Hotel Tech Insider

SPEAKER_02:
Everyone is innovating, everyone is developing something new and everything is somehow helping you to get your business done and to improve your processes and so on. So what we really invested in bringing our company forward to this digital area, but also what we want to do is really concentrate on what we are doing and what we are doing we want to do right.

SPEAKER_00:
From Hotel Tech Report, it's Hotel Tech Insider, a show about the future of hotels and the technology that powers them.

SPEAKER_01:
Today we connect with Victoria Fisher, who has a very cool title as the Chief of Intelligence at Penta Hotels. Victoria brings extensive revenue management experience to the table, having worked in various revenue leadership positions supporting hotels and hotel companies throughout Europe. In her current role, she runs Penta Hotel's business intelligence team and has rolled out a data-driven ethos that has delivered some impressive results. In our conversation, we cover Penta Hotel's tech stack, the company's top priorities for 2024, and how Victoria collaborates and innovates with key software partners. So to start out, I always like to start with your background. I would love for you to walk me through how you got your start in the industry, the different roles you've had, different companies you've worked for, and then finally, what you're doing now.

SPEAKER_02:
I have started my studies in economics, but also with focus on water management. And I've done this as a dual study. So I've been part-time in the university, but also part-time working already in a hotel and into all the different departments, which there are. So during that time, during my studies, I was very much focusing, but also interested in revenue management directly. This was from the start where I thought this is something which is really, really highly interested for me. And so I've written my thesis about this topic, about revenue management and revenue management systems already. During that time, I worked for the Maritime Airport Hotel in Hannover. during that time. And with an airport hotel, it was really interesting to see how a revenue management system can be of help because you have a different kind of demand pattern than if you would be in a location like a city center or something like this. And then after I've completed my studies, I've started my first job in a hotel at the Kempinski Hotel, Bristol, Berlin. In revenue management, I worked as a revenue analyst, I think it was at this time. And from a system perspective, this was, I think the two years I've spent there was the most amazing times, but also hard times to really learn because they had the old Opera version where you, the Fidelio version where you needed to type every rate changes manually in the system. but also not only in Opera, but in the PMS, but also in the revenue management system that there was no, as we know it today, interfaces, smooth connectivity. So this really shaped me and helped me, but also showed me that this can't be the future, and I really want to work on something which is a bit more automated and a bit more forward-looking. And then after two years, I've moved on to Bremen and worked for Swiss Hotel in Bremen. As my first revenue management position, I was also overlooking the reservations department at this time. It was a city center hotel, a nice business mix. So I really also learned a lot about groups, meeting at events and also having the total revenue impact on my mind and not only rooms. And then I have moved on to the Swiss Hotel Berlin and had the Bremen Hotel still as a cluster position, but I moved back to Berlin. And yeah, I'm overseeing both hotels. Then after one and a half year, and during that time before also, we were sold, our gyro was sold to Accor. And then I moved on and I said, okay, now my journey with FRHI with this hotel is over. And I started a job as a regional revenue manager with H Hotels. H Hotels is a Germany-based hotel company with 65 hotels, I think. And I was responsible for the region since the south of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and then also in Budapest, they've opened one hotel. And then, yeah, I spent three times in revenue management there. We also had all the commercial departments centralized in Berlin with a very close cooperation between the departments. We've learned a lot how distribution works, but also there the system part really took place where I got very much interested in processes and how can we make it more efficient. During that time, I've started to work with the Adversary Revenue Management System. We had the Okra v5 version, but also we have established HVTEL's Click BI reporting tool. That for me was the first reporting tool I have got to know. in the time in the industry, and I thought at this time it was just amazing to see how many people can access data, what you can learn from the data, how you can use it also then to automate different processes internally, not big ones but only small ones, which really helps you in the daily business to make your life as a revenue manager, as a reservations agent, as a convention sales agent, so much easier. And then three years with H-Hotels, I thought I need to move on. I want to see something else. So I've worked since then, now two years already with Penta Hotels. I started there as the head of revenue. The revenue team, we are centralized in Frankfurt. Our support office is in Frankfurt. I'm still in Berlin. And yeah, Penta Hotels, we have 21 hotels across seven countries in Europe. It was a very different kind of work compared to the companies I've been before. It was very private, but very familiar. We are all very close to each other. Of course, we are smaller. Therefore, we are also more relying on each other in many things. So yeah, I started my journey there in revenue. And then this year in May, we had an organizational restructuring. At this time, our chief of commerce left. And due to this change, we have opened up the question, okay, how do we want to structure the company? And then one thing really came across quite heavily and quite important was that we don't not yet have a BI department at Panther. And reporting and data was important, but it was not prioritized. Let's say it this way. So then I was approached and offered the position, which I have now, as a chief of intelligence, meaning overlooking the BI department. We have one BI manager at Pantos since July this year, who is together with me, building up this department, but also with this position, we want to make sure that data and that the importance of information is at the base of everything we are doing with Penta. But this is really the core of our decision. This is the foundation of what we are doing to make sure that we are profitable as a company, to make sure that we are efficient, and to always check sense what we can do more and better.

