“I think the product is so versatile. There’s more than one way to get to any answer in SMS|Host, and it’s been developed, you know, over the years from the input of many different properties, and I think there are always new ideas that come through that make it easier and more efficient,”
– Rich Morehouse, Director of Central Reservations and Revenue Management
About Snowbird
Snowbird is a destination resort outside of Salt Lake City, UT. Nestled in Little Cottonwood Canyon, the resort offers year-round experiences on 2,500 acres of mountain terrain.
Snowbird is a large multi-property (multi-prop) with five distinct properties spread across four buildings. Comprised of standard hotel rooms and suites, including owner units, Snowbird has 84 different room types, totaling over 900 available rooms.
Along with the extensive stay options on the property, Snowbird boasts many indoor and outdoor activities for guests, including a luxury spa. In the winter, activities include skiing and snowboarding on packed runs, tram rides, helicopter/backcountry skiing and snowboarding, and live events. Summertime is busy with activities like guided hikes, tram and chair lift rides, ropes courses, a mountain coaster, summer tubing and mountain slides, and live music.
Using SMS|Host to Manage Multi-Prop
With many different buildings, room types, and room availability across five properties, Snowbird uses SMS|Host’s Multi-Property Management module to organize its data and simplify operations for its staff and guests.
“ SMS|Host multi-prop keeps all data flowing together, and we’re able to see it and check availability across properties. Our staff aren’t logging in and out at two different systems. It’s very easy to move guests one way or the other in selling to the guest; we can transfer everything across properties.” says Rich Morehouse, Director of Central Reservations and Revenue Management
The multi-property management module assists in centralizing guest information, making reservations across all connected properties, and consolidating operations within a single, integrated property management system.
“As a destination resort, I think SMS|Host is a great product for non-mainstream hotel properties because we have so many room types and the functionality to accommodate and add room types,” says Rich. “So, I would say SMS|Host is very flexible because it has the capability to manage all of our unique room types.”
Hands-on Training
Due to Snowbird’s size and variety, new staff undergoes a three- to four-week training period to familiarize themselves with the properties and room types. They also take a hands-on tour of the resort to get a feel for the different rooms and accommodations, which prepares them to make recommendations and book guests. Once staff understand the resort, they begin learning the basics of SMS|Host.
“I do a lot of the training on how to utilize SMS|Host in the reservation system,” Says Alexis Croce, Reservations Manager. “Regarding training on SMS|Host, it’s pretty self-explanatory as far as the various input fields go. There’s more than one way to do the same thing in certain functions. I’ll have agents that like to do things one way, like use the keyboard, whereas others like to hit the mouse, so it’s nice having the option on how to operate the system.”
The hands-on training new Snowbird staff receives gives them a deep understanding of the property and its tech systems, enabling them to better serve guests. Snowbird makes a large number of its reservations through its staff, so they need to be prepared to make recommendations and assist guests in making bookings.
“It’s critical to understand the reservation as a whole and the different fields, the importance of each field, how they affect various departments, and where this information translates. I find helping new staff understand the cause and effect makes them retain the information better,” explains Alexis.
Growing and expanding with SMS
“I think the product is so versatile. There’s more than one way to get to any answer in SMS|Host, and it’s been developed, you know, over the years from the input of many different properties, and I think there are always new ideas that come through that make it easier and more efficient,” says Rich.
Snowbird has been using SMS|Host to manage its resort operations since 1999. Since its go-live with SMS, the property has been updating and growing. Snowbird has utilized many of the system’s modules, such as WorldNXT Lodging Booking Engine, Owner Accounting, and Membership Management, to handle the growth the resort has seen. SMS is dedicated to growing with its customers and offers tech solutions that are robust enough to handle changing needs.
“It’s not a static product. It’s always growing, and I think whether it’s the Host Users Group community or SMS, both sides are willing to help you find solutions or take your idea and look at it and say, well, if you thought about doing it, this way or here’s an idea that we utilize at our property that might work for you,” says Rich.
“It’s been great, and SMS is growing with the industry and the needs of everyone. There have been times when something wasn’t working with SMS|Host, but you know I talked to or submitted a support case, and the SMS team got it to work. So I love that the SMS team listens and then tries to make things work for all of us,” says Alexis.