June 15, 2006

MARKETING/MANAGEMENT

Headline
Summary
Full Body
June 02, 2006

COMMUNICATIONS

by: Richard Siegel

I am writing this week’s Siegel Sez before receiving Jon Inge’s technology review for this week. He always shares a comment or two before the news and I cannot wait to read his thoughts this week especially. As you might have heard, the two Jo(h)ns, John Burns and Jon Inge, were elected to the HFTP Technology Hall of Fame. Both are very worthy of this honor and have done much to expand the understanding and advancement of technology in our industry. I couldn’t help but smile when getting this announcement. John Burns was one of the original subscribers to my very early attempt at publishing a newsletter about technology back in 1992. I got to know Jon Inge when he was the guy in charge of technology for Westin Hotels and Resorts. Both have been writing for Hospitality Upgrade for many years sharing their knowledge with the industry and making everybody’s life easier. Jon Inge has foolishly asked me to introduce him at the induction ceremony at HITEC’s opening session on Tuesday morning, June 20. Doesn’t he know I love to embarrass people? Congratulations to both.

Based on the pre-registration numbers for HITEC and hotel room availability (you better book quickly) it looks like HITEC will be unbelievably well attended this year. I must warn you that my next comment will not be unbiased since I am a member of the HITEC advisory board responsible for putting together the educational program. There will be strong sessions and some not so strong, there will be people that love them and others who hate them which come with the territory. HITEC is the only industry event that has been very successful attracting both high-tech and low-tech types who want to learn what is going on in their segment of the industry. Along with the educational sessions and a sold-out exhibit hall, there are networking opportunities that never cease to amaze me. Everybody who is anybody is at HITEC and I love that. Just a little more than two weeks to go, and I cannot wait. Make sure you include plans to visit the Guestroom 2010 area of the exhibits. There is some very cool technology being shown though I must admit the bed made of nails might be my favorite. It makes sense since the hotel industry has been promoting their beds for years now. If you are exhibiting at HITEC and want us to help you promote your announcements before the show, please e-mail mailto:sharon@hospitalityupgrade.com. She is putting together some creative ways to help you get the word out.

I spoke at the North American Wi-Fi Symposium presented by StayOnline last week in Miami. What fun. I was given lots of latitude so of course I talked about everything from hockey, Cambria Breeze (my favorite race horse) to wireless and lots of other things in between. It was a great conference, well attended and had a facilitator, Craig Mathias from the Farpoint Group, who was fabulous. Craig will also be doing a session at HITEC and if your schedule allows it, you should attend. It is kind of scary how all the changes in the wireless world might affect the hotel industry. I was honored to be invited and given the opportunity to speak. It was a unique, fun and valuable conference.
mailto:rich@hospitalityupgrade.com

Technology NEWSSTAND

Systems News in Plain English
from Jon Inge

TOP O' THE NEWS
- Online bookings continue to rise, but travel agents still generate higher-revenue business
---------------------------
Online bookings continue to rise steadily, according to TravelCLICK’s eMonitor results for the first quarter of 2006. Worldwide electronic hotel revenue booked through the global distribution systems (GDS) and key Internet sites combined was up 12.9 percent over the same period last year. Room nights were up 7.6 percent, and ADR increased by 4.9 percent; the average length of stay was unchanged at 2.14 nights.

Interestingly, travel agents continued to provide significantly higher revenue business for hotels, with an average rate 37.1 percent higher than that for room nights booked via the Internet. Travel agent bookings account for 84.9 percent of total room nights booked electronically through the GDSs.

The rising tide of hospitality business is lifting all boats, though. The travel agent bookings showed a 5.0 percent increase in ADR and a 13.9 percent increase in revenue versus the first quarter of 2005, while online consumer-booked room nights saw a 2.7 percent rise in ADR and 5.8 percent in revenue.
**
I’m sure Rich won’t let me get away without mentioning my upcoming induction into HFTP’s Technology Hall of Fame, so let me just say that I am moved and deeply honored to receive this recognition. I’m even more delighted that this year’s other inductee is John Burns, who encouraged me to take the plunge into consultancy 10 years ago, and has been a constant supporter, guide and friend ever since.
**

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
- John Burns and Jon Inge to be inducted into the HFTP Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame
- Kim Tisdale and Laura Brouk hired by SynXis as Vice President of Service Delivery and Vice President of Business Development, respectively
- Jim Mitchell promoted to EVP Information Technology at La Quinta
- Debbie Leander launches Turning Stone Software for design and development services
--------------------------
For more on People on the Move for June 2, 2006

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
- Softwear Group announced INNterprise multi-property management system
--------------------------
The Softwear Group announced its INNterprise multi-property management application, an extension of its INNcompass PMS. Described as a hybrid centralized/distributed system, it can be configured as either a centralized or distributed system, aligned more or less in either direction depending on the exact needs of any particular hotel company. http://www.softweargroup.com/
**

RESERVATIONS
- Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure selects TravelCLICK's iHotelier for 48 properties
- House of Blues Hotel in Chicago switches to iHotelier
- UK’s Thomson announces formation of Thomson Labs, to showcase new technologies
-------------------------------------------
Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure has selected TravelCLICK's iHotelier central reservation system to power the distribution strategy (including Web site reservations and GDS connectivity) for its 48 properties throughout Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles.

The 367-room House of Blues Hotel in Chicago has switched to TravelCLICK's iHotelier central reservation system (CRS) for its GDS connectivity and online booking engine. The House of Blues Hotel will also use TravelCLICK's market intelligence solutions, including Hotelligence and FuturePACE. http://www.hampshire-hotels.com/, http://www.houseofblueshotel.com/, http://www.travelclick.net/
**
UK travel company Thomson announced the formation of Thomson Labs, which will showcase new ideas to existing customers and give them the opportunity to help develop future travel technology. Three technologies that could impact travel in the near future were identified as biometric fingerprint scanning for retrieval of personal booking information at a travel kiosk, airport check-in desk or hotel, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) linked to bar code reading mobile phones for online retrieval of data keyed to a printed advertisement or reservation confirmation bar code, allowing RFID-triggered check-in, and voice search technology for hands-free search requests via mobile phone browsers.
**

MARKETING/MANAGEMENT
- Softwear Group announces Chain-Link CRO/guest recognition system to bridge multifranchise PMSs
- Starwood contracts with Leonardo Media for online media-content distribution
- Leonardo completes Phase One of Content Integration Partnership with ICE Portal
- NORTHWIND announces Maestro Guest Experience Management (GEM) application
----------------------------
For more on Marketing/Management for June 2, 2006

REVENUE MANAGEMENT
- Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur, has selected Optims
----------------------------
The 516-room Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur has selected Optims Hotel Revenue Management System, which will be interfaced with the hotel’s Fidelio v7 PMS. http://www.optims.com/
**

F&B/POINT OF SALE
- MICROS to resell VeriFone's customer-activated electronic payment applications
---------------------------
MICROS Systems will resell VeriFone's customer-activated electronic payment applications, fully integrated with MICROS RES 4.0. Products included in the agreement are the new Vx 670 mobile payment system and QX720 outdoor payment system, the Omni 7000 family and the multimedia-enabled MX870. The integrated pay-at-the-table approach provides a more secure way to collect payments and supports the consumer shift to PIN debit. http://www.verifone.com/, http://www.micros.com/
**

GUEST SERVICES
- HFTP provides glimpse of technologies to be featured in GUESTROOM 2010 hotel room
- Choice selects EthoStream for high-speed Internet to 800+ Econo Lodge locations
------------------------
HFTP has provided a “teaser” glimpse of the technologies to be featured in its GUESTROOM 2010 prototype hotel room at HITEC this June. Rather than list all the different devices, HFTP stated that “Guestroom 2010 and its adjacent pavilion will feature a bed without a mattress, a 3D TV without the accompanying glasses, a shower that cleans itself, a sound that helps you concentrate, light and art that match your mood, a valet that is always there, a faucet that recharges itself, an alarm clock that hides if you don't wake up, a highly unusual room design, and many other items.”
**
Choice Hotels has selected EthoStream to roll out high-speed Internet to its 800+ Econo Lodge franchise locations. EthoStream has added proprietary Choice technology into its EGS v4.0 gateway, which will be re-branded as the Econo Lodge Internet Gateway. EthoStream will provide support for the property guests as well as system management and monitoring. http://www.choicehotels.com/, http://www.ethostream.com/
**

BACK OFFICE
- M3’s AccKnowledge hosted accounting application offers Flex Budgeting
------------------------
M3’s AccKnowledge hosted accounting application now offers a Flex Budgeting module, designed to show management how much money is in select income and expense accounts in relation to the hotel’s budget. http://www.hotelaccounting.com/
**

COMMUNICATIONS
- Percipia establishes strategic relationship with Hong Kong’s Symphonic InfoCom
------------------------------
Percipia has established a liaison office and strategic relationship with Hong Kong’s Symphonic InfoCom Ltd to grow market share for its hospitality IP systems in Hong Kong and China. Symphonic InfoCom will provide local installation and customer support. http://www.percipia.com/
**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And now for you-know-what!

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.  Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen.  "Careful," he said, "CAREFUL!  Put in some more butter!  Oh my GOD!  You're cooking too many at once.  TOO MANY!  Turn them!  TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter.  Oh my God! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER?  They're going to stick!  CAREFUL ... careful!  I said be CAREFUL!  You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking!  Never!  Turn them!  Hurry up!  Are you CRAZY?  Have you LOST your mind?  Don't forget to salt them.  You know you always forget to salt them.  Use the salt.  USE THE SALT!  THE SALT!"
The wife stared at him.  "What in the world is wrong with you?  You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?"

The husband calmly replied, "I wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving."

June 14, 2006

COMMUNICATIONS

by: Siegel Sez

I am writing this week’s Siegel Sez before receiving Jon Inge’s technology review for this week. He always shares a comment or two before the news and I cannot wait to read his thoughts this week especially. As you might have heard, the two Jo(h)ns, John Burns and Jon Inge, were elected to the HFTP Technology Hall of Fame. Both are very worthy of this honor and have done much to expand the understanding and advancement of technology in our industry. I couldn’t help but smile when getting this announcement. John Burns was one of the original subscribers to my very early attempt at publishing a newsletter about technology back in 1992. I got to know Jon Inge when he was the guy in charge of technology for Westin Hotels and Resorts. Both have been writing for Hospitality Upgrade for many years sharing their knowledge with the industry and making everybody’s life easier. Jon Inge has foolishly asked me to introduce him at the induction ceremony at HITEC’s opening session on Tuesday morning, June 20. Doesn’t he know I love to embarrass people? Congratulations to both.

Based on the pre-registration numbers for HITEC and hotel room availability (you better book quickly) it looks like HITEC will be unbelievably well attended this year. I must warn you that my next comment will not be unbiased since I am a member of the HITEC advisory board responsible for putting together the educational program. There will be strong sessions and some not so strong, there will be people that love them and others who hate them which come with the territory. HITEC is the only industry event that has been very successful attracting both high-tech and low-tech types who want to learn what is going on in their segment of the industry. Along with the educational sessions and a sold-out exhibit hall, there are networking opportunities that never cease to amaze me. Everybody who is anybody is at HITEC and I love that. Just a little more than two weeks to go, and I cannot wait. Make sure you include plans to visit the Guestroom 2010 area of the exhibits. There is some very cool technology being shown though I must admit the bed made of nails might be my favorite. It makes sense since the hotel industry has been promoting their beds for years now. If you are exhibiting at HITEC and want us to help you promote your announcements before the show, please e-mail mailtsharon@hospitalityupgrade.com. She is putting together some creative ways to help you get the word out.

I spoke at the North American Wi-Fi Symposium presented by StayOnline last week in Miami. What fun. I was given lots of latitude so of course I talked about everything from hockey, Cambria Breeze (my favorite race horse) to wireless and lots of other things in between. It was a great conference, well attended and had a facilitator, Craig Mathias from the Farpoint Group, who was fabulous. Craig will also be doing a session at HITEC and if your schedule allows it, you should attend. It is kind of scary how all the changes in the wireless world might affect the hotel industry. I was honored to be invited and given the opportunity to speak. It was a unique, fun and valuable conference.
mailtrich@hospitalityupgrade.com

June 14, 2006

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Jon Inge
Systems News in Plain English
Online bookings continue to rise, but travel agents still generate higher-revenue business
Online bookings continue to rise steadily, according to TravelCLICK’s eMonitor results for the first quarter of 2006. Worldwide electronic hotel revenue booked through the global distribution systems (GDS) and key Internet sites combined was up 12.9 percent over the same period last year. Room nights were up 7.6 percent, and ADR increased by 4.9 percent; the average length of stay was unchanged at 2.14 nights.

Interestingly, travel agents continued to provide significantly higher revenue business for hotels, with an average rate 37.1 percent higher than that for room nights booked via the Internet. Travel agent bookings account for 84.9 percent of total room nights booked electronically through the GDSs.

The rising tide of hospitality business is lifting all boats, though. The travel agent bookings showed a 5.0 percent increase in ADR and a 13.9 percent increase in revenue versus the first quarter of 2005, while online consumer-booked room nights saw a 2.7 percent rise in ADR and 5.8 percent in revenue.
**
I’m sure Rich won’t let me get away without mentioning my upcoming induction into HFTP’s Technology Hall of Fame, so let me just say that I am moved and deeply honored to receive this recognition. I’m even more delighted that this year’s other inductee is John Burns, who encouraged me to take the plunge into consultancy 10 years ago, and has been a constant supporter, guide and friend ever since.

June 14, 2006

TOP O' THE NEWS

- John Burns and Jon Inge to be inducted into the HFTP Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame
- Kim Tisdale and Laura Brouk hired by SynXis as Vice President of Service Delivery and Vice President of Business Development, respectively
- Jim Mitchell promoted to EVP Information Technology at La Quinta
- Debbie Leander launches Turning Stone Software for design and development services
--------------------------
For more on People on the Move for June 2, 2006

June 14, 2006

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Softwear Group announced INNterprise multi-property management system
--------------------------
The Softwear Group announced its INNterprise multi-property management application, an extension of its INNcompass PMS. Described as a hybrid centralized/distributed system, it can be configured as either a centralized or distributed system, aligned more or less in either direction depending on the exact needs of any particular hotel company. http://www.softweargroup.com/
**

June 14, 2006

RESERVATIONS

- Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure selects TravelCLICK's iHotelier for 48 properties
- House of Blues Hotel in Chicago switches to iHotelier
- UK’s Thomson announces formation of Thomson Labs, to showcase new technologies
-------------------------------------------

Hampshire Hospitality & Leisure has selected TravelCLICK's iHotelier central reservation system to power the distribution strategy (including Web site reservations and GDS connectivity) for its 48 properties throughout Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles.

The 367-room House of Blues Hotel in Chicago has switched to TravelCLICK's iHotelier central reservation system (CRS) for its GDS connectivity and online booking engine. The House of Blues Hotel will also use TravelCLICK's market intelligence solutions, including Hotelligence and FuturePACE. http://www.hampshire-hotels.com/, http://www.houseofblueshotel.com/, http://www.travelclick.net/
**
UK travel company Thomson announced the formation of Thomson Labs, which will showcase new ideas to existing customers and give them the opportunity to help develop future travel technology. Three technologies that could impact travel in the near future were identified as biometric fingerprint scanning for retrieval of personal booking information at a travel kiosk, airport check-in desk or hotel, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) linked to bar code reading mobile phones for online retrieval of data keyed to a printed advertisement or reservation confirmation bar code, allowing RFID-triggered check-in, and voice search technology for hands-free search requests via mobile phone browsers.
**

June 14, 2006

MARKETING/MANAGEMENT

- Softwear Group announces Chain-Link CRO/guest recognition system to bridge multifranchise PMSs
- Starwood contracts with Leonardo Media for online media-content distribution
- Leonardo completes Phase One of Content Integration Partnership with ICE Portal
- NORTHWIND announces Maestro Guest Experience Management (GEM) application
----------------------------
For more on Marketing/Management for June 2, 2006

June 14, 2006

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

- Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur, has selected Optims
----------------------------
The 516-room Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur has selected Optims Hotel Revenue Management System, which will be interfaced with the hotel’s Fidelio v7 PMS. http://www.optims.com/
**

June 14, 2006

F&B/POINT OF SALE

- MICROS to resell VeriFone's customer-activated electronic payment applications
---------------------------
MICROS Systems will resell VeriFone's customer-activated electronic payment applications, fully integrated with MICROS RES 4.0. Products included in the agreement are the new Vx 670 mobile payment system and QX720 outdoor payment system, the Omni 7000 family and the multimedia-enabled MX870. The integrated pay-at-the-table approach provides a more secure way to collect payments and supports the consumer shift to PIN debit. http://www.verifone.com/, http://www.micros.com/
**

June 14, 2006

GUEST SERVICES

- HFTP provides glimpse of technologies to be featured in GUESTROOM 2010 hotel room
- Choice selects EthoStream for high-speed Internet to 800+ Econo Lodge locations
------------------------

HFTP has provided a “teaser” glimpse of the technologies to be featured in its GUESTROOM 2010 prototype hotel room at HITEC this June. Rather than list all the different devices, HFTP stated that “Guestroom 2010 and its adjacent pavilion will feature a bed without a mattress, a 3D TV without the accompanying glasses, a shower that cleans itself, a sound that helps you concentrate, light and art that match your mood, a valet that is always there, a faucet that recharges itself, an alarm clock that hides if you don't wake up, a highly unusual room design, and many other items.”
**
Choice Hotels has selected EthoStream to roll out high-speed Internet to its 800+ Econo Lodge franchise locations. EthoStream has added proprietary Choice technology into its EGS v4.0 gateway, which will be re-branded as the Econo Lodge Internet Gateway. EthoStream will provide support for the property guests as well as system management and monitoring. http://www.choicehotels.com/, http://www.ethostream.com/
**
June 14, 2006

BACK OFFICE

- M3’s AccKnowledge hosted accounting application offers Flex Budgeting
------------------------
M3’s AccKnowledge hosted accounting application now offers a Flex Budgeting module, designed to show management how much money is in select income and expense accounts in relation to the hotel’s budget. http://www.hotelaccounting.com/
**

June 14, 2006

COMMUNICATIONS

- Percipia establishes strategic relationship with Hong Kong’s Symphonic InfoCom
------------------------------
Percipia has established a liaison office and strategic relationship with Hong Kong’s Symphonic InfoCom Ltd to grow market share for its hospitality IP systems in Hong Kong and China. Symphonic InfoCom will provide local installation and customer support. http://www.percipia.com/
**


June 30, 2006

COMMUNICATIONS

by: Rich Siegel

Siegel Sez
June 30, 2006

Was there a love fest in Minnesota last week? Did the 4,700 attendees at HITEC all fall in love with the city of Minneapolis? It sure seemed that way. There was a great convention center, most hotels were within walking distance of the venue and there was an area of the city called Nicollet Mall with numerous bars and restaurants where many of the show attendees could be found throughout the week enjoying the spectacular evenings. The many parties had a wide range of establishments to choose from and all were fabulous. What a great choice to hold HITEC, I am sold on this location.

Personally I had some very moving moments during the show. My favorite was having the honor of introducing Jon Inge as this year’s second inductee into the HFTP Technology Hall of Fame. To do it following John Burns’ induction made it an even more special moment. Two great choices and both great friends, it was almost magical for me. Of course, that was quickly balanced out when the speaker after the ceremony picked me out of the audience to embarrass. Sure, ask the guy with the most screwed up personal life what women expect from a man. Just shoot me. But it was fun and the large crowd did seem to enjoy it. Connie Podesta was a great speaker and quite funny. Yes, I am a squiggly line and am proud of it.

My second favorite moment was how successful the Ask the Experts session went over this year. I moderated this session and threw a surprise to the panelists and audience by bringing in some unique experts to compliment the panel. Our 19-year-old college student Peter shared his vision of the hotel industry, how he books rooms and his expectations. When I asked him what he considered a luxury hotel and he answered where the people are friendly you should have seen all the heads shaking in the audience. We all learned a lot from him. My second expert was 70-year-old Gabi. Gabi is not computer literate and when I asked her how she contacts hotels she visits and she answered that she takes the time to hand write a letter and mail it, the audience busted out in applause. Peter and Gabi really added to the session. Thanks to Doug Koontz from Morgans Hotel Group, Nick Price from Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Michael Schubach from Club Resorts, and consultants Jon Inge and Mark Ozawa for putting up with my shenanigans.

Guestroom 2010 was a great success. Hospitality Upgrade was proud to be a media sponsor along with Lodging Magazine. The real accolades should go to IBM for being a great sponsor and HFTP for putting it together. It was unique, creative and easily elevated the whole HITEC experience. I just loved the bed. The success of this endeavor is because of both parties.

Finally, I need to ask a favor which I try to avoid doing via Siegel Sez. We launched a brand new Hospitality Upgrade Web site last week, the first new one in many, many years. If you would take a moment and click to http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com and share some comments with us it would be much appreciated. Actually you should visit anyway because we have included some pretty embarrassing pictures from the many parties at HITEC. You can also watch the news clip from the NBC affiliate in Minneapolis that reported on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news about Guestroom 2010. You can find the pictures and the news clip on our Web site under the Cool New Stuff section.

Sorry this was so long but after all, this is our post HITEC Siegel Sez. Here now is the real reason we are here, the great technology review from the recently embarrassed Jon Inge. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at “you-know-what”.

 

rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
June 30, 2006

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Jon Inge
Systems News in Plain English from Jon Inge

mailto:jon@joninge.com

-An excellent HITEC, and kudos to Minneapolis
- HTNG demonstrates six new systems integration links
- Need for technology catch-up identified as one of four transformative
issues facing hospitality industry
---------------------------

Another excellent HITEC has ended, with slightly lower attendance overall but with many vendors reporting a higher quality of visitors and a good percentage of serious buyers.  Every educational session I attended was packed, indicating outstanding work by the planning committee in targeting the right topics, and as always the networking opportunities were unparalleled. 

Minneapolis itself deserves a mention.  Not the most obvious choice for an international convention, it proved just about ideal, with good conference facilities (especially F&B), a compact city center with most hotels within walking distance of the show, perfect weather without the rumored bird-sized mosquitoes, and a friendly, welcoming attitude that encouraged many to wish the show could be held there every year.  How about it, HFTP?
**
Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) demonstrated several new systems integration links at HITEC, including:
- A single guest itinerary with PMS, spa, activity and dining reservation systems producing a single, definitive version of the guest’s schedule during a hotel stay.
- An IP telephony system with roaming guest extensions via an 802.11 wireless network, voice messaging and PMS-based text messaging, plus itinerary display on an IP phone or television.
- An IP television showing a privately produced high-definition channel, encoded in real-time and beamed via satellite to the convention center, delivered as an IP stream to the television. 
- A docking pod for guest mobile devices which can work with any compatible entertainment system.
- Processing of cashless charging, comps, tender post and check-zoom capabilities between property management and point-of-sale systems.
- Implementation by several central reservation system, property management system and revenue management system vendors of the now completed message specification for reservation delivery and availability controls.
**
The need to catch up with technology was one of four transformative issues identified in 'Hospitality 2010,' a report by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management at New York University.  These factors are expected to be key success drivers over the next three to five years.

The driving need to catch up with technology was shown both by the increased demand for online booking and more personalized service, and by the industry’s historic record of being in the lowest quartile of technology spending within the consumer businesses.  All executives interviewed foresaw increased IT investments, particularly in reservations, distribution, loyalty programs and customer relationship management. 

The remaining three transformative issues were:
- Brand is expected to surpass location as the deciding factor in hotel choices.
- Substantial growth in travel within and to China, India and the Gulf States.
- Aging consumers will change the game as their population grows along with their continued desire to travel.

January 25, 2019

COMMUNICATIONS/INFRASTRUCTURE

• Beekeeper, the #1 Operational Communication Platform, is now available in Australia

• SHR Announces Powerful Megasys and SmartHOTEL Integrations

 __________

Beekeeper, the #1 Operational Communication Platform, is now available in Australia
Technology 4 Hotels, a leading technology provider to the hospitality industry, announced that it has been appointed as the Australian hospitality channel partner for Beekeeper.
http://www.beekeeper.io/

SHR Announces Powerful Megasys and SmartHOTEL Integrations
SHR, Sceptre Hospitality Resources, a pioneer of advanced hotel distribution technologies and developer of Windsurfer® CRS, has unveiled two new best-in-class integrations; the Portfolio HMS by Megasys Hospitality Solutions, and SmartHOTEL’s PMS connectivity hub.
www.shr.global.

January 25, 2019

F&B/POINT OF SALE

• Epson Adds Three New MAXStick Media Solutions to its List of Tested Media for TM-L90 PLUS LFC Thermal Label Printers

• Aila Technologies Adopts Epson POS Receipt Printer for its Interactive Kiosk

• Epson Adds Three New StickyPOS Media Solutions to its List of Tested Media for TM-L90 Plus LFC Thermal Label Printers

 

Epson Adds Three New MAXStick Media Solutions to its List of Tested Media for TM-L90 PLUS LFC Thermal Label Printers
At the NRF 2019 Retail’s Big Show, Epson America, Inc., a leading supplier of value-added point of sale solutions, announced it has added three new branded MAXStick media solutions from MAXStick International, a leading provider of liner-free, repositionable thermal label products, to Epson’s “tested” media list for its TM-L90 Plus liner-free compatible (LFC) thermal label printers.
http://epson.com/pos
Aila Technologies Adopts Epson POS Receipt Printer for its Interactive Kiosk
At the NRF 2019 Retail’s Big Show, Epson America, Inc., a leading supplier of value-added point of sale solutions, announced that Aila Technologies, provider of smart iOS-based devices and integrated scanning technology, has adopted Epson’s compact TM-m30 POS receipt printer for integration into Aila's Interactive Kiosk to enhance the customer experience and streamline operations for retailers. 
http://epson.com/pos
Epson Adds Three New StickyPOS Media Solutions to its List of Tested Media for TM-L90 Plus LFC Thermal Label Printers
At the NRF 2019 Retail’s Big Show, Epson America, Inc., a leading supplier of value-added point of sale solutions, announced it has added three new media solutions from StickyPOS, a leading provider of self-cleaning sticky thermal POS rolls, to Epson’s “tested” media list for its TM-L90 Plus liner free compatible (LFC) thermal label printers.
http://epson.com/pos

January 25, 2019

SECURITY

• dormakaba USA Inc Launches an Online Keyless Access Control ROI Calculator for Vacation Rental Managers and Owners

• New dormakaba USA Inc Vacation Rental White Paper Details Advantages of Online Access Control

• VENZA® signs 80 more properties with Schulte Hospitality Group

dormakaba USA Inc Launches an Online Keyless Access Control ROI Calculator for Vacation Rental Managers and Owners
dormakaba USA Inc, a leader in the global market for access and security solutions, launched its online ROI calculator for the vacation rental industry.
www.dormakaba.com
New dormakaba USA Inc Vacation Rental White Paper Details Advantages of Online Access Control
dormakaba USA Inc, a leader in the global market for access and security solutions, released its latest Vacation Rental industry white paper, “The Smart Home Revolution: Three ways online access control is a win-win for you and your vacation rental guests.”
dormakaba.com
VENZA® signs 80 more properties with Schulte Hospitality Group
Schulte Hospitality Group not only decided to renew but to entrust 80 more properties to VENZA’s comprehensive security awareness training program.
venzagroup.com

January 25, 2019

HOSPITALITY EVENTS

• Applications Now Open for Positions on HFTP Global Board and Executive Committee

• Hospitality’s Marketing Gurus Honored at HSMAI Adrian Awards

• HSMAI Announces 2019 Americas Board and Executive Committee

Applications Now Open for Positions on HFTP Global Board and Executive Committee
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is calling hospitality professionals who are innovative, strategic thinkers to join the association’s top leadership.
HFTP.ORG  
Hospitality’s Marketing Gurus Honored at HSMAI Adrian Awards
Excitement was in the air as the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) hosted its annual Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala honoring excellence in travel advertising, digital marketing and public relations.
www.adrianawards.com
HSMAI Announces 2019 Americas Board and Executive Committee
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) proudly announces its 2019 Americas Board of Directors and Executive Committee. The board is composed of a diverse range of travel and hospitality executives from a representative mix of HSMAI members.

January 25, 2019

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

• Hotel fires robot staff after guest complaints

• Innovation key for hospitality businesses to remain relevant

• 2019 Top 10 Hospitality Trends

• At Hotels, Space That’s Like the Office, ‘but Cooler’

 
 

January 25, 2019

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what …  A few points to ponder ...
 
Yesterday I went to the doctor for my yearly physical. My blood
pressure was high, my cholesterol was high, I'd gained some weight,
and I didn't feel so hot.

My doctor said eating right doesn't have to be complicated and it would
solve my physical problems. He said just think in colors; Fill your plate
with bright colors; greens, yellows, reds, etc.

I went right home and ate an entire bowl of M&M's and sure enough, I
felt better immediately. I never knew eating right could be so easy.

February 08, 2019

Siegel Sez

by: Rich Siegel

That sure was a dud of a Super Bowl. Should I admit I nearly fell asleep watching it? Maybe it was the commercials that kept me awake. As I watched the Patriots celebrate and the Rams mope off the field as losers, I thought that another NFL season was over. Then I started thinking back to when the season started; not the first games but when training camps opened nearly two months before the first game. Every team had more than 90 players at their camps each player trying to earn one of the 53 spots and a job on an NFL roster with dreams of much success down the road. In the hotel technology world those dreaming of success are different sorts of players: they are the money people. The amount of money being invested in the hotel technology space is unfathomable.  Of course, there are the startups, but there is also those beyond starting up and are looking for investments to sustain and grow. I talk to many of these money groups and how they look at investing. They look at this world through a different lens than how I look at potential for success. Of course, maybe I dream too much and because they are dealing with dollars they take a much harder look. Those who will be joining us in Austin at the end of the month at the Hospitality Upgrade Executive Vendor Summit will get to hear from one of the top investors in hotel technology, Dave Berkus. When I was in the PMS industry a million years ago Dave was my boss. You never know what the future holds. For those who invest in the hotel technology companies it seems similar to those trying to get a spot on an NFL roster. There are probably 10-15 open spots on a NFL roster and there are more than 40 players in the camps trying to get one of those spots. In the investment world I’m told if they are successful in investments about 20 percent of the time, they are ecstatic, 30 percent is a dream. Start-ups, second and third rounds it just goes on and on with the money out there. Investors are looking for the same thing, to win their own Super Bowl. It is interesting to follow this, to watch where the money goes, whose money is being used and how they measure success. Who knows, maybe they will be happy just making the playoffs. I know Dave Berkus will share winning and losing stories. Hopefully he will stay away from that one salesperson he used to work with selling property management systems that used to drive him crazy. Maybe instead of investing in technology companies they should just make bets every year on the Patriots winning the Super Bowl. I think that might have had a decent return over the years.
 
Here now is the real reason we are here, the latest technology happenings in the industry with a prelude to what is actually going on in the industry not with technology but from the hotel side as we watch expansion, new brands and how their growth will be accomplished. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. And for the record, I don’t like the Patriots!
 
Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com

February 08, 2019

TOP O' THE NEWS

Major brands saw increases in occupancy and ADR, along with expansion across the globe

As 2017 came to an end, many industry forecasters predicted that the coming year would be a good one for hotels. And, for the most part, they were right. A strong economy, rising employment and higher consumer net worth translated into more travel (for both business and pleasure) as well as higher transaction volumes in 2018.

Leading independent investment research firm Zacks reports that hotels saw increases in both occupancy and average daily rate (ADR) in 2018. As early as the first quarter, the industry witnessed a better-than-expected rise in demand, with revenue per available room increasing by 3.5 percent.

According to data benchmarking firm STR, the industry is projected to report a 2018 year-end 0.4 percent increase in occupancy, a 2.6 percent increase in ADR and a 3.0 percent increase in revenue per available room as compared to the previous year. And, while occupancy increased across all segments, the luxury segment is expected to post the highest growth rates.

Many hotel companies, including major brands Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Marriott, reaped the benefits of this good year. Here, Hospitality Upgrade recaps just a few of 2018’s highlights.
 
https://www.hotel-online.com/press_releases/release/2018-a-year-of-growth-and-profitability-for-hotels
 

February 08, 2019

TOP O' THE NEWS

- Caesars Entertainment Announces Plans for First Non-Gaming Hotel In The U.S., Introduces Caesars Republic Brand
- 40 Hyatt Hotels Expected to Open Throughout West Coast United States by 2021
- Shiji Acquires Touchpeak Software Inc, an International Payment Solutions Provider

 

February 08, 2019

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Erynn Torrenga and Young Lee Join INTELITY as SVP of Sales, East and VP of Finance; Benjamin Keller Promoted to SVP of Sales, West
__________

Erynn Torrenga and Young Lee Join INTELITY as SVP of Sales, East and VP of Finance; Benjamin Keller Promoted to SVP of Sales, West
INTELITY, provider of one of the travel industry's first and broadest enterprise guest engagement and staff management platforms, announced that Young Lee and Erynn Torrenga have joined the company.
Intelity.com



February 08, 2019

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Wild Rose Casinos & Resorts Implements Agilysys’ PMS and POS Solutions at Each of Their Three Properties
___________ 

Wild Rose Casinos & Resorts Implements Agilysys’ PMS and POS Solutions at Each of Their Three Properties
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, announced that its InfoGenesis® POS and Visual One® PMS solutions were successfully implemented at Wild Rose Casinos & Resorts in Iowa to provide a more integrated technology infrastructure and superior guest experience across its three locations in Emmetsburg, Clinton and Jefferson.
http://www.agilysys.com

February 08, 2019

RESERVATIONS

- SiteMinder Reveals the Top 12 Hotel Booking Revenue Makers of 2018 as Consumer Choice Rises
__________

SiteMinder Reveals the Top 12 Hotel Booking Revenue Makers of 2018 as Consumer Choice Rises
SiteMinder, a global hotel industry’s leading guest acquisition platform, unveils its annual lists of the channels that brought the highest total booking revenue to hotels in the U.S. and Canada and other top travel destinations around the world in 2018. 
www.siteminder.com

January 11, 2019

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- 2019: The Year of Connectivity

- You Can’t Get Anything for Twenty Bucks These Days

- Traveling With Your Kids Will Make Them Better in School, Study Suggests

- Boeing's unveils radical 'transonic' wing design

- You Can’t Get Anything for Twenty Bucks These Days

- 2019: The Year of Connectivity

- Traveling With Your Kids Will Make Them Better in School, Study Suggests

- Boeing's unveils radical 'transonic' wing design

January 11, 2019

COMMUNICATIONS

James is walking on a downtown street one day, and he happens to see his old high school friend, Harry, a little ways up ahead. "Harry, Harry, how are you?" he greets his old buddy after getting his attention.
 
"Not so good," says Harry.

"Why, what happened?" James queries.

"Well," Harry says, "I just went bankrupt and I've still got to feed my family. I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Could have been worse," James replies calmly. "Could have been worse."
 

A month or so later, James again encounters Harry, in a restaurant. "And how are things now?" he asks.

"Terrible!" says Harry. "Our house burned down last night."

"Could have been worse," says James, again with total aplomb, and goes about his business.


A month later, James runs into Harry a third time. "Well, how goes it?" he inquires.

"Oh!" says Harry. "Things just get worse and worse. It's one tragedy after another! Now my wife has left me!"

Harry nods his head and gives his usual optimistic-seeming little smile, accompanied by his usual words: "Could've been worse."
 

This time, Harry grabs James by the shoulders. "Wait a minute!" he says. "I'm not gonna let you off so easy this time. Three times in the past few months we've run into one another, and every time I've told you the latest disaster in my life. Every time you say the same thing: 'Could have been worse.' This time, for God's sake, Harry, I want you to tell me: how in Heaven's name could it have been any worse?"
 
James looks at Harry with the same little wisp of a smile. "Could have been worse," he says. "Could have happened to me."


December 14, 2018

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what …  A few points to ponder ...
 

Where to eat.....A group of 15 year old boys discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at the McDonald's next to Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because they only had six dollars among them, they could ride their bikes there and Jennie Webster, that cute girl in Social Studies, lives on the same street and they might see her. 

Ten years later, the group of now 25 year old guys discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the beer was cheap, the bar had free snacks, the house band was good, there was no cover charge and there were lot of cute girls. 

Ten years later, at 35 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was decided they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the booze was good, it was near their gym and, if they went late enough, there wouldn't be too many whiny little kids. 

Ten years later, at 45, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the martinis were big and the waitresses wore tight pants. 

Ten years later, now 55, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the prices were reasonable, they have a nice wine list and fish is good for your cholesterol. 

Ten years later, at 65 years of age, the once again group discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the lighting was good and they have an early bird special. 

Ten years later, at 75 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the food was not too spicy and the restaurant was handicapped accessible. 

Ten years later, at 85 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because they had never been there before. 

January 11, 2019

Siegel Sez

by: Rich Siegel

I have been to many CES events over the years, but the best ones are when I join Bob Gilbert and the private HSMAI tour put together for hotel executives. This year the group included executives from Marriott, IHG, Hilton, Red Roof Inns, and MGM Resorts amongst others.  I liked that these tours mixed the technology that could impact hotel business along with consumer technology. Blockchain, robots, facial recognition all the way to the smart bathroom with so much in between.  When companies like Proctor and Gamble remove someone’s freckles right in front of you that is amazing and a little bit creepy. It gives you a feeling of the wide range of technology advances that are becoming mainstream.  But you can’t dismiss the things that are coming sooner rather than later. I spent a great deal of time at the Qualcomm booth understanding how and what to expect when 5G becomes reality. All I will say is, get ready for driverless cars, they are definitely coming. We spent time with Google, and AI was everywhere.
 
CES can be overwhelming. Imagine a conference that attracts a crowd of 170,000 people. It was nice having lunch and catching up with Rahul Samant the CIO for Delta Airlines. Our conversations about technology both in the hotel and airline industries went all over the place. There were many industry folks attending CES. On Thursday night Mark Fancourt of testbed.vegas coordinated a dinner for nearly 40 industry people. It was a great way to end the week. There were many from the vendor community so the conversation quickly moved toward the Hospitality Upgrade Executive Vendor Summit the end of February in Austin, Texas (www.hospitalityupgrade.com/vendorsummit ). It was funny with all the things we have put together for the event, many thanked me for bringing back our golf tournament. I guess it’s the little things in life that are important. If you are a vendor of technology and you need to partner with other vendors this is where you need to be. It is an invitation-only event so to find out more quickly get hold of Anne Boon at anne@hospitalityupgrade.com or call (678)802-5304. Just about everybody who attended EVS last year in West Hollywood already registered for this year and many were first time attendees last year. That is a sign that this is both needed and extremely valuable to the attendees.
 
One thing I have learned in life is the only constant is change. For a few years industry consultant Ron Hardin has opened the news section of this Siegel Sez with thoughts about how technology impacts the industry and us as individuals. Ron has been offered a great opportunity and will be ending his time with us. I will leave the rest of his career change to his brief comments before the news. We thank him and will miss his sometimes offbeat thoughts about where technology is going and where it needs to go.
 
