Hotel Proxy

The system alleviates the need to both make and receive a large number of phone calls to gather this data. By simply decreasing unnecessary interruptions, customer service and employee satisfaction will benefit. The idea came about in the Fall of 2006 when Breana Sniezek, an RIT hospitality student working at a local hotel, was asked what she disliked about her job. She mentioned the call-around process and that inspired Christopher Geiss, an RIT computer engineering student, to come up with the idea. After sharing this with Marc Baumbach, an RIT software engineering student, the two business partners decided it was worthy of being on their list of ideas. Chris spent time creating the name and logo, but it then laid dormant for nine months.

In the Fall of 2007, Breana was able to survey local hotels to determine its feasibility. This research served as her senior project with Professor David Crumb as her mentor. Professor Crumb’s experience as a hotel general manager and his continued advisement has been invaluable to the team. Chris decided to pursue a minor in entrepreneurship from the Saunders College of Business and joined the Student Business Development Lab during the 2007 Winter quarter with Dr. Richard DeMartino as his advisor. With positive survey results, Marc and Chris moved forward by creating the actual Hotel Proxy system. At the end of January, 2008, the team launched the beta in Rochester, NY by presenting to the Rochester Hotel Association. The number of registered hotels went from 5 to 32 within the first month with no further marketing.

With the assistance of Dr. Francis Domoy and the School of Hospitality and Service Management, the team was able to deliver a very well received presentation to Marriott International at their corporate headquarters. Also, Janice Farone and the College of Applied Science and Technology helped sponsor the team’s exhibit in the first Imagine RIT Festival where they created a hotel lobby in the Gordon Field House to showcase their idea. The team has been incredibly fortunate to receive so much advice and support from four different RIT colleges.

After graduation in May of 2008, Breana will pursue her MBA from RIT while Marc and Chris work for IBM in North Carolina. As they continue to progress Hotel Proxy, the goal is to repeat Rochester’s success in a larger city and then begin a national campaign. Hotel Proxy is not the only idea on this creative team’s list, so look for them in other markets as time goes on.

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