As the peak of hurricane season approaches, it's important for hotels to be prepared for potential I.T. outages and disruptions. A key challenge hotels face is that hurricanes disrupt I.T. systems, affecting reservations, guest services, and revenue. Below are valuable tips to mitigate the impact of I.T. outages during this critical time.
Prepare a Disaster Recovery Plan: Establish comprehensive plan for data backup, network redundancy, and alternative communication. If your hotel closes, your guests with future reservations will be calling for updates. You also want to maintain your reservations channels online. Using email blasts and providing a recording when guests call will help keep your guests informed and limit your labor effort during these times.
Cloud Solutions: Use cloud-based systems for online reservations, remote access to PMS, and communication. If your PMS isn’t in the cloud, we can help create a strategic plan to get it there.
Physical access to guest rooms. Since disasters often go hand-in-hand with power outages, you must rely on emergency keys to save the day. Emergency keys can open any guest room, but they have a dedicated shelf life of 2 years before they expire. Before disaster strikes, ensure that these keys are functional.
Power Backup: Invest in UPS systems and generators for uninterrupted power supply to critical I.T. infrastructure.
Redundant Connectivity: Establish backup internet connections to ensure access during communication line disruptions. These should be blend of fiber optic and wireless such as wireless ISP or Starlink.
Communication: Maintain guest updates through alternative channels like social media, email, and phone systems.
Employee Training: Train staff on I.T. disaster recovery, conduct drills, and empower them to handle I.T. issues.
Hurricane season can be challenging for the hospitality industry, but proactive planning and preparation can significantly reduce the impact of I.T. outages. By implementing robust disaster recovery measures, leveraging cloud solutions, and investing in power backup and redundancy, businesses can maintain operations and deliver a seamless guest experience even during challenging times.