Resort packages bundle accommodations, amenities, special services, dining and activity options. The concept of integration also applies to a resort's technology solution, particularly point-of-sale. The Montage Laguna Beach in southern California has successfully integrated a POS solution throughout its enterprise.

Prior to opening in February 2003, management of the luxury property — with 250 guestrooms, three restaurants, 21 spa treatment rooms, and 14,500 square feet of meeting space — demanded customized, powerful technology. “We sought a long-term solution that would be integrated with our property management system and back-office applications,” says Todd Orlich, director of Food and Beverage.

The core POS solution includes 35 terminals, offers modules covering centrally managed reservations, table management, and back-office, and is solidly integrated with the property management system. The Montage's restaurants offer more efficient reservations service and greater accuracy because a centralized department can facilitate reservations for all of the restaurants on the property. Its table management software seamlessly integrates guest preferences, seating capacity and available staff.

Another benefit of Montage's POS solution is incorporation of PMS and a web applications suite. “The integration to our PMS grants the ability to pull guest history information by last name and room number, or even utilize a guest check or reservations for future records,” Orlich says.

“We measure our return on investment through increased speed of service, ease of operation, and flexible design capability,” he adds. “The beneficial impact we've realized in overall staff productivity and guest satisfaction strengthens our implementation of the totally integrated technology system.”