Here now is the real reason we are here, the latest happenings in the tech world for our industry. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Let’s all have a great 2019!
 
Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
 

January 25, 2019

Siegel Sez

by: Rich Siegel

I never have a problem embarrassing myself, but it is nice to be able to share that embarrassment with people like Bob Gilbert from HSMAI and a few execs from Marriott, IHG, Hilton and others.  There are many thousands of you reading this, but how many have ever attended the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas? How about we give you a true feeling of the magnitude and varied nature when it comes to the technology that will impact us as hoteliers and everyday consumers?  Do you realize that 5G is a great deal more than faster phones? Facial recognition is not just about recognizing who you are but how old you are and how happy, sad or stressed you are? Thankfully they turned off how much you weigh. Have you ever played ping pong against a robot who will tell you what you are doing right and wrong? I think our wonderful videographer Liz Vogan did an amazing job sharing what the CES experience is all about and in under six minutes. Take a moment and click here to experience CES with a bit of an attitude. If you like it or hate it, feel free to share your comments. Who knows, maybe you will want to join the HSMAI crew next year on its VIP tour of CES.
 
I am thankful I am connected to so many hoteliers from big and small companies and also the vendors who supply technology to these companies. It is amazing how many times hoteliers share their frustration in the inability of their vendors to “connect” with each other. More than 14 years ago we created an Executive Vendor Summit to address these disconnects that plague our industry and the event continues to grow. This year it is nice that we will also have a couple of CEOs from the hotel industry join us and they will share their thoughts on where technology should be going. If you are a vendor of technology and have never been, please contact Anne Boon right away at anne@hospitalityupgrade.com or (678) 802-5304 (yes, some of us actually make phone calls) about how to get an invitation.  Who would think that getting large, small and even those barely past the startup phase technology vendors together would have such value? Yes, many compete for business but many also partner with other attendees or end up with new partners after attending EVS. Yes, a very unique event without potential customers there but those that have come one time always come back. Check out the bobbleheads!
 
Here now is the real reason we are here, the latest technology happenings in the industry.  I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Remember, let me know your thoughts on our short CES video. Thanks.
 
Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com

January 25, 2019

Siegel Sez

January 25, 2019

TOP O' THE NEWS

• Hyatt Launches Public Bug Bounty Program with Hackerone

• Choice Hotels Goes All-In on AWS

• Marriott International Announces Marriott Bonvoy – The New Brand Name Of Its Loyalty Program

 

January 25, 2019

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

• Infor Announces $1.5 Billion Investment Ahead of Potential IPO

• Paddlewheeler Creole Queen and Riverboat Louis Armstrong to Boost Guest Experience with Agilysys InfoGenesis® POS

• Maestro PMS 2019 Development Roadmap Focused on Full-Tablet PMS, Guest Relationship Innovation

 

Infor Announces $1.5 Billion Investment Ahead of Potential IPO
Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry, announced an agreement to receive a $1.5 billion investment from shareholders Koch Equity Development, LLC (KED) and Golden Gate Capital.
www.infor.com
Paddlewheeler Creole Queen and Riverboat Louis Armstrong to Boost Guest Experience with Agilysys InfoGenesis® POS
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, announced that Hospitality Enterprises, known online as BigEasy, has chosen the company’s InfoGenesis point-of-sale solution for their operations at the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen and the Riverboat Louis Armstrong.
http://www.agilysys.com/
Maestro PMS 2019 Development Roadmap Focused on Full-Tablet PMS, Guest Relationship InnovationMaestro PMS has always focused on the luxury and full-service hotel, resort, conference center and multi-property independent operator, providing leading edge competitive property management system tools to assist in effectively running their operations.  Our service culture is a major focus of delivery to our clients, and continues to be an area we develop to offer highly respected support services in line with what the industry demands.
www.maestropms.com

January 25, 2019

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

• Rainmaker Selects OTA Insight as Strategic Partner for Rate Intelligence

• Rainmaker Closes a Record Year with An Increased Global Footprint, New Customer Growth and Innovation in New Segments

__________

Rainmaker Selects OTA Insight as Strategic Partner for Rate Intelligence
OTA Insight, the cloud-based data intelligence platform for the hospitality industry, and The Rainmaker Group, a leading provider of cloud-based hospitality revenue and profit optimization software, announced a new strategic partnership.
www.letitrain.com

Rainmaker Closes a Record Year with An Increased Global Footprint, New Customer Growth and Innovation in New Segments
The Rainmaker Group, a leading provider of cloud-based hospitality revenue and profit optimization software, announced that the company is starting 2019 with strong-than-ever numbers, a full implementation pipeline and continued growth in new regions.
www.letitrain.com

January 25, 2019

GUEST SERVICES

• Black Oak Casino Resort to Implement INTELITY’s Guest Experience and Staff Management Platform  

• INTELITY Looks to Win “Hospitality’s Hottest Technology” Designation at ALIS 2019

• Synergy Global Housing Brings Volara-Powered Voice Assistants to New York Residences

 

Black Oak Casino Resort to Implement INTELITY’s Guest Experience and Staff Management Platform  
INTELITY, one of the global travel industry's first and most powerful enterprise guest engagement and staff management platform, announced that it inked a deal with The Hotel at Black Oak Casino Resort in Tuolumne, Calif.
www.intelitycorp.com/
INTELITY Looks to Win “Hospitality’s Hottest Technology” Designation at ALIS 2019
INTELITY, provider of the travel industry's first and broadest enterprise guest engagement and staff management platform, announces its presence at The Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), which runs Jan. 28-30, 2019.
www.intelitycorp.com
Synergy Global Housing Brings Volara-Powered Voice Assistants to New York Residences
Synergy Global Housing, a subsidiary of The Ascott Limited and premier provider of furnished temporary accommodations for business and relocation stays, is voice enabling their new exclusive property in New York City with Volara-powered voice assistants.
https://www.volara.io/

January 25, 2019

BACK OFFICE

• Chesapeake Hospitality Maximizes Data Management and Forecasting Efficiency with ProfitSword

__________
 
Chesapeake Hospitality Maximizes Data Management and Forecasting Efficiency with ProfitSword
ProfitSword, hospitality's premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software, has announced the implementation of its ProfitSage operational and financial reporting solution by Chesapeake Hospitality, one of the largest independent operators in the hospitality industry, specializing in full-service and upscale properties.
http://www.profitsword.com/

January 13, 2023

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Elite Hotels of Sweden Standardises on Infor
Infor, an industry cloud company, announced that premium hotel operator Elite Hotels of Sweden has begun a project to standardise operations on Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) and Infor Sales & Catering System (SCS).
www.infor.com

- Cloudbeds Wins Six 2023 HotelTechAwards, Solidifying Position as an Industry Leader
Cloudbeds has been recognized for the fifth consecutive year as one of the industry’s top technology providers by Hotel Tech Report, solidifying its position as a leading hospitality platform powering more reservations and happier guests for lodging businesses worldwide. The 2023 HotelTechAwards honors Cloudbeds with six total awards.
www.cloudbeds.com

- With Pace of Progress in Hospitality Slated to Move Onward and Upward, Maestro Presents Its PMS Roadmap for 2023
The leading provider of property-management systems for independent hotels is poised to meet the rising demand for cloud hosting, mobile tools, enhanced two-way texting, marketplace integrations, heightened security, and online gift carding in the new year.
www.maestropms.com

January 13, 2023

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- For The Sixth Year in a Row, Cendyn Named #1 CRS Provider by Hotel Tech Report
Cendyn, a catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry, has secured the top award for “Best Central Reservations System” (CRS) at the 2023 Hotel Tech Awards. The win for the product in question — Pegasus CRS — marks Cendyn’s sixth in-succession victory in this category. Pegasus CRS has previously taken home the honor each year since 2018.
www.cendyn.com

- RezRecover Celebrates Record-Setting Year with Over $78M in Recovered Bookings for Hotels, 200+ New Implementations, and 143 New Properties
2022 was a landmark year of record-setting reservations recovered, new hotel clients, new technology advancements, and key strategic partnerships.
cartstack.com/rezrecover

- The Essex Resort and Spa Partners with Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center, to Offer Its Guests Genuine Hospitality and a Friendly, Helpful Voice
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™, is pleased to announce that The Essex Resort and Spa in Essex, Vermont has joined the group of exceptional hotels enjoying the premium Travel Outlook voice services.
www.traveloutlook.com

January 13, 2023

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- Data Visualization Powers Mandarin Oriental's BI Strategy
Leadership at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has teamed with Datavision to transition from Excel spreadsheets into more advanced Business Analytics, gaining a better understanding of their business and the data behind it.
www.datavisiontech.com

- Amadeus and Key Data Announce Business Intelligence Partnership
As travel trends continue to evolve, so have the lodging options available to travelers. From hotels to short-term rentals, travelers have more choices than ever. For hoteliers, property managers, and tourism organizations trying to understand what’s happening in their market and how they are performing against their competitive set, a full picture of accommodation bookings and air traffic is necessary to make accurate, data-driven revenue decisions.
www.amadeus.com

- IDeaS Expands European Presence
IDeaS, a world leading provider of revenue management software and services, announced today that it closed 2022 with a host of new clients. From luxury resorts to unique family-friendly campsites, IDeaS’ client wins encompass the breadth of accommodation offerings across Europe.
ideas.com

January 13, 2023

MARKETING

- HSMAI to Honor GCommerce Solutions with 6 Adrian Awards for Outstanding Travel Marketing
GCommerce Solutions will be honored for travel marketing excellence by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) at the annual Adrian Awards Celebration at the JW Marriott LA Live on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
www.gcommercesolutions.com

- Sarova Hotels and Resorts, Kenya selects Cendyn’s streamlined technology ecosystem to power their CRM, Distribution, Corporate Sales, and Loyalty services
Cendyn, a catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry, announces today that Sarova Hotels, Kenya’s leading independently owned hospitality group, has selected Cendyn to power CRM, distribution, corporate sales, and loyalty across their portfolio of Kenyan hotels and resorts.
www.cendyn.com

January 13, 2023

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- SalesAndCatering.com Now Servicing Over 150 Management Companies Worldwide
SalesAndCatering.com has had a year defined by exciting additions to its growing client portfolio, which now includes over 150 management companies using the company’s flagship sales and catering solution, STS Cloud.
salesandcatering.com

- Pyramid Global Hospitality Extends Data Analytics Partnership with Knowland
Today, Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, announced that Pyramid Global Hospitality has expanded its long-standing relationship with Knowland, implementing the group data solution in additional properties and utilizing the platform across its Americas portfolio.
www.knowland.com

January 13, 2023

BACK OFFICE

- M3 Named Best Finance & Accounting Software for 3rd Consecutive Year in the 2023 HotelTechAwards
M3’s, Accounting Core solution has been named 2023’s #1 Finance & Accounting Software by Hotel Tech Report, and M3’s Labor Management solution has been named 2023’s #2 Scheduling and Labor Management Software.
www.m3as.com

- M3 Propelling Into 2023 As It Surpasses 7,500th Hotel Milestone
M3, one of the hospitality industry's leading cloud-based financial and data management platform, continues to propel its record growth and has exceeded 7,500 properties utilizing the platform throughout North America. M3 continues to expand its customer base and be a vital tool in the hospitality community with its services targeted to streamline and manage vital property operations.
www.m3as.com

January 13, 2023

FOOD & BEVERAGE

- Bluesun Hotels & Resorts Adopt Shiji’s Infrasys POS Systems Across all Their Hotel F&B Outlets
Shiji, a global hospitality innovator, has announced that its product Infrasys has gone live at all Bluesun Hotels at the Adriatic coast of Croatia.  The Croatian-based hotel brand has selected Shiji to install over 100 POS workstations with Infrasys Cloud POS software and Shiji hardware at more than 20 properties of the brand.
www.shijigroup.com

- The Sagamore Hotel South Beach Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Art Basel - Miami with Exceptional Guest Service Powered by Beachy Food & Beverage
Beachy, a leading provider of next-generation solutions and services for the country’s leading resorts, today announced that The Sagamore Hotel, South Beach successfully deployed its innovative mobile point-of-sale (POS) solution in time to welcome guests to the 20th anniversary of Art Basel – Miami. 
www.beachyapp.com

January 13, 2023

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- HFTP Announces 2023 Global Executive Committee and Board of Directors
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has announced its 2023 Global Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The association leaders represent a wide variety of segments within the hospitality industry, including: clubs, academics, hotels, finance, technology and more.
www.hftp.org

- HFTP and AHLA Announce 10-year USALI Agreement
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals Association (HFTP) announced today a 10-year agreement to jointly produce the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI).
www.hftp.org

January 13, 2023

MARKET REPORTS

- Knowland Closes Recovery Data Reporting as Monthly Meeting Volume Exceeds 2019 for Second Month in a Row with December Reaching 103.1 Percent of Pre-Pandemic Events
Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, released its final U.S. monthly meetings and events data benchmarked against 2019, reporting December 2022 achieved 103.1 percent of  December 2019 volume, exceeding monthly pre-pandemic levels for the second month in a row.
www.knowland.com

- Knowland and ConferenceDirect Release 2023 State of the Meetings Industry Report
Today, Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, and ConferenceDirect, a full-service global meetings solution company, announced the results of a survey entitled, 2023 State of the Meetings Industry. The collaboration reveals insights to help industry professionals understand what meeting planners and event managers expect and will prioritize in 2023.
www.knowland.com

December 16, 2022

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- 15 luxury hotels that go all out for Christmas
- 10 Incredible Hotel Gingerbread Displays
- Hotels are making up ground on short-term rentals
- How Hotels and DMOS can respond to shifting perceptions of sustainability
----------------------

15 luxury hotels that go all out for Christmas
10 Incredible Hotel Gingerbread Displays
Hotels are making up ground on short-term rentals
How Hotels and DMOS can respond to shifting perceptions of sustainability

December 16, 2022

And now for the You-Know-What...

January 13, 2023

Siegel Sez

 

There are many discussions about what industry events to attend to see the latest technologies, but for me, it is a no brainer. If you haven’t been to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held every January in Las Vegas, you must put it on your bucket list. Even if technology is not your thing, you will be intrigued by what you will see and what you will learn. At CES many of the futuristic things you will see, will never make it to the market and much of what you will see are years away, but it really is eye opening to see what the future has in store. I spent a fair amount of time in the automotive section and the BMW exhibit was interesting with their car of the future that allows you to change the color of your car, but what really amazed me was John Deere’s driverless tractor. It got a lot of buzz this year. There were quite a few from the hotel industry in attendance as you can see from the picture above. One of my highlights was taking The Loop from Resorts World to the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Loop is an underground tunnel that brings you back and forth in Teslas. It is amazing and something everybody should experience. It was a great week in Las Vegas.  
 
As we look to the future, Doug Rice in his Definitely Doug column this week is sharing his thoughts about what lies ahead for the hotel industry with technology in 2023. I promise, some of it will surprise you and if you are a hotelier or technology supplier you will also be intrigued by how the hotel industry will no longer be able to ignore or be amazingly slow to adopt technology. Yes, this is going to change. We thank Doug for looking into his crystal ball and opening our eyes. It is not all about technology, often he shares how hotels have something to sell and for some reason aren’t selling it. Take a few minutes and read his column. You will probably agree with most of his thoughts and at other times say to yourself, really?
 
Well, I’m letting the cat is out of the bag — the Hospitality Upgrade Executive Vendor Summit will be held in New Orleans on March 29^th. I can tell you, if we pull one of the planned surprises off this year it will be beyond memorable. Time will tell. If you have any questions about EVS or would like to join us, please email Kim Delaney at kim@hospitalityupgrade.com. We never hesitate to raise the bar at EVS and since we will be in New Orleans it might be a bit dangerous to do anything in a bar. 😊  We hope to see you there!
 
Here now is Doug’s column. It is going to be a very interesting year from all the gossip that has been shared with me and the many industry changes coming. It is going to be an exciting 2023 with industry optimism seeming to be higher than it has been in a long time. Finally!  

Rich 
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
 

January 27, 2023

Definitely Doug

In case you missed my last column from two weeks ago, it included a very short online poll to assess readers’ plans vis-à-vis the two competing technology-oriented trade shows scheduled for June 26-29. I will report the results in my next column, but if you haven’t taken the poll already, I’d really appreciate it if you could complete it now. The average respondent so far needed just over 90 seconds to complete it, and it will help a lot of people who are still undecided whether to head to Las Vegas or Toronto. Thank you!


Electric Vehicle Charging

This week’s topic is Electric Vehicle (EV) charging for hotels. Many luxury hotels have offered this for some time, but it is starting to go mainstream and is now coming onto the radar of many select service and even some economy hotels. But there is a lot of complexity to doing it well and getting business benefits.

I spoke with experts from several companies involved in different parts of the EV charging industry serving hotels and asked them how hotels should think about and evaluate EV charging solutions. There were many common threads and many insights, which I will share. I am indebted to senior executives from Cyber Switching, Evocharge, EVPassport, Stay-N-Charge, and R3charge and thank them for sharing their knowledge and advice. They are all companies I would check out if I were looking for an EV charging solution. These companies offer hardware, software, services, and/or consumer networks to support EV charging.

Why EV Charging for Hotels?

The trend away from Internal Combustion Engines toward electric vehicles is undeniable. EVs account for about 10% of new car sales in the U.S. and have been growing at 40% or more per year for the past six years. Car and Driver identified 43 electric vehicle models on sale in the US in 2023, and this number is roughly doubling every two years. To be sure, the number of EVs on the road is still only around 1% nationwide, although it is as high as 5% in some of the more densely populated areas.  Europe is further along, with CleanTechnica reporting that 27.7% of cars sold in Europe have a plug, and 17.3% are fully electric.

There was little hard data on the percentage of hotels that offer EV charging, although the consensus was that in the US it is probably still somewhat under, but possibly approaching, 10%. However, detailed analysis of hotel claims to offer “EV charging” suggests that many of them only offer charging “nearby” (whatever that means) rather than onsite.

For an EV driver, charging on a long overnight trip is not optional, and doing it at the hotel while they relax, eat, and sleep will be much simpler and less time consuming. While most hotel charging solutions are much slower than public fast chargers and will take overnight rather than 30-45 minutes, that is not an inconvenience to most hotel guests. Overnight charging eliminates the need to wait at or near the charger, as is typical for fast chargers. The cost for slow charging that is typically used in hotels is also much lower, often about 1/3 the cost of fast charging.

 

January 27, 2023

CORPORATE NEWS

- Agilysys Fiscal 2023 Third Quarter Revenue Rises 26.5% To Record $49.9M
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of hospitality software solutions that deliver High Return Hospitality, today reported operating results for its fiscal 2023 third quarter and period ended December 31, 2022.
www.Agilysys.com

January 27, 2023

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Maestro Examines What Independent Hoteliers Want from their PMS’ in 2023
Maestro PMS, one of the hospitality industry’s most trusted and proven provider of cloud and on-premises Web and Mobile property-management systems, is entering the new year with a fresh perspective on what hoteliers want from their mission-critical property systems.
maestropms.com

- Prominent Hospitality Software Solutions Provider Agilysys Receives Two Business Intelligence Group (BIG) Awards
Company receives top accolades for guest- and staff-facing PMS and frictionless PanOptic Kiosk, both of which deliver high return hospitality.
www.agilysys.com

January 27, 2023

MARKETING

- Lodging Interactive Announces 2022 Hotel Christmas Tree Competition Winner
It was a close race, as hotels around the world battled it out for Lodging Interactive’s first annual Instagram Hotel Christmas Tree Competition that aimed to support local hotel charities. The stakes were high, and the competition was fierce, but in the end, only one could come out on top – the JW Marriott Houston Downtown Hotel.
www.lodginginteractive.com

January 27, 2023

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- Marriott International Announces Instant Booking Solution for Meetings and Events with Groups360
Marriott International and Groups360 today announced the launch of Instant Booking for Marriott’s portfolio of hotels in the United States and Canada. Marriott International is the first brand to have a direct integration with Groups360 to offer the “Instant Book” functionality for both guest rooms and meeting space at scale on GroupSync Marketplace, providing planners with a streamlined booking process at the click of a button.
groups360.com

January 27, 2023

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- Cloud5 Launches Mitel Subscription Hosted PBX Offering
Cloud5 Communications, a leading provider of communications and technology solutions for more than 5,000 hotels, MDUs, and commercial facilities across the Americas, has today announced the rollout of its Mitel Subscription offering.
cloud5.com

- Nomadix Releases New Wi-Fi 6 Access Points to Address Market Requirements
Nomadix Inc​., a technology leader in hospitality and multi-tenant industries, today announced expansion of its Nomadix Networks portfolio with two new wireless access points (APs) and a significant firmware update. The APs include a wall plate model (AP 6WB) to address the one-AP-per-room requirement and a wall/ceiling model (AP 6SA) for medium, indoor coverage needs in areas such as corridors, staircases and individual rooms.
nomadix.com

- Hotel Internet Services Ensures High-Speed and Reliable WiFi Connectivity for Graduate Hotels
Located in college towns across the U.S. and U.K., Graduate Hotels leverages HIS technology and expertise to deploy networks capable of addressing modern online behaviors and expectations.
www.hotelwifi.com

January 27, 2023

OPERATIONS

- Curator Hotel & Resort Collection Selects Shiji’s Concept to Power Its Members’ Spa and Golf Management
Shiji's Concept was selected to offer the spa, golf and resort activities management solution as preferred provider for Curator's 97 independent boutique and lifestyle hotels and resorts across the U.S.
shijigroup.com

January 27, 2023

SECURITY

- VENZA Rolls Out Weekly SAQ Demonstrations to Simplify PCI DSS Compliance
VENZA, a leading provider of data protection and regulatory compliance tools for the hospitality industry, has announced the creation of live demonstrations to assist hoteliers in completing elements of the PCI DSS Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) process. This new informational opportunity adds to a growing library of free resources available to VENZA clients.
www.VENZAgroup.com

- The Water Tower Inn Upgrades to the Latest in RFID Security Access Technology by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, a leading provider of advanced security technology for the hospitality industry, has announced a successful upgrade of its VingCard Classic door locks at The Water Tower Inn to VingCard Classic RFID.
assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/hospitality

- Puerto Rico Office Marks Next Step in VENZA's Global Expansion
VENZA has announced the establishment of a new office in Puerto Rico. Located in the capital city of San Juan, VENZA now has a permanent operating space to support the data protection and regulatory compliance goals of clients across the Caribbean region and harness local talent to serve its hospitality clients worldwide.
www.VENZAgroup.com

January 27, 2023

MARKET REPORTS

- Q4 2022 Meeting Volume Outperforms Knowland Meeting Recovery Forecast by 8.4 Percent
Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, released the quarterly update to its U.S. Meetings Recovery Forecast (MRF) and associated Top 25 U.S. Meetings Recovery Forecast (MRF25) realizing strong performance ending 2022 on a high note and shifting 2023 higher than the Q3 forecast.
www.knowland.com

January 27, 2023

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- Davos and the Travel Industry: 5 Takeaways
- ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Hotels Say Goodbye to Daily Room Cleanings and Hello to Robots as Workers Stay Scarce
- How to Find Hotels and Stays with EV Charging
-------------------

Davos and the Travel Industry: 5 Takeaways
ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Hotels Say Goodbye to Daily Room Cleanings and Hello to Robots as Workers Stay Scarce
How to Find Hotels and Stays with EV Charging

January 27, 2023

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- IDeaS Names Winner of Fabian Specht Revenue Optimisation Professional of the Year at HSMAI Europe
IDeaS, a SAS company, the world’s leading provider of hospitality revenue management software and services, announced Raimund Notz from Preferred Hotels & Resorts as the winner of the prestigious Fabian Specht Revenue Optimization Professional of the Year at the recent Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Europe Awards in London.
ideas.com

- IDeaS Scores in Two Categories of the Hotel Tech Awards    
IDeaS, a SAS company, the world’s leading provider of hotel revenue management software and services, announced today it ranked in the Top 10 Global Hotelier’s Choice and Best Places to Work awards in the annual HotelTechAwards.
ideas.com

January 27, 2023

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- Track streaming services usage with the new Nonius Cast Cloud Managed solution
To enhance service and make sure guests are always happy with the amenities offered, hoteliers can count on tracking the usage of their services. Trend analysis helps the staff identify which services are the most popular in between guests and in which circumstances they are used. It’s also an efficient way to recognize possible performance issues or incorrect usage.
noniussolutions.com

- From Digital Keys to Contactless Payments, Here’s How Hilton’s Consumer-Centric Tech Innovations Are Delivering a Frictionless Travel Experience
According to a new Hilton report, “The 2023 Traveler: Emerging Trends that are Innovating the Travel Experience,” people increasingly want a “frictionless” flow throughout their travel journey in 2023 through self-service options that offer greater choice – convenience and control – while maintaining the human touch of personalized service.
www.hilton.com

January 13, 2023

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- McDonald's Is Testing Its First Robot Restaurant with No Human Contact
- Hotels Are Still Too Slow to Adopt Tech Post-Pandemic
- Welcome to the Touch-Free Hotel
- Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse: Opportunities for Hospitality within the Next Tech-Revolution
-------------------


McDonald's Is Testing Its First Robot Restaurant with No Human Contact
Hotels Are Still Too Slow to Adopt Tech Post-Pandemic
Welcome to the Touch-Free Hotel
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse: Opportunities for Hospitality within the Next Tech-Revolution

August 11, 2017

Siegel Sez

by: Rich Siegel

I would consider myself an ideas guy. I come up with ideas, some work but just as many don’t. But you never know unless you try, right? As we prepared for the recent HITEC in Toronto, we wanted to do something to celebrate our 25th year in business. Much has changed since I started a little 20-page newsletter on technology in 1992 and in fact, lots happened before that. So we decided to create a special issue of Hospitality Upgrade that we called the History of Technology with the help of Jon Inge. If you have not seen this issue, click here to get the digital edition. The feedback has been unbelievably positive and we thank those who have shared their stories. But the celebration was at HITEC, what could we creatively do to celebrate and have everybody join in? If you were at HITEC you probably saw the 8-foot high, 15-foot across timeline hanging in our booth. We encouraged attendees to share how the industry and technology has impacted their lives. And boy, did they share. Marriages, divorce, acquisitions, bankruptcies, you name it, they shared it. If you have 90 seconds click here to see how they shared their stories. It is quite funny. Business is business but sometimes it is fun to take a break, especially during the nonstop world of HITEC. Yes, we had a crazy idea and sometimes those ideas actually work. Watch the short video and let me know your thoughts. If you were at HITEC you might be in it!
 
Since today I am only going to focus on ideas that worked, it was 17 years ago where the idea came to being about bringing the technology leaders of the industry together once a year. That was the birth of the CIO Summit. Seventeen years later and four weeks from the event and we are overbooked with the summit. Good problem to have, right? This year in Denver we have more than 75 CIOs registered from every major brand, management companies, vacation ownership and gaming. What a group! The CIO Summit works because we limit sponsors, it is the CIOs’ meeting.
 
Those of you who have been following some of my non-work adventures via Siegel Sez, you know what my real love is, and it is not hotels or technology. It is the magic and beauty that comes with owning a thoroughbred. Our 3-year-old beautiful grey horse that we got as a baby started his racing career this year and to be honest, he didn’t quite understand that it is way more enjoyable to finish the race in front of the other horses, not behind them. If you own a race horse, you dream of running at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York, which is the most beautiful and historic race track in the world. Hoboe ran his first race at Saratoga this past Sunday, and thanks to Victor Vesnaver, you can see what happened by clicking here to watch the race. When it came to the last hundred yards Hoboe couldn’t decide if he wanted to keep running or not. Yes, I am a dreamer and on rare occasions, dreams can come true!
 
Here now is the real reason we are here, the latest and greatest that is happening in the technology space. I thank Ron Hardin for sharing his thoughts along with the news. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Way to go Hoboe!



Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
August 11, 2017

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Ron Hardin


 
I’ve been thinking about that internet thing. My ruminations on the subject were prompted by the news that Cox Communications has acquired Blueprint RF. I congratulate Ron Peterson, Blueprint RF CEO and co-founder, and the rest of his team. “Terms of the deal were not disclosed,” according to the press release, but I hope they all did well. The folks at Blueprint RF are some of the good guys in this business, and they deserve success. When I jumped back into hotel technology management in 1999, we were focused on the coming Y2K catastrophe – overblown, in hindsight, although there were some older applications that ralphed their cookies that night and never returned. But we were just starting to think about providing broadband internet access to our hotel guests. At the time, portable devices were cellular flip phones and laptops with modems. As we scrambled to replace old PBX systems that were sure to die on 1/1/2000, we made sure to upgrade to two phone lines per room, and a two-line phone with a data port for that laptop modem. Barely 2 years later, we were trying to figure out how to affordably and effectively provide “high-speed internet access” in our hotel rooms. Do you remember CAIS? How about Merlot? iBahn? The owner of the hotel company where I worked was a “pragmatic visionary” – he knew the internet would be important, but he just didn’t think that the early crop of solution providers were going to be around for the long term. He didn’t understand the technology, but he knew that feedback from other owners on early installations was shaky, and he could smell the stink of financial failure on the early revenue-share financing deals. By not jumping on that first wave, we were actually well positioned when early wireless network solutions became accepted and available. And I was fortunate to stumble across a scrappy little start-up called StayOnline, founded in 2000 by Antonio DiMilia and Ron Peterson. StayOnline used solid Cisco gear and a slick antenna invented at Virginia Tech that allowed them to get better signal coverage with fewer radios – an effective approach when only a small percentage of guests were using the service. I was fortunate to be one of their first large customers, and they grew and prospered. Ron and Antonio engineered the sale of StayOnline to LodgeNet in 2007, and it became LodgeNet Broadband. In 2011, Ron and team founded Blueprint RF and within a short few years grew that business into yet another market leader in the hotel HSIA space. Their success has led to yet another successful sale, this time to Cox. The press release states that Ron and the team will continue to operate the business under the Cox Business New Business Ventures umbrella.
 
Here’s one hotel techie wishing them the best of luck.
 
Ron Hardin
RonHardin.TECH Consulting
Ron@ronhardin.tech


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Recent headlines, from Hospitality Upgrade
 
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August 11, 2017

TOP O' THE NEWS

- Wyndham Worldwide Announces Plan to Become Two Publicly Traded Hospitality Companies
--------------------------
Wyndham Worldwide Announces Plan to Become Two Publicly Traded Hospitality Companies
Wyndham Worldwide announced plans to spin off the company's hotel business resulting in two separate, publicly traded companies. Wyndham Hotel Group, with headquarters in Parsippany, N.J., will become a new, publicly traded pure-play hotel company with a portfolio of renowned brands. Wyndham Vacation Ownership, with headquarters in Orlando, Fla., will be one of the world's largest publicly traded timeshare companies and will be joined with Wyndham Destination Network, home to RCI, one of the world's largest timeshare exchange companies.
http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com
**

August 11, 2017

MERGERS and ACQUISITIONS

- Cox Communications Acquires Blueprint RF
--------------------------
Cox Communications Acquires Blueprint RF
Cox Communications announced that it has finalized its acquisition of Blueprint RF, a leading managed network solutions provider serving major hotel brands and hotel properties across the United States. The acquisition of Blueprint RF, based in Norcross, Ga., immediately expands Cox Business’ ability to provide an array of managed products and solutions for hotel owners and their guests. Blueprint RF is an approved provider for leading U.S. hotel brands, which allows it to design, install, monitor and support wired and wireless network solutions for companies that own and operate hotel properties.
http://www.blueprintrf.com/
**

August 11, 2017

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Sabre Names Clinton Anderson as President, Hospitality Solutions
- Choice Hotels Appoints Patrick Pacious as President and Chief Executive Officer Succeeding Steve Joyce
- Crescent Hotels & Resorts Appoints Michael Metcalf to Chief Operating Officer
- Dream Hotel Group Appoints Rohit Anand as Vice President of Brand Activation and Partnerships
- Grupo Piñero, Bahia Principe’s Parent Company, Names Encarna Piñero CEO
- Hard Rock International Appoints Antonio Bautista as Senior Vice President of Company Cafe Operations
- Karisma Hotels & Resorts Hires Juan Pablo Franky as Chief Executive Officer in South America
- Debra DeShong Joins MGM Resorts International As Vice President Of Global Industry Affairs
- Omni Hotels & Resorts Names Daniel Surette as New Vice President of Sales
- Harri Appoints Cleo Clarke as Vice President of HR Strategy and Development
- RLH Corp. Moves Corporate Headquarters to Denver After 43 Years in Spokane
--------------------------
Sabre Names Clinton Anderson as President, Hospitality Solutions
Sabre Corporation, a leading technology provider to the global travel industry, named Clinton Anderson as president of Sabre Hospitality Solutions, effective Aug. 7. He will succeed Alex Alt who has accepted an executive position at another company. Anderson joined Sabre in 2014, and he currently serves as senior vice president of strategy where he has been instrumental in key product, technology, business and investment strategy initiatives.
**
Choice Hotels Appoints Patrick Pacious as President and Chief Executive Officer Succeeding Steve Joyce
On July 13, 2017, the Choice Hotels International, Inc., (NYSE: CHH) board of directors announced the appointment of Patrick Pacious as incoming president and chief executive officer. Pacious will assume this role and join the board of directors on September 12, 2017. After serving on the DineEquity, Inc., board for more than five years, Steve Joyce was named the company's chief executive officer, also effective September 12, 2017.
**
Crescent Hotels & Resorts Appoints Michael Metcalf to Chief Operating Officer
Crescent Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel management company and employer of choice in the hospitality industry, has announced the appointment of Michael Metcalf as the company’s chief operating officer. A veteran hotelier, Metcalf possesses more than 25 years of hotel investment, underwriting, asset management and operations experience ranging from resort, luxury, upper upscale, convention, golf and condominium hotels.
**
Dream Hotel Group Appoints Rohit Anand as Vice President of Brand Activation and Partnerships
Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group appointed Rohit Anand as vice president of brand activation and partnerships. In this role, Mr. Anand will lead the company’s efforts to develop and implement immersive brand partnerships, programming and activations across Dream Hotel Group’s brands including Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels, furthering the company’s ethos of immersive hotel experiences.
**
Grupo Piñero, Bahia Principe’s Parent Company, Names Encarna Piñero CEO
Grupo Piñero, the parent company of Bahia Principe – a leader in all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, has appointed Encarna Piñero as chief executive officer. The executive will maintain dual responsibilities as the company’s vice president, a position she has held since 2007. Her new responsibilities will include overseeing the development and execution of the company’s strategy, including the vision and success of Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts.
**
Hard Rock International Appoints Antonio Bautista as Senior Vice President of Company Cafe Operations
Hard Rock International – owner of one of the world's most-recognizable and iconic brands – has appointed Antonio Bautista as senior vice president of company cafe operations. In this new role, Bautista, who has been with the company for more than 20 years, will lead the cafe operations team, including overseeing the brand's area vice presidents, facilities team and retail operations. Bautista will report directly to president of cafe operations of Hard Rock International, Stephen Judge.
**
Karisma Hotels & Resorts Hires Juan Pablo Franky as Chief Executive Officer in South America
Karisma Hotels & Resorts, an award-winning luxury hotel collection which owns and manages properties in Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe, announced the appointment of Juan Pablo Franky as chief executive officer in South America. Bringing with him more than 20 years of industry experience, Franky will spearhead the expansion of Karisma’s renowned brands into Latin America along with operations and sales across South America, starting with the opening of a new office in Bogotá, Colombia.
**
Debra DeShong Joins MGM Resorts International As Vice President Of Global Industry Affairs
MGM Resorts International announced that Debra DeShong has joined its team as vice president of global industry affairs. In this role, Ms. DeShong will lead the global hospitality and entertainment corporation's proactive media relations and messaging strategies for issues affecting MGM Resorts around the world. She will be based in Washington, D.C.
**
Omni Hotels & Resorts Names Daniel Surette as New Vice President of Sales
Omni Hotels & Resorts announced Daniel Surette’s appointment as vice president of sales. With more than 30 years in the industry and 20 years of senior-level sales leadership experience, Surette will be responsible for creating and implementing revenue-generating strategies across the entire luxury hotel brand. Surette will oversee Omni’s global sales team as well as its field area and regional directors of sales and marketing to set budgets and reach business plan objectives. He will report to Peter Strebel, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of sales.
**
Harri Appoints Cleo Clarke as Vice President of HR Strategy and Development
Harri appointed Cleo Clarke as new VP of HR Strategy and Development. Clarke has been in the hospitality industry for over 15 years, most recently as vice president of human resources at Eataly, where he was responsible for leading Eataly's human resources strategies and providing guidance and leadership to the company’s executive staff, C-suite employees, and the field human resources leadership team.
**
RLH Corp. Moves Corporate Headquarters to Denver After 43 Years in Spokane
RLH Corp., started after Expo '74, has moved its corporate headquarters from Spokane to Denver. The shortage of hotel rooms for people visiting the city during the World's Fair became the genesis for RLH Corp., the parent company of Red Lion Hotels. But after 43 years in Spokane, the company is giving up its executive offices in the Inland Northwest.
**


August 11, 2017

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Agilysys Reports Record Quarterly Revenue of $33.9 Million for Fiscal 2018 First Quarter
- Maestro PMS eLearning Simplifies Training, Boosts Staff Productivity for Independents
- StayNTouch Launches Seven Questions Checklist
--------------------------
Agilysys Reports Record Quarterly Revenue of $33.9 Million for Fiscal 2018 First Quarter
Agilysys, Inc., a global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, reported operating results for its fiscal 2018 first quarter ended June 30, 2017. Total net revenue was an all-time quarterly record $33.9 million, compared to total net revenue of $31.0 million in the comparable prior-year period.
http://www.agilysys.com/
**
Maestro PMS eLearning Simplifies Training, Boosts Staff Productivity for Independents
With a legacy of providing property management systems spanning more than 30 years, Maestro’s team understands the needs of hotel operations and systems training. That is why it built online tutorials and e-learning functionality into the family of 20+ Maestro PMS property software solutions.
http://www.maestropms.com/
**
StayNTouch Launches Seven Questions Checklist
A new checklist has been launched by StayNTouch®, to help hoteliers make the right choice when investing in a new hotel solution. The checklist, "7 Questions to Ask Every Hotel Technology Provider Before You Say YES!" was developed to enable lodging companies of all sizes to make better decisions as they consider moving to a new property management system or other hotel solution.
http://www.stayntouch.com/
**
August 11, 2017