SPEAKER_01:
You and your team, do you support many departments within the company then, not only revenue management?

SPEAKER_02:
Yeah, so this was also something which was very important and therefore also I think the vocation of the department and also of my role is quite interesting that we said, okay, this is not only a revenue thing. Data and information is not only revenue related. We want to have it in all departments, meaning we are working very closely with finance, very important department if it comes to data and information, but also with operations, all the commercial departments, of course, but even with our digital department that comes to user logins, for example, security, these kinds of things. So this position, not only the position, but also the department itself is sitting more or less or is getting involved with every single one of our

SPEAKER_01:
And can you tell me a little bit about the hotels? You mentioned they're mostly in Europe. Are they independent, branded, small, large?

SPEAKER_02:
Yeah. So I would say they are medium, medium size of hotels. 21 seven countries, as I've mentioned, we have, I think an average is around 150 rooms per property. The location itself or the locations itself, they are quite B destinations We have some A city destinations as well, but as we are also having a core part of our business coming from business and corporate travelers, this you also can see on the location side that we are also often located next to a business park, for example, and these kinds of things. We also have some leisure destinations, one in Oslo at the sea side, but this is more a one-time thing, I would say. like an inception, and the rest is more city side or business related. We also have some hotels with meeting capacity, with meeting space, some larger ones as well, but also some smaller ones. So we have a good mix, I would say, when it comes to business segment. We have a good mix, a healthy mix of what our guests would like to see in the hotel and what the purpose of their trip is.

SPEAKER_01:
I want to dig a little more into your role leading the intelligence team. Can you tell me about the most critical technology partner that you use in your role?

SPEAKER_02:
For us in the beginning, talking over this conversation started last year, talking about BI and data and reporting and how we would like to make it available and visible for everyone at Pentium. We thought that we need some things, some run, some partner, who can really help and support our vision. So we have done our research and we've looked around which partner would be the best fit for us as Penta as a company. And of course, we have reviewed all the big ones, but then we've looked into Juyo. The company is based in Belgium. And they are not a startup, but they are also quite new, at least for us, they were quite new on the market. And we've got directly from the beginning, we got the vibe that what we wanted from a BI tool, they can deliver and so much more. So it was, we had some incredible brainstorming meetings where we said, okay, this is what we need. This is the main structure we need from you as a partner. And then from that point on, we have also developed this idea, the vision Penta has. to much more together with those incredible people from Ju-Yu. It's just a very, very cool journey. And so we have now implemented all the hotels are onboarded since July this year. We have some pilots running already for nine months in different countries with different currencies. It's also very important for us that the currency part is covered. as we are reporting in Euro. But of course, we also need some local currency reports and data available for the teams on property. So all these boxes were checked and we have started with the commercial model. We say, okay, first thing for us is that we are getting the commercial data available and accessible. And this was directly done in July, as I've mentioned. And then also from this first brainstorming meeting, we said our vision was to have not only commercial data, but also different other data points in the system. So currently we are working on a financial module together with the Julia team, and we are creating this completely new. It was not on their roadmap before, or it wasn't high on their priority list, let's say. But this is something if we can get all different data points from different departments into one platform, and we can then from one information from cost level, we can really deep dive into where it's coming from, how is it related to the commercial performance. If it's ready, then at that point, this will be awesome. This will be amazing.

SPEAKER_01:
And then do most employees at the company have access to Doyo?

SPEAKER_02:
Yeah, most of them, anyone who is in some way related to the performance. If it is, of course, the revenue team, everyone at our support office, but also on property, we said we want not only the managers to see the data and to understand the data, We want every single one, every single employee who's working in the reservations department and sales department, but also in the operations department to understand why it's so important and what we are doing and what they are doing also matters. And this can be shown then if they have access to the data and also if the data is easily to read. This is sometimes I think currently the challenge we have because people are differently in terms of understanding data and information. And with Julia, we have what we are. We are able to visualize the data so everyone can easily understand only with one view what's going on. They don't need to know the number per executive mission. They only need to understand, OK, what is the trend going? How does this impact my business, my daily routine? And this is something which is now given.

SPEAKER_01:
Are employees creating their own dashboards or are they mostly just reading dashboards maybe that your team has put together?

