge

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“As we began adding condo hotel properties to our portfolio,” says Starwood Vice President of Information Technology, North America Mark McBeth, “we set out to find the most complete, specialized software and a vendor that could integrate seamlessly into our existing property management system infrastructure. We found both in SPI.”

While it is encouraging, a quick look at SPI’s other timeshare clients (Celebrity Resorts, Shell Vacations) suggests that the sweet, sweet smell of being the lowest bidder brought SVO to SPI’s table.

On the plus side, we’ve ID’d yet another VP to add to the SVO pile:

Mark McBeth, “Vice President of Information Technology, North America”

Based on his title, can we assume that there are 6 other SVO VP’s of Information Technology floating around in the SVO VP pile too, one for each remaining continent? Hey SVO, if you haven’t filled it yet, I’d like to apply for the VPIT – Antarctica job.

I also wonder if the "VP of Strategic Technology" still talks to the “VP of Information Technology, North America” now that the VPST won his "major award?" I’m sensing some tension/turf war there, which we all know is an excellent formula for success with any project.

Lowest bidder vendor + high internal politics + SVO’s extensive 10 year history of way, way over-promising and way, way under-delivering in this area = Don't hold your breath on this one.

Also, isn’t that new Westin in Napa a true “condo hotel.” All of this could be just for that place.

-nodge

In other timeshare news, the Hilton timeshare owners over on the Hilton board are reporting a few bugs with HGVC's updated, SECOND GENERATION, on-line reservation system. Wouldn’t it be nice if we SVO owners only had these types of problems with our reservation system?
 
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clsmit

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From reading the press release I think this project just might be for those high-fallutin' condo hotel people. You know, the ones who buy a property for a lot of $$$$ but can only stay there themselves for a month, and agree to share the rental revenue with the property manager. Not for us regular timeshare folks who can stay at our properties as much as we own! Let's hope they use the "key learnings" from this implementation to help them work on the timeshare upgrade!
 

tomandrobin

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From reading the press release I think this project just might be for those high-fallutin' condo hotel people. You know, the ones who buy a property for a lot of $$$$ but can only stay there themselves for a month, and agree to share the rental revenue with the property manager. Not for us regular timeshare folks who can stay at our properties as much as we own! Let's hope they use the "key learnings" from this implementation to help them work on the timeshare upgrade!


Maybe, but if you dig deeper, they specifically target timeshare properties.
 

nodge

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ORANGE SYSTEMS!!! Wow - that is incredible... Nodge knows all...

Hmmmm. It appears that SPI "went orange" a few months before our SVO orange test. So the connection to our TUG test was purely coincidental.

What is more interesting is the published reason why SPI picked the name "Orange Systems."

"The name, Orange Systems, was chosen to express the software's versatility, leading edge technology and commitment to assisting resort developers, operators and management entities in achieving faster, more accurate and integrated comprehensive information management systems."

Yep. When I think of oranges, I'm thinking all that.

They’d have a better story if they just let people know that you can rearrange the letters in “Orange Systems” to spell:

“Yo Strange Mess”

Now that’s way more helpful, but I bet our friends at SVO didn't find the hidden warning in the name before signing on the dotted line.

-nodge

OK OK. Other possible anagrams include "Most Ass Energy" and "Gassy Men Store," but let's not go there.
 
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califgal

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They’d have a better story if they just let people know that you can rearrange the letters in “Orange Systems” to spell:

“Yo Strange Mess”

Nodge..you are too clever!!:rofl:
 

DavidnRobin

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Yes it is a condo hotel.

While off topic - I will be staying there in mid-October (10K SPs/nite) - I will post our experience. I think it is great that it gives another hotel option in the NorCal wine country.
 

SDKath

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David,

Be sure to take some pix too! I am very happy with the idea of a wine country escape too! I wish there was one in Santa Barbara though!

Can't wait to hear.


Nodge, the Orange System was named to please you. Now, can we see your picture??? Amidst some Orange trees perhaps?

Katherine
 
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califgal

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While off topic - I will be staying there in mid-October (10K SPs/nite) - I will post our experience. I think it is great that it gives another hotel option in the NorCal wine country.
__________________

Still off topic, I think we'll try to get there in ther falll as well, since it's so close. I bet the starpoint rates will go up soon!
 

Ågent99

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Still off topic, I think we'll try to get there in ther falll as well, since it's so close. I bet the starpoint rates will go up soon!

Continuing the OT, we almost purchased there until we saw the prices. We actually visited the site BEFORE anything had been done. There were a couple of derelict washers and dryers laying around the property (I might still have the pictures)!! I think I'd like to go visit it and see how it has come along...but not to stay.
 
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