RESERVATIONS

- Sabre Releases Report: Nine Technology Trends Shaping Tomorrow’s Travel Industry
- Best Day Travel Group Signs with SiteMinder, Strengthens Offering to Hotels
- Red Planet Hotels Announces Partnership with SiteMinder
- Vertical Booking Increases Portfolio to More Than 5,000 Hotels
- eRevMax Completes Two-way Integration with Go Global Travel
--------------------------
Sabre Releases Report: Nine Technology Trends Shaping Tomorrow’s Travel Industry
Sabre Corporation, a leading technology provider to the global travel industry, has released its latest technology forecast, Sabre Labs’ 2017 Radar Report. The report evaluates nine key technologies with an outsized impact on the travel landscape, looking at what’s happening today and what to expect for tomorrow.
http://www.sabrehospitality.com/
**
Best Day Travel Group Signs with SiteMinder, Strengthens Offering to Hotels
Best Day Travel Group, one of the leading companies focused on the tourism sector in Latin America, announced it has signed a connectivity agreement with SiteMinder, one of the global hotel industry’s leading cloud platforms. The strategic partnership provides Best Day Travel Group’s hotel clients greater reach and growth within international markets, with real-time delivery of reservations for hotels to meet the needs of the dynamic online booking market.
http://www.siteminder.com
**
Red Planet Hotels Announces Partnership with SiteMinder
Eight months after receiving a multi-million dollar investment to accelerate its expansion throughout Asia, Red Planet Hotels, the fast-growing Pan-Asian budget hotel chain, reveals it has begun building its empire with the help of one of the global hotel industry’s leading cloud platforms, SiteMinder. Red Planet Hotels owns and operates 24 hotels in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan, and says employing one of the market’s most powerful distribution technologies is necessary to sell rooms that over the next two years will see exponential growth in numbers. The company’s expansion roadmap includes the opening of four new hotels in 2017 and a further eight hotels before the end of 2018 to offer travelers more than 4,000 rooms in total.
http://SiteMinder.com/
**
Vertical Booking Increases Portfolio to More Than 5,000 Hotels
Vertical Booking, a recognized leader in global reservation technology, announced rapid growth in 2017, with the addition of more than 588 hotels in the first 6 months of the year, bringing the total to more than 5,000 hotels in 106 countries. Vertical Booking’s portfolio of products and services provides hoteliers with access to some of the most innovative technologies in the market, allowing them to focus on driving revenue at their hotels.
http://www.verticalbookingusa.com/
**
eRevMax Completes Two-way Integration with Go Global Travel
eRevMax, the travel technology company for online hotel distribution and connectivity solutions, has completed two-way XML integration with opne of Europe’s leading travel wholesalers, Go Global Travel. Hotels using RateTiger and RTConnect, can leverage the interface to make real-time rate and availability updates and receive bookings generated on the channel directly into their property management system. Go Global Travel is a leading travel wholesaler operating worldwide. The B2B channel, offering a portfolio of more than 200,000 hotels and apartments, is connected to close to 20,000 retail travel agents and tour operators.
http://www.erevmax.com
**
August 11, 2017

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

- Rainmaker Continues Strong Growth Trajectory with Record Setting First Half of 2017
- OTA Insight to provide Innovative Rate Intelligence Tools for
Best Western® Hotels & Resorts
--------------------------
Rainmaker Continues Strong Growth Trajectory with Record Setting First Half of 2017
The Rainmaker Group (Rainmaker), the hotel revenue and profit optimization cloud, experienced record-setting growth through the first half of 2017, adding to its momentum as a global leader in hotel revenue management software and services. Since January 2017 Rainmaker has expanded its reach in the number of properties using its platform, with a 41 percent increase in grouprev® and 21 percent increases in both guestrev® and revintel®. Additionally, in this same time period, Rainmaker’s revcaster® platform has activated nearly 500 new properties globally, surpassing 5,000 active installs for that product line.
http://www.letitrain.com/
**
OTA Insight to provide Innovative Rate Intelligence Tools for Best Western® Hotels & Resorts
Best Western Hotels & Resorts, has selected OTA Insight to provide its industry-leading revenue maximization tools to its global business. OTA Insight’s innovative rate intelligence platform will help drive Best Western’s revenue strategy by supplying real-time dashboard and benchmarking tools to increase profitability. Best Western will benefit from OTA Insight’s state-of-the-art rate parity and online visibility tools. The solution will enable Best Western to monitor locally targeted online travel agency promotions and help ensure the best rate is always available on Best Western’s direct hotel website.
http://www.otainsight.com
**

August 11, 2017

GUEST SERVICES

- ADB Brand Recognition Spreading Industrywide
- Enseo Expands into 250,000 Hotel Rooms, Reaches 44 Million Guests
- Honeywell Implements Building Management, Energy Management Systems Throughout Australia's Crown Perth Complex
- Intelity’s Enterprise App Now Live at Grupo Posadas Hotels
- HotelTap Workplace Cloud Communication Tool Now Available as Mobile App
- Caesars Entertainment Launches the First WeChat Digital Payment Program in Las Vegas
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ADB Brand Recognition Spreading Industrywide
After sponsoring HITEC’s opening party for a second consecutive year, displaying vuTyme in multiple partner booths and embarking on an aggressive public relations and advertising campaign, ADB’s brand recognition is at its peak. The company is making such a name for itself that some of hospitality’s biggest hotel brands and independent hotel owners, from Miami to Beverly Hills, sought out ADB in their efforts to find a more modern in-room entertainment platform. 
http://www.adbglobal.com/, http://www.vutyme.com/
**
Enseo Expands into 250,000 Hotel Rooms, Reaches 44 Million Guests
Enseo®, one of the leading out-of-home media networks, has expanded into 250,000 hotel rooms with its E3® entertainment, networking, and IoT solutions – an increase of 175 percent from 2016. Over the past 12 months, Enseo’s fully monitored, out-of-home network reached more than 44 million guests, doubling 2016’s previously reported 20 million guests.
http://www.enseo.com/
**
Honeywell Implements Building Management, Energy Management Systems Throughout Australia's Crown Perth Complex
Honeywell successfully implemented its networked building management and energy management systems at the new Crown Towers Hotel, which is an expansion of the Crown complex in Perth, Australia. The Honeywell Enterprise Building Integrator (EBI) and Building Management System (BMS) are integrated with Honeywell’s INNCOM guestroom energy management system (EMS) to optimize enterprise building controls, improve energy efficiency, and coordinate access controls, lighting and drapes.
http://www.inncom.com/
**
Intelity’s Enterprise App Now Live at Grupo Posadas Hotels
Intelity announced that the enterprise app it developed for Grupo Posadas S.A.B. de C.V., one of the largest hotel operators in Mexico, is now live at four brands: Live Aqua, Grand Fiesta/Fiesta Americana, Fiesta Inn, One Hotels and Gamma Hoteles. The launch of the Fiesta Rewards app powered by Intelity will enable 141 properties to communicate with guests more effectively throughout their journey and provide them with direct access to hotel services and information.
http://www.intelitycorp.com/
**
HotelTap Workplace Cloud Communication Tool Now Available as Mobile App
Today owners and operators of limited-service hotels with 50+ rooms are communicating with staff and responding to guest requests faster and easier than ever before now that the HotelTap "digital log book in the cloud" is available as a mobile app for Apple and Android devices, as well as Amazon tablets. HotelTap replaces notebooks, paper tickets, sticky notes, internal emails, spreadsheets, text messages and radios for recording and responding to guest requests, performing and tracking maintenance tasks, and resolving customer complaints. The new HotelTap mobile app is designed to share information via push notification between those who need to know, from department to department, employee to manager, and manager to owner.
http://www.hoteltap.com
**
Caesars Entertainment Launches the First WeChat Digital Payment Program in Las Vegas
Caesars Entertainment Corporation (Caesars Entertainment) launched WeChat Pay at 16 select locations inside Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas and The LINQ Promenade, becoming the first in the hospitality industry to offer this prominent Chinese digital payment method in Las Vegas. The initial pilot phase of Caesars Entertainment’s WeChat Pay program began Aug. 8 in the Las Vegas market, echoing Tencent’s month-long global campaign of “wallet-free shopping spree.”
https://pay.weixin.qq.com/index.php/public/wechatpay
**
August 11, 2017

PERSONALIZATION/GUEST EXPERIENCE

- Belle Mont Farm Implements Guestware
--------------------------
Belle Mont Farm Implements Guestware
Guestware, one of the hotel industry’s leading guest experience management software solutions, has announced that Belle Mont Farm in St. Kitts, West Indies has implemented Guestware Select. With 84 cottages, seven farmhouses and five villas, the boutique luxury hotel was seeking a guest response solution to better serve their guests who have traveled far to stay at the stunning property. They selected Guestware based on the advanced technology of the software, and the well-known easy implementation process. Guestware Select is an affordable turnkey solution that leverages cloud hosting and remote deployment to help hotels and resorts optimize the guest experience and improve guest satisfaction scores for the last 20 years.
http://www.guestware.com/
**

August 11, 2017

MARKETING/MANAGEMENT

- Minor Hotels Partners with CRM Leader Cendyn
- Cendyn Partners with roomMaster by InnQuest Software
- HEBS Digital Wins “Best of Show” Summit Creative Award for the LUMA Hotel Times Square Website
- NAVIS Introduces First-to-Market Solution to Recent Vacation Rental Listing Site Changes
--------------------------
Minor Hotels Partners with CRM Leader Cendyn
Cendyn, a leading CRM and sales platform in the hospitality industry, has been selected as the partner of choice for Minor Hotels, a diverse spectrum of hotel chains and brands. Cendyn was selected by Minor Hotels to help drive loyalty and improve engagement with their guests to deliver the right communication, to the right guest, at the right time. Using unrivalled connectivity to third-party vendors, reporting and analytics, Cendyn will provide all five brands in the Minor Hotels group with true intelligence of every guest, across all their hotels, no matter what channel they came through.
http://www.cendyn.com/
**
Cendyn Partners with roomMaster by InnQuest Software
Cendyn has partnered with roomMaster by InnQuest Software, a robust property management system (PMS), to provide hotels with a marketing automation and guest intelligence solution that integrates seamlessly across both platforms. As one of the leading CRM and sales platforms in the hospitality industry, Cendyn is continuously working with partners and hospitality leaders like roomMaster by InnQuest to improve its integration and connectivity capabilities.
http://www.cendyn.com/, http://www.innquest.com/
**
HEBS Digital Wins “Best of Show” Summit Creative Award for the LUMA Hotel Times Square Website
HEBS Digital announced it was awarded “Best of Show,” the Summit Creative Awards’ highest distinction, in the Tourism Website category for its design of the LUMA Hotel Times Square website. The Summit Creative Awards recognizes outstanding advertising and digital work by agencies across the globe.
http://www.hebsdigital.com/
**
NAVIS Introduces First-to-Market Solution to Recent Vacation Rental Listing Site Changes
NAVIS, a reservation sales and marketing technology provider for the hospitality industry, revealed the first-to-market solution in response to the recent HomeAway changes that have created concern and uncertainty for many vacation rental owners and property managers. On June 21st of this year, HomeAway announced that it would no longer distribute booking lead email addresses and phone numbers, creating concerns about the changing algorithms and policies of listing sites. The NAVIS product and engineering teams began working on a solution that would enable property managers to maintain their ability to service and nurture rental demand given these new listing site realities. This important product update will allow NAVIS clients’ inquiry data to still be captured and consolidated into one lead with Narrowcast.
http://www.thenavisway.com/
**
August 11, 2017

BACK OFFICE

- Three Hotel Companies Select Aptech PVNG Enterprise Accounting
--------------------------
Three Hotel Companies Select Aptech PVNG Enterprise Accounting
Aptech Computer Systems, a leading provider of hotel accounting software, hospitality enterprise accounting, budgeting, forecasting and business intelligence systems, announced three hotel companies which operate a total of 10 properties selected Aptech’s PVNG Enterprise Back Office System. PVNG is a browser-based next-generation enterprise hospitality accounting solution with a simple menu structure and easy-to-navigate platform. Companies installing PVNG Enterprise Accounting include Stagewest Hospitality and The Colony Palm Beach.
http://www.aptech-inc.com/
**

August 11, 2017

COMMUNICATIONS/INFRASTRUCTURE

- Choice Hotels International Selects AT&T Connectivity and Mobility
- Technology-inspired Hotel VIA Deploys FiberLAN GPON from DASAN Zhone Solutions to Provide High-speed Internet Access for Guests
--------------------------
Choice Hotels International Selects AT&T Connectivity and Mobility
AT&T* has been selected by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, to deliver internet, Wi-Fi and mobility solutions. Choice Hotels franchises approximately 6,500 hotels representing more than 500,000 rooms worldwide across 11 brands, including Ascend Hotel Collection, Cambria, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn. With AT&T internet and Wi-Fi solutions, Choice Hotels can offer franchisees a single provider to bring fast and reliable connectivity to guests. These solutions are now available at Choice properties across the U.S.
http://www.att.com
**
Technology-inspired Hotel VIA Deploys FiberLAN GPON from DASAN Zhone Solutions to Provide High-speed Internet Access for Guests
Before construction even began, the Hotel VIA management team set out to design a hotel with advanced technology in San Francisco. To deliver state-of-the-art services, Hotel VIA deployed a FiberLAN Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) from DASAN Zhone Solutions (DZS) at the 159-room hotel, which opened its doors in June 2017. As the first new boutique hotel built in San Francisco since 2008, the independent hotel offers technology amenities, such as keyless entry and a mobile concierge service app, to enhance the guest experience.
http://www.dasanzhone.com
**

August 11, 2017

F&B/POINT OF SALE

- Oracle Hospitality Introduces New Data Science Cloud Services to Help Food and Beverage Operators Optimize Every Sale
--------------------------
Oracle Hospitality Introduces New Data Science Cloud Services to Help Food and Beverage Operators Optimize Every Sale
Empowering food and beverage operators to convert data into profit, Oracle Hospitality announced Data Science Cloud Services. With the new services, food and beverage operators gain the ability to analyze key information such as sales, guest, marketing and staff performance data at unprecedented speed – generating insights that lead directly to actionable measures that improve their top and bottom line.
http://www.oracle.com/hospitality
**

August 11, 2017

INVENTORY/PURCHASING

- Casino Pauma Chooses Agilysys Inventory and Procurement Solution to Reduce Costs and Boost Efficiency
- Clear Sky Software, Inc.® Announced the Release of Clear Sky HOUSEKEEPING for the Hospitality Industry
- New Luxury Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Installs the InvoTech RFID Uniform System
--------------------------
Casino Pauma Chooses Agilysys Inventory and Procurement Solution to Reduce Costs and Boost Efficiency
Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, announced that Casino Pauma in Pauma Valley, Calif., has selected the Stratton Warren System (SWS) inventory and procurement solution to streamline its foodservice operation. The agreement continues Agilysys’s expansion in the tribal gaming market. The property’s management team wanted a comprehensive inventory and procurement solution that would automate processes, reduce costs and boost efficiency.
http://www.agilysys.com
**
Clear Sky Software, Inc.® Announced the Release of Clear Sky HOUSEKEEPING for the Hospitality Industry
This new software allows hotels and clubs to track and control their linens, supplies, uniforms and other housekeeping products. Clear Sky HOUSEKEEPING is offered as a complement to the company’s proven food and beverage inventory software and is available immediately for organizations desiring better inventory control of these items.
http://www.clearskysoftware.com
**
New Luxury Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Installs the InvoTech RFID Uniform System
InvoTech Systems, Inc., a solutions provider for hotels, casinos and resorts worldwide, announced The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah implemented its RFID Uniform System to manage uniforms for 600+ person staff. InvoTech has implemented inventory management systems for hundreds of international hotel, casinos and resorts worldwide. InvoTech has several Uniform System installations in the Middle East, but this is the first in Saudi Arabia. The InvoTech Uniform System is used in more than 35 Ritz-Carlton hotels worldwide.
http://www.InvoTech.com
**
August 11, 2017

DATA SECURITY AND CYBER ATTACKS

- Cendyn Joins the Cloud Security Alliance
- IGMAS Achieves Prestigious PCI-QIR Status
--------------------------
Cendyn Joins the Cloud Security Alliance
Cendyn, a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform in the hospitality industry, has announced it has joined the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). This membership with the CSA reinforces Cendyn’s long-standing commitment and heritage with cloud and data security across all its products.
http://www.cendyn.com/, https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/
**
IGMAS Achieves Prestigious PCI-QIR Status
IGMAS Technologies, a leading provider of hospitality infrastructure, application management and support services, announced that it has achieved the prestigious PCI-QIR status documenting its commitment to the security of its clients and their various business operations. PCI DSS provides a baseline of technical and operational requirements designed to protect payment card account data, and is intended for merchants and service providers, and any entity that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data (CHD) and/or sensitive authentication data (SAD). Hotel Systems Solutions (HSS) is a division of IGMAS Technologies, Inc.
http://www.hotelsystemssolutions.com/
**

August 11, 2017

SECURITY

- Galaxy Control Systems’ Integration with ASSA ABLOY Delivers Significant Savings for Installers and Integrators
- Urban Creation Implements ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access and Locking Solutions at its New Stylish Student Accommodations
- SALTO Releases Sleek New AElement Fusion Electronic Hotel Lock With RFID, Wireless and Mobile Technology
--------------------------
Galaxy Control Systems’ Integration with ASSA ABLOY Delivers Significant Savings for Installers and Integrators
Galaxy Control Systems has added to its already impressive list of partners by completing an integration with IP-enabled solutions from ASSA ABLOY Hospitality. The combination of System Galaxy and WiFi and PoE locks from ASSA ABLOY Group brands Corbin Russwin and Sargent will allow end users and integrators to harness the power of these industry-leading solutions at reduced expense.
http://www.assaabloyhospitality.com/
**
Urban Creation Implements ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access and Locking Solutions at its New Stylish Student Accommodations
Bristol, U.K.-based property developer, Urban Creation, has successfully implemented the ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access solution at two of its new student accommodation sites. The Manor House and Charlotte’s Rise, historic buildings converted by Urban Creation into stylish student residences, are now offering secure and convenient access through ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access and VingCard Signature RFID door locks, allowing tenants to gain entry to their rooms and suites with a quick swipe of their mobile device.
http://www.assaabloyhospitality.com/
**
SALTO Releases Sleek New AElement Fusion Electronic Hotel Lock With RFID, Wireless and Mobile Technology
SALTO Systems, a leading manufacturer of electronic access control solutions for hospitality, has released the next level in hotel lock engineering for guestrooms: AElement Fusion. AElement Fusion is an electronic lock with a sleek reader accentuated by an interactive light ring that illuminates when access credentials are presented, providing a minimalistic design that blends with any hotel décor. The AElement Fusion is compatible with RFID and BLE (Bluetooth) technologies that integrate seamlessly with mobile applications including SALTO Systems’ JustIN Mobile.
http://www.saltohospitality.com/
**
August 11, 2017

HOSPITALITY EDUCATION

- HFTP and OpenTravel Announce Newest Partnership in Systems Standards Horizon
--------------------------
HFTP and OpenTravel Announce Newest Partnership in Systems Standards Horizon
The nonprofit groups, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) and OpenTravel Alliance (OpenTravel) have announced a partnership to accelerate the support of travel industry distribution standards, as well as the creation and adoption of hospitality technology standards across the entire spectrum of the global consumer travel experience. To facilitate the intended projects, OpenTravel will co-locate its corporate office with HFTP Global headquarters in Austin, Texas, starting in August 2017. The move will enable the organizations to combine resources to help develop standards that ease communications between disparate technology systems, enabling stakeholders to conduct business more efficiently.  
http://hftp.org/, http://opentravel.org
**

August 11, 2017

HOSPITALITY EVENTS

- HFTP Announces Keynotes for its 2017 Annual Convention
- HFTP Announces Advisory Council for its Second Annual HITEC Amsterdam in April 2018
- HSMAI Accepting Nominations for Top 25 Minds and Lifetime Achievement Awards
- IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Priceline Group, Google, Booking.com, Skyscanner, & Expedia to Meet in Las Vegas This October
--------------------------
HFTP Announces Keynotes for its 2017 Annual Convention
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) added three informative and motivating keynote speakers to the education program for its upcoming Annual Convention 2017, an event the association has produced since 1952. This year’s HFTP Annual Convention is scheduled for October 25–27, 2017, at Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate in Championsgate, Fla.
http://www.hftp.org
**
HFTP Announces Advisory Council for its Second Annual HITEC Amsterdam in April 2018
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), one of the only organizations producing nonprofit hospitality events at an international level, including the world's largest Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), is pleased to announce the advisory council for its second annual HITEC Amsterdam. The next HITEC Amsterdam will take place from April 11–13, 2018 at the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
http://hftp.org/, http://www.hitec.org
**
HSMAI Accepting Nominations for Top 25 Minds and Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is seeking nominations for the HSMAI Lifetime Achievement Awards and the association’s awards honoring the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing and Revenue Optimization. Honorees will be celebrated during the HSMAI Adrian Awards Dinner Reception & Gala on Feb. 20, 2018, at the New York Marriott Marquis.
www.adrianawards.com/gala/lifetime.asp, http://www.hsmai.org
**
IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Priceline Group, Google, Booking.com, Skyscanner, & Expedia to Meet in Las Vegas This October
On October 19-20th, Senior Executives from IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Priceline Group, Google, Booking.com, Skyscanner and Expedia will come together at EyeforTravel’s North America 2017 Summit. The 2017 meeting will attract more than 400 senior travel executives from across North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific – to discuss critical issues and challenges facing travel, as well as strategizing to safeguard against future disruptions in the sector.
**
August 11, 2017

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- RLHC Completes Mobile Payment Integration with MyWallet from MyCheck
- Trump Hotels caught up in data breach (again)
--------------------------
RLHC Completes Mobile Payment Integration with MyWallet from MyCheck
Trump Hotels caught up in data breach (again)
**

August 11, 2017

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what…
 
A man wakes up in the morning and it is 5:55 a.m. The temperature is 55 degrees and the humidity is 55 percent. He turns on his TV to channel 5. He gets up and it is May 5th. He heads to work and his car has 55,555.5 miles on the odometer. He gets to work and goes to the 5th floor. He has five messages. It dawns on him. He rushes to the race track. His ticket is $5 and he is put in section 5, row 5, seat 5. In the fifth race is a horse called, "Double Nickels." He understands fate has spoken. He bets his entire bank account and maxes out all his credit cards. The race is won... Double Nickels came in fifth.
 
**



August 25, 2017

Siegel Sez

by: Rich Siegel

Do you know what GDPR stands for? If you are in the hotel industry you should. If you don’t, I strongly encourage you to read Ron Hardin’s opening to the technology news this week. At times I wonder what the world would be like without lawyers. Kudos to HFTP who earlier this year gathered industry leaders to organize and prepare the hotel industry for the GDPR deadlines that are upcoming in the not too distant future. It is said that the only constant in life is change, and things seem to change at a furious pace.
 
One thing that hasn’t changed:  those who are responsible for the hotel industry’s technology will be coming together in Denver at the CIO Summit in less than two weeks. Hospitality Upgrade’s CIO Summit has a record number of CIOs coming from across the globe to meet with peers for three days. For the first time in the 16 years since it was created, we needed a second hotel to handle the overflow attendance, but thankfully it is only two minutes from the front door of the Kimpton Hotel Born where we are holding our CIO Summit. I guess this is a good problem to have. Wish us luck.
 
Speaking of an amazing event, one thing that has amazed me is how many in the hotel industry love horses the way I do. I have had some great conversations with many who have all become Hoboe fans. Thank you for all the congratulations regarding Hoboe’s winning race which I shared last Siegel Sez. Hoboe ran a second race this past week against older (he is only three years old) and faster horses and nobody expected much. He just missed winning the race by a head. Two trips, two great results at historic Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. Yes, we are in the home stretch of summer but for us it has been a good one! 
 
I will keep this short because I really do want you to read Ron Hardin’s opening. Then there is the technology news and finally I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what.


Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
August 25, 2017

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Ron Hardin

A few months ago, I was having lunch with the head of an information security services group when he asked me what I thought about GDPR. I paused for second, and took a stab: “East Germany? As in, the German Democratic Peoples Republic?" Sadly, no. He was asking about the General Data Protection Regulation, an emerging regulatory initiative of the European Union. According to Wikipedia, the intent of the regulation is “to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union. It also addresses the export of personal data outside the EU. The primary objectives of the GDPR are to give control back to citizens and residents over their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business by unifying the regulation within the EU.”
 
The regulation was adopted in April 2016, and becomes enforceable after a two-year transition period, on May 25, 2018. One controversial aspect of the regulation is “extraterritoriality,” meaning that the regulation applies to organizations outside of the EU who collect, store and process the private data of EU citizens. The requirements are stiff, particularly for organizations not compliant with the preceding EU data protection directive of 1995, which GDPR replaces. And the sanctions range from a written warning of first (and non-intentional) non-compliance, to the imposition of regular periodic data protection audits and fines up to 20 million euros or 4 percent of global enterprise turnover, whichever is greater. Once it was explained to me (slowly), my first thought was that it would be unenforceable on businesses that only operate in the United States, or otherwise don’t have any operations in the EU.  But even if that is true, and you are in that category, chances are that you work with brands or other operators who do have operations in the EU and they will have to comply, which will create a ripple effect for you. And there is always the possibility that new opportunities for growth in your business may arise in the EU, and your organization should be prepared.
 
As I have said before about information security planning and PCI compliance, your first step should be to talk to a lawyer – get a clear legal opinion from a qualified attorney on what your legal liability and responsibilities are for GDPR – and do your own independent research on the subject. Many vendors and service providers are already starting to put out marketing messages which essentially ask, “Are you ready for GDPR?” While the question is valid, who it is coming from reminds me of “Are you ready for Y2K?”, “Are you ready for PCI DSS?”, “Are you ready for the Great Eclipse?” – you get it. There may be a place in YOUR plan for some of these services and products, but come up with your plan first, based on professional legal guidance plus your research, and with the buy-in of ownership and upper management. We’ve all been witness to previous cycles of information security, where many in the early days took the “why should I care” approach, which resulted in publicized data breaches, huge costs and interrupted careers. Keep your head in the game, not in the sand, and not in the clouds, and hopefully, not on a plate.

Ron Hardin
RonHardin.TECH Consulting
Ron@ronhardin.tech
**


August 25, 2017

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- NAVIS Expands Executive Team to Amplify Product and Service Innovations
- Sabre Names Vish Saoji as Chief Technology Officer
- Charles McKee Appointed as Chief Commercial Officer, Americas for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
- Choice Hotels Appoints Raul Ramirez as Vice President, Strategic Finance and Financial Planning & Analysis
- GuestTek Appoints James Jessel as Vice President, Sales - Americas
- John A. Rubino Promoted to Executive Vice President of Interstate’s Crossroads® Hospitality Division
- Irene Hoek Appointed Vice President of Development, Europe for Rosewood Hotel Group
- Telkonet Names Beau Walter New Director of Marketing
- Wyndham Worldwide Announces Spin-off Hotel Company Executive Leadership Team
--------------------------
NAVIS Expands Executive Team to Amplify Product and Service Innovations
NAVIS, a reservation sales and marketing technology provider for the hospitality industry, announced that Jeff Schuett has joined the company as chief technology officer and vice president of technology. NAVIS has also promoted Brise Carpenter to vice president of client success, and Jeff Robertson to vice president of marketing. The newly formed management roster is another key indicator of the company’s momentum and record revenue in the company’s recently completed the fiscal year 2017.
**
Sabre Names Vish Saoji as Chief Technology Officer
Sabre Corporation, a leading technology provider to the global travel industry, announced that it has named Vish Saoji as chief technology officer (CTO), effective Sept. 5. As CTO, Saoji will be responsible for executing Sabre's technology strategy centered on scaling world-class platform capabilities and migrating to an open system environment. Sabre had previously announced Joe DiFonzo as its new CIO, creating two senior executive positions dedicated to technology management to provide additional resources and leadership. With Saoji's hiring, Sabre has completed filling its senior leadership team in conjunction with Sean Menke assuming the role of CEO in December 2016.
**
Charles McKee Appointed as Chief Commercial Officer, Americas for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced it has named Charles McKee as senior vice president and chief commercial officer for the Americas. McKee will report to Ken Greene, president, Americas as well as Eric de Neef, executive vice president, global chief branding and commercial officer. He will be based in Minneapolis.
**
Choice Hotels Appoints Raul Ramirez as Vice President, Strategic Finance and Financial Planning & Analysis
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's leading hotel companies, announced Raul Ramirez has joined the company as vice president, strategic finance and financial planning and analysis. In this position, Ramirez will oversee and direct Choice's existing strategic finance activities and initiatives, including operational analysis, resource allocation, budgeting and forecasting, and multiyear planning. He will also work closely with Choice's senior leadership and key stakeholders to identify additional opportunities to grow the company's core domestic and international businesses.
**
GuestTek Appoints James Jessel as Vice President, Sales - Americas
GuestTek, a global leader in broadband technology and interactive solutions for the hospitality industry, welcomes James Jessel as vice president, sales-Americas. Mr. Jessel has more than 25 years of experience selling and marketing to the hospitality sector, most recently with Bulk TV & Internet as vice president of sales from 2012-2017. At the helm of DIRECTV’s Commercial Division from 1998-2007, Mr. Jessel increased subscriber activations and revenue within the segment, culminating in exponential growth both regionally and nationally. 
**
John A. Rubino Promoted to Executive Vice President of Interstate’s Crossroads® Hospitality Division
Interstate Hotels & Resorts, a leading U.S.-based global hotel management company, announced the promotion of John A. Rubino as executive vice president of Crossroads Hospitality, Interstate's select-service division, effective August 14, 2017. In his new position, Rubino will be responsible for overseeing overall management of the company's 181-hotel portfolio of select-service and extended-stay hotels in North America. Previously, he served as senior vice president of operations in the Crossroads division.
**
Irene Hoek Appointed Vice President of Development, Europe for Rosewood Hotel Group
Rosewood Hotel Group has appointed Irene Hoek as vice president of development, Europe. In this role, Hoek will be responsible for overseeing the development and growth of Rosewood Hotel Group’s footprint in the region. Hoek joins Rosewood Hotel Group with more than 20 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry and branded residential segment. Most recently, she served as the managing director of real estate development at Aman Hotels & Resorts, where she oversaw the growth of the Aman footprint worldwide.
**
Telkonet Names Beau Walter New Director of Marketing
Telkonet, Inc. (OTCQB: TKOI), a leader in intelligent automation and occupancy-based energy management technology, announced the hiring of Beau Walter as director of marketing. Walter is a B2B marketing leader with more than 15 years of professional experience in technology, services, manufacturing and distribution. Walter will be developing and executing Telkonet's overall corporate marketing strategy, managing the marketing team and engaging closely with the sales team.
**
Wyndham Worldwide Announces Spin-off Hotel Company Executive Leadership Team
Wyndham Worldwide announced executive leadership appointments for the new, publicly traded pure-play hotel company to be created by the recently announced 2018 spin-off from Wyndham Worldwide. With 18 brands and more than 8,100 hotels, Wyndham's hotel business is one of the world's largest hotel companies by number of properties. As previously announced, Geoff Ballotti, current CEO of Wyndham Hotel Group, will continue to lead the hotel company as president and CEO. Also recently announced, David Wyshner has joined Wyndham Worldwide as CFO and will become CFO of the new hotel company upon spin.
**
August 25, 2017

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Multiple Infor Solutions Placed on the Constellation ShortList™ for HR, Financial and Customer Experience
- Maestro PMS Earns Repeat Business from Clients with Growing Portfolios
- Software Advice Names RMS in FrontRunners Quadrant for Hotel Management Software
- eRevMax Completes Integration with Hotel Management System Provider hoteliport
--------------------------
Multiple Infor Solutions Placed on the Constellation ShortList™ for HR, Financial and Customer Experience
Infor, a leading provider of beautiful business applications specialized by industry and built for the cloud, announced that it was named to the Constellation ShortList™ for Talent Management Suites, Price Optimization Solutions, Enterprise Cloud Finance, Global Human Capital Management (HCM) Suites and Configure Price Quote (CPQ). Infor was included on the Constellation ShortList because it provides the key functionality and requirements for early adopters as determined by Constellation Research.
http://www.infor.com
**
Maestro PMS Earns Repeat Business from Clients with Growing Portfolios
Attendees at the 2017 STR Hotel Data Conference in Nashville learned the hospitality industry is enjoying its seventh year of RevPAR growth with two more solid years forecasted. Successful independent operators expand their portfolios, and many Maestro PMS users install additional Maestro property management software systems. Maestro property software centralizes guest data, integrates operations and offers mobile and browser based tools to increase staff efficiency and enhance guest service across existing and new properties.
http://www.maestropms.com/
**
Software Advice Names RMS in FrontRunners Quadrant for Hotel Management Software
RMS Hospitality Solutions has placed as a “Master” on the FrontRunners quadrant for hotel management software. More than 130 hotel management products were evaluated for this top honor. RMS achieved Master matrix ranking based on its value score of 3.99/5.0 and its capability score of 3.35/5.0, each of which were determined by customer reviews and product performance details. FrontRunners is published on Software Advice, a trusted resource for software buyers. FrontRunners evaluates verified product data and end-user reviews from softwareadvice.com, capterra.com and getapp.com, positioning the top scoring products based on capability and value for small businesses.
http://www.rmsnorthamerica.com/
**
eRevMax Completes Integration with Hotel Management System Provider hoteliport
Hotel connectivity expert eRevMax has completed two-way integration with Scottish hospitality solution provider hoteliport. Through this partnership, hotels using the hoteliport PMS will be able to update all the channels available in the eRevMax Channel Ecosystem, directly from their hoteliport dashboard. hoteliport Hotel Management Software, developed by  acdit.com, equips hoteliers with a rich suite of tools for management of reservations, rate plans, agents, sales channels, billing and performance reporting.
http://www.erevmax.com, https://www.hoteliport.com
**
August 25, 2017

RESERVATIONS

- SHR Named to Inc. 5000 List for Sixth Time
- SHR Buys European Firm Cross-Tinental
- Upscale Washington Hotel Recommends eRevMax for Online Distribution
--------------------------
SHR Named to Inc. 5000 List for Sixth Time
SHR, Sceptre Hospitality Resources, a leading provider and pioneer of advanced hotel distribution technologies, has been named to the Inc. 5000 list for the sixth consecutive year. The list is a prestigious and reputable annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and serves as a celebration of innovation and entrepreneurial leadership, ranking companies by overall revenue growth over a three-year period. The company’s continued inclusion on the list has marked its rapid growth and its consistent push for the kind of technical innovation for which the SHR team is known. This growth is reflected in true numbers, with SHR consistently exceeding its revenue goals, increasing sales each year by almost 30 percent since 2012.
http://www.shr.global/
**
SHR Buys European Firm Cross-Tinental
SHR, Sceptre Hospitality Resources, a leading provider and pioneer in the field of hotel distribution technology, has purchased Cross-Tinental, a well-known leader in the European hospitality tech consultancy sector, and reseller for SHR products. This purchase serves to immediately jump start SHR’s already growing European presence, giving the company a broader base to build upon in the coming years.
http://www.shr.global/
**
Upscale Washington Hotel Recommends eRevMax for Online Distribution
Beacon Hotel & Corporate Quarters has recommended eRevMax distribution solutions for improving online sales. One of Washington, D.C.’s premier hotels, the property has been using RTConnect for managing rates and inventory on multiple online sales channels directly from its property management system. Beacon Hotel & Corporate Quarters, an upscale boutique hotel with 199 rooms, caters to business and leisure travellers – both international and domestic. The team is leveraging RTConnect to manage rates and inventories in real time to ensure availabilities are up to date on all sales channels for maximizing booking opportunities.
http://www.erevmax.com/
**
May 19, 2017

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- TrustYou Names New U.S. Head of Sales, Continues Rapid Growth
- Kevin Carey Appointed as EVP, Chief Operating Officer of AHLA
- Eric De Neef Appointed as the Executive Vice President, Global Chief Branding & Commercial Officer of Carlson Rezidor
- Andrew Skobe Appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Carlson Hotels, Inc.
- Dream Hotel Group Appoints Christian Cooper as Vice President of Information Technology
--------------------------




TrustYou Names New U.S. Head of Sales, Continues Rapid Growth
Jennifer Graziano has joined TrustYou, one of the world's largest guest feedback platforms, as its new U.S. head of sales. She will oversee TrustYou’s business development and account management strategy, working to increase market share and reach with major hotels across the United States. Graziano brings more than 15 years of sales experience through a unique blend of enterprise relations and firms in the travel industry, having held positions in organizations ranging from Oracle to Oakwood Corporate Housing.
**
Kevin Carey Appointed as EVP, Chief Operating Officer of AHLA
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced the appointment of Kevin Carey as executive vice president and chief operating officer. This newly created position marks a pivotal point in AHLA’s recent evolution and will ensure that the organization is well positioned to build new revenue streams and further enhance value creation for its 24,000-strong membership base. Carey comes to AHLA from American Express where he held senior roles in the company’s payments and business travel units.
**
Eric De Neef Appointed as the Executive Vice President, Global Chief Branding & Commercial Officer of Carlson Rezidor
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced the promotion of Eric de Neef as the executive vice president, global chief branding and commercial officer effective immediately. In his new role, de Neef, currently executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Rezidor Hotel Group (EMEA), will assume additional responsibilities and lead the branding and commercial organization for the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group globally.
**
Andrew Skobe Appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Carlson Hotels, Inc.
Carlson Hotels, Inc., announced it has named Andrew Skobe executive vice president and chief financial officer. Skobe is based in Minneapolis and reports to John Kidd, newly appointed CEO of Carlson Hotels. In his new role, Skobe will be responsible for Carlson Hotels' finance, accounting, tax, insurance and treasury functions, as well as directing strategic investments and strategic sourcing for the company.
**
Dream Hotel Group Appoints Christian Cooper as Vice President of Information Technology
Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group appointed Christian Cooper as vice president of information technology. In this role, Cooper will lead the innovation and implementation of several large-scale IT initiatives to support the rapid growth and expansion of Dream Hotel Group and its portfolio of brands – Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels.
**

May 19, 2017

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- StayNTouch and MGM Resorts International Redefining Hotel Check-in on the Las Vegas Strip and Beyond
--------------------------
StayNTouch and MGM Resorts International Redefining Hotel Check-in on the Las Vegas Strip and Beyond 
StayNTouch, Inc., announced a strategic partnership with MGM Resorts International, among the world's leading entertainment companies, to provide an intuitive check-in and checkout process across all of its properties. To date, the StayNTouch platform has been installed at 15 MGM Resorts destinations, delivering increased guest satisfaction and a boost in hotel operational efficiency. MGM Resorts intends to install mobile check-in capability at all properties by the end of 2017.
http://www.stayntouch.com
**

May 19, 2017

RESERVATIONS

- Hospitality International Selects Sabre as its Strategic Technology Provider
- SiteMinder Penetrates Latin America, Signs RQ Grupo Hotelero as 26,000th Hotel
--------------------------
Hospitality International Selects Sabre as its Strategic Technology Provider
Hospitality International, a full-service online hotel franchisee company, with five distinct brands, Red Carpet Inn, Scottish Inns, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn, has selected Sabre Hospitality Solutions as a preferred technology provider for its more than 280 hotels. Under the agreement, Hospitality International hotel owners will have access to Sabre’s best-in-class central reservation system (CRS), booking engine and call center services. Sabre’s CRS is powered by the SynXis Enterprise Platform, which integrates critical hospitality systems to provide a single view of the guests giving hoteliers the tools to deliver a seamless guest experience at every step of the guest journey.
http://www.sabrehospitality.com
**
SiteMinder Penetrates Latin America, Signs RQ Grupo Hotelero as 26,000th Hotel
SiteMinder, one of the global hotel industry’s leading cloud platforms, announced it has surpassed 26,000 hotel customers with the signing of RQ Grupo Hotelero, an established provider of extended-stay accommodation in Chile’s major business districts. The signing of RQ Grupo Hotelero’s properties in Santiago, Providencia and Las Condes comes mere weeks after SiteMinder’s exhibition at World Travel Market Latin America and the company says it plans to only deepen its penetration within the region.
SiteMinder.com
**