SPEAKER_02:
Our idea was in the beginning, because data can be at some point also too much. You can get lost in data and information. So what we said is we want to create some main reports, some for default existing reports, the most important KPIs. and make that available for everyone, portfolio level, but also, of course, on property level, on regional level, and so on. So we have every stakeholder is covered. But every single employee or every single user can also create their own dashboard. If they want to see something which is not from interest for an ops manager, for example, and say, this is really important for me, I need to understand why the agency is behaving like this and how does this correlate with the commission, for example. then they can go ahead and create their own dashboard. They are free to use every available item there is, and then they can really get a bit more detailed into the data.

SPEAKER_01:
I would love to dig a little deeper into all the technology that connects to the BI tool. Can you tell me more about the other technology that Penta uses, like the PMS, financial system, you know, anything that the BI tool would connect to? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:
So as a PMS, which is for me, it's the most important system, but currently it still is at the center of it, of our systems landscape, I would say. So for PMS, we have the Opera v5 version cloud-based. We have one new Opera cloud version also in one hotel and we use a pilot hotel as well. So we have three different PMS systems and all are connected to Juyo. and receiving the data from it and other than the PMS also very important for in any case in forecasting and budget is of course the RMS. For an RMS system we are using Duetto on all the hotels which is then connected to the BI tool via exports receiving then the forecast and budget automatically so we don't need to upload anything if it comes to this point. Financially, as mentioned, we are working currently on those finance modules, but then once it is established, it will also have access to our finance system and we are using Innovision as it is and then the data must be automated and available in ZUIO. Besides our systems which we're using, ZUIO also has a connectivity to SDR for benchmarking purposes and is displaying the benchmark performance. as a dashboard as well. So we don't need to upload any SDR reports. It's automatically there for us. They are also working on, I think, probably also already have a connectivity to TravelClick Demand 360 in case any hotel has this service from TravelClick subscribed. It would have the Demand 360 data in it, but also rate shopping data And our vision is to have one tool, one platform, and we can see all relevant KPIs on one glance. Or maybe if it's not on one glance, then maybe on two dashboards. But something which is, I think, increasing in importance is also the guest review score. So we have asked Julia to also work on a solution to include guest review scores from the OTAs, but also from external partners. and bring it into the platform. So then we can see how is our ADR, for example, behaving in terms of guest review? How is our booking pattern? If the guest review score is down, do we see that this is correlating to booking made for a specific period? And I think that's it in terms of systems.

SPEAKER_01:
So with the guest review example, like if there is a new system that you're interested in connecting this tool with, Is that something your team needs to develop? Or do you work with the DUO tool team to build an integration or to build a system to get the data to pull through?

SPEAKER_02:
So if we see that there is a new partner, we would like to have the data in DUO, of course, then we need to check if this is possible. But then once everyone agrees that this makes sense, and not only for us, but also for other partners, of course, then Juyo is working on that with a partner together to integrate and to set up the connectivity. So we are giving the pools and also then the importance priority for us to Juyo and they are taking the next steps.

SPEAKER_01:
My next question, just thinking more broadly about technology in the hotel space, maybe it's a system you're working with already, and maybe it's something you're considering adding. I'm curious if any vendors come to mind as the one most exciting or most innovative platform that you've seen on the market.

SPEAKER_02:
I think for me, at this point, it is Studio. That's, of course, also the reason why we decided to work with them and to go with them as our BI partner. But I think there's so many other very, very good platforms and tools out there and everyone is innovating and everyone is trying to build something new. So for us at this point last year, when we decided to run the first pilot and then this year to sign the contract with them, for us, they've met the need we have. And that was why we said, okay, we will move forward with them. But for sure, there are other partners out there which are also very highly innovating.

SPEAKER_01:
Switching gears a little bit, I am interested to learn more about the business objectives that you're working on at Penta. Can you share with me one or two of your top priorities, your biggest objectives for the next year?

SPEAKER_02:
That's interesting. We just had our management meeting. And our motto for next year is simplify. So 2024 will all be about simplifying. And in terms of the industry, and I think what I've mentioned with the tech stack we already have, there are so many cool tools out there. Everyone is innovating, everyone is developing something new and everything is somehow helping you to get your business done and to improve your processes and so on. And we have a lot of tools. We have really invested in bringing our company forward to this digital area and we are not yet done. But also what we want to do is really concentrate on what we are doing and what we are doing we want to do right. And this is something, especially with COVID and then the last one and a half years recovering from this period. I think it was some kind, we were lost on the way. And this year for us, or the end of this year and the next year, it's really about what do we have? What do we already have available? And how are we using it? Sense check if we're using it correctly. And this is also something I see personally in many companies and also for us, that we have so many cool tools, but we are not fully using what they can, the capabilities. of those. So first make sure what we are using is needed, but then make sure we are using it right. And then if this base is set, then we can concentrate on other things. I think this is the most important part. And also Penta as a company is, we are not simple in this thing, but we are straightforward. We are not over-complicating things. Also, if you look at our hotels, our product we have, it's clean, it's straight. And we really want to set this again as a focus for next year.

