Verizon Business Streamlines Business Operations for La Quinta Inns and Suites

By Anuradha Shukla, TMCnet Contributor

Within the last decade, a vast array of computerized management information systems have become available to the hospitality industry and helped hotel owners increase their revenue, productivity, staff morale.

Recently, LQ Management L.L.C., owner and operator of La Quinta Inns & Suites, said it understands that integrated IT and communications can help provide a better guest experience, which is why the company continues to rely on Verizon Business.

These two companies have extended their existing relationship with the new three-year, $11 million agreement. Under this partnership, Verizon (News - Alert) Business is providing an integrated network and communications solution that includes voice-over-IP service for LQ Management's operations and wireless access for guests at its nearly 800 corporate-owned and franchise hotels located in 46 states.

LQ Management, headquartered in Irving, Texas, needed a secure and reliable underlying infrastructure for connecting its widespread operations, including its reservation call center in Canada and its centralized data center.

Vivek Shaiva, CIO with LQ Management L.L.C said that consolidating company's data, voice and video applications onto one network has simplified company's operations, proven to be cost effective, and significantly reduced technical issues across its locations, resulting in enhanced customer service.

La Quinta Inns & Suites, recently ranked by Business Travel News Magazine as one of the top mid-tier hotels for business travelers, offers its guests free in-room high-speed Internet access powered by Verizon, in addition to comfortable and affordable accommodations.

Verizon's global Private IP network - with its six classes of service for prioritizing business applications - was an ideal solution, capable of growing with the company, which added 80 properties in 2008 and 90 properties in 2009, to accommodate its expanding base of leisure and business travelers.

In 2009, Verizon Business was ranked 'Highest in Customer Satisfaction With Large Enterprise Business Phone (News - Alert) Service Providers' by J.D. Power and Associates. Study factors used to measure satisfaction included performance and reliability, sales representatives/account executives, billing, cost of service, customer service, and offerings and promotions.

Verizon Business (News - Alert) was in news earlier in May when it announced that European companies can help them cut back on mobile service costs, including international roaming fees, with its new bundled plan.

(source: http://ipcommunications.tmcnet.com/topics/ip-communications/articles/86137-verizon-business-streamlines-business-operations-la-quinta-inns.htm)