WORCESTERSHIRE telecommunications company Armstrong Bell has supplied a new, serviced phone and internet system to a county hotel, providing it with a host of cost-saving and feature benefits designed to improve guest satisfaction and customer service.

Southcrest Manor Hotel in Redditch, has had its broadband and analogue equipment replaced with a fibre connection and a new NEC telephone system on SIP trunks, increasing its internet speed by eight times, removing its limiting data usage cap, and reducing the number of expensive BT lines coming into the building.

The hotel has also seen Armstrong Bell, which is headquartered near Bromsgrove, install eight new wifi hotspots which are integrated with the venue’s website. Should a guest wish to use the hotel’s free wifi service, they connect to the network and fill out a short data capture form, securely connecting them to the network.

The hotel's general manager Chris Osborne said: “People rarely use hotel phones anymore as they are too expensive and have been outdated by mobiles. We wanted to replace our old system with a modern solution that would let us make use of an unlimited call package, as we have plans to provide our guests with free local, national and mobile calls should they wish to use them. There aren’t many hotels that provide guests with free calls, and the package that Armstrong Bell has supplied allows us to do that.”

William Copley, managing director at Armstrong Bell, added: "We are delighted to have worked closely with Southcrest Manor Hotel to identify a solution that resolves the many issues that its previous system encountered. By replacing the ISDN lines into the building with fibre internet connections, the hotel is looking at savings in the region of 40 per cent on call costs and line rental alone. We were also able to integrate the hotel’s existing handsets into the system, protecting the client’s previous investment and reducing the overall cost.”