Greenville, S.C., October 10, 2024 — Hospitality America is investing in its technology infrastructure aimed at revolutionizing business intelligence across its hotel portfolio. The initiative will empower leaders at both the property and corporate levels with real-time insights, actionable data, and robust forecasting capabilities to facilitate proactive and agile management. Spearheading the effort is Wes Cargen, newly appointed vice president of business intelligence and former operations manager for the third-party management company. Most recently with Actabl (ProfitSword), Cargen brings expertise in AI-powered business intelligence, labor, and operations automation to Hospitality America hotels.
“We plan to uncover patterns throughout the revenue cycle to better equip our leaders with the insights necessary to make informed, impactful tactical adjustments,” said Ben Campbell, Hospitality America CEO. “By delivering real-time key performance indicators (KPIs) to our hotel leaders, we can better understand and manage critical metrics such as labor costs, energy usage, and maintenance expenses.
“Leveraging an AI-enabled Microsoft tenant, our goal is to reduce workloads through automation while enhancing portfolio insights,” Campbell said. “To oversee this transformation, we brought Wes Cargen back into the fold. Wes will leverage his unique hotel technology and operations expertise to help us better understand things like loyalty program efficacy and how it relates to guest behavior patterns so we can enhance our personalization and retention strategies. He will analyze hotel and market sentiment from customer reviews and feedback and advise on how we can better monitor guest satisfaction and adjust services proactively. And he will bring predictive maintenance capabilities to Hospitality America to help us to better anticipate and resolve equipment or facility issues before they escalate into costly problems.”
Better Agility = Better Decision Making
Part of its business intelligence approach involves integrating all data feeds into the company’s Microsoft 365 platform, and consolidating information from various sources, such as property-management systems, revenue-management tools, customer reviews, and market reports. This comprehensive approach will allow for the seamless analysis of market intelligence data, including competitive set analysis, local demand generators, and event schedules, enabling Hospitality America to monitor market trends and swiftly identify shifts.
“Agility in decision-making is crucial in today’s fast-paced hospitality landscape,” Cargen said. “The new dashboards and reporting tools we will be building internally will empower hotel leaders and corporate executives to drill down into data for quicker, more informed decision-making.”
The initiative also includes an alert system for performance anomalies, enabling immediate intervention. Hospitality America will compare performance across properties to identify underperforming assets and share best practices from high-performing hotels. Compliance with brand standards and operational benchmarks will be closely monitored, while long-term forecasting based on macroeconomic indicators and travel industry trends will help align resources with demand.
“Hospitality America is committed to supporting scenario planning for various market conditions, ensuring that our leaders are prepared for economic downturns and seasonal fluctuations,” Cargen said. “The integration of cross-departmental collaboration will facilitate the sharing of best practices and vendor recommendations.”
Right Man for the Job
Cargen’s years of experience in hotel operations combined with his know-how for implementing cutting-edge BI solutions within the hospitality sector, made him the right person to introduce a more collaborative approach to BI for Hospitality America. His expertise in integrating advanced analytics and predictive modeling will enable leaders to extract actionable insights from data.
"Business Intelligence is crucial in today's hospitality landscape as it enables data-driven decision-making, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage,” Cargen said. “By leveraging BI, we can optimize revenue management, enhance guest experiences, streamline operations, and identify new growth opportunities. In an increasingly competitive and dynamic market, BI provides the insights necessary to stay ahead and maximize profitability.”
As an implementation specialist for Actabl, Cargen was responsible for leading the implementation of ProfitSword Business Intelligence solutions, ensuring seamless integration and optimal performance for hoteliers. He served as the primary point of contact for clients throughout the project lifecycle, from initial scoping to final deployment, providing training and ongoing support. He also collaborated with cross-functional teams, including development and support, to resolve issues and customize software to meet client-specific needs. While working for Hospitality America, Cargen wore many hats including that of General Manager and Operations Analyst/Internal Controls Auditor.
"Returning to Hospitality America feels like coming full circle,” Cargen said. “This is where my career in the hospitality industry began 15 years ago, providing me with a strong foundation and invaluable experience. I've chosen to return because of the company’s stellar reputation and the exciting opportunity to lead a critical function. Hospitality America’s commitment to innovation and data-driven decision-making aligns perfectly with my expertise and vision for the future of hospitality management. Returning enables me to contribute my wealth of experience to the very company that launched my career, driving it forward in this new era of data-centric hospitality."
Immediately, Cargen will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the company’s current BI capabilities and implement quick-win solutions to improve data accessibility and reporting. Long-term he aims to build a world-class BI ecosystem that positions Hospitality America as an industry leader in data-driven hospitality management.
"Owners and investors should know that our enhanced BI capabilities will directly translate to improved asset performance and ROI,” he said. “By leveraging advanced analytics and predictive modeling, we'll be able to optimize pricing strategies, identify cost-saving opportunities, and make more informed investment decisions. Our commitment to data-driven management will provide owners with unprecedented visibility into their property's performance and market positioning, ultimately leading to increased profitability and asset value."
For more information about Hospitality America and its commitment to innovative technology solutions, please visit www.hospitalityamerica.com.
