Cohesion in complex hotel IT

From advice and implementation to support and continuity

In many hotels, IT directly determines whether front office and F&B processes continue to run. A change in the PMS affects the till system, payments, reports, and often also guest communication. Problems rarely arise from a single system, but from the connections between them. This is precisely where Van Hessen's field of work lies: setting up, connecting, and managing hotel technology as a cohesive whole.

Standalone solutions were used extensively in the past, but reality now consists of a chain of interdependent systems. PMS, POS, payments, revenue management, back office, and network infrastructure must function simultaneously, often in a hybrid environment. Van Hessen therefore focuses not on one application, but on the way systems work together and how that plays out in practice for employees and guests.

Implementation and alignment instead of standalone IT projects

Within hospitality, Van Hessen works with Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud PMS and, on the POS front, with Oracle MICROS Simphony POS and Breeze POS. These systems are familiar to many hotel professionals. When transitioning to a new system, it is essential that processes continue to run smoothly and that day-to-day operations are not disrupted.

This starts with data migration and training, but continues into user management, reporting structure, and alignment between departments. Particularly for hotels with multiple outlets or diverse F&B concepts, this demands clear choices: which data is leading, how financial flows work, and who is responsible in case of disruptions? Van Hessen focuses on this coherence, offering a single point of contact for the hotel organisation.

Cloud as standard, but not everywhere simultaneously. Although cloud solutions are increasingly becoming the norm, hotel operations are rarely fully cloud-based. Existing and sometimes outdated systems, specialist applications, and local infrastructure often remain part of the whole for years. Many hotels therefore opt for phased renewal, where old and new continue to run alongside each other temporarily. This requires stable connections, smart integrations, and a clear setup. After all, a technical change has a direct impact on employees and guests, especially during peak times. Van Hessen offers its clients continuity during this transition phase: after all, systems must continue to function reliably, even when an organisation modernises step by step.

Network and security as a prerequisite

Network management and security are not secondary considerations in this. Guest Wi-Fi, POS systems, mobile devices and cloud applications place high demands on availability and security. Monitoring and active management are necessary to guarantee payments, privacy and business continuity. Van Hessen therefore approaches network and security as part of the whole. The focus is on stability and control: systems must keep running and incidents must be quickly identifiable, so that the hotel process does not come to a standstill.

Relevance for larger and more complex hotel organisations

Van Hessen's approach aligns perfectly with hotels and hotel organisations experiencing increasing IT complexity. Consider multiple locations, different concepts within a single organisation, or companies wanting to standardise without losing flexibility. A party that maintains oversight and control can also play a role in renovations or phased replacement of systems, precisely because existing and new technology must function side-by-side temporarily.

For Hotelvak readers, Van Hessen is therefore particularly interesting as an integration partner: a party that approaches hotel IT as a whole, in which technology, processes and management are directly linked to daily operations.