May 19, 2017

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

- The Rainmaker Group Maintains Leadership Position in Hospitality Pricing Optimization and Intelligence Sector with Record-setting Growth in Q1 2017
--------------------------
The Rainmaker Group Maintains Leadership Position in Hospitality Pricing Optimization and Intelligence Sector with Record-setting Growth in Q1 2017
The Rainmaker Group (Rainmaker), one of the industry leaders in profit optimization and intelligence solutions for the gaming and hospitality market, announced record-setting growth during the first quarter of 2017, welcoming more than 200 additional properties to its rapidly expanding global client base. In addition to growing the number of users for its comprehensive platform of pricing optimization and intelligence solutions, many existing Rainmaker clients also expanded their agreements during this time period, with several hotel groups taking their current Rainmaker solutions portfoliowide or implementing additional solutions from the Rainmaker platform to augment those already in use at their properties.
http://www.LetItRain.com
**


May 19, 2017

PERSONALIZATION/GUEST EXPERIENCE

- dormakaba, Intelity, StayNTouch Announce Webinar to Simplify Mobile Adoption
- Callaway Gardens Implements Guestware
--------------------------
dormakaba, Intelity, StayNTouch Announce Webinar to Simplify Mobile Adoption
Three of hospitality's leading mobile solutions companies dormakaba, Intelity and StayNTouch announced a collaborative webinar on May 31st at 1pm EST (10am PST) that will show operators how to plan and execute a mobile strategy that delivers a positive guest experience and creates greater operating efficiency. “Leveraging the Power of Mobility: The New way to Satisfy Guests” will be hosted by executives from dormakaba, StayNTouch and Intelity. In the webinar (register here), hoteliers will learn: How to offer guest convenience, access and an enhanced guest experience via mobile, why offering guests a choice in service is essential to increasing guest satisfaction, and how to stay ahead of the technology curve with the right mobile solutions.
http://www.kabalodging.com, http://www.intelitycorp.com, http://www.stayntouch.com
**
Callaway Gardens Implements Guestware
Guestware, one of the hotel industry’s most comprehensive and flexible guest experience management softwares, has announced that Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga., has implemented Guestware Select. The popular destination needed a comprehensive guest response and preventative maintenance solution for its sprawling 13,000 acres of breathtaking gardens, four hotels and conference and recreation facilities. Utilizing a shared call center, the properties can immediately dispatch guest requests with Guestware’s rapid response tool directly to the staff’s mobile devices at any property.
http://www.guestware.com
**


May 19, 2017

GUEST SERVICES

- Bulk TV Earns No. 10 Spot Among Best Employers in North Carolina
- Honeywell's Hotel Guestroom System Upgrades Southern Hospitality at Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead
- Five-star Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Chooses Teledex Phones
--------------------------

May 19, 2017

MARKETING/MANAGEMENT

- TrustYou and Welcome Systems Form Strategic Partnership to Help Hotels Collect Guest Reviews
--------------------------
TrustYou and Welcome Systems Form Strategic Partnership to Help Hotels Collect Guest Reviews
Pursuing the joint goal of facilitating the hotelier’s everyday business and enhancing bookings, TrustYou, one of the world’s largest guest feedback platforms, and Welcome Systems, the British hospitality company behind the popular Welcome Anywhere hotel booking system, announced their new strategic partnership. Welcome Systems’ users now have free access to TrustYou Stars Lite, an advanced software solution to collect, analyze and market guest reviews.
http://www.trustyou.net
**

May 19, 2017

BACK OFFICE

- WoodSpring Hotel Property Management Implements Hotel Effectiveness in 107 WoodSpring Suites
- Tendoto Systems Launches Enterprise SaaS Platform To Measure Workforce Awareness
--------------------------
WoodSpring Hotel Property Management Implements Hotel Effectiveness in 107 WoodSpring Suites
WoodSpring Hotel Property Management has chosen Hotel Effectiveness as the labor management provider for its company-managed WoodSpring Suites properties. This partnership adds 107 hotels to the rapidly growing list of hotels using Hotel Effectiveness’ complete suite of labor management tools. The partnership provides the WoodSpring property managers with cutting-edge tools to match its employee schedules with their business volumes. It also improves the level of visibility into each property’s efficiency and allows WoodSpring to identify best practices across its company-managed locations.
http://www.hoteleffectiveness.com
**
Tendoto Systems Launches Enterprise SaaS Platform To Measure Workforce Awareness
Tendoto Systems announced the launch of the Blast Platform™, a workforce awareness enterprise platform that enables organizations to build, execute and measure organizational awareness. GameBlast™, the first application on the Blast Platform, enables fun and fast interactions with employees at all levels to deliver measurable awareness of mission -critical information. With GameBlast, organizations can improve employee awareness, elevate engagement and reduce turnover. The Blast Platform is built from direct experience with customers in the hospitality and distribution industries, where organizations successfully improved customer service, product knowledge and safety culture using Tendoto's previous product, Edify™.
http://blastapp.io
**


May 19, 2017

F&B/POINT OF SALE

- PAR Technology and TempAlert Announce IoT Partnership
--------------------------
PAR Technology and TempAlert Announce IoT Partnership
ParTech, Inc. (PAR), a leading global provider of point-of-sale (POS) and workforce efficiency solutions for the restaurant and retail market, announced that TempAlert, a specialist in temperature monitoring, has become an IoT integration partner with PAR’s SureCheck^® Advantage Food Safety Solution. ParTech, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR). TempAlert will seamlessly integrate with SureCheck to enable 24x7 remote monitoring. Combined, these solutions maximize operational efficiency, compliance and quality control.
https://www.partech.com, https://www.tempalert.com/
**


May 19, 2017

SECURITY

- JUCY Snooze Christchurch Integrates ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access for Complete Guest Convenience
- Israel-based Self Check-in Startup Announces Official Status as ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Certified Partner
--------------------------
JUCY Snooze Christchurch Integrates ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access for Complete Guest Convenience
JUCY Snooze, a unique pod-hostel accommodation concept from JUCY New Zealand, opened its first property at Christchurch Airport in late 2016, with the installation of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access for keycard-free entry and security. JUCY Snooze Christchurch is currently using the ASSA ABLOY Hospitality app to implement Mobile Access using VingCard Signature RFID door locks. Self-check-in stations have also been installed to eliminate the need for a traditional guest reception.
http://www.assaabloyhospitality.com
**
Israel-based Self Check-in Startup Announces Official Status as ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Certified Partner
Guest Experience enhancement mobile application startup, Check-In, announced its official status as an ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Certified Partner. This certification gives the Check-In app advanced capability, allowing guests to use the application to enter hotel rooms equipped with VingCard locks, through a simple swipe of their smartphones. Check-In, an ambitious small business based out of Israel (startup nation), aims to revolutionize the hotel guest experience and interaction with hotel staff.
http://www.assaabloyhospitality.com
**


June 02, 2017

Siegel Sez

by: Richard Siegel

It is June, so if you are in the technology or revenue management space there is a good chance you are heading to Toronto in three weeks to attend HITEC and HSMAI’s ROC. There are many reasons to attend these events, especially the networking with peers and visiting the exhibit halls to see the latest and greatest in the world of technology. I went to my first HITEC in 1984 and haven’t missed one since, so that means two things: I have seen the amazing growth of the event and I need to accept that I am getting older! When I started attending HITEC as a vendor I remember how I would rarely go to the education sessions except for the occasional general session. That slowly started to change and I was always amazed at the people I would meet in the sessions. Then back in the early ‘90s I was entrusted to create a session for HITEC, and since then have been part of some amazing presentations. I bring this up because right now I am preparing for hopefully a great one. There are always numerous technology projects going on in the industry, but there is nothing bigger than what IHG is doing in the world of central reservations. The company has been using its Holidex system since 1965, but it is in the midst of replacing it. I am thankful IHG will be joining my session and sharing what they have experienced with a project of this magnitude, why they are doing it and most importantly, where they hope to go with their new system. In this session we will keep focused on the world of reservations with the speakers sharing what hotels should be doing with social media to lessen the cost of guest booking, and we will share successful stories on how to get guests to book direct. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, June 28, at 3:45 p.m. It should be a great hour of your time.

Yes, this is a busy time for those of in the hotel technology world and especially for us here at Hospitality Upgrade. We are completing both our big summer issue and a special edition, the industry’s first-ever History of Technology. You will receive both if you are attending HITEC. Imagine what it would cost to automate a hotel in the ‘80s compared to what it costs now. The answers will surprise you. Try to figure out who the vendors were in the ‘70s and ‘80s and where they are today, as we followed all the acquisitions, mergers and those that failed. It was quite a trip down memory lane. Those that have seen our History of Technology have said it doesn’t matter if you have been in the industry five years or 50 years, you will get a lot out of the stories that were shared. I would love to share the list of those who helped us create it, but that would take forever. The big thanks goes to Jon Inge who was there from the beginning and was masterful in his leading the charge to create this amazing issue. If you are not a subscriber, please click here and you will also get this special issue in its digital format. Another announcement for Hospitality Upgrade is our brand new website that we will launch at HITEC. Talk about a labor of love, but it is beautiful and has so much more functionality and content for our readers. We are very excited about both as we take a fascinating look back at the History of Technology and we continue to look forward and provide cutting-edge technology content for an industry that we love.

Here now is the real reason we are here, our look back at the recent technology happenings. Yes, it is June 2 and the next three weeks will be nonstop updates as we get closer and closer to HITEC. We will be sharing all these updates with you via this Siegel Sez and Hospitality Upgrade’s Watercooler e-newsletter that is sent out to our subscribers. Put your seatbelt on as we start this wild ride. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Toronto here we come!

Rich@HospitalityUpgrade.com
June 02, 2017

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Dan  Phillips
Recent headlines, from Dan Phillips

Introduction

Remember the days when our first question to any technology vendor (think PBX, POS, CAS, VMS) was whether or not they interfaced to the selected PMS? Interface was the word that the GM used to sound techy. Then we brought out the two-way interface, and then that slipped into the term, integration.

Well, I have put three apparently disparate articles into the Piqued Dan’s Interest section below. But, they do have at least one common denominator. To many readers the commonality might be something they have yet to hear about, and most likely many have not yet seen. But, I dare say, it should be one of the most sought-after technologies at HITEC in Toronto just a few weeks away.

What might it be? Some might call it a black box, or a hub, or more recently, a service bus. What does it do? It speaks and understands the language of interface. More directly, it seamlessly integrates with pretty much every system a hotel might install and then communicates between them.

When we talk about enhancing guest services, and personalization, and experience, and focused marketing, and guest recognition, and geo-location-driven content, and all of the other sexy things at HITEC, more than likely in order for them to do everything they claim, they will need a service bus.

Just like a fancy car has an engine under the hood, to get the solutions you want, you will need to do more than kick the tires; you need to find a bus!

I look forward to serving you,

Dan Phillips
Dare to Imagine

dphillips@dare2i.com
June 02, 2017

MERGERS and ACQUISITIONS

- Best Western Hotels & Resorts Acquires Sweden Hotels
--------------------------

Best Western Hotels & Resorts Acquires Sweden Hotels
Best Western Hotels & Resorts announced the addition of Sweden Hotels – one of Scandinavia’s largest hotel groups – to the Best Western global family. As a result of the acquisition, Best Western Hotels & Resorts is now the largest hotel brand in Sweden, totaling 135 properties across the country – leading with 55 more properties than its next competitor. Founded in 1977, Sweden Hotels has provided quality hotel solutions to Scandinavia for more than 40 years. By adding 59 properties to the growing Best Western family, the brand’s guests are provided with increased opportunities to participate in the award-winning Best Western Rewards® (BWR®) program and even more destinations to visit.
https://www.bestwestern.com/

June 02, 2017

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Scott Socha Named President of Delaware North’s Parks and Resorts Business
- Dream Hotel Group Appoints Rob Dellibovi as Vice President of Global Sales
- Great Wolf Resorts Names Edward Malinowski as Chief Information Officer
- RLHC Names Calvin Anderson Senior Vice President and Chief of Revenue Optimization
--------------------------

Scott Socha Named President of Delaware North’s Parks and Resorts Business
Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality and food service, announced that Scott Socha has been appointed to the role of president of the company’s parks and resorts business. In this role, Socha will provide strategic direction and ensure that short and long-term plans are in place to drive business and enhance the company’s destination proprieties. The parks and resorts subsidiary provides hospitality services at state and national parks, historic attractions and Delaware North-owned resorts such as the award-winning Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite. Socha, who most recently served as a Delaware North vice president and the company’s treasurer, will continue to be based at Delaware North’s global headquarters in Buffalo, N.Y. He will transition into the new position beginning April 1.
**

Dream Hotel Group Appoints Rob Dellibovi as Vice President of Global Sales
Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group announced the appointment of Rob DelliBovi as vice president of global sales for Dream Hotel Group and its portfolio of brands: Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels. Bringing more than 15 years of corporate sales experience, DelliBovi most recently served as vice president of global sales for Dream Hotels, the company’s founding luxury lifestyle brand.
**

Great Wolf Resorts Names Edward Malinowski as Chief Information Officer
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., announced that Edward Malinowski will join North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts on June 5 and serve as the company’s chief information officer (CIO). Malinowski joins Great Wolf Resorts from Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in Hong Kong, where he served as the company’s chief information officer overseeing the brand’s worldwide IT operations. Malinowski will manage the team responsible for managing the entire IT infrastructure, providing vision, strategy and IT governance across Great Wolf Resorts’ 14 lodge locations and corporate offices.
**

RLHC Names Calvin Anderson Senior Vice President and Chief of Revenue Optimization
RLHC (Red Lion Hotels Corporation) has continued its innovative and forward-thinking ways with the addition of Calvin Anderson as senior vice president and chief of revenue optimization. In this new role, Anderson will directly oversee all revenue management; work closely with global sales for contracting, quoting and corporate pricing strategy; and lead all aspects of RLHC pricing strategies, including, but not limited to, yielding, data analytics and incentive configuration. He will also co-sponsor all strategic marketing efforts through data analytics and attribution modeling. Anderson joins RLHC from Duetto, where he was vice president of managed services for the past two years. He also has senior revenue leadership experience at Hilton, Marriott and Highgate Hotels, among others.
**

June 02, 2017

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Pursuit Selects Maestro Web Multi-Property PMS for 15 Properties Totaling 1,400 Rooms
- MyCheck Mobility Achieves Oracle Validated Integration with Oracle Hospitality’s OPERA 5 Property System
- "RMS Hotel" to Give HITEC Attendees an Interactive Virtual Tour of The Hospitality Cloud
- FCS Streamlines Connectivity and Efficiency with Integration of CosmoPMS and FCS Unicorn
- IBC Marketplace Now Serving as Technology Management Hub for Independent Hotels
- Leeu Collection Standardizes Systems for Its Recently Acquired Linthwaite House Hotel with the Help of Xn protel Systems
--------------------------

Pursuit Selects Maestro Web Multi-Property PMS for 15 Properties Totaling 1,400 Rooms
Maestro PMS announced that Pursuit, an international independent hospitality destination company, selected the Maestro Web Property Management Suite to consolidate hotel management operations at Pursuit’s 15 distinctive lodging properties with more than 1,400 rooms. Maestro PMS is one of the preferred cloud and on-premise property management solutions for independent hotels, resorts, conference centers, and multiproperty groups. Pursuit is a collection of adventure travel experiences in Alaska, Montana, the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver, BC, Canada.
http://www.maestropms.com
**

MyCheck Mobility Achieves Oracle Validated Integration with Oracle Hospitality’s OPERA 5 Property System
MyCheck, a leading provider of mobile payment platform solutions and Gold level member of the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), announced it has achieved Oracle Validated Integration of its MyWallet and Front Desk Widget solutions with Oracle Hospitality's OPERA 5 Property System. To achieve Oracle Validated Integration, Oracle partners are required to meet a stringent set of requirements to ensure solutions successfully and reliably meet the needs and priorities of the customers. With MyWallet integrated to OPERA v5, as a "master" mobile wallet, MyWallet enables guests to store multiple payment types, plus traditional credit cards, debit cards and pre-paid cards. With the Front Desk Widget integrated to OPERA v5, guests can view their hotel reservations, choose a room type, upgrade room types, check in remotely, view the folio, check out remotely, and change their payment types on the fly.
http://www.mycheck.io, http://www.oracle.com/hospitality
**

FCS Streamlines Connectivity and Efficiency with Integration of CosmoPMS and FCS Unicorn
FCS Computer Systems (FCS), a leading provider of operations-enhancing technology solutions and services, has announced the integration of its FCS Unicorn call accounting and interface gateway solution with CosmoPMS, a cutting-edge SaaS-based property management platform designed specifically to meet the needs of smaller properties. As a solution that provides these hoteliers with the tools needed to streamline operations such as guest reservations, rate pricing and room availability, CosmoPMS' compatibility with FCS Unicorn now further ensures the ability to attain full operational efficiency via seamless communication and management of back-end systems and services.
http://www.fcscs.com
**

IBC Marketplace Now Serving as Technology Management Hub for Independent Hotels
IBC (InnDependent Boutique Collection), a leading provider of hospitality technologies for independent hotels, announces that its IBC Marketplace has evolved from a stand-alone central reservation system (CRS) to an online portal for centrally managing all property technologies, including CRS, property management system, marketing, loyalty program, rate shopping, revenue management and more. This customizable, enhanced functionality will equip independent hotel operators with the tools they need to manage their hotel assets, including rates and loyalty in one place, determine which channels are generating the most business, and see which marketing programs are succeeding or failing and then retargeting offers for a better return on investment.
http://www.ibchospitality.com
**

Leeu Collection Standardizes Systems for Its Recently Acquired Linthwaite House Hotel with the Help of Xn protel Systems
Global hospitality management software company Xn protel Systems announced the Linthwaite House Hotel, part of the Leeu Collection, is replacing its existing systems with protel SPE PMS and xnPOS Point of Sale systems. The PMS implementation includes integration to PABX, GDS/web booking/channel manager, CRM, revenue management and the Leeu Collection’s existing procurement platform.
http://www.xnprotel.com
**

June 02, 2017

RESERVATIONS

- Vertical Booking Introduces New Premium Booking Engine
--------------------------

Vertical Booking Introduces New Premium Booking Engine
Global reservation technology leader Vertical Booking announced the release of its new Premium Booking Engine. The Vertical Booking CRS booking engine allows guests to book services and accessories in addition to their stay, through the dynamic packaging function. After selecting the room type and rate, guests may choose extra services, such as airport pickup, car rental, spa treatments or tickets for destination tours.
http://www.verticalbookingusa.com
**

June 02, 2017

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

- The Rainmaker Group Solves Revenue Management Challenges to Bolster Growth at Westgate Las Vegas
--------------------------

The Rainmaker Group Solves Revenue Management Challenges to Bolster Growth at Westgate Las Vegas
The Rainmaker Group has successfully deployed its comprehensive suite of revenue management and business intelligence solutions at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, a popular casino resort that is celebrated for its variety of suites, onsite amenities, customer service and prime location adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center. In late 2016, the Westgate Las Vegas team deployed Rainmaker’s guestrev®, grouprev® and revcaster® solutions to optimize property pricing and revenues, with grouprev aiding the team in managing its impressive 200,000 square feet of meeting space. Since the implementation, the team at Westgate Las Vegas has seen a significant increase in YOY revenue, which is due in large part to the Rainmaker platform’s ability to provide a deeper understanding of demand by various customer segments.
http://www.LetItRain.com
**

June 02, 2017

PERSONALIZATION/GUEST EXPERIENCE

- Runtriz Leverages DataArt’s Expertise and ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Technology to Deliver “Front of the Line™” Program to Hotels
- Guestware Releases New Features
--------------------------

Runtriz Leverages DataArt’s Expertise and ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Technology to Deliver “Front of the Line™” Program to Hotels
DataArt has announced that it was selected by Runtriz in partnership with ASSA ABLOY Hospitality to help enhance its “Front of the Line” feature to reward guests with a VIP-level experience. It is unique as it builds on Runtriz’s installed base in more than 100 countries to enable hotel guests to use their mobile device to not only check in prior to their arrival, but additionally bypass the front desk at enabled hotels and head straight to their room, entering with Runtriz’s mobile key. The ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access solution greatly increases the guest experience, to allow guests to skip front desk lines and access their rooms via a secure, encrypted digital key on their smartphones.
http://www.assaabloyhospitality.com, http://www.dataart.com, http://www.runtriz.com
**

Guestware Releases New Features
Guestware, one of the hotel industry’s most comprehensive guest experience management (GEM) systems, announced a new release of its cloud software solution. The latest version adds new features and offers even greater ease-of use. Building on more than 20 years of technology, the latest version expands the Welcome Intelligences® algorithms empowering hotel staff to personalize guest’s experiences. Highlights include reoccurring automatic guest request fulfillment, multi-incident guest request entry, reservation event triggered dispatch, and much more. The latest release adds more automation so hotel staff can focus on serving their guests.
http://www.guestware.com
**

June 02, 2017

GUEST SERVICES

- Hilton Launches Revolutionary New Guestroom, Five Feet to Fitness™
- Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) – One of Marriott International’s Loyalty Programs — Further Elevates The Member Experience Through Mobile Check-in
- ADB Enhances its 4th Generation vuTyme IRE Solution
- Intelity Recognized by Info-Tech Research Group as an In-Room Tablet Technology Champion
--------------------------

Hilton Launches Revolutionary New Guestroom, Five Feet to Fitness™
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) has unveiled Five Feet to Fitness™, an in-room wellness concept that brings more than 11 different fitness equipment and accessory options into the hotel room. The rooms are part of Hilton's innovation efforts to modernize the hospitality fitness experience and make it more inclusive for all by redeveloping fitness centers and offering fresh fitness concepts tailored to the hotel's location and regular guests. The new room type features an indoor bike from British cycling innovator Wattbike that is used for either longer "indoor-cycling" type exercise sessions or focused interval-training workouts. Next, dynamic Gym Rax™ functional training station provides unlimited strength, core, suspension and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) style workouts to guests. At the heart of the concept is the Fitness Kiosk, a touch-screen display embedded within the Gym Rax system where guests receive equipment tutorials and follow guided workout routines. In partnership with Aktiv Solutions, Hilton has created more than 200 bespoke fitness videos in categories ranging from cardio, cycling, endurance, strength, HIIT, yoga, stretch and recovery.
http://www.hiltonworldwide.com/
**
 

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) – One of Marriott International’s Loyalty Programs — Further Elevates The Member Experience Through Mobile Check-in
Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG®), an award-winning loyalty program that is part of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR), has launched SPG Mobile Check-In for members at 22 hotels in the United States. More hotels will begin offering this feature exclusively on the SPG Mobile app with the global rollout completed by the end of 2017. Marriott first launched mobile check-in, checkout and room-ready alerts in 2013. It is now available at all hotels that were in the Marriott portfolio before the company’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Marriott is now beginning to offer these convenient app features for SPG members checking in at Westin, Sheraton, St Regis, Four Points, Le Meridien, Tribute Portfolio and The Luxury Collection hotels. Enhancing and personalizing guests mobile experience is a focus for Marriott as more than half of smartphone owners use their devices for travel-related activities.
http://www.marriottnewscenter.com
**

ADB Enhances its 4th Generation vuTyme IRE Solution
At this year's HITEC, ADB will showcase its enhanced vuTyme 4.4, a robust in-room entertainment system packed with scalable features supporting all hotel tiers, from economy to luxury. vuTyme 4.4 is fully customizable and contains three choices of user interface, enabling hoteliers to apply their unique branding guidelines to unify the look and feel for guests. Each feature-set contains advertising campaigns, digital signage and local/hotel program channel. vuTyme by ADB will be on display at HITEC Toronto June 26 to 29 in booth No. 337.
http://www.adbglobal.com, http://www.vuTyme.com
**

Intelity Recognized by Info-Tech Research Group as an In-Room Tablet Technology Champion
Intelity, an innovator and leader in hospitality guest service technology,
was recognized by Info-Tech Research Group for its in-room tablet technology. In its In-Room Tablets Vendor Landscape report, Info-Tech Research Group compared nine in-room tablet vendors of which Intelity was designated a “champion.” Info-Tech Research Group’s Vendor Landscape reports recognize outstanding vendors in the technology marketplace. Assessing vendors by the strength of their offering and their strategy for the enterprise, Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscapes pay tribute to the contribution of exceptional vendors in a particular category.
http://www.intelitycorp.com
**

February 12, 2021

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what.…

January 29, 2021

MARKET REPORTS

- Report: Hotel and Travel Outlook in 2021
The American Hotel & Lodging Association released “AHLA’s State of the Hotel Industry 2021” outlining the forecasted state of the hotel industry in 2021 and into the immediate future. The report examines the high-level economics of the hotel industry’s recovery, the specific impact on and eventual return of business travel, and consumer travel sentiments.
ahla.com


February 12, 2021

Siegel Sez

Sometimes it is nice just to take a moment to reflect. Unfortunately, right now I am reflecting how great my relationship was with my 6-year-old laptop which I am in the process of replacing. Honestly, is there anything more frustrating than getting a new laptop and trying to bring everything over? There are always a few surprises, like finding passwords and missing documents.

But enough of my venting. As I reflect and sort through the old to transfer what I might need, I think about all the people from the industry who I have gotten to know. Over the years, we have produced 15 Executive Vendor Summits which brings the senior executives of the vendor community together for two and half days. We also have produced 18 CIO Summits which bring the hotel technology leaders together. So often when someone who is new to the industry starts in one of these executive roles, they are told they should reach out to me. It isn’t unusual for me to provide an introduction to one of their peers since I seem to know most of them pretty well.
Connecting people is truly one of my favorite things to do. I recently had a conversation with Jeffrey Cohen the relatively new CIO at Sonesta Hotels and Resorts about joining a company that has gone from 80 hotels to more than 300 in the shortest amount of time and when the RLH deal goes through in April it will be 1,200. His stories were amazing. Yes, when I reflect on the great people from the industry, I know it really is a high of sorts and I am thankful.
 
The Executive Vendor Summit has been on our minds here at Hospitality Upgrade. We are moving forward for an in-person event in Nashville in June. It has been a long time since people have shown this level of excitement over attending an event. We are doing everything safely, meaning attendance will require proof of testing or vaccination. The interaction at the EVS is so unique I have told everyone the reason we are being so careful that attendees are COVID free is that we know after 15 years of doing these events there is no way six feet of separation is going to work with these attendees. Moving forward with an event in June hopefully the stars align correctly, and this will be great. So many have reached out about the EVS, and it inspires us to make it great. If you are part of the vendor community and would like to join us, please reach out to Kim at kim@hospitalityupgrade.com. It has always been our annual thank you to our customers and partners and we look forward to a very unique event this year. I can only imagine the pandemic stories that will be shared.
 
Doug Rice follows with his Definitely Doug column that looks at the money the hotel industry is leaving on the table. Definitely an interesting read. There is quite a bit of industry news following Doug and it is great to see positive things happening again. The consensus is the recovery is coming but might take a bit longer than we had hoped. However, considering what everybody has gone through over the last 10 months as long as it happens optimism will reign supreme. Let’s get started! I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what and our attempt to make you smile. We will always try!

 
Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com

February 12, 2021

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- VENZA Leads the Way to Economic Recovery in Hospitality
VENZA hires from within appointing Dominique Williams to customer success manager shifting from senior customer success coach and appoints Richard Ross to accounting manager from a part time accountant to this new fulltime role. VENZA secured capital in Q2 2020 to expand its operations and is now hiring for multiple positions.
www.VENZAgroup.com

February 12, 2021

Definitely Doug

Most hotels today sell using a model that has changed very little for the last 50 years. The customer selects a room type and maybe a rate plan, an arrival date and number of nights, and confirms a booking. This works fine when all the guest needs, is a bed and shower. But for those looking for more, hotels are leaving money on the table.

The typical guest could not say how a deluxe room is different from a standard one or why they should pay more for it. If they ask the hotel, they probably get the classic answer, “location and view.” On the other hand, many guests have specific needs for which they would happily pay extra. For a couple on a romantic getaway this might be a king bed, a fireplace, and flowers and champagne on arrival. For a family it might be a connecting room for the kids or proximity to the pool. For a business traveler arriving on the red-eye it might be a 7am check-in. Some of these may be nice-to-haves that the guest could live without; others may be essential. Unfortunately, few hotels even try to sell these things ahead of time – even though it may mean they will lose the business to competitors that do.

If we did not already know it, the pandemic has reinforced that the room is not the main driver for many guests. In North America and Europe, Covid has shifted the business mix toward the leisure drive market. Upsell software company Oaky told me that in Europe, where many hotels have only a few parking spots, they have seen a new phenomenon where guests book several hotels, send email inquiries to each about parking, wait for the first hotel to confirm it, and then cancel the others. And many more guests are taking “staycations” where they spend most of their time socially distancing at the hotel rather than exploring the destination city. Oaky cited data showing that in-hotel spending was much higher in 2020 than in prior years. This was not just due to a change in mix from business to leisure; repeat guests from prior years were also spending more.

This column and the next one will focus on efforts by software vendors to enable the sale of “what the guest wants to buy” as opposed to the “standard double-double” or “deluxe king” that most sites are prepared to sell. Two distinct approaches are worth understanding: attribute-based selling (ABS) and non-room product selling. In the real world, these can overlap and support each other, but there is a lot of meat in each one, so I will cover ABS this week, and non-room products in my next column.

For years, many in the industry have talked about ABS. You can simply Google “hotel attribute based selling” for a good sampling. Some software providers view everything a hotel might sell as an attribute, but this is marketing-speak. Oxford Languages defines “attribute” as “a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something.” By this definition, guest rooms may have attributes such as bedding configuration, a particular size or layout, a fireplace, a work desk, a balcony, an ocean view, a high or low floor, or proximity to the elevator. A meal plan, a massage, flowers sent to the room, or super-fast Wi-Fi are all products that can be presold to be sure, but they are not a “characteristic or inherent part” of a room, meaning they are not attributes.

 

 

It’s Not Just a Room – Part 1




February 12, 2021

SECURITY

- Stock Exchange Hotel Selects ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions to Maximize Security Abilities with VingCard Essence Door Locks and Mobile Access
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions with its industrywide status as the leading innovator of hotel security access technology, has been selected by the Stock Exchange Hotel to implement VingCard Essence door locks equipped with Mobile Access.
assaabloyglobalsolutions.com

February 12, 2021

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- AHLA Names Marilou Halvorsen VP Government Affairs & State Relations, Announces Promotions
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced a new addition to the staff and several promotions, continuing to strengthen government affairs operations and leadership initiatives.
AHLA.com

- HSMAI To Honor the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds of 2020
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association (HSMAI) is proud to recognize the brightest minds in the hospitality industry with the 2020 HSMAI Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in sales, marketing and revenue optimization.
hsmai.org

February 12, 2021

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- IHG Hotels & Resorts Releases Insights into Future Travel
- Hybrid Event Content: Engage In-Person and Virtual Audiences  
- These European Countries Are Launching Vaccine Passports
- US Adults Added 1 Hour of Digital Time in 2020
----------------------


IHG Hotels & Resorts Releases Insights into Future Travel
Hybrid Event Content: Engage In-Person and Virtual Audiences  
These European Countries Are Launching Vaccine Passports
US Adults Added 1 Hour of Digital Time in 2020

February 26, 2021

Definitely Doug

It’s Not Just a Room: Part 2

My last column started by reminding readers that for the last 50 years, the way hotels sell has remained basically unchanged. It went on to discuss attribute-based selling as a major opportunity to better align with the expectations of today’s guests. This week I will continue the theme and highlight some of the many other revenue-enhancing technologies that have emerged in recent years (or are in development now) and that should at least be on the radar of hotels, if not already in their plans.

As consumers, Amazon has trained us well to think in terms of a shopping cart, to look at suggestions for what people who bought something also bought with it, and to expect personalized suggestions based on our individual buying histories. Yet very few hotels are prepared to sell anything other than standard room types on their website, and even fewer can do so for third-party bookings or personalize the offering. While a true shopping-cart experience may still be some distance in the future for hotels, there are more and more options for capturing at least some of the additional potential revenue now.

The cost of new technologies is often a barrier to adoption, but there is really no reason not to look at these emerging products. Many are priced based on success (at least as an option) or offer a free trial. Some have been shown to generate significant additional revenue as well as a better guest experience. And this could be particularly welcome during the latter days of the COVID pandemic, as many guests choose to spend more time – and a greater share of wallet – within the bubble of the hotel or resort.

Perhaps the most mature technologies in this class are the ones that sell room upgrades. This was first introduced by Nor1 (recently acquired by Oracle) around 2005; more recent entrants include UpsellGuru and Roomdex. Upgrades may be offered either via a reverse-bidding system, where the guest says how much they are willing to pay and the hotel decides whether and when to accept it, or at a known price for immediate confirmation. Many guests who are unwilling to pay the full rate for a better room are still happy to pay a smaller increment, and upgrades can be an important part of the ancillary revenue strategy for hotels with premium rooms that cannot always be sold at full rate.

