Out of the dark ages...

... and into the 21st Century.

The first week of November will see us take a quantum leap forward in the way we do things at Clachaig Inn and Carefree Self Catering Holidays. Once everyone has gone home after Octoberfest, we be busy installing a new Property Management System, along with online booking software.



Great, so what does that mean?

Basically, our reservations will be all on computer rather than based on the good old trusty reservation book and mighty pencil. And once that happens, all the rest follows. Like knowing who you are, what you want and what we can offer, all at the touch of a button.

This is probably one of the most significant investment decisions we've taken in recent years and we're optimistic that both business and customers will so see the benefits. Our current research shows that over 40% of our accommodation business is repeat business, rising to over 50% when you look at the shoulder and winter seasons, and so it makes sense that we know who you are and what you like.

Enough for the moment. Now pass me my quill....

When visiting Loch Awe...

Here's a quick advert for the Ardanaiseig Hotel on Loch Awe. Chances are that you won't simply drive past this place and think 'oh, there's that hotel that was mentioned on the blog I was reading'. No, as was pointed out to me last week, you don't simply discover the Ardanaiseig by driving past. And therein perhaps lies much of its charm.

I found it through the more unlikely of routes. In the midst of searching for a bit of software that will drag our front desk into the 21st Century, we came across a fairly interesting Property Management System by the name of Hotel Executive.

Now, our research has shown us that there's hundreds of these things out there and that they are all the best. So, the only way to narrow down the field was to find out someone who's actually using the systems and get a report from the coal face, so to speak.

The Ardanaiseig was the closest hotel using Hotel Executive so I just gave them a ring and was immediately invited down to get the warts and all story on it. It was extremely refreshing to receive such a welcome and to be able to pinch an hour of a busy hotel managers time at short notice for no real gain. And its this same attitude that tells me that if you do manage to find yourself in need of some real hosptiality on Loch Awe, just 30 mins from Oban, you'd probably not do any better than giving the Ardanaiseig a ring.

In fact, book online instead, and tell us what you think of the system!

(And we won't mention the fact that the building started out life as a baronial manner for Colonel Archibald Campbell of Clan Campbell. I didn't tell them of our policy towards Campbells!)

Online real time booking?

Modest-sized Highland hotel we may be, but we've always actively embraced new ideas and new technology to keep us progressing. And usually its worked wonders for us. Stand still and watch the world pass you by and all that. Curious then, that we've been slow on the uptake with what those in the trade might call Property Management Software.

There are in fact any number of reasons, but we don't really want to bore you with these right now. However, the tide is turning. We've recently made a few changes to some of the front of house systems and already the results have taken us by surprise. For example, 56% of our guests since the turn of the year have either been to Clachaig before or were referred by a friend who had. Whilst we always knew that repeat & referred business was a significant part of our business, prior to now we couldn't put an exact figure on it.

And this is the tip of the iceberg. We had a meeting on Friday to discuss moving forward, some may say to arrive in the 21st Century, and the ball is beginning to roll. Perhaps by the autumn we'll be saying adieu to the pencil and the ledger. Perhaps.

One thing we're keen to know is your view on online booking. Whilst introducing PMS software will do many things, an important consideration is whether we go the 'whole hog' and also add online booking. Some of us think it works fine for the bog standard - dare we say Premier Inns, but feel that booking something slightly out of the ordinary in the Highlands still requires that personal intervention.

What do you think?