Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

Sunstar Hotels Selects IDeaS V5i to Improve Yield Performance and Multi Hotel Reporting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contacts:
Dan Brown / Cristina Arborio
Mulberry Marketing Communications
+44 (0)207 928 7676
dbrown@mulberrymc.com / carborio@mulberrymc.com

Sunstar Hotels Selects IDeaS V5i to Improve Yield Performance and Multi Hotel Reporting

MINNEAPOLIS, MN & MUNICH – 5 March 2008 – IDeaS, the leading provider of hospitality revenue management and optimisation solutions, announced today that Sunstar Hotels, a well reputed hotel chain running nine mostly mountain resort hotels in Switzerland, will install IDeaS V5i On-Demand Revenue Management Solution throughout its estate.

“Since yield management is new to resorts in Switzerland, and represents some additional challenges compared to city hotels, we were looking for a partner with the expertise, the necessary size and very good references, who would understand our specific requirements and needs,” said Marc Fries, Head of IT / Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer at Sunstar Hotels. “It was also important for us to have an existing interface with our PMS, Fidelio Suite 8, and we wanted an ASP-solution, which would avoid investment in additional hardware and keep the financial risk low. IDeaS offered us such a solution, with great possibilities and a very impressive list of references. Also, RM Solutions, the local IDeaS distributor, showed that it understood our specific situation, and presented innovative ideas during the evaluation process.”

As a growing business, Sunstar Hotels felt the urgency of automating its availability control process, by introducing a new RM system with strong reporting capabilities, and the ability to guarantee a more efficient administration of data from multiple properties, while improving group evaluation procedures. IDeaS V5i’s Multi-Property and Group Pricing modules perfectly met these strategic requirements: while the former allows authorised users to view data from multiple properties and benefit from roll-up reporting in user-definable property groups, the latter helps evaluate group requests, analyses displaced revenues, finds alternative dates and includes additional revenues and costs for a total value assessment.

As is typical of seasonal resorts, Sunstar Hotels has to cope with the problem of high staff turnover lacking experience of the past years. Consequently, the reservation process was scattered as every front desk agent individually judged each request according to his or her personal experience. Sunstar Hotels therefore felt the need of establishing a consistent basis for reservation procedures. IDeaS V5i Group Pricing module represents the perfect fit for this specific requirement as well as the 1st step towards the automation of pricing.

What is more, IDeaS’ reporting capabilities contribute to the possibility for a medium to long-term planning in marketing strategies, as the software detects in advance where there's a weak availability situation. The deployment of V5i, which has already started in Lenzerheide and Grindelwald Hotels, will soon be completed in the other Sunstar properties.

“This new implementation is very exciting for IDeaS because it is the 1st automated Revenue Management System to be installed in a hotel chain operating exclusively in Switzerland, and allows us to prove that RM solutions can work for mountain resorts,” said Uli Pillau, IDeaS MD EAME. “We believe that cutting-edge products and a strong commitment to clients aren't the only keys to success. In our industry it is fundamental to partner with effective collaborators, such as RM Solutions, our distribution and service partner for Switzerland, which, thanks to its proven track record and expertise in providing revenue management systems, was a great help in securing this new account”.

Philippe Glur, Founder and MD of RM Solutions in Switzerland added, “As IDeaS distribution partner in Switzerland, we are extremely proud to be involved in this important project with one of the top hotel groups in the country. We have partnered with IDeaS as its revenue optimization solution is unique in the industry, and the Swiss market is ready to take a next step in hotel technology with the use of such a revolutionary product.”


About IDeaS

Integrated Decisions and Systems, Inc. (IDeaS) invented critical decision solutions that enable global organisations such as leading hotels, airlines, car rentals, car parking, manufacturing, and transportation management companies to understand, anticipate and react to consumer behaviour in order to optimise company-wide revenue and profits. By providing Forecasting, Optimisation and Pricing solutions, coupled with IDeaS' On-Demand Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, IDeaS can help make an immediate impact on company revenue and profitability. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, IDeaS maintains global technology, support and sales offices in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more info, visit www.ideas.com.

About RM Solutions

RM Solutions Ltd. is a fast-growing hotel consultancy firm based in Switzerland. RM Solutions specializes in yield management systems and processes, pricing, electronic distribution, business intelligence, e-marketing and strategic sales support. A proud partner of IDeaS, RM Solutions helps uncover the full revenue potential of your business. For further info visit www.rmsolutions.ch.

About Sunstar

Sunstar Hotels, a Swiss joint-stock company, owns, operates and markets 9 mainly 4-star hotels with a total of 940 rooms in the Swiss Alps and in the southern part of Switzerland. The 1969 founded hotel group is well known for their comfortable, personal and relaxed atmosphere following the motto “with us you feel at home”, coupled with an excellent value for money. A particular importance is given to environmental sustainability and ethics. Sunstar Hotels is listed at the Swiss stock exchange SWX and its hotels rank regularly among the best profitable hotels in Switzerland. For more info, please visit www.sunstar.ch.