 

It’s Not Just a Room – Part 2



February 26, 2021

CORPORATE NEWS

- BirchStreet Systems Relocates Headquarters to Las Vegas
- M3 Named to Top 2020 Best Employers by Gwinnett Magazine
- DataArt Partners with PROVision to Expand Commercial and Digital Service Offerings for Travel and Hospitality Clients
- NextGuest Merges with Cendyn
- Hospitality Technology Hub, a Virtual Forum Powered by IDeaS, Launches to Support Hotel Industry
----------------------

BirchStreet Systems Relocates Headquarters to Las Vegas
BirchStreet Systems announced that it has relocated its world headquarters from Newport Beach CA to Las Vegas NV, as it positions the company for growth and strengthens innovative partnerships with hospitality companies. This milestone is a major move for BirchStreet on its mission to empower organizations to make better, more accurate and confident buying and operating decisions.
birchstreetsystems.com
 
M3 Named to Top 2020 Best Employers by Gwinnett Magazine
M3, one of the hospitality sector’s preferred cloud-based financial and data management platform in North America, was recently named a 2020 Best of Gwinnett winner in Gwinnett Magazine’s Best Employer category.
www.m3as.com

DataArt Partners with PROVision to Expand Commercial and Digital Service Offerings for Travel and Hospitality Clients
DataArt, a global technology consultancy that designs, develops, and supports unique software solutions, announced a new partnership with PROVision Partners International, a strategic growth, marketing, technology and commercial advisory firm serving the global hospitality and travel industry.
www.provision-partners.com    www.dataart.com

NextGuest Merges with Cendyn
A Cendyn & NextGuest combination creates the largest scalable CRM & Digital Marketing provider for the hospitality industry.
cendyn.com    www.nextguest.com

Hospitality Technology Hub, a Virtual Forum Powered by IDeaS, Launches to Support Hotel Industry
IDeaS, a SAS company, a world leading provider of hotel revenue management software and services, announced the launch of its Hospitality Technology Hub leading up to and during ITB 2021.
ideas.com

July 27, 2018

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Visual One^® Property Management System Adds Mobile Guest Check-in and Check-out and Improved Global Features

 

The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts Deploys Infor HMS and SunSystems to Streamline Operations and Expand Global Reach
Infor, a provider of industry-specific cloud applications, announced that The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts has deployed Infor Hospitality Management System (HMS) for its hotel operations, and Infor SunSystems for its financial operations in its Bali, Phuket, Madrid and Amsterdam properties. The Hong-Kong based company owns and operates luxury hotels, resorts and manages experiential travel across Asia and Europe.
https://www.infor.com/industries/hospitality/

Visual One® Property Management System Adds Mobile Guest Check-in and Check-out and Improved Global Features
Agilysys, a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, announced that Visual One^®, an industry-leading property management system, has added additional mobile capabilities that provide hospitality operators with key features that improve their guests’ experiences. The new features enable guests to check in and out online and allow staff to increase productivity with mobile housekeeping. 
http://www.agilysys.com/

Guest Loyalty Technology Gets Personal at Rodd Hotels & Resorts
A  family owned hotel chain, which operates seven hotels and resorts and three golf courses, that prides itself on personalization for guest, recognizes its partnership with Maestro PMS is essential to its operation.
http://www.maestropms.com/

July 27, 2018

RESERVATIONS

- Palacina Berlin Puts Luxury Apartments on the Global Stage with Online Booking Technology by SiteMinder
__________

Palacina Berlin Puts Luxury Apartments on the Global Stage with Online Booking Technology by SiteMinder
An increase in online bookings for a boutique hotel offering luxury apartments in central Germany is showing a rising popularity of extended-stay accommodation in Europe and the material benefits of using cloud-based technology. Months after adopting the global hotel industry’s leading cloud platform, SiteMinder, Palacina Berlin, which offers a home away from home for travelers inside a 134-year-old residence, reveals that an improved presence in the market has resulted in a surge in reservations through its hotel website and selected distribution channels.
https://www.siteminder.com

July 27, 2018

GUEST SERVICES

- The 2018 J.D. Power North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Released, Satisfaction Increased
___________

After Mastering Product Offerings, Hotels Must Turn Attention to Services, J.D. Power Finds
It’s a good time to be a hotel guest. Across the board, hotels are making their customers happier than ever, according to the J.D. Power 2018 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Stud.SM Driven by increased approval of guest rooms and hotel facilities, overall satisfaction for the industry increases 8 points to 825 (on a 1,000-point scale). Service areas are also improving, but at a slower rate. According to Corwin, in consideration of economic cycles, hotels should emphasize refining their service effort which represents greater opportunity for improvement and requires less investment than capital improvements.
http://www.jdpower.com/

July 27, 2018

SALES & CATERING, MEETING PLANNING

- Evention Debuts New and Expanded Solutions
__________

Evention Debuts New and Expanded Solutions
Evention's newly developed solutions include Group Billing by Evention and Credit Card Reconciliation by Evention. In addition, Evention's solution for cash recycling now offers a small-volume hardware option. Group Billing by Evention has been specifically designed for and tested by hospitality brands. Evention has partnered with two world-wide hotel companies to develop this all-encompassing solution. 
http://www.eventionllc.com/

July 27, 2018

SECURITY

- ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Enhances VingCard RFID Door Locks with Support of NXP's MIFARE Plus EV1 IC
- GDPR Compliance Deadline Has Come and Gone; What Does it Mean for Hotels?
- Urgo Hotels and Resorts chooses VENZA® for InfoSec Training

 

ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Enhances VingCard RFID Door Locks with Support of NXP's MIFARE Plus EV1 IC
ASSA ABLOY Hospitality, provider of advanced security solutions for the hotel industry, is announcing an enhancement of its VingCard RFID electronic locks with the support of NXP Semiconductors' MIFARE Plus^® EV1 smart card IC. Through this strategic collaboration, ASSA ABLOY Hospitality is further strengthening its security protocol with the addition of a seamless and cost-effective upgrade path for hoteliers that also provides heightened security features for hotel staff and guests.
http://www.assaabloyhospitality.com/

GDPR Compliance Deadline Has Come and Gone; What Does it Mean for Hotels?
The European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance deadline has passed, and it now requires every hotel in the world to have guidelines in place that protect European Union (EU) residents’ personally identifiable information against security breaches. While a lot has been discussed to help hoteliers become compliant, many are wondering, “what comes next?” Dr. Amir Ameri, data protection officer for Beekeeper provides answers to some of hoteliers most frequently asked questions. 
http://www.beekeeper.io/

Urgo Hotels and Resorts chooses VENZA® for InfoSec Training
Given the high propensity for data breaches within the hospitality industry, Urgo Hotels and Resorts recently chose VENZA to educate its associates on protecting guest data. Both VENZA and Urgo encompass a culture that ensures every associate is part of the extended work family. Urgo Hotels & Resorts is family-owned and operated, with two generations of Urgos leading the company.
http://www.venzagroup.com/

July 27, 2018

HOSPITALITY EVENTS

- HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe Honored as Most Influential Hospitality Association CEO 2018
- AHLA Reacts to New York City Passing Strong Short-Term Rental Ordinance
- HFTP Annual Convention 2018 Online Registration Now Open, Keynotes Announced
- HSMAI Welcomes Nominations for Lifetime Achievement and Top 25 Minds Awards
- OTA Insight Gains Momentum Heading into NoVacancy Expo
- HFTP Announces Three New Global Chapters and Expands Student Chapter Networks
- HSMAI and Level60 Partner on Revenue Management Curriculum Tools and New Student Certification

HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe Honored as Most Influential Hospitality Association CEO 2018
Frank I. Wolfe, CEO for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals(HFTP^®), was recognized as Most Influential Association CEO 2018 in Hospitality by the  European-based corporate finance publication Acquisition International (AI). 
Recipients of this honor are internally researched, shortlisted, judged and selected. The publication’s in-house research team looks into the global industry thoroughly in order to determine those most deserving of the accolade. Some factors the team takes into consideration include the nominee’s significant achievements over the past calendar year, company and career profile, commitment towards innovation and company performance under the individual’s leadership.
https://www.hftp.org/

HFTP Annual Convention 2018 Online Registration Now Open, Keynotes Announced
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP^®) has opened online registration for its Annual Convention, which it has produced since 1952. Following the traditional event format, the event will offer a variety of educational sessions, networking and vendor opportunities. HFTP has secured two keynote speakers who will discuss topics relating to productivity, engagement, collaboration and communication in the workplace: Colette Carlson and Curt Steinhorst. The HFTP Annual Convention will take place from Oct. 24-26 at the Omni Louisville Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.
https://www.hftp.org/

HSMAI Welcomes Nominations for Lifetime Achievement and Top 25 Minds Awards
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Americas is accepting nominations for its Lifetime Achievement Awards and The Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing and Revenue Optimization. Awards will be presented to honorees during the HSMAI Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala on Jan. 22, 2019 at the New York Marriott Marquis.
https://www.hsmai.org/

OTA Insight Gains Momentum Heading into NoVacancy Expo
OTA Insight, the cloud-based data intelligence platform for the hospitality industry, has announced a series of key partnerships in the Australia-New Zealand-Pacific region, as it continues to be a target growth market for the company.
https://www.otainsight.com/

HFTP Announces Three New Global Chapters and Expands Student Chapter Networks
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP^®) is excited to announce that three new, local chapters have recently been chartered: HFTP Greater Louisville Chapter, HFTP New York University Student Chapter and HFTP Kansas State University Student Chapter. HFTP chapters provide a wide array of benefits to an association’s membership — not the least of which is the collaborative building of knowledge and camaraderie among local and like-minded industry professionals.
http://hftp.org/

HSMAI and Level60 Partner on Revenue Management Curriculum Tools and New Student Certification
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) announced  a partnership with Level60 Consulting (Level60) to offer hospitality faculty members a course and classroom tools to teach revenue management, leading to a new HSMAI student certification.
https://www.hsmai.org/

July 27, 2018

MERGERS and ACQUISITIONS

- AAHOA and GlobalHotelNetwork.com Announce Strategic Partnership
- Golden Entertainment to Acquire Edgewater Hotel & Casino Resort and Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino Resort from Marnell   Gaming
- Veturis Travel Partners with SiteMinder to Fuel Europe and Asia Growth
 

AAHOA and GlobalHotelNetwork.com Announce Strategic Partnership
AAHOA, one of the largest hotel owners association in the world, proudly announced a strategic partnership with GlobalHotelNetwork.com, a highly-respected global media brand and resource for the hospitality industry. The partnership will focus on content development and sharing for both GlobalHotelNetwork.com and AAHOA’s members and facilitating a discussion on topics such as domestic implications of global hospitality trends and the industry’s issue advocacy at the state and national level.
https://www.aahoa.com/
http://globalhotelnetwork.com/

Golden Entertainment to Acquire Edgewater Hotel & Casino Resort and Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino Resort from Marnell Gaming
Golden Entertainment, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Marnell Gaming LLC, to acquire the Edgewater Hotel & Casino Resort and the Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino Resort in Laughlin, Nevada. The purchase price will be based on an 8.0x multiple of the combined trailing twelve months adjusted EBITDA of both properties as of November 2018, with a minimum price of $168 million and a maximum price of $190 million.
https://www.goldenent.com/

Veturis Travel Partners with SiteMinder to Fuel Europe and Asia Growth
One of Europe’s fast-growing bedbanks, Veturis Travel, has partnered with SiteMinder, a leading cloud platform for the global hotel industry, to further cement its presence within the region and Asia. The wholesaler is upping its investment in cloud-based technology as part of a recent transition to dynamic online rates and a strategy to expand its direct contracts with hotels.
https://www.siteminder.com/

July 27, 2018

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- You Can Now Check In With A Facial Scan At Marriott China
- UAE Hospitality Industry to Reach $7.6 Billion by 2022
- How Many Followers Did Resorts and Hotels Lose During the Recent Twitter Purge?

 

You Can Now Check In With A Facial Scan At Marriott China

UAE Hospitality Industry to Reach $7.6 Billion by 2022

How Many Followers Did Resorts and Hotels Lose During the Recent Twitter Purge?

July 27, 2018

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what …  A few points to ponder ...
 
There was a young Scottish boy called Angus who decided to try life in Australia. He found an apartment in a small block and settled in. 

After a week or two, his mother called from Aberdeen to see how her son was doing in his new life. 

“I'm fine,” Angus said.
 
“But there are some really strange people living in these apartments. One woman cried all day long, another lies on her floor moaning, and there is a guy next door to me who bangs his head on the wall all the time.” 

“Well, ma laddie,” says his mother. “I suggest you don't associate with people like that.” 

“Oh,” says Angus, “I don't, Mam, I don't. No, I just stay inside my apartment all day and night, playing my bagpipes.” 
 
 

August 10, 2018

Siegel Sez

by: Rich Siegel

I rarely go to the movies, but this past weekend I went to see “Mama Mia! Here We Go Again.” If you enjoyed the original movie you will love the second one. I saw it in a packed theatre on the big screen and with a great sound system. When the movie ended the audience started cheering. I can’t remember the last time that happened at a movie. Then the lights came on and I noticed the crowd was made up of a wide variety of people -- many young and old. I liked that. When we were leaving the theatre, I walked out with a bunch of girls probably around 16 or 17 years old. I asked them if they enjoyed the movie and they were raving about it – what was their favorite scene, their favorite song, and they went on and on. I shared my favorite moments, and we laughed. I was glad I saw the movie in a theatre and not in the comfort of my living room.
That was a great escape but eventually I am back at my desk and the big focus this week is our upcoming CIO Summit in Seattle. This is our 17^th year for the event and we believe it will be our best. We have a great crowd with so many first-time attendees. One of my favorite comments from a first-time attendee this year came from Brennan Gildersleeve who has had a long career in the technology space with Starwood and now heads up the technology efforts for Equinox and its hotels. When he received the invitation, he said “I’ve been waiting 17 years for this invitation!” I wonder if others feel the same way. The program for the CIO Summit will include many events and interaction with the other attendees. One of the best things about our summit, and in fact all industry events, is the interaction you have while attending. Maybe it is with suppliers, maybe it is with peers but a big part of it will be the new people you meet. I am sure many are like me deciding which events make sense to attend and, of course, there is the cost to attend and the time commitment to weigh, but how often do you look back and say you were glad you went? For me it is pretty much every time. This is an industry that is all about the people, the more you meet and get to know the more you enjoy it. Nothing beats the interaction, the sharing and the learning you experience when you are face to face with others who share the same concerns you have. So, as you go through the year and are invited or encouraged to attend an industry meeting or event that will help you in your current role, I encourage you to attend. Time and expense come into play but think of the possible return on your investment. I could have saved $16 and waited to watch “Mama Mia! Here We Go Again,” in the comfort of my home, but it would not have made the same impression or created the memories that seeing it in the theatre did. I am glad I didn’t miss the opportunity to “Go Again.”
 
Here now is the real reason we are here, the latest technology news for the industry including opening thoughts from consultant Ron Hardin. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Four more weeks until Seattle, if you are a technology leader for your company, I hope to see you at our CIO Summit.



Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
August 10, 2018

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Ron Hardin

I try to keep up with the latest industry news, but it’s a challenge.  There’s a lot of it.  There are a great deal of different channels – Hotel Online being the best, of course.  And there is the constant need to separate the wheat (news) from the chaff (marketing hype).  Sometimes, a press release contains news, and sometimes a news article contains hype.  Caveat lector: let the reader beware.

Today, I note with interest some recent industry news items that piqued my interest. I’ll let you be the judge how much is news and how much is hype.  First off is the announcement that Hilton’s first tri-branded property has recently opened in Chicago adjacent to McCormick Place Convention Center.  This new hotel, operated by First Hospitality Group, includes 184 Hilton Garden Inn rooms, 187 Hampton Inn by Hilton rooms, and 95 suites under Home2Suites by Hilton flag.  My first thought when I saw the headline was a flashback to the crazy hitchhiker in the Coen brothers’ movie, There’s Something About Mary – his deranged idea for fortune and fame was to one-up a popular workout video, 8 Minute Abs, with a breakthrough new offering … 7 Minute Abs.  Hilton has 13 brands.  Marriott has 29.  Where is the logical end-point for multi-branding?  Unlike 7 Minute Abs, it’s certainly not a crazy idea.  It is one piece of real estate (location, location, location) with one building or multiple interconnected buildings, and the multi-branding allows the property to appeal to a wider range of customers without diluting or confusing the brand product positioning.  I personally would not prefer a Hilton Garden Inn room to a Hampton Inn room with free breakfast in the same building, but the success of these developments clearly shows the demand is there. 

The other recent news item that caught my eye is also about Hilton; in this case, about its new “Hilton Connected Room” initiative.  Hilton is moving with the current trend to leverage IoT (Internet of Things) to improve the guest experience and generate actionable data from the growing ecosystem of interconnected devices and applications.  As I discussed in a recent column, this is an inexorable trend fueled by the growing availability of intelligent, networkable devices in hotels – TVs, thermostats, door locks, door cameras (instead of peepholes, of course), shades and drapes, lighting, DND/MUR controls, etc. (The Great Divide of In-Stay Guest Engagement, March 2018, Hospitality Upgrade)  Hilton’s take on this smart room trend is to use the brand’s HHonors mobile app as the primary guest touchpoint.  It will be interesting to see if the company gets a measurable increase in HHonors enrollments by guests seeking to use these controls and services on their mobile devices, and what percentage of in-house guests actually use the controls and services from the mobile app.  Hilton also plans to have those controls and services accessible through the guestroom TV but given the plethora of different TV systems in place across the portfolio, that may be challenging in the short term unless they move toward standardizing TV platforms. 

As I’ve publicly opined, I believe hoteliers should provide a dedicated, easy-to-use touchpoint in the guestroom for these applications.  The ideal device would have a touchscreen, optionally support voice-control, and incorporate telephone and clock-radio functionality.  These devices are also becoming more affordable and more mainstream.  I had heard on the grapevine a while back that Hilton was evaluating in-room tablet options – hopefully, that will be an option for the connected room. The applications are already there; I hope they make them easily accessible without having to sign up for the loyalty program or download another app to our phones. 
 
 
Ron Hardin, CHTP
RonHardin.TECH Consulting
Ron@ronhardin.tech

August 10, 2018

MERGERS and ACQUISITIONS

 

Travelclick Aquired by Amadeus
Travel technology company Amadeus IT Group has agreed to buy U.S.-based TravelClick for $1.52 billion, Amadeus said on Friday. Amadeus will partially finance the deal with a 1.00 billion euro ($1.14 billion) debt facility, it said. TravelClick is a provider of products and services for hotels, including online reservation systems.

Radisson changing hands again, Jin Jiang International Announces Acquisition 
Chinese hospitality and travel group Jin Jiang International Holdings Co. has agreed to buy Radisson Hospitality Inc., the Minnetonka-based company known for its Radisson hotels, from fellow Chinese conglomerate HNA Tourism Group.

Aristocrat and Boyd Gaming Enter Into Long-term Strategic Systems Partnership
Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. today announced it has been selected as the official Casino Management Systems partner of Boyd Gaming Corporation, one of the largest and most established casino operators in the United States.
http://www.aristocrat-us.com/

AccorHotels Signs Agreement to Acquire 85% Stake of 21c Museum Hotels for $51 Million
AccorHotels today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire 85% of 21c Museum Hotels, an award-winning hospitality management company pushing the boundaries of the museum and hotel worlds to create a new kind of travel experience. 21c combines a multi-venue contemporary art museum, boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants, with 11 properties currently open and under development across the United States.
https://www.accorhotels.group/group

Hotel Effectiveness, the Leading Hotel Labor Management SaaS Solution, Announces Growth Equity Investment From Growth Street Partners
Growth Street Partners today announced a minority growth equity investment in Hotel Effectiveness Solutions, the leading provider of hotel labor management SaaS for the hospitality industry. Hotel Effectiveness’ SaaS platform allows hotel owners, third party management companies, and property-level managers to control labor expenses according to occupancy rates, labor standards, and industry benchmarks.
http://www.hoteleffectiveness.com/

August 10, 2018

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Alila Hotels and Resorts Chooses Infor to Streamline Operations and Increase Business Efficiency
- Agilysys Fiscal 2019 First Quarter Revenue Rises to Record $34.0 Million
- Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a PMS
- Shiji Group Continues Global Expansion, Opens Office in Australia

Alila Hotels and Resorts Chooses Infor to Streamline Operations and Increase Business Efficiency
Infor, a leading provider of industry-specific cloud applications, announced that Alila Hotels and Resorts has deployed Infor Hospitality Management System (HMS) and Infor Revenue Management Solution (RMS) for its hotel operations in Kuala Lumpur to increase business agility and further enhance efficiencies
http://www.infor.com/hospitality

Agilysys Fiscal 2019 First Quarter Revenue Rises to Record $34.0 Million
Agilysys, Inc., a global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, reported operating results for its fiscal 2019 first quarter ended June 30, 2018.
http://www.agilysys.com/

Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a PMS
Personalized service plays an essential role in the success of every resort operation. Luckily, today’s innovative PMS technologies are driving up-to-date business workflows, and introducing efficiencies that enhance the guest experience in ways that also grow the bottom line.
https://www.agilysys.com/

Shiji Group Continues Global Expansion, Opens Office in Australia
With over 8,000 hotels using Shiji products in the region and international offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macau it became evident that to keep with Shiji’s tradition of customer service, an office was needed for Australasian customers.
http://www.shijigroup.com/?utm_source=hotel-online
 

February 26, 2021

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Maestro Asks: Is Your Current PMS Helping or Hindering Your Reopening Plans?
2021 is a year of disruption. Not only has the hotel business come to a screeching halt in many markets, but travelers are modifying their list of must-haves if operators want them to return, and touchless experiences — such as contactless payments, mobile check-in/out, mobile reservations, mobile keys, and hotel-to-guest text messaging — are topping their list of demands.
maestropms.com

- Dot.Cy achieves Oracle Validated Integration with Oracle Hospitality Hotel Expertise for Delivering Proven, Repeatable Integration
Dot.Cy, a member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), announced that it has achieved Oracle Validated Integration for Oracle Hospitality Hotel Expertise using OWS (Opera Web Services) and OXI OPERA eXchange Interface) for its integration of dot.Hospitality with Oracle Hospitality OPERA.
dot.cy

February 26, 2021

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- ROOMDEX, A Hotel Upsell Innovator, Partners with Pacifica Hotels
ROOMDEX, a pioneer in automated hotel upselling solutions, announces that Pacifica Hotels has activated ROOMDEX’s Upgrade Optimizer™ software in four hotels, including, Marina Del Rey Hotel, (Venice, CA), Inn at the Pier (Pismo Beach, CA), Blue Sea Beach Hotel (San Diego, CA) and La Jolla Cove Hotel (La Jolla, CA).
roomdex.io

February 26, 2021

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- IDeaS Introduces Optix for G3 RMS, Providing Big-Picture Revenue Intelligence for Hotel Groups
IDeaS, a SAS company, a world leading provider of revenue management software and services, announced IDeaS Optix™, a cloud-based advanced reporting and analysis module for IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System (RMS).
ideas.com

- Datavision Congratulates Customers Recognized in Prestigious Forbes Star Ranking
Datavision, a premier business intelligence system for the hospitality world, is proud to count dozens of customers named to the 2021 Forbes Travel Guide listing Four and Five Star Restaurants, Spas and Hotels.
www.datavisiontech.com

February 26, 2021

BACK OFFICE

- Charlestowne Hotels Implements ProfitSword and Event Temple Integration to gain Real-Time Insight into Business and Group Sales Performance
ProfitSword, a premier developer of hospitality-related business intelligence and data integration software, has announced the implementation of its performance forecasting technology alongside Event Temple's advanced group and event sales management software at Charlestowne Hotels.
profitsword.com

- Hotel Companies Turning to Aptech’s Browser Based PVNG Accounting Solution Mid Pandemic
As hoteliers continue to use this time of low occupancy to improve their properties, many have found it the ideal opportunity to also upgrade their back-of-house systems to optimize efficiency. Aptech, an industry standard for hospitality financial management, has seen a surge in adoption of its browser based PVNG enterprise accounting solution.
www.aptech-inc.com

February 26, 2021

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- Ritz Hotel Geelong Deploys High-Performance Wi-Fi Network Technology by Liveport
4.5 Star Australian property leverages Liveport's hotel internet expertise to address latest guest online needs while ensuring seamless operations connectivity.
www.liveport.com.au

February 26, 2021

FOOD & BEVERAGE

- Brazil’s Cabana Burger Increases Delivery Orders by 400% with Oracle
Fast growing Brazilian restaurant chain, Cabana Burger is using Oracle MICROS Simphony Point-of-Sale (POS) to better serve customers and support its rapid growth.
www.oracle.com

- W Washington DC Hotel Manages Their F&B Inventory with Clear Sky Software's Bar Code Based Solution
Clear Sky Software, Inc. ® announced today that the W Washington DC Hotel has installed the company’s food & beverage inventory control system to help manage and track all food & beverage products. Located in the heart of DC, the W has been busy taking advantage of the features of this industry-leading F&B inventory system.
www.clearskysoftware.com

- Hotel Effie Sandestin Selects Agilysys SaaS Solutions to Improve Operations & Enhance Guest Experience
Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation cloud-native SaaS and on-premise hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that the Hotel Effie Sandestin in Miramar Beach, FL has selected the award-winning innovative InfoGenesis POS solution, as well as its modern cloud-native SaaS Agilysys Pay Connect secure payment processing product to enhance their guest experience.
www.agilysys.com

February 26, 2021

PAYMENT PROCESSING

- Digital Tipping: Meet the Need for Speed by Avoiding the App Store
That’s what tipping expert Michael Lynn said in a recent article titled, “Tipping do’s and don’ts: When and how much to tip in every situation.” Lynn is a Burton M. Sack Professor in Food & Beverage Management at the Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, and he is a nationally recognized expert on tipping with 70+ research publications written on the topic.
youtip.money

February 26, 2021

OPERATIONS

- Profile Films Implements the InvoTech Uniform System for Contactless Uniform Distribution and Inventory Management
InvoTech Systems Inc. announces the previously installed Uniform System at Profile Films. InvoTech Systems is the leading provider of advanced Linen Management, Laundry and Uniform Systems that integrate the latest RFID technology to increase profitability for hotels, resorts, casino operators, sports arenas, convention centers, theme parks and production plants.
invotech.com

February 26, 2021

HUMAN RESOURCES

- Beekeeper Announces ‘Frontline Future’ Event, a Global Summit on the Rise of Frontline Workers
Beekeeper, the mobile-first collaboration platform designed specifically for frontline workers, announced Frontline Future, a groundbreaking virtual summit dedicated to the frontline workforce.
www.frontlinefuture.io

February 26, 2021

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- HSMAI Foundation’s COVID Relief Fund Opens with Generous $150,000 Donation from the Carolyn Smith Foundation
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation is opening its COVID Relief Fund for grant applications following a generous donation of $150,000 from the Carolyn Smith Foundation on behalf of STR Founders Carolyn and Randy Smith.
global.hsmai.org/foundation/

February 26, 2021

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- Robots to Join Security Team in Victorian Hotel Quarantine Trial
- Americans Are So Desperate to Travel Again That 38% of Them Would Give Up Sex for a Year Just to Go on a Trip 
- South Africa's Johannesburg is Turning to Robot Hospitality in Times of COVID-19
- Another Cruise Line Plans a Robot Bartender — and This Time It’ll Almost Look Human   
----------------------


Robots to Join Security Team in Victorian Hotel Quarantine Trial
Americans Are So Desperate to Travel Again That 38% of Them Would Give Up Sex for a Year Just to Go on a Trip 
South Africa's Johannesburg is Turning to Robot Hospitality in Times of COVID-19
Another Cruise Line Plans a Robot Bartender — and This Time It’ll Almost Look Human   

February 26, 2021

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for the ‘did-you-know-what' ? .…
 

• The space between your eyebrows is called a glabella. 
• The way it smells after the rain is called petrichor. 
• The plastic or metallic coating at the end of your shoelaces is called an aglet. 
• The rumbling of stomach is actually called a wamble. 
• The cry of a newborn baby is called a vagitus. 
• The prongs on a fork are called tines. 
• The sheen or light that you see when you close your eyes and press your hands on them is called phosphenes.
• The tiny plastic table placed in the middle of a pizza box is called a box tent.
• The day after tomorrow is called overtomorrow. 
• Your tiny toe or finger is called minimus. 
• The wired cage that holds the cork in a bottle of champagne is called an agraffe. 
• The ’na na na’ and ‘la la la’, which don’t really have any meaning in the lyrics of a song, are called vocables. 
• When you combine an exclamation mark with a question mark (!?), it’s referred to as an interrobang.
• The space between your nostrils is called columella nasi.
• The armhole in clothes, where the sleeves are sewn, is call armscye.
• The condition of finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning is called dysania.
• Illegible handwriting is called griffonage. 
• The dot over an “i” or a “j” is called tittle. 
• That utterly sick feeling you get after eating or drinking too much is called crapulence. 
• The metallic devise used to measure your feet at the store is called Bannock device. 

 





February 26, 2021

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- INTELITY Named a Forbes Travel Guide Brand Official for Fifth Year in a Row
- Bartech's Customized Line of In-Room POS Solutions Help Hoteliers Maximize Revenue
- Quality Inn Southaven Caters to Guest Demands for Access to Personalized Streamed Content with BeyondTV GuestCast®
- Cloud5 and SABA Hospitality Bring Humanized Virtual Guest Service to the Americas
--------------------

INTELITY Named a Forbes Travel Guide Brand Official for Fifth Year in a Row
INTELITY®, the provider of hospitality’s most comprehensive guest experience platform, announced today it has been appointed a Brand Official by Forbes Travel Guide (FTG), the creators of the original Five-Star rating system, for a record fifth year.
www.intelity.com

Bartech's Customized Line of In-Room POS Solutions Help Hoteliers Maximize Revenue
Bartech, the leader in automatic minibar solutions for the global hospitality industry, has refined its extensive line of minibar and in-room point-of-sale (POS) solutions to meet the unique operational challenges and technology needs of a variety of property types and room configurations.
www.bartech.com

Quality Inn Southaven Caters to Guest Demands for Access to Personalized Streamed Content with BeyondTV GuestCast®
Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions, has successfully implemented its hospitality-designed BeyondTV GuestCast streaming platform at the Quality Inn Southaven in Mississippi.
www.hotelwifi.com

Cloud5 and SABA Hospitality Bring Humanized Virtual Guest Service to the Americas
Cloud5 Communications and SABA Hospitality announced that they are bringing personalized guest services to hospitality operations in the Americas. The solution combines completely digitized compendium, self-service food and beverage ordering, and A.I. driven chatbot functionality, with the option of click-to-chat/click-to-call service featuring Cloud5's world-class contact center services.
cloud5.com

February 26, 2021

Siegel Sez

I wish I had the money to buy a hotel right now.
 
I am so thankful to those a lot smarter than me who have shared their wisdom as to what is coming for the industry. I have been reading and researching on travel nonstop and came across a quote that pretty much sums up the impact of travel here in the states. Adam Sachs of Tourism Economics phrased it perfectly. You can’t have an economic recovery without a travel recovery. The two are inseparable. The summer travel season will be something we probably have never experienced before. Do you know anybody who hasn’t shared where they plan to go once the pandemic is over? Think about all those who are going to go back to work in hotels. Think of all the companies that service or rely on hotels for their business that are going to be reborn. I spend a fair amount of time in Las Vegas, a city where most jobs are related to travel which of course became a city that was hurt beyond belief when the pandemic started. I hope a year from now when we are gathered at one of the many tradeshows that will be back, we can talk about what we all went through for more than a year. Yes, I remain optimistic that the worst is behind us and we are about to enter the new normal which might not be that new at all. We shall see.
 
As for today, I really feel for hotel salespeople and revenue managers. We are in the process of finalizing our 16^th Executive Vendor Summit, an annual event that brings hospitality technology leaders together. The “special” requests we are giving the hotel must have them rolling their eyes, but as I found out it is not that unusual today. Our greatest motivator is the number of attendees who keep telling us that we need to make it happen. And trust me, we will. If you are a vendor and are eager to join us, please email kim@hospitalityupgrade.com immediately. It is by invitation only. I hope you will join us this year. Can you imagine the stories that will be shared?
 
As the recovery kicks in, I encourage you to read Doug Rice’s Definitely Doug column that follows. His part two on generating new revenue for hotels will definitely be coming into play this summer followed by business travel happening again by the end of the year. Yes, we are getting there. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Anybody have an inexpensive hotel to sell? 😊
 
Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com


March 12, 2021

Siegel Sez

I feel for those in the hotel sales world. Obviously, many have been furloughed or lost their jobs, but thankfully more and more seem to be coming back. There is a great deal of optimism now as more people are getting vaccinated and herd immunity increases, but when will group business come back? I bring this up because the Hospitality Upgrade Executive Vendor Summit is on the calendar for June 9 -11 at the Loews Vanderbilt in Nashville, and what the salesperson had to go through would cause me to lose my mind. Things that were normal pre-COVID-19 does not work while booking a group now. Even though the impact of COVID-19 on the travel industry is hopefully coming to an end, at least here in the states, both the person representing the group and the person from the hotel have to be flexible and sometimes creative. I am thankful our new best friend Jana Miller was both flexible and creative. Yes, the EVS Nashville might be the first industry in-person event, but hopefully many more will follow and soon.
I wish I could share every conversation I’ve had over the past few weeks about how excited people are to be face-to-face again in three months. EVS is for the vendor community but it is amazing how many hoteliers also want to attend. Who knows, maybe we will be a bit creative this year. The optimism in the industry is running rampant. We will see a summer like never before and the leisure market this summer will be gangbusters. The business travel will kick in the second half of this year and then we will all eagerly await the convention business’ return which most are predicting to come in the second half of 2022. We have some distance to go until we get to experience the new/old/future normal but when I need to book travel and see hotels with high rates, I think, that is a good thing. Finally!
 
When it comes to future travel things are going to be different. Doug Rice in his Definitely Doug column will share SSI. What is SSI you might ask? It’s Self-Sovereign Identity which might become more commonplace sooner than expected. It is a long read but as we head into the future thanks to COVID, things will continue to change. We thank Doug for sharing.
 
There have been so many stories regarding the one-year anniversary of COVID-19. All I think of when I reflect are the kids in their teens and early 20s. Can you imagine the stories they will share 20 years from now about 2020? Here now is Doug’s column followed by the latest happenings in the hotel technology world. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Nashville, here we come!
 
Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com


March 12, 2021

Definitely Doug

The Next Wave

Sometimes we need to step back from the technology challenges of the day and understand the opportunities that today’s emerging technologies will create for tomorrow.

Much has been written in the past six months about health passports; they represent one key element for getting the travel industry back to normal. The number of actual and in-development products I have seen touching this space is easily in the dozens. Some come from large organizations, like the International Air Transport Association’s Travel Pass, the World Economic Forum and Commons Project’s CommonPass, the International Chamber of Commerce’s AOKpass, and IBM’s Digital Health Pass. Others have been put forth from younger companies, like United Solutions’ Siqi, and from COVID-era startups like Verifly.

Paper-based health passports also exist but can be easily forged; as a result, they have earned little international recognition. More robust options like the ones mentioned above provide a form of digital proof of vaccination, negative virus test results, and/or positive antibody test results. The holder is identified biometrically, and the health records are confirmed by a third party (such as a testing lab or pharmacy) using a cryptographic “signature” that can be verified by anyone from anywhere and that cannot be forged. A traveler can share this information with an airline, immigration service, hotel, or other service provider, who can independently verify that the “signature” is legitimate and applies to the person presenting it.

The potential use cases are many. Already in Israel, only “Green Pass” holders who have been fully inoculated can eat in restaurants, while others cannot. Health passports offer the promise of a return to low-friction travel much sooner for those who are at low risk of transmitting the virus, while protecting borders, flights, hotels, and other establishments from those more likely to infect others.

While the benefits for the travel industry are obvious, there is a much bigger story at play here that will persist long after COVID, and that is my topic for this week. The underlying technologies used by most digital health passports have far-reaching implications for the way consumers provide personal information to businesses and others, and for how businesses get, use, and retain customer information. It is particularly important for the travel industry because of the complex mesh of data privacy regulations, the ever-present threat of data breaches, and the need to have access to sensitive customer data, often for long periods of time.

 

The Next Wave



March 12, 2021

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Aquitaine Hospitality Deepens Partnership with Infor for Management of its Hotels, Residences and Restaurants
Infor announced that Aquitaine Hospitality, a brand of the hotel group Aquitaine Promotion, is expanding its deployment of Infor HMS (Hospitality Management Solution), the business solution dedicated specifically to the tourism, hotel and restaurant industries.
www.infor.com

- STAY Builds for Growth with Infor
Infor announced that luxury serviced apartments provider STAY has deployed Infor HMS property management system for its 169 apartment properties in Camden, London. The application will help deliver customer service excellence and provide a platform for new processes including flexible, contactless check-in.
www.infor.com

- Luxury Resort Operator Ocean Hotels Group in Barbados Switches to Cloud-Based Maestro PMS Mid Pandemic
In-demand contactless and mobile tools, exceptional online training, and 24/7/365 support are giving the versatile property-management-system provider glowing reviews.
maestropms.com

March 12, 2021

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- New SHR-Mews Integration Will Power Optimal Channel Strategies
In a continued effort to provide hoteliers with the technology interfaces they desire, SHR, Sceptre Hospitality Resources, a pioneer of advanced hotel revenue generation technologies, will fully integrate its Central Reservations System, Windsurfer CRS, with Mews, a leading cloud-based Property Management System (PMS).
www.shr.global

- Viceroy Hotels & Resorts to Optimize Voice Channel Revenue
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center is expanding its alliance with Viceroy Hotels & Resorts, which offers personalized management of incoming voice calls for all 13 properties in the current Viceroy portfolio.
www.traveloutlook.com

March 12, 2021

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- Stoney Creek Hospitality Partners with IDeaS for Automated Efficiency Across 14-Property Portfolio
IDeaS, a SAS company, a world leading provider of hotel revenue management software and services, announced it will implement IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System (RMS) at Stoney Creek Hospitality’s 14-property portfolio across five Midwestern states.
ideas.com

March 12, 2021

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- PREM Group Chooses Cutting-edge Solutions to Enhance its Guests' Experience in Amsterdam
- Virdee Becomes ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions Certified Partner to Advance Industry’s End-to-End Contactless Check-In Abilities
- Courtyard by Marriott St. George Adopts Advanced IoT Door Lock Technology and Contactless Mobile Access by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions
- Innovative Swisscom’s Cloud IPTV solution powered by MCOMS at The Riffelalp Resort 2222m
- Porter, a New Contact-Free Food Ordering Technology, Launches in 10 U.S. Hotels
- Best Western Plus Goulburn Adopts Latest in Guest Content Streaming Technology with BeyondTV
----------------------

PREM Group Chooses Cutting-edge Solutions to Enhance its Guests' Experience in Amsterdam
The project included the installation of Samsung Hospitality TVs, the provision of TV channels and the implementation of DVB-S to DVB-T headend, to offer TV content in all rooms, through the distribution of TV signals over the existing coaxial cable infrastructure.
noniussolutions.com

Virdee Becomes ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions Certified Partner to Advance Industry’s End-to-End Contactless Check-In Abilities
Virdee, a SaaS company serving the lodging, multifamily and commercial real estate industries, announced today it has entered into the Certified Partner program by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, a global leader in access solutions, to deliver a robust contactless check-in and Mobile Access solution to joint hospitality customers and third-party integrators.
assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/hospitality

Courtyard by Marriott St. George Adopts Advanced IoT Door Lock Technology and Contactless Mobile Access by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions as a leading innovator of security access technology, has been selected by Courtyard by Marriott St. George to enhance its guest safety, convenience and operational efficiency abilities with VingCard Classic RFID door locks equipped with Mobile Access.
assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/hospitality

Innovative Swisscom’s Cloud IPTV solution powered by MCOMS at The Riffelalp Resort 2222m
The five star Riffelalp Resort 2222m has selected Swisscom's Cloud IPTV solution, powered by MCOMS to enhance its offerings with powerful in-room and mobile guest experiences.
www.mcoms.com

Porter, a New Contact-Free Food Ordering Technology, Launches in 10 U.S. Hotels
A web-based technology called Porter is powering up a new digital era of food service at hotels, starting in Los Angeles but with its sights set on growth across the United States.
heyporter.app

- Best Western Plus Goulburn Adopts Latest in Guest Content Streaming Technology with BeyondTV
Family-owned 4.5 star hotel addresses guest demands for access to personalized entertainment with advanced yet cost-effective hospitality-designed solution.
www.hotelwifi.com
 

March 12, 2021

MARKETING

- Zoox Smart Data Continues Rapid Americas Expansion with Key Hospitality and Travel Client Wins
- Lodging Interactive Helps 2 & 3 Star Properties Thrive Online with Affordable Website Solutions
- Zoox Smart Data Partners with Leading Hospitality Wi-Fi Network Providers to Enable Seamless Access to Guest Preference Profile Technology
- Agilysys Announces Powerful New Guest Loyalty & Promotions Solution as Part of - Agilysys Engage
---------------------

Zoox Smart Data Continues Rapid Americas Expansion with Key Hospitality and Travel Client Wins
Zoox Smart Data, an international provider of technological solutions that harnesses big data to build customer profiles from existing Wi-Fi networks, continues to bolster its presence in hospitality and travel markets throughout the Americas with more major organizations seeking to deploy its industry-leading smart data solutions.
zooxsmart.com

Lodging Interactive Helps 2 & 3 Star Properties Thrive Online with Affordable Website Solutions
HotelSiteXPRESS is a subscription-based model offering low upfront costs and affordable monthly fees with no long-term contracts.
hotelsitexpress.com

Zoox Smart Data Partners with Leading Hospitality Wi-Fi Network Providers to Enable Seamless Access to Guest Preference Profile Technology
Zoox Smart Data, an international provider of technological solutions that harnesses big data to build customer profiles from existing Wi-Fi networks, has announced additional partnerships with third-party Wi-Fi providers to ensure that more hotel and travel businesses can seamlessly integrate its advanced profile technology with pre-existing Wi-Fi operations.
zooxsmart.com

Agilysys Announces Powerful New Guest Loyalty & Promotions Solution as Part of - Agilysys Engage
Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation cloud-native SaaS and on-premise hospitality software solutions and services, today announced the availability of its Loyalty & Promotions module as part of Agilysys Engage, its integrated set of guest engagement solutions.
agilysys.com

March 12, 2021

PAYMENT PROCESSING

- Agilysys & CITCON Announce Partnership Providing Integrated Hospitality Payment Acceptance
Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation cloud-native SaaS and on-premise hospitality software solutions and services, and CITCON, the leading mobile payment platform, today announced a new partnership to increase market presence for both companies by enabling global hospitality providers to provide travelers access to mobile wallet solutions from around the world.
www.agilysys.com     www.citcon-inc.com

March 12, 2021

SECURITY

- Promoting Excellence: VENZA Launches the InfoSec Invitational Competition
VENZA further cements its position as the industry’s go-to data protection awareness champion. How? They are hosting a global information security-focused quiz game-style competition.
www.venzagroup.com

March 12, 2021

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- HFTP Global Board Addresses the International Association’s Program Initiatives as It Ramps Up in 2021
Ready to partake in the forward momentum of the recovering hospitality industry, the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) Global Board of Directors has outlined multiple initiatives it will undertake to support its professional members and stakeholders.
www.hftp.org

March 12, 2021

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- After Similar Moves for Shopping and Flights, Google Makes Hotel Listings Free
- We Tried Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott’s Work-from-Hotel Programs — These are the Pros and Cons
- New Standard Established in Singapore for Verification of COVID-19 Test Results Across Borders
- First-Ever Space Hotel Slated to be Operational by 2027
---------------------


After Similar Moves for Shopping and Flights, Google Makes Hotel Listings Free
We Tried Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott’s Work-from-Hotel Programs — These are the Pros and Cons
New Standard Established in Singapore for Verification of COVID-19 Test Results Across Borders
First-Ever Space Hotel Slated to be Operational by 2027

March 12, 2021

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what.…



A man stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he could buy him a drink.
 
"Why of course," comes the reply.
 
The first man then asks: "Where are you from?"
 
"I'm from Ireland," replies the second man.
 
The first man responds: "You don't say, I'm from Ireland too! Let's have another round to Ireland."
"Of Course," replies the second man.
 