SPEAKER_01:
How do you approach training, like with Juyo particularly, if the entire company is using it? Is your team running the training or is there someone from Juyo that comes in and does a training for the team?

SPEAKER_02:
We have both. We have started the implementation and the onboarding training which were run by me and my colleague. And you said we want to make it per region, but also because of the language barrier, but it's easier sometimes to ask in your mother language, some questions, especially if the tool is in the EU and especially if it's not your daily task to use such tool. So we have split it up, but also to your header, for example, the first webinar a few weeks ago, in this case, we were then promoting this webinar internally. So everyone who wants to participate as a training, they can. And now for next year, for January, hopefully, we have planned your Penta only training with the experts from Jugo. We also, as I've mentioned just before that, right, that we want to make sure that the tool we have is available and also understood by everyone in our company to make sure that if we are spending so much time and focus on it, that everyone can use it correctly. And this is with the trainings, I think this is really important because If you're not doing this on a daily basis, if you're not using tools, doesn't matter which tool it is, on a daily basis, if you're not really spending time to see what is out there, how can it support me, maybe in also different areas, which I did not think about before, then you will never get the full big picture and the full benefit from what it can give you.

SPEAKER_01:
And then how do you determine if the rollout of this tool was successful? Are there some metrics you look at for usage or, you know, how often people are logging in or how do you determine if it was a success?

SPEAKER_02:
I think in the beginning, for me, it was important that people ask questions. If I receive questions regarding a tool, for me, this is a success because then they are really using it. And then they are also interested in developing their knowledge and increasing their knowledge about it. So then I think for the first half year, which we now are running to an end in December, for us to look back and to see if it was successful is to get the feedback from the team. It's not necessarily for me about user habits or user activity logins. It's about how often are they really relating on that data? How often are they opening different tools, but to you? to look up something. If they, at the end, give me the feedback, no, we are only going to this one platform, then for me, I can do a second, I'm happy. For example, if they're still looking into SDR directly, not into Zuyu for the SDR data, then for me, this is the sign where we think, okay, we need to work on the habits, on the user habits.

SPEAKER_01:
Switching gears a little bit, I'm curious to hear from you, given your experience in many different roles and many companies, what do you consider one or two skills that a hotelier should have to be successful in today's dynamic world?

SPEAKER_02:
Curiosity. I think this is for me one of the skills which is really important to be curious about what else is out there within our industry. How can the industry develop? And I know for myself, I can't really hear the comparison to the airlines industry, but there is a comparison to the airlines industry, seeing that we are still behind in many ways, if it comes to development, if it comes to technology. So keeping, yeah, don't get lost in your daily task and stay careers in terms of what else is going on. How can we improve processes? How can we make it more efficient? I think this is one of the most most important task from my perspective.

SPEAKER_01:
Last question. This is always kind of a fun one. What is one thing that you believe about hotel technology that other people in the industry might not agree with?

SPEAKER_02:
I think one, maybe not regarding technology and so on, but many people are afraid that once we are starting moving on with automation and also robots helping us in our daily business, that this is a big risk factor for them. And you hear this fear from many people from different angles. And I would love everyone to see that if we are moving forward with automation and with these kind of tools and technology, that this is an addition, this is a bonus for everyone. It only can help us, to be honest. And it will free us and our time from those manual workload no one really wants to do. And then there are some machines and there are some processes and tools who can really help us doing those manual processes. As I said, it's not controversial because many people are thinking in this way, but I think the majority is still afraid or still a bit hesitant, let's say.

SPEAKER_01:
Well, that is about it. So great talking with you. Thank you for your time. It was great to learn about Penta Hotels and your background. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:
That's all for today's episode. Thanks for listening to Hotel Tech Insider produced by Hoteltechreport.com. Our goal with this podcast is to show you how the best in the business are leveraging technology to grow their properties and outperform the comp set by using innovative digital tools and strategies. I encourage all of our listeners to go try at least one of these strategies or tools that you learned from today's episode. Successful digital transformation is all about consistent small experiments over a long period of time. So don't wait until tomorrow to try something new. Do you know a hotelier who would be great to feature on this show? Or do you think that your story would bring a lot of value to our audience? Reach out to me directly on LinkedIn by searching for Jordan Hollander. For more episodes like this, follow Hotel Tech Insider on all major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.