How Cambridge Suites Hotel Simplified Daily Operations With Stayntouch PMS

The Challenge

Cambridge Suites had been operating on an aging, on-premise property management system supported by infrastructure that was becoming increasingly unreliable.

“The infrastructure itself was very old and not cloud-based, so if one piece of equipment went down, the whole system went down with it,” MacKinnon explained.

With the existing infrastructure no longer practical to maintain or upgrade, the hotel’s ownership group began evaluating cloud-based alternatives across several of its independent properties.

For MacKinnon, the decision came down to more than just technology. The new PMS needed to preserve the capabilities her team relied on while making the system easier to use.

“It ticked all of the boxes,” she said. “We weren’t going to lose functionality from what we had before, which was obviously really important.”

What stood out most was the simplicity of the platform.

“It’s a much simpler product from the user’s perspective, and in a good way. There aren’t as many levels of things to get through to get to what you want.”

That ease of use was particularly important for the employees who would be working in the system every day.

The Solution: A Smooth Implementation Backed by Real Hotel Expertise

Having experienced multiple PMS changes throughout her career, MacKinnon knew that selecting the right platform was only half the battle. A successful transition also depended on the people responsible for implementing it.

And that was where Stayntouch particularly impressed her.

Too often, MacKinnon explained, implementation teams understand the technical side of a system but lack the operational knowledge to appreciate how it will actually be used at a hotel.

“Often the people helping you through implementation don’t understand how the product functions in the actual facility,” she said. “They can tell you how something works, but they don’t understand the day-to-day use and how that functionality affects the person using it.”

Her experience with Stayntouch was different.

From the early planning stages through onsite training, MacKinnon found the team knowledgeable, engaged, and proactive about keeping the transition on track. More importantly, they understood hotel operations well enough to recognize when a particular workflow or configuration wouldn’t meet the team’s needs.

“If something wasn’t working or didn’t roll up the way we needed, they understood what the problem would be and helped us troubleshoot.”

That hands-on approach made a lasting impression.

“The on-site trainer was excellent and, in advance, very on top of making sure we stayed on course,” MacKinnon said. “Probably the best experience I’ve had from that point of view.”

The Results: A Cleaner, Simpler PMS That Makes Everyday Work Easier

Fewer steps and easier workflows for hotel staff

One of the most noticeable differences since moving to Stayntouch has been how much easier the platform is for employees to navigate.

Compared with the previous PMS, Stayntouch offers a more straightforward experience, reducing the number of layers and screens employees need to work through to complete everyday tasks.

MacKinnon says that simplicity helped the front desk and guest services teams adapt quickly to the new platform.

“It’s a much simpler product from the user’s perspective, and in a good way,” she said.

The front desk and reservations teams have responded positively to the change. For MacKinnon, the word that best describes the difference is simple: cleaner.

“It’s just a cleaner product.”

More efficient housekeeping management

The housekeeping department has also seen meaningful improvements.

According to MacKinnon, housekeeping teams aren’t always the easiest to bring along during a technology change. Their daily routines are well established, and even small changes to how they manage assignments can create challenges.

But with Stayntouch, the transition was a positive one.

“I know housekeeping prefers it for sure, and they’re not often an easy team to bring along through a system change at any hotel,” she said.

In particular, the team has found it easier and faster to organize its daily workload and set up room attendant boards.

“They find it much easier than our previous system to manage their day,” MacKinnon explained. “It’s quicker and faster, and getting their board set up for room attendants is a much more efficient process.”

By reducing unnecessary steps and offering a more straightforward workflow, Stayntouch makes it easier for housekeeping managers to organize the day’s work without navigating multiple paths to accomplish the same task.

Responsive support from a team that understands hospitality

The positive experience with the Stayntouch team has continued beyond implementation.

With multiple systems connected to the PMS, Cambridge Suites occasionally encounters technical issues that require coordination across different platforms and providers.

While resolving those issues can involve troubleshooting across several systems, MacKinnon says Stayntouch’s responsiveness has been consistent.

“It’s always responsive. The responses tend to be quick,” she said.

For a hotel managing multiple technologies behind the scenes, having a responsive PMS partner is an important part of keeping operations moving.

The Advice: Involve the People Who Use Your PMS Every Day

After nearly two decades of experience with hotel systems and numerous technology transitions, MacKinnon has one important piece of advice for other general managers considering a PMS change: make sure the people who will actually use the system are involved in the decision.

A PMS might meet every technical and financial requirement, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will make employees’ jobs easier.

“A system might hit all of the points financially or from an IT perspective, but what is the real end user experiencing?” MacKinnon said. “Is this going to make the operation of the day easier or not?”

It’s a perspective that shaped her experience with Stayntouch.

By choosing a PMS that combines the functionality the hotel needs with a simpler, more intuitive user experience, Cambridge Suites has made daily work easier for its teams. And with an implementation partner that understands how hotels actually operate, the transition proved to be one of the smoothest MacKinnon has experienced.

For Cambridge Suites, the value of a modern PMS isn’t just what the technology can do. It’s how much easier it makes the work of the people who depend on it every day.