Curious, the first man then asks: "Where in Ireland are you from?"
"Dublin," comes the reply.
"I can't believe it," says the first man.
"I'm from Dublin too! Let's have another drink to Dublin."
"Of course," replies the second man.
 
Curiosity again strikes and the first man asks:
"What school did you go to?"
"Saint Mary's," replies the second man.
"I graduated in '62."
 
"This is unbelievable!" the first man says.
"I went to Saint Mary's and I graduated in '62, too!"
 
About that time in comes one of the regulars and sits down at the bar.
"What's been going on?" he asks the bartender.

"Nothing much," replies the bartender. "Just the O'Malley twins….drunk again."

                                                              

April 08, 2022

CORPORATE NEWS

- Groups360 Raises $35 Million in Funding to Support Rapid Growth
- Cloudbeds Reports Unprecedented Growth as the Global Hotel Industry’s Recovery Accelerates
- CallTek Adds Video Support as DISH Business Partner
- M3 Helps Launch $350k Ukraine Relief Initiative by Becoming a Founding Partner of HospitalityforPeace.org
- SALTO Takes a Majority Stake in Bluefield Smart Access Technology Company
---------------------

Groups360 Raises $35 Million in Funding to Support Rapid Growth
Groups360, a leading platform for booking group travel, today announced the completion of a $35 million funding round led by Zigg Capital and including Blackstone Innovations Investments, and Fir Tree Partners. They join existing investors Accor, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott International.
groups360.com

Cloudbeds Reports Unprecedented Growth as the Global Hotel Industry’s Recovery Accelerates
Cloudbeds, one of the hospitality industry’s fastest-growing technology provider, announced several strategic investments, including the expansion of its executive team and the rollout of an aggressive product development roadmap.
www.cloudbeds.com

CallTek Adds Video Support as DISH Business Partner
Existing CallTek hospitality customers can now bundle the industry's best in-room entertainment services to their commercial offerings.
calltekinc.com

M3 Helps Launch $350k Ukraine Relief Initiative by Becoming a Founding Partner of HospitalityforPeace.org
M3, along with other hotel tech providers, has successfully helped launch HospitalityForPeace.org. Through the alliance of these hospitality and hospitality-related companies, the hotel industry has come together to help provide Ukrainian with much-needed relief and aid.
www.m3as.com

SALTO Takes a Majority Stake in Bluefield Smart Access Technology Company
SALTO Systems, a leading manufacturer of electronic access control and operating system solutions designed to provide a seamless keyless and mobile experience for modern buildings, is investing in the Dutch company Bluefield Smart Access, strengthening its portfolio of access control solutions. The investment enables Bluefield Smart Access to anticipate the rapid international growth of opportunities concerning its unique cloud-technology solutions.
saltosystems.com

April 08, 2022

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Kimberly Berry Appointed as Director of Digital Business Development for Bella, The Virtual Hotel Agent, Travel Outlook's New AI-Powered Service
- Enseo Names Brian Gurley New Chief Financial Officer
- Cloud5 Demonstrates Commitment to Diversity with New Executive Leadership Promotions and Appointments
- Vizergy Names Holly Montroy Vice President, Human Resources
--------------------

Kimberly Berry Appointed as Director of Digital Business Development for Bella, The Virtual Hotel Agent, Travel Outlook's New AI-Powered Service
Berry brings her experience in hospitality sales and guest relations to Travel Outlook to further improve Bella™ and its practical customer service applications for the hospitality industry.
www.traveloutlook.com

Enseo Names Brian Gurley New Chief Financial Officer
Enseo, a premier technology services provider offering solutions in hospitality, senior living and education, has named Brian Gurley the new chief financial officer.
www.enseo.com

Cloud5 Demonstrates Commitment to Diversity with New Executive Leadership Promotions and Appointments
Cloud5 Communications, a leading provider of communications solutions and Managed IT Services for more than 5,000 hotels, MDUs, and commercial facilities across the Americas, today announced a series of internal promotions and appointments that underscore its commitment to building a diverse workforce.
cloud5.com

Vizergy Names Holly Montroy Vice President, Human Resources
Vizergy® Digital Marketing recently promoted Holly Montroy to the position of Vice President, Human Resources. In her new role, Montroy will be responsible for all elements of human resources for the growing company with a focus on talent acquisition.
vizergy.com

April 08, 2022

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- The Hotel Concord Leverages Stayntouch PMS to Reinforce AAA Four Diamond Award-Winning Service
Stayntouch, a global leader in cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and guest-centric technology, has partnered with The Hotel Concord, an independent luxury boutique hotel located in the center of New Hampshire’s historic capital city. Under the collaboration, The Hotel Concord is leveraging Stayntouch’s flagship PMS to further heighten its delivery of classic luxury service, powered by flexible and easy-to-use technology.
www.stayntouch.com

- Stayntouch Expands Partnership with Real Hospitality Group to Deliver a Streamlined and Enhanced Guest Experience
Stayntouch, a global leader in cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and guest-centric technology, today announced an expansion of its partnership with Real Hospitality Group (RHG), one of the leading and fastest growing hotel management companies in the United States. RHG will now deploy Stayntouch PMS to two additional properties, Artel Hotel in Brooklyn and Park Place Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland.
www.stayntouch.com

April 08, 2022

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- SHR’s Wave RMS Connects with Apaleo PMS
Sceptre Hospitality Resources (SHR), which offers a suite of solutions to help hoteliers improve the guest experience and drive revenue at each touchpoint along the guest journey, has integrated its Wave Revenue Management System (RMS) with Apaleo, the open hospitality platform. Apaleo transforms hotels with a flexible Property Management System (PMS) and App Store and is built on the company’s API-First, cloud-native technology.
www.shr.global

April 08, 2022

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe Partners with INTELITY to Launch Branded App
- Bella The Virtual Hotel Agent Offers a 100% Accurate Understanding of Guest Needs Through Its New Feature, Precise Guest Insight
- INTELITY Introduces 1-Click Mobile Check-in for a Seamless Guest Experience
- The Hills Hotel Deploys BeyondTV GuestCast for Hassle-free Guest Streaming and Enhanced Wi-Fi Network Performance
- Virdee Partners With Mews to Innovate the Guest Experience
----------------------

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe Partners with INTELITY to Launch Branded App
INTELITY®, the provider of hospitality’s broadest guest experience and staff management platform, announced today the launch of a new custom brand mobile app for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Powered by the INTELITY platform, the app offers a full suite of guest functionality including mobile check-in and guest messaging.
www.intelity.com

Bella The Virtual Hotel Agent Offers a 100% Accurate Understanding of Guest Needs Through Its New Feature, Precise Guest Insight
When guests call with questions, Bella anonymizes the caller information and collates the questions for management, providing an instant and 100% accurate picture of why guests are contacting the hotel.
www.traveloutlook.com

INTELITY Introduces 1-Click Mobile Check-in for a Seamless Guest Experience
INTELITY®, the provider of hospitality’s most comprehensive guest experience and staff management platform, announced today the implementation of its 1-Click Mobile check-in capabilities on the platform. The functionality provides significant improvements on app user flow and is set to drive guest app adoption and engagement, as well as utilization across other functions of the guest’s mobile experience.
www.intelity.com

The Hills Hotel Deploys BeyondTV GuestCast for Hassle-free Guest Streaming and Enhanced Wi-Fi Network Performance
Boutique property leverages hospitality-engineered platform to provide guests with effortless access to streaming subscriptions while utilizing analytics dashboard to ensure high-quality online connectivity.
www.hotelwifi.com

Virdee Partners With Mews to Innovate the Guest Experience
The integration empowers hoteliers to manage their properties and guest experience through seamless, user-friendly technology - and in some cases eliminate the front desk entirely.
www.virdee.co

April 08, 2022

MARKETING

- Cendyn Announces the Launch of the Cendyn Hospitality Cloud for Hoteliers Looking to Drive Direct Bookings
Cendyn, a catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry, is excited to announce the launch of the new Cendyn Hospitality Cloud, including the release of the platform’s first applications, an industry-leading website content management system (CMS) powered by Cendyn’s customer data platform (CDP), Starling.
www.cendyn.com

- Zoox Smart Data Launches New Partnership Program for Enterprise Networking Companies and the Properties They Serve
Zoox Smart Data (“Zoox”), an international provider of technological solutions that harness big data to build customer profiles from existing Wi-Fi networks, today announced the launch of its new partnership program. Network hardware and software companies now have the ability to partner with Zoox to provide property clients with more access to guest and customer data than ever before.
www.zooxsmart.com

April 08, 2022

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- Amadeus Unveils Five Defining Trends for The US Group Travel and Events Industry in 2022
As hoteliers evaluate their group business opportunities for 2022, a new report from Amadeus combines hotelier insights with Amadeus business intelligence data to reveal the key trends that will guide the group travel and events market in the year ahead.
www.amadeus-hospitality.com

- Knowland Helps Kimpton Hotels to Maximize Group Revenue
Today Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, announced Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has renewed its long-standing relationship with Knowland. The boutique hospitality company’s executive team relies upon Knowland’s market analytics to gain insights into group business trends and help it better manage and grow its portfolio.
www.knowland.com

- Mills James Evolves Hotel and Convention Center Communications with Worldwide Holographic Technology
Award-winning hospitality AV group seeking companies interested in exploring Proto technology; ‘If you can’t be there, beam there.’
millsjames.com

April 08, 2022

BACK OFFICE

- Crystal Springs Spa & Golf Resort Centralizes Inventory Control Across 12+ Revenue Centers with Maestro PMS/Yellow Dog Software Integration
With six golf courses, four pro shops, and two spas, Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, N.J., wanted to consolidate its inventory processes. Today, through a new integration partnership, these two best-of-breed hospitality solutions are working as one, giving Crystal Springs Resort a centralized platform for retail, pro shop, and spa inventory control.
www.maestropms.com

- M3 and Trintech Announce Strategic Partnership to Help the Hospitality Industry Streamline and Automate the Financial Close Process
M3, one of the hospitality sector’s premiere cloud-based accounting, financial, and data management platform in North America, and Trintech, an industry-leading global provider of Record to Report software solutions for the office of finance jointly announce a strategic partnership.
www.m3as.com

April 08, 2022

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- Green Fig Resort & Spa Partners with Hotel Internet Services to Cater to Guest Demands for High-speed and Reliable Wi-Fi
Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, has been credited with dramatically improving Wi-Fi service performance for guests visiting the Green Fig Resort & Spa in Saint Lucia.
www.hotelwifi.com

April 08, 2022

OPERATIONS

- MobiusVP’s CustomerCount Adds WhatsApp Communications Channel to Cloud-Based Customer Feedback System
Bob Kobek, RRP President of MobiusVP has announced yet another major distribution vehicle to deploy its CustomerCount® online feedback management system.  MobiusVP/CustomerCount has added WhatsApp Messenger as a communication channel for delivery of its cloud-based surveys and onsite service requests. The application has been made available through its strategic technical partner, ConnectionsGRP.
www.customercount.com

- SimplyAnnounce, an Electronic Bulletin Board Application, Advances Cloud Communication Platform
Think Simplicity, a cloud communication technology provider of all-inclusive voice and chat solutions for the hospitality industry, announced today the launch of SimplyAnnounce™, an electronic bulletin board application. The new capability has been added to Think Simplicity’s hosted Communications Web Portal (CWP) at no extra charge to clients and is designed to replace traditional employee communication methods.
www.thinksimplicity.com

- Hotel Employees Weigh in on the Benefits of Guesthub
From frontline employees to managers, people using the web-based Guesthub guest services + task management app say it is making their jobs easier and operations is more efficient; Some even say the technology is making them more loyal to their employer.
www.guesthub.io

April 08, 2022

SECURITY

- VENZA Launches New Support Site
The current business climate values immediacy and accuracy while at the same time placing a premium on personalization and human connection. A recent survey showed that 83% of customers connect most to brands that respond to their needs. VENZA launching their all-new support site rings timely and strikes that just-right balance.
www.VENZAgroup.com

April 08, 2022

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

-  Agilysys to Showcase Cloud Native Modern Technology Based Solutions for the Hospitality Industry's Top Challenges at Consultants Forum, May 17-18, 2022
The technology leader will explore solutions to hospitality's top challenges and reveal industry trends shaping the future.
www.agilysys.com

April 08, 2022

MARKET REPORTS

- Knowland’s Meetings and Events Report Indicates March Meetings Up 55 Percent from February
Knowland, a world leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, today released its monthly meetings and events data for March. Meetings volume from February to March increased 55.5 percent. Even more significant is a 428 percent increase over March 2021.
www.knowland.com

March 18, 2022

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- Tripadvisor 2021 Review Transparency Report
- JLL: Hotel Industry Has Opportunity to Enact Real Change with Sustainability
- 7 Ways for Limited-Service Properties to Drive Ancillary Revenue
- 10 Hotels that Have Robot Employees
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Tripadvisor 2021 Review Transparency Report
JLL: Hotel Industry Has Opportunity to Enact Real Change with Sustainability
7 Ways for Limited-Service Properties to Drive Ancillary Revenue
10 Hotels that Have Robot Employees

March 18, 2022

And now for the You-Know-What...

It's March Madness....

 

If you want a sure thing in your men's NCAA tournament pool, you'll need to fill out the 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 brackets necessary to guarantee a winner. Just leave yourself *plenty* of time to finish them all. If you filled out one bracket every second it would take you 292 billion years to cover all the possibilities.

Good Luck!  

 

April 08, 2022

Siegel Sez

I have written this opening to Siegel Sez since 2001, and trust me, this is the most difficult one for me to write. I want to share what happened last week in Frisco, Texas, but as random thoughts go through my head, I think the best thing to do is wait until our videographer Liz Vogan finishes what will truly be an amazing industry video. If you are involved or have an interest in technology for the hotel industry, I promise this is a must see. If you don’t subscribe to Hospitality Upgrade, please sign up as the video will be in our bi-weekly Watercooler newsletter along with here in Siegel Sez via Hotel Online. It was simply an amazing week in Frisco for our 2022 Executive Vendor Summit.
 
But let me say this about EVS. When you have more than a hundred vendors who supply technology come together, even though many compete for business, you can imagine how the conversations might go. When you throw in six CIOs to interact with them, it gets very interesting. When you put together a program that goes from how cryptocurrency and SSI will change the hotel industry, to having the local Chief of Police share how the hospitality industry impacts what they do, it turns out to be an amazing program.
 
From the icebreaker to the now infamous marshmallow challenge, along with how and why companies get acquired or merge, it was an amazing experience. The week ended with a night that I will never forget, and I thank all who had fun roasting me. More importantly, I don’t think there will ever be another industry event that 150 people will all agree was simply so much fun!

If there was one thing, I would suggest to everybody that has been in their professional role for many years, think back to those who encouraged and motivated you along the way and reconnect with them. I started the business 30 years ago, which was the theme of the Thursday night event. My personal highlight was connecting with people I hadn’t seen in well over 20 years. Find people from your past who had an impact and do reconnect with them. It was simply an amazing high for me!
 
A big thank you to HFTP for being a great partner for our Executive Vendor Summit. Those in attendance will never look at a penguin the same way again. Thanks also to Gregg Hopkins and PROVision Partners for spearheading the Thursday celebration along with co-emcee Richard Tudgay, the CIO from Highgate Hotels who everyone saw in a totally different light, as no one was immune from his harassment.
 
Mike Schmitt from Clairvoyix brought a band to the event that everybody absolutely loved. What an amazing night! For all who were there from so many different aspects of the industry, I thank you. We all dream of very special moments in life, I know I had mine in Frisco, Texas. Again, please make sure you go to www.hospitalityupgrade.com/subscribe to make sure you get the video. It will be amazing!
 
Thank you to all who have shared feedback on our Spring issue. I especially would like to thank Max Starkov, a well-respected consultant in Europe, who after receiving our digital edition shared his optimistic thoughts on what the industry is going through today here on LinkedIn. We thank everybody who shared their comments on Hospitality Upgrade’s Spring issue.
 
Doug Rice follows with his Definitely Doug column, where he continues advising on the importance of guest feedback via the guest satisfaction survey. If you’re not currently doing this, you need to read Definitely Doug this week. Thanks again to all who have commented on the 30-year celebration. It really has inspired me more than I would have ever imagined. What a long, strange trip it has been!

Thank you! 
Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com



April 08, 2022

Definitely Doug

My previous column was the first in a series of three focusing on tools that collect, analyze, and act upon guest feedback. The initial installment covered online reputation management (ORM), which matters at the very first step of the sales funnel – where potential guests are qualifying hotels, typically using Google, Tripadvisor or an online travel agent (OTA). This second segment addresses guest satisfaction survey (GSS) software, which can work in tandem with ORM and is offered by many of the same vendors. For branded hotels, however, GSS is often separate because the tools are usually selected by the brand, whereas ORM software is mostly left to the discretion of the owner or manager.

If you already have a GSS tool, this week’s article should help you use it more effectively. If you don’t, then it can help you understand why you might want one, what to look for, and how to use it. The final installment in two weeks will close the loop, providing details on how to operationalize the feedback you get from both GSS and ORM to improve overall performance and customer satisfaction, tying guest feedback to your customer database.

While guest surveys are today’s focus, it’s worth noting that guests are not the only audience that matters. Many hotels and brands will find value in surveying employees, hotel owners, meeting planners, corporate accounts, and even suppliers. Some of the tools can be easily adapted for these audiences, but that is a topic for another day.

I spoke with several companies offering GSS tools, collecting their thoughts on best practices and key considerations in evaluating them. I’m aware of more than 80 companies offering products in the category, far too many to speak with them all. Many of these are lightweight add-ons to other software, so I focused on several that sell GSS (or GSS/ORM combinations) as primary or significant products. For small to medium chains and independent hotels, these included Dailypoint, D-EDGE’s Sentinel product, GuestRevu, Medallia’s Medallia Go product, Revinate, Shiji’s ReviewPro, and Xperium. Medallia also has an enterprise product that is used by major brands; Qualtrics, which also competes in the enterprise space, did not respond to a request for an interview.

Much of the information presented here was gathered in interviews for the earlier ORM article, as all but one of the companies listed above offer both ORM and GSS tools. My thanks to the executives from these companies who shared their knowledge and expertise.

April 08, 2022

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- Survey: 87% of Americans Say Sustainable Travel Is Important
- Flexibility, Choice, & Control: What Options Are You Giving Your Guests?
- Travel Subscription Plans from Airlines and Hotels Are Expanding  
- Self-Service Technologies: The Next Frontier in Hotel Service
----------------------


Survey: 87% of Americans Say Sustainable Travel Is Important
Flexibility, Choice, & Control: What Options Are You Giving Your Guests?
Travel Subscription Plans from Airlines and Hotels Are Expanding  
Self-Service Technologies: The Next Frontier in Hotel Service

April 22, 2022

Definitely Doug

Using Feedback to Improve Guest Satisfaction

There are three main reasons why hotels solicit feedback from guests. The first is simply to get a “report card” of how your hotel is doing vs. competitors or other hotels in the same brand or management group. This is interesting information and may help make or break someone’s management career, but otherwise is not very actionable. The second is to identify ways to channel capital funds or operating expenses to projects that will have the greatest impact on overall guest satisfaction and, through it, revenue and profit. The last is to get insights into what specific guests liked or disliked about your hotel so that their next-stay experience will be better, increasing their preference for your hotel.

This week’s article concludes a three-part series on collecting and using guest feedback to improve guest satisfaction. The first installment addressed feedback provided by online reviews. The second part focused on guest satisfaction surveys. This third segment, which is meant to be read in tandem with the first two, ties it together by connecting feedback to individual customers and market segments. This will allow you to use it to identify actions that will improve guest satisfaction.

The techniques described here cannot usually be implemented in any one system. They require coordination across multiple systems or modules: customer relationship management (CRM) systems, property management systems (PMS), online reputation management (ORM) systems, guest satisfaction survey (GSS) systems, and possibly work order management systems and guest texting solutions (chatbots). Some CRM solutions offer ORM and GSS modules, which can reduce the complexity of cross-system coordination but rarely eliminates it. Such solutions may be a good choice if you have control over all three systems. It may, however, be impractical if your brand mandates specific solutions for one or two of them but doesn’t cover all three.

Any evaluation of solutions must consider whether they can work with your other systems to produce the desired result. I emphasize those last four words because many vendors will say “we have an interface with x.” An interface implies that some data can move between two systems, but not whether the data that you need can be moved, and at the relevant point in time. The devil is in the details and few or no other hotels may have your exact combination of systems and operational needs. If you can find another hotel with the same systems, see if what they have will meet your needs. Otherwise, you need to map out the use cases that are critical to you, verify what data needs to move from one system to another, when it needs to move, and what the receiving system needs to do with it, and then get commitments from the vendors in writing that they can send, receive, and act on the data as required. Many projects like this fail because the hotel made assumptions about an interface that turned out to be wishful thinking.

The importance of interfaces and data exchange for managing and acting on guest feedback has become much more evident in recent years. One vendor I spoke with that offers GSS and ORM tools and that integrates with other CRMs said that just a few years ago, integrations came up “at step five” of the sales process, as an afterthought. Today they are raised at the first point of contact because they are understood to be critical.

In researching this article, I benefited from expertise provided by senior managers at several companies that have products in one or more of the CRM, ORM, and GSS categories, including Cendyn, dailypoint, D-EDGE, GuestRevu, Medallia, Revinate, Shiji, and Xperium. I thank them for sharing their valuable perspectives. While there are several hundred companies that provide one or more of these products in the market, I chose these both because I find their products credible, and because they are representative of a broad range of capabilities in the market.

 

Click here to read more of Doug’s column on Using Feedback to Improve Guest Satisfaction?

April 22, 2022

CORPORATE NEWS

- Fullsteam Acquires IQware Inc and Megasys Hospitality Solutions
Fullsteam, a holding company acquiring software and payments businesses, announced its March 2022 acquisition of IQware Inc and Megasys Hospitality Solutions, leading providers of hospitality management solutions.
www.fullsteam.com

April 22, 2022

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Nomadix Appoints Michael Gray, Hospitality Networking Technology Executive, as Global VP of Strategic Partnerships
Nomadix Inc​., a technology leader in hospitality and multi-tenant industries, today announced the appointment of Michael Gray as global vice president of strategic partnerships focused on building deeper relationships and programs for hospitality brands, management companies and ownership groups.
nomadix.com

April 22, 2022

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Stayntouch and D-EDGE Partner to Optimize Global Distribution for Hotels in Europe and Around the Globe
Stayntouch, a global leader in cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and guest-centric technology, today announced that its flagship cloud PMS platform now integrates with D-EDGE central reservation system, the leading hotel distribution technology provider in Europe.
www.stayntouch.com

- Stayntouch Partners with Main Street Hospitality, Deploys Intuitive Cloud PMS Across Seven Properties in New England
Stayntouch, a global leader in cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and guest-centric technology, today announced a partnership with Main Street Hospitality, a Massachusetts-based boutique hotel management group, delivering its flagship mobile PMS across seven properties in the New England area.
www.stayntouch.com

- Visual Matrix Expands Reach to 3,000 Properties Worldwide with New Complete Hospitality Operating System
Visual Matrix, an industry-leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced it has expanded its reach to more than 3,000 properties around the world. At the 2022 Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) Convention & Trade Show in Baltimore, Visual Matrix aims to showcase the many new features that it has incorporated to enhance its other well-known property management solutions.
visualmatrix.com

April 22, 2022

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- UpStay Continues Global Growth Momentum with Expansion into North American Hospitality Market
UpStay, a leading provider of advanced ancillary upselling technology solutions for the hotel industry, today announced the expansion of its global operations to serve the revenue growth and experience-enhancing needs of hoteliers throughout the North American market.
www.upstay.tech

April 22, 2022

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- MCOMS and Cablenet offer unique solution to The Orient Hotel Jakarta
MCOMS has partnered with Cablenet Fiber Data, a Multi-Service Operator Network Provider based in Jakarta, to provide The Orient Hotel Jakarta with MCOMS HOTstream unique guest-facing solution.
mcoms.com

- The Don CeSar Provides "InnSpired" Luxury and Convenience with Guest Experience Mobile App and Integrated Technology Suite from InnSpire
Iconic Florida property teams up with leading hotel technology provider to empower guests with unrestricted access to luxury amenities through a comprehensive mobile-based Digital Guest Journey that provides convenience at every touchpoint.
www.innspire.com

 - Empeiria High Sierra Hotel Selects INTELITY for Mobile Guest Experience
INTELITY®, provider of hospitality’s broadest guest experience and staff management platform, announced today a new partnership with Empeiria High Sierra Hotel in Mammoth Lakes. The destination hotel for outdoor adventurers will implement the INTELITY guest-facing suite of tools, including a branded mobile app, mobile check-in, mobile key, and guest messaging.
www.intelity.com

April 22, 2022

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- Omni Hotels & Resorts Becomes First Brand to Launch Seamless Instant Booking Experience for Both Group Rooms and Meeting Space
Omni Hotels & Resorts and Groups360 today announced that Omni is the first ever hotelier to offer instant booking for both group rooms and meeting space on GroupSync™. GroupSync is Groups360’s proprietary online booking marketplace, with instant booking capabilities that enable anyone organizing a meeting or event to book both group guest rooms and event spaces online.
omnihotels.com     groups360.com

- Knowland Webinar Presents Q1 2022 Meetings Industry Recovery Update
Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, will hold a webinar on April 20, 2022, at 1:00 pm ET to share the latest data for the meetings and events industry. In this webinar, attendees will see the status of meetings and events for Q1 2022 and what it looks like by market and segment, as well as an updated forecast through 2024.
www.knowland.com

April 22, 2022

BACK OFFICE

- Castlerock Asset Management Achieves Enhanced Performance Forecasting Capabilities with ProfitSword Business Intelligence Technology
Hospitality real estate development and asset management enterprise leverages ProfitSword partnership for seamless access to real-time business analytics, ensuring both swift and informed decision-making abilities that lead to sustainable company growth.
www.profitsword.com

- Infor Provides Digital Transformation for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
Infor, an industry cloud company, today announced that the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California has decided to implement the newest iteration of Infor CloudSuite Financials & Supply Management and Infor d/EPM to transform its back-office strategy for growth.
www.infor.com

April 22, 2022

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- Somerset on the Pier Partners with Liveport to Deploy Advanced Guest Wi-Fi Network Connectivity
Liveport, a leading provider of internet services and IoT-based technology, has been credited with dramatically enhancing Wi-Fi service and network quality at Somerset on the Pier, a luxury serviced apartments property in Hobart, Australia.
www.liveport.com.au

April 22, 2022

FOOD & BEVERAGE

- Swire Hotels Teams Up with Agilysys to Provide Smarter, Faster, Greener Guest Experiences
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of next-generation end-to-end SaaS and on-prem ready hospitality software solutions, today announced that Hong Kong-based Swire Hotels has activated Agilysys solutions in all its Hong Kong properties and plans to extend these across its entire property portfolio.
www.agilysys.com

June 30, 2006

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Inn-Client Server Systems (ICSS) unveils “atrium” PMS
- OSIB Operations Holdings orders AltiusPAR’s software suite for Europe-based hotels
- AltiusPAR announces RFID-based products for data collection and analysis
- Riptide Software releases Web-based resort management system
- SoftBrands adds Web booking engine to its Medallion PMS
- SoftBrands integrates Serenata @mail e-mail correspondence product with all four PMSs
- SoftBrands adds UK-sourced Cerenity Spa system to product range
- SoftBrands claims one PMS sold each working day, worldwide, for six months
- MSI releases Web-booking engine for WinPM system
- MSI releases Place Point touch-screen point-of-sale system
- MSI releases Pocket Concierge remote checkin/checkout handheld PDA
- MSI updates WinPM interface to NCR’s Express checkin/checkout kiosks
- MSI to use Pegasus’ Scottsdale Data Center as hosting facility for ASP-based systems
- MSI celebrates its 15th year in business
- Louvre Hotels to deploy centralized MICROS OPERA and 3700 POS in 210 hotels
- Pestana implements MICROS’ OPERA PMS at 23 properties in Portugal
- TWELVE Hotels and Residences selects OPERA, first system installed in Atlantic Station
- MICROS Systems ranked in three magazines’ fastest-growing lists
- Hotel Concepts announces Smart Client .net 2.0 version of Web-based Enterprise System
- Hotel Concepts awarded Gold Certified Partner status by Microsoft
- Festival Inns selects centralized HIS epitome.NET and core for nine Edinburgh properties
- base2stay selects centralized HIS’ epitome.NET and core for London properties
- HIS and Newmarket enhancing integration between epitome and Delphi
- HIS and Squirrel partner for seamless integration of PMS and POS systems
- HIS’ distributor for Eastern Europe, Russia and the CIS announces new implementations
- HIS establishes direct office in New Delhi, India
- REMco Software releases two-way interface with InnLink’s CRS
- UK’s Warren House orders Visual One’s integrated front office, sales and catering systems
- Visual One announces Visual One DB graphical dashboard add-on for PMS
--------------------------

Inn-Client Server Systems (ICSS) unveiled its atrium PMS.  Claimed to offer more configurable parameters and business rules than other systems, atrium is being positioned as a revenue management-focused system offering increased control of the sales process, enforced rate management, seasonal minimums, rate code availability and yield levels. 
http://www.atriumpms.com
**
Dutch hotelier OSIB Operations Holdings has ordered AltiusPAR’s full suite of software applications for its Europe-based hotels.  OSIB plans to open two hotels in Amsterdam in early 2007, followed by rapid expansion into other regions of Europe.  AltiusPAR will provide its central inventory system, revenue management, Internet booking engine, global distribution connectivity, sales and catering and property management systems, including its new RFID-based technology. 

AltiusPAR announced RFID-based products to collect information such as checkin and checkout data, food and beverage purchases, luggage tracking and housekeeping records, plus software to analyze and manage it.  Areas covered include:
- Customer loyalty cards that can speed self checkin/out at kiosks, open room and office doors to interface with energy saving and security systems, and identify frequent customers as they enter hotels and restaurants.
- Luggage tags for tracking in hotels, airports and other transportation hubs.
- Housekeeping controls for status updates, work order/out-of-order setup and access security logs.
www.altiuspar.com
**
Riptide Software, a developer of government, aerospace, banking and creative services software, has released its Web-based resort management system (Riptide RMS) targeted at the condo hotel and timeshare markets.  Functionality includes unit sales management (including purchase benefits and sales commissions), property composition, property calendar, legal registration, general management, and detailed reports at multiple levels.  www.riptidesoftware.com
**
SoftBrands has added an integrated Web booking engine to its Medallion PMS, and has signed a worldwide distribution contract with Serenata for its @mail HTML-driven e-mail correspondence product.  @mail is already integrated with its Medallion, PORTfolio, LANmark and IGS PMSs. 

SoftBrands also added the Cerenity Spa system to its product range, a version of the UK-based Premier Spa system used by more than 1,300 clients.

SoftBrands stated that over two strong quarters from October 2005 to April 2006, it sold an average of one PMS every working day worldwide, bringing its customer base to over 1,800.   www.softbrands.com
**
Multi-Systems Inc. (MSI) has released a Web booking engine for its WinPM system, permitting individual booking, corporate booking, group booking and group inquiry.

MSI released Place Point, a touch screen point-of-sale system with a highly visual user interface and with retail, self-service and mobile (on Pocket PC devices) applications, and Pocket Concierge, a remote checkin/checkout handheld PDA.  Pocket Concierge can be used to create guest room keys, print registration cards and folios and retrieve guest messages.  Maintenance and housekeeping staff can also use it to update room status and to take rooms off market for repairs.

MSI has updated its WinPM interface to NCR’s Express checkin/checkout hotel kiosks.  The kiosk dispenses guestroom keys and a confirmation receipt upon checkin; at checkout, guests can return their room keys and receive a detailed receipt of their stay.  They can also add participating frequent flyer numbers and guest loyalty program numbers, with participating brands showing the guests their total accumulated loyalty points.

MSI has contracted with Pegasus Systems to use the Pegasus Scottsdale Data Center (SDC) as the hosting facility for its ASP-based PMS (EnterprisePM), WinPM Web booking engine and their supporting databases.  MSI’s ASP-based corporate services solution will eventually also be hosted by the Pegasus SDC.

MSI celebrated its 15th year in business at HITEC. www.msisolutions.com, www.pegs.com
**
Louvre Hotels will deploy MICROS Systems’ OPERA PMS, Reservation System (ORS), MICROS 3700 Point of Sale/Enterprise Management, and mymicros.net in all its 210 company owned hotels by the end of September 2006.  Louvre also designated MICROS as preferred vendor solution for the entire chain, which represents approximately 750 budget hotels in France (806 including the rest of Europe) under the Kyriad, Campanile and Premiere Classe brands.  All systems will be centrally hosted at MICROS-Fidelio’s Data Center in Frankfurt, Germany. 

Pestana Hotels and Resorts has implemented MICROS’ OPERA Property Management System at 23 properties in Portugal and hosted in three data centres, one of which is located within The Pestana Group infrastructure.  The OPERA Customer Information System will next be implemented for centralized profile management and support of the Pestana Elite Card membership program.

TWELVE Hotels and Residences has selected OPERA as its technology platform, centrally hosted in a multiproperty configuration.  The first property, TWELVE Atlantic Station, has deployed the OPERA PMS, sales and catering, Web services and Vision BI, and will shortly deploy the OPERA Revenue Management System.  The second property will open in the Centennial Park district near downtown Atlanta in mid 2007.  OPERA is integrated to TWELVE’s GHOST (Guest Hotel Operating System Terminal) in-room concierge services unit. 

MICROS Systems has been ranked No. 87 on BusinessWeek magazine’s Hot Growth Companies list, No. 72 on Business 2.0 magazine’s 100 Fastest Growing Tech Companies list and No. 75 on VARBusiness Magazine’s VARBusiness 500 list. http://www.louvrehotels.com, www.pestana.com, www.twelvehotels.com, 
www.micros.com
**
Hotel Concepts announced the Smart Client version of its Web-based Hospitality Enterprise Solution, using a .Net 2.0 framework to provide CRS, PMS and CRM modules.  All are slated for full release before the end of 2006. 

Hotel Concepts has been awarded Gold Certified Partner status by Microsoft, the highest level of Microsoft's Partner Program status available for independent software vendors. The award recognizes the company's advanced competency in providing custom build software and services.  www.hotelconcepts.com
**
Festival Inns has selected Hotel Information Systems’ epitome.NET Property Management System and core Reservation Portal solution for its nine Edinburgh properties, operating on a centralized system.

base2stay has selected HIS’ epitome.NET Property Management System and core Reservation Portal for its 67-room property in Kensington, London.  HIS’ .NET-based centralized system was selected to support the planned expansion of base2stay; as new properties are added the server will be moved from its initial hotel location into a central hosting facility.  All properties will also be connected to the HIS Reservation Portal for
real time Web bookings.

Libra International, HIS’ distributor for Eastern Europe, Russia and the CIS, announced several new implementations.  Suncani Hvar Hotels in Croatia implemented HIS core and epitome in the first months of 2006 to provide the backbone for the group’s central reservations, distribution channel management and property operations.  Heliopark Hotels Group added six new properties over the last six months.  Heliopark centralizes all of its operations in Moscow using HIS core Central Reservations, Channel Management and epitome Property Management systems.

Newly formed Russian hotel group Orange Ring Hotels opened three hotels and a centralized reservation facility, all on HIS systems.  Orange Ring also offers representation services based on HIS core to independent Russian hotels under the brand name Optima. World Luxury Hotels also standardized on HIS systems for several Business class hotels it is scheduled to open later this year in Moscow. Libra states that it is installing an average of thee new properties a month on epitome PMS and POS systems. 

HIS and Newmarket International are enhancing the integration between the epitome Property Management System and Delphi Sales & Catering system for real-time synchronization of inventory and availability data.  This will ensure accurate non-group future consumption in Delphi, synchronized group blocks between Delphi and epitome, and better access to key information for sales managers.

HIS and Squirrel Systems have partnered to provide more seamless integration between their PMS and POS systems, under the somewhat cumbersome name of epitome Food and Beverage Management System Powered by Squirrel Systems.  The eFBMSPSS includes the SquirrelOne POS with IP connectivity to HIS’ epitome PMS, under a common user interface that allows users to access both PMS and POS features seamlessly at any time.  HIS’ service team will provide support for both systems. 

HIS has integrated Ennoview, Inc’s Envision Spa Management System and Active Golf Solutions golf and activity software into the epitome PMS so that reservation agents can book spa, golf and other activities while making a room or package reservation.  All bookings are added to the guest’s itinerary and can be e-mailed; cancellations in one system notify users if linked bookings exist in the others. 

HIS has established a direct office in New Delhi, India for better management of its customers in the region and to address new business opportunities. www.festival-inns.co.uk, www.base2stay.com, www.libra-russia.com, www.newmarketinc.com, www.squirrelsystems.com, www.ennoview.com, www.activegolfsolutions.com, www.hotelinfosys.com
**
REMco Software has released a two-way interface with InnLink’s CRS.  InnLink reservations can now be processed and downloaded automatically into the REMco PMS system; inventory allocations are automatically sent from REMco to InnLink.  www.innlink.com, www.remcosoftware.com
**
The UK’s Warren House, a 45-guestroom conference and training centre situated in a country house in Kingston, near London, has ordered Visual One’s integrated front office, sales and catering systems.

Visual One Systems announced its Visual One DB dashboard add-on for its PMS, a group of four 'gauges' each chosen to fit the data being displayed. Each gauge is a graphical display of the numeric result from any SQL query which can be written as required, such as this week's occupancy levels, the takings in a POS outlet or average debtor days.  www.warrenhouse.com, www.v1s.com
**

July 20, 2006

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what…

Fifty-one years ago, Herman was drafted by the Army.  On his first day in basic training, the Army issued him a comb.  That afternoon the Army barber sheared off all of his hair.
 
On his second day, the Army issued Herman a toothbrush.  That afternoon the Army dentist yanked seven of his teeth.
 
On the third day, the Army issued him a jock strap.  The Army has been looking for Herman for 51 years.

August 03, 2006

COMMUNICATIONS

by: Richard Siegel

I always try to be upfront with people, but sometimes my imagination gets the best of me. Last Wednesday I flew from Atlanta to Las Vegas and miraculously was upgraded to first class. I am sure I was the only person in this 24-seat first class that was not flying out for the World Series of Poker which started last week. Since my seatmate and others assumed I was going for the tournament, I decided I would play along. I always thought I was a dreamer, but these guys take the cake. Some of their stories really scared me. They play poker with friends, in local taverns and online. They borrow to come up with the entry fees and dream of millions. I shared with them my strategy for poker success which in itself was pretty funny since I barely knew what the flop, the river and the turn were. I think instead of television focusing on the successful players they should tell some stories of the many broken dreams of this tournament. There were some very amazing stories being shared on this flight.

