APA Hotel Woodbridge
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Americas
How an independent New Jersey hotel moved beyond 15 years of legacy systems with Shiji
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After more than a decade operating on legacy PMS and POS systems, APA Hotel Woodbridge set out to modernize two of its most critical technology platforms at the same time. The 200-room New Jersey property needed systems that were easier to learn, simpler to use, and better suited to the realities of a busy hotel operation with multiple guest segments, food and beverage outlets, and departments relying on connected technology every day.
To support that transition, APA Hotel Woodbridge implemented Shiji Daylight PMS and Infrasys POS, creating a more modern operational foundation across guest services and food and beverage. The project focused not only on replacing legacy technology, but also on improving usability, staff adoption, and day-to-day confidence across teams.
One year later, comparable performance data showed stronger commercial results across several key metrics. Between July 1 and August 23, 2026, ADR increased 8.8% year over year, RevPAR rose 4.3%, group room revenue grew 35.4%, and total revenue was 27.6% higher than during the same period in 2025. These results reflect overall property performance and are not presented as solely attributable to the technology implementation.
A hotel ready for its next chapter
After more than a decade running its core hotel operations on legacy systems, APA Hotel Woodbridge reached an important turning point. The 200-room property in Iselin, New Jersey, had outgrown the technology supporting its day-to-day operations and was preparing to replace both its property management system and point-of-sale platform at the same time. One year later, comparable performance data showed the hotel generating 4.3% more room revenue than during the same July 1 to August 23 period in 2025, despite slightly lower occupancy.
For General Manager Brian Cheng and his team, the decision was about more than modernizing software. The hotel serves a diverse mix of corporate travelers, contracted business, tour groups, and association guests while managing multiple food and beverage outlets and banquet operations. Replacing two mission-critical systems simultaneously was an opportunity to build a stronger operational foundation for every department.
The goal was simple: invest in technology that employees could learn quickly, managers could rely on every day, and the hotel could confidently build on for years to come.
Making training part of the technology decision
Replacing a PMS and a POS is often viewed as a technology project. For APA Hotel Woodbridge, it was equally a people project.
Like many hotels, the property operates in an environment where employee turnover is part of everyday reality. New team members need to become productive quickly, which means the technology they use every day cannot become another obstacle to overcome.
That mindset shaped the hotel's evaluation process from the very beginning. While cloud technology, reliability, and long-term scalability were important, the team also looked for a system employees could understand without unnecessary complexity.
Those first impressions proved important once the hotel went live. Rather than spending weeks helping employees navigate the system, teams were able to build confidence quickly and focus on delivering a better guest experience.
“People come and go. You really need something that’s easy to train.” — Brian Cheng, General Manager, APA Hotel Woodbridge
One transformation, two critical systems
APA Hotel Woodbridge didn't just introduce new technology. The project involved modernizing two of the hotel's most critical operational systems as part of a single transformation, creating a connected foundation across guest services and food and beverage.
While the transition to Infrasys POS was straightforward, the PMS implementation required closer coordination across multiple teams and technology partners. Integrations with systems such as the hotel's CRS, payment platform, door locks, and other operational tools meant that success depended on more than simply installing new software. Careful planning, communication, and collaboration between the hotel, Shiji, and third-party providers were essential throughout the project.
The hotel also faced its own operational realities. With a lean internal team managing day-to-day operations, leadership balanced implementation activities alongside the responsibilities of running a busy 200-room property.
“We were short staffed. I was at the front desk doing lots of things.” — Brian Cheng, General Manager, APA Hotel Woodbridge
Each department was assigned specific responsibilities throughout the implementation process, helping keep the project moving while ensuring every team understood its role.
Looking back, Cheng believes preparation made the biggest difference. Completing implementation workbooks on time, organizing operational data early, and maintaining open communication between all technology partners helped create a smoother transition as the project progressed.
When ease of use became an operational advantage
Once the implementation was complete and teams became familiar with the new systems, the focus quickly shifted from learning the technology to simply using it. That transition happened faster than APA Hotel expected.
“It only took our first week and then we knew most of the stuff. After that, we just had more detailed questions.” — Brian Cheng, General Manager, APA Hotel Woodbridge
Rather than relying on continuous support, employees became increasingly confident performing their daily responsibilities independently.
“No one really needs assistance unless they’re new.” — Brian Cheng, General Manager, APA Hotel Woodbridge
For hotel leadership, that level of adoption confirmed they had achieved one of their original objectives: implementing technology that supported the operation without becoming another layer of complexity.
Modern hotel operations depend on far more than a PMS or a POS. Reservations, payment processing, room access, sales, catering, and guest services all rely on technology working together behind the scenes. For APA Hotel Woodbridge, modernizing both Daylight PMS and Infrasys POS provided the opportunity to strengthen that operational foundation while maintaining connections with the systems already supporting the business.
The broader operational picture was also reflected in the hotel's performance. Between July 1 and August 23, group room nights increased 21.9% year over year, group room revenue grew 35.4%, and total revenue was 27.6% higher. Over the same comparison period, ADR increased 8.8% and RevPAR rose 4.3%. These results reflect overall property performance and are not presented as solely attributable to the technology implementation.
Year-over-year comparison: July 1-August 23, 2026 vs. the same period in 2025. Results reflect overall property performance and are not presented as solely attributable to the technology implementation.
“If we don’t have a lot to say, that’s how we know it’s good.” — Brian Cheng, General Manager, APA Hotel Woodbridge
APA Hotel Woodbridge
APA Hotel Woodbridge is a 200-room hotel located in Iselin, New Jersey. The property serves corporate travelers, contracted business, tour groups, and association guests, and operates multiple food and beverage outlets including OAI, Bogart's, Metro Cafe, a coffee shop, and banquet facilities.
Supporting this mix of guest segments and operating environments requires technology that is easy for teams to learn, reliable in daily use, and connected across the property.
About Shiji Group
Shiji is a global technology company dedicated to providing innovative solutions for the hospitality industry, ensuring seamless operations for hoteliers day and night.
Built on the Shiji Platform—the only truly global hotel technology platform—Shiji’s cloud-based portfolio includes Property Management System, Point-of-Sale, guest engagement, distribution, payments, and data intelligence solutions for over 91,000 hotels worldwide, including the largest chains.
With more than 5,000 employees across the world, Shiji is a trusted partner for the world’s leading hoteliers, delivering technology that works as continuously as the industry itself. That’s why the best hotels run on Shiji—day and night. While its primary focus is on hospitality, Shiji also serves select customers in food service, retail, and entertainment in certain regions.For more information, visit shijigroup.com
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