Chattanooga Boutique Hotel Modernizes Guest Experience with Cloud VoIP

42 rooms · Downtown Chattanooga · Hospitality

41% — Cost Reduction
42 rooms — Fully Integrated
2 hours — Staff Training Time
4.9★ — Post-Migration Guest Score

The Challenge

The Anchor & Oak Hotel, a 42-room boutique property in Chattanooga's Southside district, was running a 2009 PBX that its vendor had stopped supporting. Room phones could not display guest names at check-in because the PBX had no integration capability with the property management system. The front desk received all calls through a single hunt group with no visibility into call history. A corporate client had complained that their calls were never answered during a busy Saturday event — but the hotel had no data to investigate the claim. Monthly phone costs including maintenance totaled $2,040.

The Solution

ATS Voice deployed a cloud phone system integrated with the hotel's property management system so guest names appear on room-phone caller ID at the front desk from the moment of check-in. A call history dashboard gives the front desk manager complete visibility into every incoming and outgoing call. The hunt group was replaced with a professional call queue with a branded hold experience. The general manager and front desk manager each have mobile app access for after-hours management. Concierge and housekeeping received dedicated extensions for direct departmental communication.

Results

Monthly phone costs dropped from $2,040 to $1,204 — a 41% reduction and $10,032 in annual savings. The corporate client complaint was resolved: the dashboard showed the calls had reached voicemail during a high-volume window, not gone unanswered. A new callback protocol was implemented. Within 90 days of migration, the hotel's guest communication score on their primary review platform rose from 4.6 to 4.9 stars — driven largely by guests noting 'responsive and professional staff' in reviews.

The Challenge: A Boutique Property Running on Legacy Infrastructure

The Anchor & Oak Hotel opened in Chattanooga's Southside district in 2017, part of the wave of boutique properties that followed the city's downtown revitalization. The property invested heavily in design, food and beverage, and guest experience — but the phone system came with the building, a 2009-era PBX from a vendor who had discontinued the product line.

For the first few years, it was fine. Then, gradually, it wasn't.

The PBX had no integration with the hotel's property management system. When a guest called the front desk from their room, the agent saw a room number — not a name. Every interaction started with "Can I get your name?" instead of "Hi Mr. Thompson, how can I help you?" In a boutique hotel whose brand promise was personal service, that friction was felt even if guests couldn't articulate exactly why.

The maintenance situation was worse. The PBX vendor no longer provided software updates. A hardware failure in late 2024 required sourcing a refurbished part from a secondary market — a two-day delay that left three room phones inoperable over a weekend. The hotel's maintenance contract was costing $380/month for a system that the vendor had effectively abandoned.

The Corporate Client Incident

In the fall of 2025, a corporate client who had booked a 20-room block for a two-day corporate event complained that their calls to the hotel during the event were never answered. The general manager had no way to investigate. The old system kept no call logs. The front desk manager believed calls had been answered — but couldn't prove it. The corporate account, worth approximately $40,000 annually, was at risk.

That incident accelerated the phone system evaluation. The general manager's requirement was simple: whatever system we move to, I need to be able to look up any call that came in on any given day.

Why Chattanooga Made Sense for ATS Voice

Chattanooga is a growing market for ATS Voice. The city's tech sector expansion, the Volkswagen plant, and the continued development of the South Broad and Southside districts have created a wave of businesses that need professional communications infrastructure. The hotel market in particular has grown with corporate and leisure demand driven by the city's outdoor recreation appeal and event calendar.

ATS Voice had worked with several Chattanooga businesses before Anchor & Oak and understood the market: a mix of established corporate clients who expect professional service and leisure travelers who notice the details that distinguish a boutique from a chain.

The PMS Integration: A Small Detail That Changed Everything

The decision to integrate the phone system with the property management system was made in the pre-sales conversation when the general manager mentioned the "can I get your name?" friction. ATS Voice's response: that doesn't have to happen.

The integration was configured before the cutover. On day one, when the first guest called from their room, the front desk agent's screen showed the guest's name, room number, and check-in date. The agent picked up and said "Good morning, Ms. Reyes — how can I help you?" without prompting.

The general manager later noted that three guests mentioned "the staff knew my name when I called" in their post-stay reviews in the first month — unprompted, as a positive detail. In a boutique hotel, that is precisely the kind of detail that drives repeat bookings and referrals.

The Corporate Account Investigation

Two weeks after going live, the general manager pulled the call log for the date of the disputed corporate event. The data showed 14 calls received from the corporate client during the two-day event period: 11 answered, 3 that rang for more than 45 seconds before going to voicemail during a window when the front desk was at full capacity with check-in activity.

The hotel shared the data with the corporate client transparently. The client was satisfied with the investigation. A new protocol was implemented: during group events with more than 15 rooms booked, a second staff member is assigned to phone coverage during peak check-in hours.

The corporate account renewed.

Twelve Months of Data

At twelve months post-migration, the Anchor & Oak's call analytics showed:

The guest communication score on the hotel's primary review platform moved from 4.6 to 4.9 stars in the first 90 days and held there through the year — driven by reviews that specifically mentioned responsive, personal communication from the front desk.

For a boutique hotel in a competitive market, that half-star improvement in guest communication scores is the kind of outcome that compounds. It affects ranking on booking platforms, drives direct bookings, and reinforces the brand promise that the property was built on.

When a guest calls from their room, my front desk now sees their name before picking up. That one thing changed how every call starts. It's a small detail that guests notice.

— General Manager, Anchor & Oak Hotel — Chattanooga, TN