Las Vegas is a place that never ceases to amaze me. On my trip all I seemed to do was eat and drink. I had breakfast with Tom Peck the new CIO at MGM/Mirage. I had lunch with Steve Murphy who is in charge of the technology for Wynn Resorts’ next property, Encore. I had dinner with Ron Dressin, his wife and Kim Devine from Red Rock Software. But my favorite was having dinner with Marshall Andrew the CIO at Station Casinos. Marshall took me to T-Bones, the unbelievable steakhouse at Station Casino’s newest property Red Rock Hotel and Casino. This place is beyond spectacular and is amazingly a long way from anything else in Las Vegas with its location at the base of Mount Charleston. Next time you are in Las Vegas you need to check it out. I am lucky enough to visit many new hotels throughout the year, but Red Rock was probably the most unique I have ever seen. It truly is redefining Las Vegas when a place like this can be so far from the Strip. But there is one thing that Red Rock has in common with every other hotel/casino I visit when in Las Vegas. They all seem to eventually help me lighten my pockets. I must have been influenced by the dreamers I met on the flight out to Las Vegas.

For those of you who live in Atlanta or will be in Atlanta in two weeks, don’t forget our social event on Thursday, Aug. 17 at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel (http://www.renaissancewaverly.com). The early response has pretty much guaranteed this will be our biggest turnout ever. There is some serious networking that goes on in a very fun environment. This is simply what this entire event is about. If you are thinking of attending, please e-mail Sharon@hospitalityupgrade.com so there will be enough food, the Waverly is excited to be hosting this event. If you have been putting off a business trip to Atlanta, I suggest you plan one for August 17. There are some great people you will want to meet.

Speaking of great people, Hospitality Upgrade’s CIO Summit at Amelia Island Plantation will have close to 50 CIOs from around the world attending this year’s very unique meeting, which is our largest crowd ever. The CIO Summit is invitation only, if you have any questions please e-mail me at rich@hospitalityupgrade.com.

O.K., here is the real reason we are here, Jon Inge’s technology review of the last two weeks. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at “you-know-what”.

Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
August 03, 2006

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Jon Inge
Systems News in Plain English from Jon Inge

Not surprisingly, cell phones (86 percent) and digital cameras (67 percent) topped the list, but fully one-quarter (24 percent) also take their laptops.  It’s not just so they can continue working; 18 percent use the Internet to stay connected with family and friends while traveling, and 16 percent use it to find places to visit or things to do.  Consequently, 15 percent choose accommodations based on availability of a high-speed Internet connection or Wi-Fi access.

Of course, some travelers do like to stay in touch with the office while they’re away; 10 percent owned up to that, if only to make sure there are no crises brewing.  Sadly, another 9 percent felt they have no choice but to stay connected, and a scary 6 percent said they actually like to work at their job while on vacation.

Interestingly, CD players outnumbered iPods or MP3 players, 21 percent to 11 percent. It would be interesting to know the age range of the survey respondents to see who’s carrying which.  The report suggests that these percentages are likely to reverse themselves as travel-related/destination-specific podcasts and downloadable music and video become more popular.

One thing’s for sure; vacation properties need to provide plenty of power outlets.

 

August 17, 2006

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Jon Inge
Systems News in Plain English from Jon Inge

TOP O' THE NEWS

- More thoughts on SoftBrands’ acquisition of HIS
---------------------------
After the surprise of the initial announcement, and both parties are to be commended for keeping this deal out of the usually all-seeing rumor mill, SoftBrands’ acquisition of HIS makes a great deal of sense.  HIS’ leadership has done a tremendous job in turning around a once-dominant company that had lost its way; they gave it a sense of direction and confidence, and kept it afloat while excellent new products were developed, but they lacked the resources to take full advantage of them.  SoftBrands has also had its challenges in the past few years, and while strong internationally, had never achieved the North American presence it desired. 

So now SoftBrands gets its U.S. presence and modern-technology .Net-based systems well-adapted to the U.S. market.  HIS gets a stronger international presence (especially European) and access to SoftBrands’ Bangalore development team.  HIS’ core and epitome.Net systems will be the main products, targeted at group clients, with SoftBrands’ Medallion PMS focused on smaller and independent properties.  SoftBrands’ Portfolio PMS will continue to be available to existing customers in Europe. 

The HIS name will be phased out, which is sad in a sense but is appropriate.  The new company combines the installed bases (and support revenue) from many of the most successful brands of the past; HIS, LANmark, CLS, Encore, Lodging Touch and more, but is really a new entity with enough resources to be a viable international competitor to Micros-Fidelio.  M-F has been our dominant vendor for many years; to its credit it has not been complacent but has continued to enhance and refine its Opera software to a high degree.  Nonetheless, the emergence of a serious, well-funded competitor can only be good for everyone.
**

August 31, 2006

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

- GenaRes integrates AnyRate’s competitive rate intelligence software into its CRS
- IDeaS integrates revenue optimization with Visual One’s Property Management System
----------------------------
GenaRes Worldwide Reservation Services has integrated AnyRate’s competitive rate intelligence software into its CRS, complementing its earlier integration with EZ Yield.  GenaRes customers will be able to use the AnyRate competitive rate shopping programs at discounted fees, including the AnyRate Flash real-time rate search tool.  http://www.any-rate.com, http://www.genares.com
**
IDeaS announced the integration of its revenue optimization with Visual One’s Property Management System, to help set best available rates and maximize both transient and group revenue.  The integrated products have been installed at various joint clients including the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Ala. http://www.ideas.com, http://www.v1s.com
**

August 31, 2006

SALES & CATERING, MEETING PLANNING

October 19, 2006

COMMUNICATIONS

by: Jon Inge
Systems News in Plain English from Jon Inge

TOP O' THE NEWS

- HTNG’s first European conference highly encouraging
---------------------------
Emphasizing both the international nature of HTNG’s approach to hospitality technology’s challenges and the high level of joint hotel and vendor commitment to resolving them, over 150 current and prospective members virtually all of CIO, CTO, GM or regional VP rank, attended its first European conference in Lausanne, Switzerland from October 11-13. 
 
Held at the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, the presentations and interactive sessions focused on the particular challenges faced by European and Middle Eastern hoteliers.  These include the many cultural, language and regulatory differences, a tradition of strong, independently minded hotel owners and GMs who often prefer to buy from locally focused vendors rather than follow chain standards, and, especially in the Middle East, a practice of buying through third-party technology companies rather than directly from vendors.  As such, the region magnifies the systems integration and acquisition issues that launched HTNG, and it is therefore especially encouraging to see the strong interest shown by both hoteliers and local vendors in working toward their resolution.

Several workgroups reported very positive results from their hoteliers’ use of pre-certification product releases.  In response to questions on progress in general, HTNG emphasized that it is not attempting to set interface standards for the industry, nor to address all the major interfaces used or needed.  Its goal is to encourage vendors to cooperate in producing various sets of more highly integrated systems, using modern technologies such as Web services, by focusing on specific cases that its hotel members identify as high priority and commit to purchase.  The success of these examples is intended to encourage others to follow the same route, and judging from the continued strong interest in joining existing workgroups and setting up new ones, momentum is building nicely.
**

November 12, 2009

SALES & CATERING, MEETING PLANNING

- Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites Lake Buena Vista install hotel SalesPro, hotel ServicePro
- X2O Media announces Xpresenter interface with Newmarket’s Delphi
- Dawn Beach Club, St. Maarten, selects SPI Software's Orange Systems
---------------------------
The Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites in Lake Buena Vista, Orlando have installed hotel SystemsPro’s hotel SalesPro and hotel ServicePro systems.  The new-build properties have a combined total of 260+ rooms.  http://www.hotelsystemspro.com
**
X2O Media announced an Xpresenter interface with Newmarket International’s Delphi application, with Delphi event data to be exported directly to their digital signage display screens.  X2O has an exclusive agreement with PSAV Presentation Services to provide content design, management, distribution, monitoring, integration and support services for PSAV customers' digital signage.  http://www.newmarketinc.com, http://www.psav.com, http://www.x2omedia.com
**
Dawn Beach Club in St. Maarten, West Indies has selected SPI Software's Orange Systems Marketing, Sales and Finance modules.  http://www.spiinc.com
**
November 12, 2009

GUEST SERVICES

- Palomar Hotel, Philadelphia, opens with SuiteLinq distributed wirelessly to all rooms
- MBOi (Interactive) and 180SQUARED unveil Cirrus IPTV Managed Cloud Service
- Acentic partners with Philips for no-set-top-box high-definition service to hotel guestrooms
- Fairmont Pittsburgh implementing VingCard Signature RFID locks, VISIONLINE network
- TheWit Hotel, Chicago interfaces SAFLOK Quantum locks with MTech HotSOS
- SAFLOK launches RFID lock reader for wall mounting instead of on the door
- SAFLOK interfaces Messenger network technology with Control4’s Suite Systems
- OpenWays announces mobile phone-based guestroom access system
- SAFLOK enables its locks to read an OpenWays-enabled cell phone-delivered key
- Hyatt Regency Chicago first property to implement SAFLOK RF interface to INNCOM
- INNCOM listed in Connecticut Technology Council Tech Top 40 for second year
- iLuv releases iMM183 Hi-Fi Dual Dock Alarm Clock with Weather Hazard Alert
- LodgeNet licenses b-LAN technology to LG Electronics and Philips Electronics
- LodgeNet launches Guestroom Manager 2.0
- TeleAdapt announces new Audio/Video Pull-Through to link guests’ iPod/iPhone video/movies to guestroom TV
------------------------

The Palomar Hotel, Kimpton’s first Philadelphia property, has opened with SuiteLinq’s SuiteVOD guestroom entertainment services distributed wirelessly to all 242 guestrooms, a service known as IP-VOD.  SuiteVOD delivers Hollywood movies, music, concerts and more in standard and high-definition formats.  http://www.hotelpalomar-philadelphia.com, http://www.suitelinq.com
**
MBO Video’s MBOi (Interactive) and 180SQUARED unveiled Cirrus Managed Cloud Solutions, an IPTV managed cloud service built with 180SQUARED’s v.Unison solution set and offering IPTV to multiple clients via shared infrastructure.  The Cirrus Managed Cloud Solution is based on Microsoft’s Mediaroom and offers various applications for clients to differentiate their IPTV services, including onscreen caller ID (VoIP and TDM compatibility), remote PVR scheduling and Whole Home PVR.  http://www.mbovideo.net, http://www.180SQUARED.com
**
Acentic is partnering with Philips to offer a no-set-top-box high-definition service to hotel guestrooms by integrating Philips' Ultimate HD TV sets with Acentic's Panorama In-room Hotel Entertainment Platform.  This is claimed to be the first integrated LCD TV for the hotel market offering full HD broadcast channels without the use of an external STB and associated cabling.  The first two implementations are planned for this month at the InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam and the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel.  http://www.acentic.com, http://www.consumer.philips.com
**
The 185-room Fairmont Pittsburgh is implementing VingCard Signature RFID contactless electronic door locks and VISIONLINE wireless RF-online system.  The property is scheduled to open in March 2010.  http://www.fairmont.com, http://www.vingcard.com
**
TheWit Hotel in Chicago has implemented a new Web services interface between its SAFLOK Quantum guestroom locks and MTech HotSOS work order/guest response system, using SAFLOK’s Messenger LENS (Lock Event Notification System).  The LENS module allows for any number of concurrent connections with other systems, providing real-time notifications, for example, communicating to HotSOS when a door is left ajar so that HotSOS can create and issue a service order for security staff to verify the room security. 

SAFLOK has launched an RFID lock reader that can be placed on the wall instead of on the door, eliminating the need for lock trim and minimizing the impact on the hotel's decor.  SAFLOK has also enhanced its existing RFID remote control unit (RCU) reader to read RF signals from behind non-metallic surfaces, allowing the unit to be concealed behind glass or opaque materials.

SAFLOK has interfaced its Messenger network technology with Control4’s Suite Systems for smart rooms at hotel properties, allowing the SAFLOK lock to use the ZigBee mesh network to communicate with Control4 Suite Systems’ in-room controllers, thus sharing a communications backbone and maximizing the benefits of a single infrastructure.  A flagship installation of this integration will be the 4,000+ room MGM CityCenter Las Vegas, set to open later this year.
http://www.thewithotel.com, http://www.control4.com, http://www.saflok.com
**
OpenWays announced its mobile phone-based guestroom access system, which delivers an encrypted key to the guest’s cell phone to open a door lock or access control reader.  OpenWays was founded by Pascal Metivier, Paul Zimmerman, Josh Alper and Mauri Maza, all with extensive experience in hotel locking systems; Mr. Metivier previously served as president of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality EMEA, Mr. Zimmerman as director of online solutions for TimeLox North America and Mr. Alper as general manager of Page-A-Lock Online LLC.  OpenWays claims that its technology works with all new and existing electronic locks or access control systems regardless of the card technology being used (magnetic stripe card, smart card, proximity card, RFID cards, etc), though it did not clarify how a cell phone signal will activate a magnetic stripe lock.

SAFLOK announced its collaboration with OpenWays, having developed an interface that enables SAFLOK locks to read a key delivered by an OpenWays-enabled cell phone.  The OpenWays-SAFLOK integration is available to new customers and to those with existing mag stripe and RFID installations. 
http://www.saflok.com, http://www.openways.com
**
The 2,019-room Hyatt Regency Chicago is the first property to implement a new RF interface between SAFLOK and INNCOM International technology.  The property is updating its SAFLOK locks from MT (multi-technology) models to Quantum units and installing energy management thermostats linked to the locks with an RF interface.  This integration lets the door lock communicate to the thermostat every time the door is opened, resulting in improved energy management and a reduction in operating expenses for the property.

INNCOM International has been listed in the Connecticut Technology Council UHY LLP Tech Top 40 for the second consecutive year, a listing of the 40 fastest growing Connecticut-based companies in the categories of software, IT services, life sciences, new media/Internet/telecom, advanced manufacturing and energy environmental technologies.
http://www.chicagohyatt.com, http://www.saflok.com, http://www.inncom.com
**
iLuv has released its iMM183 Hi-Fi Dual Dock Alarm Clock with NOA/S.A.M.E Weather Hazard Alert. The digital dual alarm clock includes dual iPod dock options and a Weather Band Radio with NOAA emergency alert system.  http://www.i-luv.com
**
LodgeNet Interactive Corp. has licensed its b-LAN (broadband local area network) technology to LG Electronics and Philips Electronics for inclusion in its newest high-definition (HD) television displays for the hospitality market.  The embedded b-LAN technology will enable the delivery of a wide range of interactive content and functionality on a more cost-effective basis, including centralized free-to-guest (FTG) channel management, video on-demand content and interactive guest services.

LodgeNet has launched Guestroom Manager 2.0, built on a new software platform with expanded capabilities and scalability.  The new platform has now been deployed nationwide to all customers using LodgeNet’s Gateway Server.  Enhancements include better spam management, bandwidth management, use leveling and overall stability, as well as multilanguage functionalities, system recovery and system restore functions.  The launch also includes implementation of an enterprise-grade Proactive Monitoring System to manage all equipment installed in the field at all properties, regardless of server platform, down to the device level   LodgeNet is also developing a next-generation Customer Reporting Service (CRS) software to combine reporting and system health visibility functions for properties, and plans to release it next year. 
http://www.lodgenet.com
**
TeleAdapt has announced a new Audio/Video Pull-Through to let guests watch the downloaded video and movies on their iPods and iPhones in high quality on the flat-screen TV, as well as listen to their own music through the in-room TV speakers.  http://www.teleadapt.com
**

July 15, 2010

COMMUNICATIONS

by: Richard Siegel
Siegel Sez
July 15, 2010

Summer. In case you aren’t counting there are only seven weeks left for summer. As many plan vacations, some are planning for much of the fall activities. Here at Hospitality Upgrade, we are deeply into the planning for our ninth annual CIO Summit (www.theciosummit.com) in San Francisco. Maybe it is the allure of this infamous city by the Bay, but once again attendance is on pace to be our biggest ever. It is interesting that we are getting so many first-time attendees including quite a few from Europe and Asia this year. Our attendees are our greatest promoters. When they come once they always return and encourage others to attend. We had 53 industry technology leaders last year, and I’ll bet we go over 60 this year. The program is strong and always different from traditional industry events, but much of the success comes from the fact that it is all about the attendees who share with each other what is going on in their world. As a business I always wonder if we should open it up to more sponsors, but I think that would kill what we have created so we will continue to limit sponsorships. We do have one slot available for any vendor that might be interested; you can e-mail me at rich@hospitalityupgrade.com. Yes, seven weeks until I get to revisit my old stomping grounds.  I lived in San Francisco in the early 80s. What a great experience that was. It was there that I took my first job in the hotel technology space working for a PMS company when 90 percent of the hotels were still operating with some sort of NCR posting machine at the front desk. There are times that I miss the days of the room rack at the front desk, but then what would we do when you couldn’t find somebody’s reservation and you didn’t have the computer to blame? Read Jon Inge’s opening after this intro regarding how to handle a situation like this. Summer in San Francisco, I just can’t wait.

I’m going to do a before and after story with you today. I will be meeting my sister, my brother and his wife in Weston, Vt., to see my talented nephew in a summer theatre production of Avenue Q. There are very few choices near Weston so I quickly booked the same motel where my brother is staying. A Saturday night in a very popular summer vacation area and I got a room for $75? Not bad. A few days later I did a little research on the motel I booked and as I read the reviews on TripAdvisor and other sites I started to cringe. I mean really cringe. Now I know why the room is only $75. I travel often throughout the year, but I have a feeling this is going to be a first-time experience for me. I might bring a sleeping bag with me. When I shared my research with my sister-in-law she laughed and said let’s hope we are pleasantly surprised. I am going to share her optimism; after all it is only one night. Vermont in the summer looks absolutely beautiful, I can’t wait. Hopefully it will be a nice escape from the heat and humidity that has been a big part of our Atlanta summer. I wonder if the room at the motel will have air conditioning? Yes, this should be an interesting experience, that good or bad, I am actually looking forward to. Wish me luck!

Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
March 12, 2021

CORPORATE NEWS

- Nonius Opens a New Subsidiary in the Nordics
This strategic new subsidiary is based in Sweden to better serve all of its Nordics customers. Now they can count on a local service with a dedicated team to understand their needs and offer the best customized solutions for them.
noniussolutions.com

- Enseo, a Latina, Woman-owned Tech Company, Celebrates Milestone of More than 50% Women on Senior Leadership Team
Enseo, one of the fastest growing technology service providers in the U.S., is excited to celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. Enseo recently added two leaders to the executive team: Kris Singleton as chief information officer and Lindsay Robertson as chief marketing officer, making Enseo’s exec team more than 50% women.
enseo.com

March 12, 2021

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- PROVision Partners Welcomes Mims Wright as Senior Advisor
PROVision Partners, a leading global strategic growth, marketing, technology and commercial services advisory firm to the travel and hospitality industry, announces the appointment of Mims Wright as a Senior Advisor.
www.provision-partners.com

- INTEREL Names Scott Watts to Head Expanded Americas Presence
Watts will provide the company’s overall direction for INTEREL’s continued growth and expansion in the Americas.
www.interel.com

March 26, 2021

Definitely Doug

The Coming Hiring Spree

Before I delve into my topic for this week, I will make a short diversion to address yesterday’s news, which is the merger of HTNG into the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). As many readers are aware, I was one of the nine founders of HTNG 19 years ago, became its first employee in 2004, and had the privilege to serve as its CEO for 11 years, until I retired from full-time work in 2015 and transitioned the leadership role to Mike Blake, who has led it very capably since. Many readers met me through HTNG activities between 2002 and 2015 (or even later) and are doubtless curious what today’s news means.

It would be hard to understate the opportunity that this merger creates for technology in the industry. After years as an afterthought for many senior hotel executives, 2020 was the year when technology took center stage, driven by the necessity of COVID protocols and dramatic staff cutbacks. There is now a recognition in the C-suites that technology is a key resource that can be used to help hotels deliver a quality experience to guests with fewer staff than in the past. Intelligent recruitment, scheduling, team communication, service customization, resource management, performance measurement and feedback, and process automation can all reduce cost, while freeing up staff to reinforce the “human” side of the hospitality experience. Most hotel groups I speak with foresee the return to full-scale operations with significantly less staffing than before, and technology will be the key.

HTNG’s outstanding work during the COVID crisis, analyzing the many changes in the guest and staff journeys and the technologies that already existed or that were developed to address them, caught the industry’s attention, and was undoubtedly a driving factor in AHLA’s overture to HTNG. The upcoming transition should help create even greater visibility for HTNG’s efforts in the C-suites of hotel companies, which can only strengthen its efforts to facilitate the development of next-generation technology solutions.

If there is one significant concern I have heard about the merger, it is that as a part of AHLA, HTNG risks becoming too America-focused rather than global. In fact, however, this has been an ongoing criticism of HTNG throughout its life, despite years of investment in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The critical mass of hotel technologists and vendors is, for better or worse, weighted towards North America because most of the larger hotel groups, who generally have the stronger IT organizations, are based there – as are many of the most prominent technology companies. AHLA has emphasized that HTNG’s brand and global activities will continue as before, but there is no question that AHLA is an America-centric organization, and only time will tell.

 
And now we return to our regularly scheduled programming…

The travel industry is finally starting to see signs of real recovery. Air traffic and hotel occupancy are starting to pick up, and future travel plans are now being made at a robust pace for the summer and fall of 2021. Many hotels that have been operating at reduced or skeleton staffs, or closed entirely, are now starting to make hiring plans. Even with returns to reduced staffing levels, this will likely lead to the largest hiring spree in the industry’s history in coming months.

My next two installments will address technologies designed to facilitate a successful restaffing surge. This week, I will focus on software designed to plan for, acquire, and onboard staff, particularly front-line hospitality workers. My next column will then address software to help retain staff, because as an industry we do not need to return to the costly turnover levels of the past. I looked at a total of nine companies in some detail for these two columns, and several others in less depth. Some were more focused on the first problem, some the second, and a few addressed key elements of both. Which ones will make sense to you will depend on your needs and what you already have, but I will outline some relevant factors to consider.

Click here to read more of Doug’s column on The Coming Hiring Spree

 

March 26, 2021

CORPORATE NEWS

- VENZA Acquires CyberTek to Deliver Holistic Cybersecurity and Managed IT Services
VENZA, a leading data protection, compliance, and training organization for the hospitality industry, announced it has acquired privately-owned CyberTek Engineering, an award-winning MSP (Managed Service Provider) that offers a wide range of business IT services and solutions.
venzagroup.com

- Beekeeper Acquires Lua to Tackle Trillion-Dollar Opportunity in the Frontline Workforce Productivity and Collaboration Space
Beekeeper, the leading mobile workforce productivity and collaboration platform designed specifically for frontline workers, today announced the acquisition of Lua. The acquisition of this prime operational workflow platform underlines Beekeeper’s commitment to providing a full-stack mobile platform to enable frontline teams to operate more efficiently and effectively.
www.beekeeper.io     www.lua.work

- PROVision Partners and Plan A PR Join Forces to Offer Comprehensive Marketing, Public Relations and Strategic Business Advisory Services to Hospitality Technology Clients
PROVision Partners, a leading global strategic growth, marketing, technology, and commercial services advisory firm to the travel and hospitality industry (PROVision), and Plan A PR & Marketing, Inc. (Plan A PR), an established full-service public relations and marketing agency specializing in hotel technology providers, today announced that the companies have finalized an agreement to merge their operations.
www.provision-partners.com

March 26, 2021

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Nonius Appoints Dominic Locascio as the Managing Director at Nonius US & Canada
Dominic Locascio arrives to strengthen the Nonius team in North America and is the new Managing Director of Nonius US & Canada.
www.noniussoftware.com

March 26, 2021

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Visual Matrix and Shift4 Payments Partner to Implement EMV Payment Protection at U.S. Hotels
Visual Matrix, an industry leading hotel property management software providing an all-in-one PMS with revenue management, channel management, and operational tools, has announced the completion of an agreement with Shift4 Payments to offer enhanced payment processing capabilities to Visual Matrix PMS hotel customers.
www.vmpms.com     www.shift4.com

- Joint Technology Partnership Is Streamlining Contactless Check In, Halting Fraudulent Chargebacks, and Boosting Guest and Staff Safety
Integration between Maestro PMS and TTI Technologies Scan2PMS is helping hotels better prepare for reopening; TTI is offering special pricing to Maestro customers through April 30^th.
www.maestropms.com      www.ttitel.com

- Metropol Hotel Group Standardizes on Infor
Infor today announced that Estonian hospitality leader Metropol Hotel Group has invested in Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) in the cloud. The group consists of the 155-room Metropol Hotel and the 137-room Metropol SPA Hotel, both in the popular Rotermann quarter of the Estonian capital, Tallinn.
www.infor.com

March 26, 2021

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- Cendyn Partners with Oaky to Create an Unparalleled Experience for Hotel Guests
Cendyn, the leading innovator in CRM, sales, and revenue strategy for the hospitality industry, is excited to announce a new partnership with Oaky, the leading upselling platform in hospitality, to power Oaky’s first CRM integration.
cendyn.com

March 26, 2021

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- Boutique Italian Hotel Partners with IDeaS to Enhance Profitability and Increase Efficiency
IDeaS, a SAS company, the world’s leading provider of hotel revenue management software and services, announced today that Casa Angelina, a luxury, boutique hotel on the Amalfi Coast, has selected IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System (RMS) and enlisted the IDeaS Advisory Services team.
ideas.com

- ProfitSword Partners with foreUP to Provide Golf Course Operators with Latest in Business Intelligence Analytics
ProfitSword, a premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software, has announced an integration of its solutions with foreUP, a leading comprehensive provider of golf course management technology.
profitsword.com

March 26, 2021

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- Virdee Integrates with Leading PMS Provider Infor to Deliver Seamless Virtual Reception for Hotels
Virdee, a SaaS company serving the lodging, multifamily and commercial real estate industries, announced certification for the integration of its virtual reception platform, Virdee Concierge, with Infor’s HMS Property Management System (PMS). The move comes as costs of staffing a front desk check-in/check-out operation continue to become increasingly challenging for hotels and other commercial real estate venues in the post-COVID environment.
www.virdee.co

- Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort to Transform Guest Experience with Full INTELITY Platform
INTELITY®, the developer of hospitality’s most comprehensive guest experience and staff management platform, announced today a new deal with Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The renowned property will implement the entire INTELITY platform, including a branded mobile app, mobile check-in, mobile key, in-room tablets, and GEMS®, INTELITY’s staff suite.
www.intelity.com

March 26, 2021

MARKETING

- Agilysys Announces New Cloud-Native Hospitality Marketing Solution - Agilysys Digital Marketing
Agilysys Digital Marketing is a powerful modern cloud-native hospitality marketing automation solution that empowers hospitality providers to deliver personalized, brand-crafted messaging and promotional offers to their guests.
www.agilysys.com

March 26, 2021

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- Knowland Introduces GroupAdvantage 2021 to Enable and Empower Hotel Sales Teams into Recovery
Group business continues to be a key driver for profitability in the hospitality industry, especially in this year of unprecedented challenges. To empower hoteliers, Knowland, a leader in AI-powered meetings and events data for hospitality, today announced Knowland GroupAdvantage 2021, a program that brings together the core prospecting and sales training tools needed to help hoteliers win emerging group business.
www.knowland.com

- iVvy and ALHI Partner to Make iVvy's Disruptive Sales, Catering and Event Management Platform Available to Luxury Hotels Around the World
iVvy, a disruptor in online meeting technology, is partnering with Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) to help its elite member hotels capture more business and streamline event operations. As hotels prepare for the return of meetings and event business, ALHI members can access IVvy’s cloud-based event management platform to facilitate real time bookings, drive sales and maximize yield.
www.ivvy.com

March 26, 2021

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort Selects Cloud5 to Deliver Fast, Dependable HSIA Services
Cloud5 Communications, a leading provider of communications solutions for the world’s top hotel brands and management companies, today announced that Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Western North Carolina recently deployed the Cloud5 HSIA solution into their 1,100 room property and will now be extending the deployment as part of their expansion project scheduled to open later this year.
cloud5.com

- Hotel Mariposa Deploys Advanced Wi-Fi Network by HIS to Meet Guest Expectations for High-performance Connectivity
Upscale boutique property partners with Hotel Internet Services to ensure that guests are guaranteed a fast and reliable online experience for personal devices.
www.hotelwifi.com

March 26, 2021

FOOD & BEVERAGE

- Shiji Group Successfully Implements Mobile Infrasys Cloud POS at Mandarin Oriental, Santiago
Shiji Group has recently implemented its Infrasys Cloud POS solution at Mandarin Oriental, Santiago in Santiago Chile across the property’s 10 outlets, including onsite restaurants, in-room dining, and the pool. The success of the large install during the COVID-19 pandemic, is an example of Shiji’s flexibility and character, even in times of complexity.
www.shijigroup.com

- Boyne Resorts Implements Agilysys Point of Sale & Cloud-Native Contactless Food & Beverage Ordering
Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation cloud-native SaaS and on-premise hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that Boyne Resorts has implemented the Agilysys InfoGenesis ecosystem of modern POS solutions for its sport and leisure resorts to improve guest service and optimize operations while promoting social distancing through contactless self-service options.
www.agilysys.com

 - Tysons Corner Marriott Expands Use of Clear Sky Software and Benefits from Better Food Inventory Control
After achieving much success with Clear Sky's beverage inventory software, the hotel made the decision to extend this technology to the culinary department.
www.clearskysoftware.com

March 26, 2021

OPERATIONS

- Avendra Selects TraknProtect as a Preferred Provider of Hotel Staff Safety and Location-Based Technology
Preferred provider status includes TraknProtect serving as an industry-leading source for advanced employee distress button functionality as well as for the latest in real-time asset, vendor and enhanced cleaning tracking capabilities.
www.traknprotect.com

March 26, 2021

HUMAN RESOURCES

- Beekeeper and Bucketlist Partner to Recognize and Reward SH Hotels & Resorts’ Frontline Workers
Employees of 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels, and Treehouse Hotels are recognized via Bucketlist Rewards on the Beekeeper mobile-first communication platform.
www.beekeeper.io/industries/hospitality

March 26, 2021

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- AHLA Integrates HTNG, Strengthening Technology Expertise, Advocacy Focus
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG) today announced that the two organizations have signed an agreement for HTNG to formally become part of AHLA to better serve and support the evolving needs of the global hospitality industry as it looks toward recovery.
www.ahla.com     www.htng.org

- Hospitality Upgrade Announces 2021 Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Upgrade Magazine has announced that its 16th Annual Executive Vendor Summit (EVS) will be held in person at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., from June 9-11, 2021. The Executive Vendor Summit is a unique invitation-only industry event that brings together senior technology executives from the hospitality industry for learning, thought leadership and networking.
www.hospitalityupgrade.com

- The Hotel Show Dubai Returns for Its 21st Edition in 2021, Including HITEC Dubai
The Hotel Show Dubai is delighted to announce its return, live and in-person, from 31st May - 2nd June 2021 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Under this year's theme, 'Redefining Hospitality', The Hotel Show Dubai offers the industry professionals in the Middle East a powerful platform from which to source, connect and learn about critical topics over the course of three inspirational days.
www.hftp.org

March 26, 2021

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- Stats: 65 Percent of Travelers Like the “Vaccine Passport” Idea
- 5 Reasons the U.S. Won’t Have Vaccine Passports  
- The Plane Truth: The Impact of COVID Grounding Business Travel  
- Five Star Spinning Hotel Generates Its Own Power
---------------------


Stats: 65 Percent of Travelers Like the “Vaccine Passport” Idea
5 Reasons the U.S. Won’t Have Vaccine Passports  
The Plane Truth: The Impact of COVID Grounding Business Travel  
Five Star Spinning Hotel Generates Its Own Power

March 26, 2021

COMMUNICATIONS

Did you know these fascinating facts about Easter?
 

• The tallest Easter egg chocolate was made in Italy in 2011. It stood at 10.39 meters and weighed an astounding 7,200 kg.

 

• In the US, only 12 of the 50 states recognize Good Friday as a holiday.

 

• The art of painting eggs is called pysanka, which originated in Ukraine. It involves using wax and dyes to color the egg.

 

• The term Easter gets its name from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolizes the hare and the egg.

 

• The exchange or giving of Easter eggs actually dates back to before Easter and the giving of eggs is actually considered a symbol of rebirth in many cultures.

 

• There used to be a tradition churches observed that resembled the game of "hot potato." Here, the priest would toss a hard boiled egg to one of the choir boys. The boys would toss the egg amongst themselves and when the clock struck 12, whomever had the egg was the winner and got to keep the egg.

 

• Peep peep… did you know Americans buy more than 700 million marshmallow Peeps during Easter? This makes Peeps the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.

 

• Americans consume more than 16 million jelly beans during this holiday. That is enough jelly beans to circle the globe not once, not twice, but three times.

 

• Are you an ears, arms or tail person? Seventy-six percent of people eat the ears on the chocolate bunny first, 5 percent go for the feet and 4 percent for the tail.

 

• During the holiday, more than 90 million chocolate bunnies, 91.4 billion eggs and 700 million Peeps are produced each year in the United States alone.

 

• Next to Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy-consuming holiday of the year. Good thing they are almost six months apart, perfect for your yearly dentist check-ups!

 

• An estimated $14.7 billion is spent in total for Easter in the US.

 

• The Easter egg is said to symbolize and represent joy, celebration and new life.

 

• Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ; it is the oldest Christian holiday and one of the most important days of the year.

 

• Half the states in the United States banned the dyeing of chicks on Easter; however, Florida recently overturned this law and now prevents the dyeing of all animals

 

• Not only did Florida overturn the dyeing of animals, but the state also held the largest Easter egg hunt, where 9,753 children searched for 501,000 eggs.

 

• The White House tradition of the Easter Egg Roll started back in 1878, with President Rutherford B. Hayes!

 

• The UK Birmingham factory Cadbury makes 500 million Creme Eggs every year! If you piled them on top of each other, it would be 10 x higher than Mount Everest. The Creme Egg is the most popular egg-shaped chocolate in the world.

 

• The idea of the Easter bunny giving candies and eggs is said to have originated in Germany during the middle ages.

April 09, 2021

Siegel Sez

Sixteen months ago, I was in Nashville tweaking the program for our upcoming Executive Vendor Summit. Little did I know that the industry was soon to be tweaked by the Coronavirus. Next week I am off to the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville to once again refine the program for our 16th Executive Vendor Summit scheduled for June 9-11, and this time I feel like a little kid knowing school is out and vacation is about to start.
 
Remember when attending events was a big part of the industry? When hotels were excited that events were coming to their properties and city? I am on the HITEC Advisory Board and this week’s meeting, even though it was virtual, was so much fun: discussing the program for HITEC, hearing from HFTP that the exhibit floor is nearly 90 percent booked and how quickly the prime hotel rooms are being booked. We are expecting our largest attendance for EVS Nashville. When you think about what the vendors for the industry have gone through the past year, this is amazing. It helps that companies like Wyndham, Hyatt, Ambridge, Highgate and Loews will be speaking at EVS and sharing the journey they have had through weathering the pandemic and what they see for the future. Industry events are a big part of our lives and when conversations now angle to “will you be there?” like the old days, it has to make you smile. There are still many challenges facing the industry, but how nice that we are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. And finally, it is not an oncoming train!
 
Along with events kicking off, one of the biggest issues is the current staffing challenge hotels are facing to return staff levels to where they need to be. I think everyone I talk to in the corporate world of hotels has shared what they are going through. In his Definitely Doug column that follows, Doug Rice shares his thoughts not only about staffing hotels, but also what should be done to keep staff onboard. It is well worth the read!
 
Next week you will be receiving our Spring 2021 issue of Hospitality Upgrade Magazine and then 10 industry leaders will have their lives changed a bit, hopefully for the positive. If you are not a subscriber, quickly go to HospitalityUpgrade.com/subscribe. If you are a vendor who has not received an invitation to our Executive Vendor Summit, then drop a note to me at rich@hospitalityupgrade.com.
 
What an amazing 16 months it has been. Here now is the real reason we are here — the latest technology happenings in the industry along with Definitely Doug. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Welcome back!  
 
Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com


March 12, 2021

MARKET REPORTS

- U.S. Meetings and Events Data Trending Up for February
Knowland, a leader in AI-powered data for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, released its ongoing monthly meetings and events data for February. The numbers reveal that February U.S. group meetings volume increased 109.7 percent over the previous month.
knowland.com


March 12, 2021

FINANCE

- Asset World Corporation and Hyatt Sign Framework Agreement to Develop Over 1,000 New Rooms
Asset World Corporation (AWC), Thailand’s leading integrated lifestyle real estate group and Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H), today announced their affiliates have signed a Framework Agreement for the development and management of new hotels under various Hyatt brands in locations across Thailand.
hyatt.com


March 26, 2021

Siegel Sez

Yesterday, the big news in the hotel and tech world was the announcement of the merger of HTNG and AHLA. When hotel companies merge or when vendors merge you know the motivation is profitability. But when associations merge my first question is why? So, we rounded up Kevin Carey the COO at AHLA and Mike Blake the CEO of HTNG, and got our camera rolling to ask why this happened. Then I asked them how it came about and most importantly where they see it going. We thank them for getting together on a very busy day yesterday to share with us their plans as they pursue coming together. To watch the video, please click here.
 
Doug Rice was the original CEO at HTNG and he shares a few thoughts in his column below before getting into how the hotel industry and technology deals with hiring in the recovery. We appreciate Doug sharing his thoughts and thank the two leaders of AHLA and HTNG for sitting down with me for our video. This has been an interesting week.
 
Also, this week we sent our first issue of the year to the printer. Last spring, we did our first Annual Technology Rock Stars list. When the issue came out, the feedback was amazing – including who was and who wasn’t included. But that comes with the territory. In the Spring 2021 issue out in the next two weeks, we have our 2021 list of 10 Technology Rock Stars. We think you’ll agree the 2021 list is well deserving of the recognition. We enjoy this yearly acknowledgement of those who inspire our industry, and we hope more will share nominations with us. If you don’t receive Hospitality Upgrade in print or digitally, please go to www.hospitalityupgrade.com/subscribe or email ann@hospitalityupgrade.com (there is currently work being done on subscriptions on our site). Your subscription also includes the extremely popular HU Watercooler e-newsletter that comes out twice each month and brings you the latest industry news and happenings right to your inbox. Who knows what interview we will do next, but we thank you for the thousands of views they have received from all over the world.  
  
Here now is Doug’s Definitely Doug column. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. If you are a technology vendor, we hope you are planning to join us in Nashville from June 9-11 for our 16th Executive Vendor Summit. If you have any questions about attending, please email me at rich@hospitalityupgrade.com. What a week!
 
Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com


September 24, 2021

CORPORATE NEWS

- UniFocus Expands Its Workforce Management Capabilities with Acquisition of Knowcross
Industry-leading innovator of Labor Management technology extends its integrated platform with the addition of task management to boost operational performance.
www.unifocus.com

September 24, 2021

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Jonas Chorum Appoints Jake Lewis as New President
Jonas Chorum is excited to announce the appointment of Jake Lewis as President of Jonas Chorum. Our previous President, Mark Loyd, has been promoted to CEO of Jonas Chorum.
jonaschorum.com

- Quore Announces Leadership Promotions
Quore, a leading hospitality-technology company, today announced the promotions of three senior leaders within the organization - Scott Barber, Richard Bradbury, and Flip Lukens. This is part of Quore’s growth strategy to cultivate internal talent and strengthen the long-term flexibility of their product.
www.quore.com

- Cloud5 Welcomes Industry Veteran David Heckaman to Their Executive Leadership Team
Cloud5 Communications, the leading provider of technology and communications solutions for the world’s top hotel brands and management companies, today announced that hospitality veteran David Heckaman has joined Cloud5’s Executive Leadership Team as Vice President of Product Development.
cloud5.com

September 24, 2021

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Agilysys To Showcase Latest InfoGenesis Point of Sale Innovations With IG 12UX At HITEC Dallas 2021
- Cloudbeds Returns to HITEC
- Visual Matrix Celebrates Hospitality's Recovery by Showcasing Latest Advances in Hotel PMS Technology at HITEC 2021
- Silver Sponsor Maestro PMS Attends HITEC Virtually; Remodels Its Booth to Serve as a Demo Scheduling, Mobile Device Charging, and Refreshment Hub
- StayNTouch Joins HITEC Dallas with Guest-Centric PMS Technology Showcase and a Lively Happy Hour
- Maestro PMS Helping Prepare Hoteliers Attending HITEC Hospitality Technology Conference in Dallas

--------------------

Agilysys To Showcase Latest InfoGenesis Point of Sale Innovations With IG 12UX At HITEC Dallas 2021
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of next-generation cloud-native SaaS and on-premise hospitality software solutions and services, announced plans to showcase IG 12UX, the latest modern client for its award-winning InfoGenesis POS, at this year’s HITEC in Dallas, taking place September 27-30.
agilysys.com

Cloudbeds Returns to HITEC
CEO Adam Harris to showcase the evolution of the award-winning Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform; VP of Partnerships Sebastien Leitner to present on metasearch and OTA trends.
www.cloudbeds.com

Visual Matrix Celebrates Hospitality's Recovery by Showcasing Latest Advances in Hotel PMS Technology at HITEC 2021
Uplifting hoteliers with the continuation of its "Hospitality ROCKS!" theme, the community-centric PMS provider will demonstrate how hoteliers can utilize innovative developments in property management systems to boost operational efficiency.
www.vmpms.com

Silver Sponsor Maestro PMS Attends HITEC Virtually; Remodels Its Booth to Serve as a Demo Scheduling, Mobile Device Charging, and Refreshment Hub
Maestro PMS to be available virtually during HITEC show hours with attendees able to schedule real-time meetings and demos via QR Codes available in Booth 3211.
www.maestropms.com

StayNTouch Joins HITEC Dallas with Guest-Centric PMS Technology Showcase and a Lively Happy Hour
StayNTouch, a global leader in guest-centric hotel property management systems (PMS) and contactless technology, announced today its schedule of events for the 2021 HITEC Dallas, on September 28-30.
www.stayntouch.com

Maestro PMS Helping Prepare Hoteliers Attending HITEC Hospitality Technology Conference in Dallas
Time is money. Hoteliers leaving their already short-staffed properties to attend the world’s largest hospitality technology conference this month in search of solutions that will provide returning travelers with safe, frictionless, and contactless stays must ensure that they maximize their time while away.
www.maestropms.com

 

September 24, 2021

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- IDeaS and Amadeus Expand Technology Partnership to Expedite Hospitality Industry Recovery
- ProfitSword and Duetto Partner to Provide Hotels with Latest in Time-Saving Revenue and Performance Forecasting Accuracy
- OTA Insight and PredictHQ Partner for Smarter Demand Forecasting as Hoteliers Prepare for Rebound
- Settlers Hospitality Chooses IDeaS' Industry-Leading Revenue Management Solutions and Services
- OTA Insight Showcases How Predictive Market Intelligence and Advanced Rate Strategies Are Key to Hotel Recovery at HITEC 2021
- Brera Serviced Apartments Partners with IDeaS Revenue Solutions to Enhance Growth Strategy
------------------

IDeaS and Amadeus Expand Technology Partnership to Expedite Hospitality Industry Recovery
IDeaS, a world leading provider of revenue management software and services, and Amadeus, a leading provider of IT solutions for the travel and tourism industry, have announced an expanded partnership to aid mutual client recovery. The combined power of IDeaS and Amadeus’ best-of-breed technology solutions deliver accessible, actionable data insights via seamless integrations to help hoteliers recover stronger and grow revenue faster. 
ideas.com     www.amadeus-hospitality.com

ProfitSword and Duetto Partner to Provide Hotels with Latest in Time-Saving Revenue and Performance Forecasting Accuracy
ProfitSword, a premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software, is proud to announce the integration of its BI platform with Duetto, a leading innovator of advanced revenue management technology for the hospitality industry.
profitsword.com

OTA Insight and PredictHQ Partner for Smarter Demand Forecasting as Hoteliers Prepare for Rebound
PredictHQ’s intelligent event data is used by many of the world’s leading hotel brands, and elements of it are now part of OTA Insight’s solutions.
www.otainsight.com

Settlers Hospitality Chooses IDeaS' Industry-Leading Revenue Management Solutions and Services
The Pennsylvanian hospitality group selected IDeaS G3 RMS along with a customized consulting engagement.
ideas.com

OTA Insight Showcases How Predictive Market Intelligence and Advanced Rate Strategies Are Key to Hotel Recovery at HITEC 2021
Leading provider of data intelligence solutions set to provide attendees with latest insight into how hotels can anticipate fluctuating demand and ensure maximum profitability.
www.otainsight.com

Brera Serviced Apartments Partners with IDeaS Revenue Solutions to Enhance Growth Strategy
The German-based extended-stay hotel group will implement IDeaS G3 RMS in six locations to optimize cluster revenue management approach.
ideas.com

September 24, 2021

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- Crave Interactive Launch Next Generation Of In-Room Tablet Range For Luxury Hotels And Resorts
Crave Interactive, a leading global hospitality technology company, today announce the launch of its next generation T3 range of in-room hotel tablets and docks.
Crave.com

- Hard Rock Has Chosen Nonius as their Preferred Partner for TV and Cast Solutions
The hotel chain, which is synonymous with music, entertainment and customized experience, trusted our technology to provide their guests with bespoke in-room entertainment.
noniussolutions.com

September 24, 2021

MARKETING

- GCommerce Adds Google Analytics 4 Reporting Product to Its Hospitality Digital Marketing Offering
Google Analytics 4 will be a vital component of any business’s marketing foundation in a cookieless world.
gcommercesolutions.com

- The Ultimate Guide to Hotel CRM & E-Mail Marketing Software
Hotel Tech Report launched the “Official Hotel CRM & E-Mail Marketing Software Guide 2022” featuring dailypoint™. The guide is now available free of charge to the entire hotel community, for which – gearing up for the post-COVID hospitality boom – competition will be fierce and new avenues need to be explored.
www.dailypoint.com

- Zoox Smart Data to Showcase Advanced Innovations in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Technology at HITEC 2021
Zoox Smart Data, an international provider of technological solutions that harnesses big data to build customer profiles from existing Wi-Fi networks, is set to exhibit its latest technological innovations at HITEC 2021 in Dallas, Texas.
www.zooxsmart.com

September 24, 2021

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- Knowland and Amadeus Partner to Provide Industry-Leading Meetings and Events Insights
Trusted partners come together to help hotels gain efficiencies, deeper event insights, and prepare for the return of group business.
www.knowland.com     www.amadeus-hospitality.com

- Mid-Continent Hospitality Selects STS Cloud to Increase Revenue and Efficiency Across Fast-Growing Multi-Brand Portfolio
Leading hotel development and management integrates sales for Marriott, Hilton, IHG and independents on STS Cloud System from SalesAndCatering.com.
salesandcatering.com

September 24, 2021

BACK OFFICE

- ProfitSword Inspires Hotelier Success with Empowering Insights into Business Intelligence Technology Trends during HITEC Dallas 2021
Hospitality’s leading business intelligence innovator to showcase how hoteliers can leverage new advancements to ensure the success of recovery efforts and maintain profitability.
www.profitsword.com

- Hospitality Back Office and Accounting Leader PAS Announces it is Successfully Deploying in the Infor Cloud
Professional Accounting Solutions (PAS) announced it is successfully deploying its solutions in the Infor cloud and looks forward to meeting with many of its hotel clients at HITEC Dallas 2021.
www.profact.com

September 24, 2021

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- Hotel Internet Services Demonstrates the Latest Guest Connectivity, Personalization and Contactless Service Trends That Are Key to Hotel Recovery at HITEC 2021
Hospitality’s leading provider of Wi-Fi and IoT-based technology to showcase how hoteliers can simultaneously and affordably meet guest expectations for High-speed internet, customized in-room entertainment and germ-free service.
www.hotelwifi.com

- Cloud5 Communications Set to Showcase Managed IT Services, Virtual Guest Services, Conference Services, and Guest Engagement Solutions at HITEC 2021
Cloud5 Communications, a leading provider of communications solutions and Managed IT Services for the world’s top hotel brands and management companies, is set to exhibit at HITEC 2021. Cloud5 will showcase the company’s well-known Internet and voice solutions, as well as a new suite of services designed to maximize hotel resources, reduce costs, drive new revenue streams, and engage guests like never before.
cloud5.com

- The Barfield Partners with HIS to Deliver Seamless Guest Connectivity
Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced the implementation of a high-speed Guest Wi-Fi service for The Barfield, an Autograph Collection hotel.
www.hotelwifi.com

September 24, 2021

FOOD & BEVERAGE

- The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort Implements Agilysys SaaS Solutions to Improve Operations & Enhance the Guest Experience
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of next-generation cloud-native SaaS and on-premise hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, GA has implemented the award-winning innovative InfoGenesis POS solution as well as its modern cloud-native SaaS Agilysys Pay secure payment processing solution.
www.agilysys.com

- JW Marriott Tampa Installs a Food Inventory Control System Provided by Clear Sky Software
Clear Sky Software, Inc.® announced today that The JW Marriott Tampa Water Street in Tampa, Florida, has installed Clear Sky’s food inventory management system, called Clear Sky FOOD, for control and management of the hotel’s food products inventory.
www.clearskysoftware.com

September 24, 2021

PAYMENT PROCESSING

- Onyx CenterSource Develops Payment Platform for Booking.com's Travel Agency Affiliates
New platform will enable travel agencies to easily and securely receive payments for their revenue share of completed stays booked through the platform.
www.onyxcentersource.com

September 24, 2021

HUMAN RESOURCES

- UniFocus to Showcase How Hoteliers Can Unleash the True Potential of Workforce Management Efficiency at the Lodging Conference
Leading innovator of labor and task optimization technology demonstrates the four key pillars required to achieve effective shift coverage and high-quality service while maximizing staff loyalty and hotel revenues.
www.unifocus.com

September 24, 2021

SECURITY

- Shiji’s AWS Competency: Pioneering Data Security for Hotel Technology
- React Mobile Integration with Amadeus’ HotSOS Housekeeping Is Improving Effectiveness of Employee Safety Devices
- Elevating the Guest Experience: Onity to Showcase Mobile Access Solutions, Integrations Capabilities and New Serene Luxury Lock at HITEC
- AJS Hotels Picks VENZA for Data Protection and PCI DSS Compliance
- IHG Hotels & Resorts Selects TraknProtect as an Approved Provider of Staff Safety and Location-based Technology
- The Westin Fort Lauderdale Selects ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions to Implement Advanced Staff Safety and Hotel Asset Management Features
-------------------

Shiji’s AWS Competency: Pioneering Data Security for Hotel Technology
Shiji Group’s achievement of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Travel and Hospitality ISV Competency status earlier this year marks a milestone in data security and data sovereignty for hotel technology. Selecting a cloud technology partner to build global industry-leading technology is a critical part of the system architecture. After working with multiple platforms, Shiji selected AWS as the best solution to build out its hospitality technology platform.
www.shijigroup.com

React Mobile Integration with Amadeus’ HotSOS Housekeeping Is Improving Effectiveness of Employee Safety Devices
The integration aids hoteliers in creating safer work environments by leveraging innovative technology; Visit React Mobile in Booth 1723 and Amadeus in Booth 3601 at HITEC Dallas.
www.reactmobile.com

Elevating the Guest Experience: Onity to Showcase Mobile Access Solutions, Integrations Capabilities and New Serene Luxury Lock at HITEC
Onity, a global leader in electronic access solutions, will showcase its mobile access solutions, integrations capabilities, and new Serene™ luxury lock, at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), the world’s largest and oldest hospitality technology event from September 27-30 in Dallas, Texas.
www.onity.com

AJS Hotels Picks VENZA for Data Protection and PCI DSS Compliance
As of August 4th, 2021, AJS Hotels has selected VENZA to enhance their security and compliance position.    As Louisville, Kentucky’s largest hotel owner-operator, with over 1,000 employees, ensuring the security of their properties, associates, and clients is at the forefront of their minds.  
www.venzagroup.com

IHG Hotels & Resorts Selects TraknProtect as an Approved Provider of Staff Safety and Location-based Technology
TraknProtect has announced its approved vendor status with IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) for employee safety devices for IHG properties in hospitality markets around the world.
www.traknprotect.com

The Westin Fort Lauderdale Selects ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions to Implement Advanced Staff Safety and Hotel Asset Management Features
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, a leading provider of advanced security technology for the hospitality industry, has announced the successful adoptions of Staff Safety and Hotel Asset Management with the implementation of Vostio Location Solutions at The Westin Fort Lauderdale, a property managed by TPG Hotels and Resorts.
www.assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/hospitality

September 24, 2021

MARKET REPORTS

- Expedia Group Shares Fall Travel Outlook
Despite uncertainty, the majority of Americans (58%) plan to travel sometime September through November.
www.expedia.com

- Knowland Reports U.S. Meetings and Events Volume Growth of 25.5 Percent for August 2021
Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, today released monthly meetings and events data for August. The numbers reveal that August U.S. group meetings volume increased 25.5 percent over July 2021.
www.knowland.com

September 24, 2021

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- Upselling Gets a Tech Makeover
- 4 Ways Technology Makes Training Fun and Games
- How I Hacked a Hotel Just Using My Phone
- Traveling on Business? Get Ready for Absurd New Hotel Fees
----------------------


Upselling Gets a Tech Makeover
4 Ways Technology Makes Training Fun and Games
How I Hacked a Hotel Just Using My Phone
Traveling on Business? Get Ready for Absurd New Hotel Fees

September 24, 2021

Siegel Sez

In this wacky world we are living in it is nice when we experience some sort of normalcy. Two weeks ago, we had our 19th CIO Summit and we had more than 50 technology leaders from the hotel industry join us in Atlanta. I have included a unique short video that shows some serious and a lot of not so serious moments that will hopefully make you laugh. It was a great event, but the one thing that really made us proud was the feedback on the program. From cybersecurity to the economic and supply factors affecting hotel performances, the program was wide ranging and concluded with our annual roundtable, that I wish everyone could experience. It is a no-holds-barred discussion among the attendees. It really was an amazing event and I encourage you to take the two minutes and watch the CIO Summit video here.
 
After the CIO Summit in Atlanta, it was a trip to Cape Canaveral, Fla., to see the Inspiration4 launch. I had never seen a rocket ship launch live before. All I can say is, that everyone should put that experience on their bucket list. Liz did a great job creating a short video of the happening. Thanks to Shift4 for inviting me. What an amazing experience! Here is the Inspiration4 video. You might rethink how billionaires spend their money for something good.
 
Now the real test of normalcy happens. Next week Hospitality Upgrade and Hotel Online are off to Dallas for HITEC and HSMAI ROC. The conversations we have been having go all over the place — what will it be like? Attendance will be off, but considering the state of the industry will it be positive? The buzz leading up to next week has been very positive, and if you look at the program schedule, I would say it is topnotch. There are great speakers and the vendor support in the exhibit hall is amazing. This should be an interesting week and since masks are an absolute, I wonder how that will go over. I know I will be wearing mine. If you are at HITEC, please come by the booth and say hello. We’ll be in booth 3505. There is still time to register for HITEC and the HITEC app is a great resource. You can download it here.
 
We’ll also cover the Revenue Optimization Conference (ROC) at the Omni Hotel next week. We congratulate HU contributor, Cindy Estis Green, CEO and cofounder of Kalibri Labs, for her recognition as this year’s HSMAI Vanguard Award for Achievement in Revenue Optimization. Look for our Hospitality Upgrade and Hotel Online team next week!
 
Of course, how I approach the events next week and how Doug Rice does, are a bit different. In this week’s Definitely Doug column he shares how you might rethink your approach to the exhibit hall at HITEC. Remember, not all the little guys stay little. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. If you are not going to be in Dallas, HFTP has created HITEC TV where I was asked to do some interviews while there. Who knows, that might be a decision they regret. Then again, sometimes normalcy can be overrated. Hope to see many of you next week in Dallas. HITEC here we come!
 
Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com

October 29, 2021

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- stayntouch and SHR Enhance Their Cloud Integration, Delivering Transparency and Control to Revenue Management
stayntouch, a global leader in cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and contactless technology, announced an enhancement to its partnership with Sceptre Hospitality Resources (SHR), a pioneer of advanced hotel revenue management technologies. Stayntouch PMS now integrates with SHR’s Wave revenue management system (RMS).
stayntouch.com

- stayntouch Launches New Website and Unveils Mission to Help Hotels Deliver ‘Unburdened Hospitality’ with Guest-Centric Cloud Technology
stayntouch, a global leader in guest-centric technology and cloud hotel property management systems (PMS), has unveiled a new website and mission to deliver the most flexible and intuitive cloud technology, empowering hotels to deliver unburdened hospitality.
stayntouch.com

October 29, 2021

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- Amadeus and Kayak Renew and Expand Commitment to Delivering Fast, High Quality Online Flight Comparison Experience 
As consumer and business travel interest continue to ramp up, travelers will seek out quick and easy ways to compare all of their travel options in one place, making access to fast, high quality search results more important than ever. That’s why today, KAYAK and Amadeus are renewing and expanding their IT agreement, continuing the companies’ long-standing partnership and expanding its use of the Amadeus MetaConnect suite.
www.amadeus.com

October 08, 2021

CORPORATE NEWS

- Uniquely different, better together: Benchmark Global Hospitality and Pyramid Hotel Group announce merger
Two storied hotel and resort management companies have aligned forces, creating one powerhouse organization strategically positioned for the future of the global hospitality industry Benchmark Pyramid.
www.benchmarkglobalhospitality.com

- Sircle Collection Shifts Technology Stack Over to Shiji Enterprise Platform
Sircle Collection has recently announced that the company will be moving its technology ecosystem over to Shiji Group’s recently launched flagship Shiji Enterprise Platform.
Sirclecollection.com    www.shijigroup.com

October 08, 2021

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Ryan Morris Is Promoted to Groups360’s Vice President of Sales in the Americas
Groups360, the leading online marketplace for meetings and event booking, today announces the promotion of Ryan Morris from vice president of regional sales to vice president of sales in the Americas region. Morris, in the interim, will report directly to Kemp Gallineau, president and chief executive officer.
www.groups360.com


October 08, 2021

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- OKKO Hotels Delivers Authentic French Lifestyle Experience at 12 Hotels with stayntouch PMS
- What Hoteliers Need to Know About Cloud-Based Technology and PMS
- Agilysys Wins 2021 GGB Gaming & Technology Award
- YOTEL Takes the Next Step in Their Digital Evolution with INTELITY
- Agilysys Announces Major New Completely Modernized Version Release of Its Trusted Visual One PMS Solution At HITEC® Dallas 2021
- TFE Hotels to Launch Groups360’s GroupSync Optimize Gifting Platform
- Infor Launches Next Generation of Hospitality Management Solution Newest Iteration Puts Mobile Capabilities for Exceptional Personalized Guest Services in the Spotlight
- WCI Technologies and Lumen Deliver Secure Connectivity for the Travel and Hospitality Industry
- The Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration Partners with Infor
----------------------

OKKO Hotels Delivers Authentic French Lifestyle Experience at 12 Hotels with stayntouch PMS
stayntouch, a global leader in guest-centric technology and cloud hotel property management systems (PMS), partners with OKKO Hotels, a collection of sustainable urban four-star hotels located in France, to deliver its guest-centric cloud PMS to all 12 of Okko’s properties, totaling over 1,400 rooms.
www.stayntouch.com    www.okkohotels.com

What Hoteliers Need to Know About Cloud-Based Technology and PMS
Hotels are turning to technology to improve efficiency at a time when they are short staffed, but technology alone can’t improve operations or help boost revenue without a clear plan and measured research into the technology solution that actually meets their needs. Hoteliers across the hotel industry are considering investing in cloud-based property-management systems to increase mobility property wide and better manage operations, but many hotels still don’t know what technology is right for them, nor the differences or options between vendor offerings.

www.maestropms.com

Agilysys Wins 2021 GGB Gaming & Technology Award
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that the company has been recognized in Global Gaming Business Magazine’s Annual Gaming & Technology Awards by winning the Silver Award for Guest Health & Safety Product for its new PanOptic Kiosk. The kiosk offers an intuitive and frictionless checkout process that will enable faster guest service and increased revenue opportunity.
www.agilysys.com

YOTEL Takes the Next Step in Their Digital Evolution with INTELITY
INTELITY, provider of the hospitality industry’s broadest guest engagement platform and YOTEL, the innovative UK-based hotel group, has launched the custom YOTEL brand app. Designed to serve YOTEL’s global portfolio and customer base, the app is set to further YOTEL’s mission of delivering a streamlined, state-of-the-art guest experience built for modern, tech-savvy travelers.
www.intelity.com    www.yotel.com

Agilysys Announces Major New Completely Modernized Version Release of Its Trusted Visual One PMS Solution At HITEC® Dallas 2021
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of next-generation cloud-native SaaS and on-premise hospitality software solutions and services, announced today the release of the new completely modernized Agilysys Visual One PMS Version 12 at HITEC 2021 in Dallas.
Agilysys.com

TFE Hotels to Launch Groups360’s GroupSync Optimize Gifting Platform
Groups360 announced today that Australian-based TFE Hotels, will launch GroupSync™, a cloud-based technology solution for hoteliers to offer vouchers and experience gifting sales in time for the 2021 festive season.
www.groups360.com

Infor Launches Next Generation of Hospitality Management Solution Newest Iteration Puts Mobile Capabilities for Exceptional Personalized Guest Services in the Spotlight
Infor, an industry cloud company, today announced the availability of Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) version 3.8.4, the latest release of the fully cloud-enabled hotel management software in the Infor Hospitality suite of solutions. 
www.infor.com

WCI Technologies and Lumen Deliver Secure Connectivity for the Travel and Hospitality Industry
WCI Technologies, a World Cinema enterprise offering, in collaboration with Lumen Technologies, is delivering a range of network and IT services to the travel and hospitality industry.
www.oncewci.com

The Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration Partners with Infor
Infor, an industry cloud company, announced that the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, a AAA Four Diamond Award-winning property tucked into Cornell University's vibrant campus and overlooking downtown Ithaca and Cayuga Lake, New York, has decided to implement key Infor Hospitality applications to meet and exceed modern guest expectations. These applications include Infor HMS, Infor EzRMS, and Infor Sales & Catering.
www.infor.com

October 08, 2021

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- SiteMinder Partners With Digital Marketing Leaders to Open Up the Full Direct Booking Opportunity for Hotels
SiteMinder, a world leading open hotel commerce platform, has partnered with the travel industry’s digital marketing leaders to open up the full direct booking opportunity for its more than 32,000 hotel customers.
www.siteminder.com
 
- SHR’s Maverick CRM, Wave RMS Certified by Infor HMS
SHR announced today that its Maverick CRM and Wave RMS products have completed their certification with the Infor Hospitality Management System (HMS) platform. These applications join SHR’s Windsurfer CRS – which has previously been certified by Infor – as solutions that can now be seamlessly integrated within the Infor HMS environment.
www.shr.global     www.infor.com


October 08, 2021

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- IDeaS Introduces Profit Optimization for G3 RMS, Enabling Holistic Guest Value Maximization
IDeaS Revenue Solutions, the world’s leading provider of automated revenue management software and services, announced today Profit Optimization for G3 Revenue Management System (RMS).
www.ideas.com

- Datavision Enhances Powerful Guest Analytics Module
Datavision, the premier business intelligence system for the hospitality world, has enhanced Guest Analytics capabilities to further strengthen their comprehensive business intelligence platform. Guest data is extracted and combined from a single source (PMS) or a variety of additional sources (Spa, Golf, Dining, CRM, etc.) to provide a 360-degree views of guest value, spend patterns and stay behavior.
www.datavisiontech.com

October 08, 2021

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- La Colombe d'Or Hotel Invests in State of the Art Guest Technology
- Aurelia Antica Suites & Apartments Integrates BeyondTV GuestCast to Deliver Personalized and Convenient Guestroom Entertainment
- Virgin Hotels Turns to Virdee to Deploy Self Check-in
- Volara to Showcase Hospitality’s First Voice-Controlled EOS WiFi Smart Digital Thermostat from INTEREL at HITEC Dallas
----------------------

La Colombe d'Or Hotel Invests in State of the Art Guest Technology
One of Houston’s long-awaited openings brings many surprises for its visitors. In addition to its incredible restaurant, La Colombe d’Or Hotel has an elegant combination of modernity with references from the 1930s, which will delight guests upon arrival.
www.noniussolutions.com
 
Aurelia Antica Suites & Apartments Integrates BeyondTV GuestCast to Deliver Personalized and Convenient Guestroom Entertainment
BeyondTV GuestCast (BTV), a full-service provider of guestroom entertainment services and solutions, has announced the successful implementation of its BeyondTV GuestCast in-room entertainment solution in Aurelia Antica Suites & Apartments. A newly opened property located just minutes away from the center of Rome. Designed to fit the needs of long-term and short-term guests alike, the property delivers the tranquility and privacy of an apartment without sacrificing the superior services and amenities of a 4-star hotel.
www.beyondtvau.com
 
Virgin Hotels Turns to Virdee to Deploy Self Check-in
Virgin Hotels is collaborating with Virdee to implement hospitality’s leading virtual reception solution and ensure a superior digital check-in experience for all hotel guests.
virdee.co
 
Volara to Showcase Hospitality’s First Voice-Controlled EOS WiFi Smart Digital Thermostat from INTEREL at HITEC Dallas
The IoT device for smart buildings leverages Volara’s secure integrations hub to respond to voice commands spoken by guests who seek touchless control over the guestroom environment
www.volara.io

October 08, 2021

MARKETING

- Cendyn debuts next-generation loyalty solution at HITEC 2021
Cendyn, the leading innovator in CRM, sales, and revenue strategy for the hospitality industry, unveils its next-generation loyalty solution at HITEC, the world’s largest and oldest hospitality technology event. eLoyalty, Cendyn’s full-service loyalty application, built uniquely for hotels, supports multiple program types, including number of stays, number of nights, member recognition, birthdays, and surprise & delight moments.
cendyn.com

- Margaritaville Partners with Hapi for Total Customer Data Strategy
Margaritaville, the global lifestyle brand, has turned to Hapi to consolidate customer data and set up a suite of Salesforce tools, including Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud, Analytics Cloud, and Interaction Studio.
www.hapicloud.io

October 08, 2021

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- Infor Continues to Invest in Cloud-Based Event Management for Hospitality Industry
Infor, an industry cloud company, announced a significant update to Infor Sales & Catering with two new guest self-service portals (SSPs) for online booking and ordering. Part of the Infor CloudSuite Hospitality suite of solutions, Infor Sales & Catering is one of the industry’s only platforms designed around the beginning-to-end stages of an event.
www.infor.com


March 09, 2018

MERGERS and ACQUISITIONS

- Interstate Hotels & Resorts Acquires Gateway Hospitality Group Management Platform
- MyCheck Acquired by Eyal Ofer's O.G. Tech Ventures
--------------------------
Interstate Hotels & Resorts Acquires Gateway Hospitality Group Management Platform
Interstate Hotels & Resorts, a leading U.S.-based global hotel management company, announced it has acquired the management platform from Gateway Hospitality Group. The 20-hotel portfolio will be operated under Interstate Gateway Management LLC, a subsidiary of Interstate Hotels & Resorts, with founder Bob Voelker and partner Ron Hutcheson joining Interstate in executive-level asset management and owner relations responsibilities for this portfolio. Gateway has a long track history of developing and managing high quality hotels throughout the United States. Aggregating to 2,544 rooms, the portfolio includes premium select-service properties under top lodging brands including Hilton and Hyatt in addition to two luxury boutique hotels located in five states and the District of Columbia.
http://www.interstatehotels.com
**
MyCheck Acquired by Eyal Ofer's O.G. Tech Ventures
MyCheck, a leading global provider of payment solutions for hotels and restaurants, announced that it has been acquired by Eyal Ofer's O.G. Tech Ventures, the tech investment arm of his international conglomerate, Ofer Global group, whose business interests include real estate and hotels, cruise and maritime shipping, oil and gas, technology and banking. MyCheck offers multilayered mobile payment products that equip hotels and restaurants with a powerful digital customer engagement experience covering all three aspects of the process: book, stay and dine. MyCheck has spent years developing and building a powerful platform with multiple integrations for leading providers in the PMS, POS, finance, loyalty, CRM, booking engines and alternative payment method areas to deliver seamless experiences for properties and guests. MyCheck's customer portfolio includes: Wyndham Worldwide, Red Lion Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group, Franco Manca, Cheesecake Factory, Prezzo and others.
http://www.mycheck.io  
**



March 09, 2018

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- GuestTek Expands APAC Executive Team
- Hilton Appoints Noelle Eder as Chief Information and Digital Officer
- Hyatt Names Mark Vondrasek as Chief Commercial Officer
- Kerzner International Names Michael P. Wale as Chief Executive Officer
- Prestige Hospitality Group Names Bill Gomez as Chief Operating Officer
- Apurva Chamaria Joins RateGain as Chief Revenue Officer
--------------------------


GuestTek Expands APAC Executive Team
As major hoteliers embrace growth opportunities in the Asia Pacific Region, GuestTek Interactive Entertainment Ltd. is expanding to meet the burgeoning demand for world class hospitality technology.  Leading the charge will be Scott Watts, newly appointed managing director of APAC. With extensive experience in both operations and the hospitality industry, Watts is well prepared to lead the APAC sales, operations and engineering teams. Additionally, Charly Tomkys will move to the company’s VP of Sales, APAC role. Tomkys joined GuestTek in early 2013 and has been a key player in the company’s sales growth. Tony Thompson will serve as vice president of operations, APAC, and will be based in Bangkok, Thailand.
**
Hilton Appoints Noelle Eder as Chief Information and Digital Officer
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) announced the appointment of Noelle Eder as executive vice president and chief information and digital officer. Effective March 19, Eder will oversee the continued digital transformation benefiting the guests and team members of one of the world's most hospitable companies. She will be based in Hilton's global headquarters in McLean, Va., and report directly to Jon Witter, chief customer officer.
**
Hyatt Names Mark Vondrasek as Chief Commercial Officer
Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the appointment of Mark Vondrasek as the company’s chief commercial officer. In this role, Vondrasek will be responsible for the previously announced commercial services organization, driving guest and customer engagement functions while working across the organization to enhance the frequency and level of engagement with guests. Vondrasek assumed his new role effective March 1, 2018, and will continue to report to Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer.
**
Kerzner International Names Michael P. Wale as Chief Executive Officer
Kerzner International Holdings, the owner of the iconic Atlantis Resort and Residences and ultra-luxury One&Only Resorts brands worldwide, has announced the appointment of Michael P. Wale as its new chief executive officer. The company manages a portfolio of globally renowned, entertainment destination resorts, ultra-luxury hotels and residences and innovative entertainment experiences. Wale's successful career, to date, was with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and spanned almost 40 years, most recently as president for Europe, Africa & Middle East, directly overseeing the operations for almost 250 hotels and resorts in 60 countries.
**
Prestige Hospitality Group Names Bill Gomez as Chief Operating Officer
James C. Frenis, CHA, chief executive officer of Prestige Hospitality Group, LLC (PHG), announced the promotion of Bill Gomez to chief operating officer effective March 1, 2018, a newly created position for the rapidly growing hospitality development and management company. Mr. Gomez first joined PHG eight years ago and most recently served as vice president of organizational development responsible for building and implementing comprehensive leadership tools designed to help hospitality teams achieve superior results in sales and marketing, profitability and guest satisfaction.
**
Apurva Chamaria Joins RateGain as Chief Revenue Officer
Apurva Chamaria has joined RateGain as chief revenue officer. Previously, Chamaria was vice president and head of corporate marketing at HCL Technologies. Chamaria's role at RateGain is a global one, focused on aligning sales, marketing and customer success together to maximize revenue across all areas of the business. 
**


March 09, 2018

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Agilysys Solutions Selected by The Summit Hotel, Cincinnati to Optimize Efficiency and Enhance the Guest Experience
- Infor Announces New Collaboration with Deem
- Historic Airlie, International Conference Destination Relies on Maestro’s Cloud PMS to Support Growth, Go Green and Deliver Mobile Guest Engagement
- Stein Eriksen Lodge and Other High-touch Properties Use Maestro PMS Guest Experience Measurement to Engage, Build Loyalty and Create "Personalized Service" Culture
- TravelClick Launches Artificial Intelligence-powered Campaign Advisor
- Hotelogix raises funds from Vertex Ventures, others
--------------------------


Agilysys Solutions Selected by The Summit Hotel, Cincinnati to Optimize Efficiency and Enhance the Guest Experience
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, announced that The Summit Hotel in Cincinnati will implement Agilysys’ award-winning solutions InfoGenesis® POS and rGuest® Pay for point of sale and payment processing. Scheduled to open in spring 2018, the new property will rely on Agilysys’ solutions to help ensure the security of guest payment information while delivering an outstanding guest experience from day one. The Summit Hotel’s management team wanted point-of-sale technology that would not only deliver comprehensive functionality, but also help optimize operations for the scalability required to support operations while any sized event is happening in the hotel conference center. Additionally, they required a payment gateway solution that would secure guests’ financial data and reduce the risks associated with credit card acceptance.
http://www.agilysys.com/
**
Infor Announces New Collaboration with Deem
Infor, a leading provider of industry-specific cloud applications, announced a strategic collaboration with Deem, a leading mobile and cloud technology provider for the corporate travel industry, to integrate travel and expense management solutions. Paired with Infor's flexible and configurable travel and entertainment (T&E) expense management solution, this integration offers customers more choice in travel and spend management vendor selection along with an integrated booking tool that automatically transfers data from the Deem Work Fource platform to Infor Expense Management. Integrating systems improves travel expense management for both business travelers and their employers.
http://www.infor.com/hospitality, http://www.deem.com
**
Historic Airlie, International Conference Destination Relies on Maestro’s Cloud PMS to Support Growth, Go Green and Deliver Mobile Guest Engagement
Airlie has 17 meeting venues on 300 plus acres, and for more than 50 years Airlie operated solely as a conference destination. When Airlie opened its property to the general public for social events and leisure guests, its existing system could not support its growth plans. Airlie’s team identified that it needed a full-featured, mobile-enabled integrated property management suite that provided flexible remote tablet check-in and credit card capture at separate property activity sites. After researching several systems, Airlie chose Maestro PMS in the cloud to support total property operations.
http://www.maestropms.com/
**
Stein Eriksen Lodge and Other High-touch Properties Use Maestro PMS Guest Experience Measurement to Engage, Build Loyalty and Create "Personalized Service" Culture
Ask guests what they want from a hotel and most will say an effortless personalized stay. To some that means an attentive staff that remembers them from their previous stays. To others, a clean, quiet room is more important. Successful operators know what guests want, and how to deliver it – thanks to Maestro’s integrated Guest Experience Measurement system, or GEM. GEM is an online mobile guest feedback solution that gives independent operators real-time visibility into what is most important to their guests.
http://www.maestropms.com/
**
TravelClick Launches Artificial Intelligence-powered Campaign Advisor
TravelClick, a leading global provider of data and revenue-generating solutions for hoteliers, announced the launch of Campaign Advisor on the company’s Guest Management Solutions (GMS) platform. Powered by data from billions of customer touchpoints across the entire guest journey, Campaign Advisor allows hoteliers to better target their marketing and drive more direct bookings. Campaign Advisor’s AI-powered, predictive algorithm maximizes bookings for hotels by determining the best send time for each guest.
https://www.travelclick.com/
**
Hotelogix Raises Funds from Vertex Ventures, Others
Hotelogix, a cloud-based hotel property management solutions provider, said that it has raised $5 million in a round led by Vertex Ventures. Early investors Accel Partners and Saama Capital also invested in the round. Hotelogix is an enterprise Saas (software as a service) solution aimed at small to mid-size resorts and hotels to manage operations like reservations, front desk interactions, housekeeping transactions, accounts, back office and payments. The Hotelogix platform is essentially an alternative to legacy ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems and gives hoteliers additional capabilities to not only manage operations from any internet-connected device remotely but also link with online travel platforms for targeted marketing and integrated communication.
https://www.hotelogix.com/
**


March 09, 2018

RESERVATIONS

- IBC Hospitality Technologies Adds "Cash-back Rewards" to its IVH Travel InnCentives Loyalty Program
- Imlauer Hotels Welcomes a New World of Guests with SiteMinder
- TravelClick and Google Expand Partnership to Help Hoteliers Maximize Revenue in an Increasingly Competitive Market
- TravelClick Releases New Data Showing Rate and Bookings Growth Continue Positive Trend for Hoteliers in Early 2018
- DHISCO Launches Interface with Travel Packaging Innovator Peakwork
- eRevMax completes integration with TravelBird
- Pegasus Solutions Announces New Corporate Request for Information Tool to Better Connect Hotels to the Right Travel Buyers
--------------------------


IBC Hospitality Technologies Adds "Cash-back Rewards" to its IVH Travel InnCentives Loyalty Program
IBC Hospitality Technologies is adding more benefits to its InnCentives Loyalty Club. Effective immediately, members can receive cash back each time they make a reservation on IVHTravel. When an InnCentives member completes a stay, 5 percent of the total reservation value is placed into their digital wallet. Cash can accrue and be put toward future reservations, or it can be used to purchase gift cards from hundreds of participating restaurants, retailers and service providers globally. IVHTravel, powered by IBC, was designed by hoteliers to provide full guest information back to hotels to drive down customer acquisition costs and improve the guest experience. IVHTravel.com is specifically for travelers wanting a variety of global rewards when booking accommodations worldwide.
http://www.ibchospitality.com/
**
Imlauer Hotels Welcomes a New World of Guests with SiteMinder
Austria’s Imlauer Hotels announced it has appointed SiteMinder, a leading cloud platform for the global hotel industry, to provide the technology it needs to broaden its visibility to guests online. Imlauer Hotels consists of four, four-star properties located in Salzburg and Vienna, which ranked among Europe’s top 10 destinations in 2017 as measured by international arrivals. Using SiteMinder’s technology, Imlauer Hotels can now market and sell its rooms on 350 of the world’s top hotel booking channels. The increased reach gives the hotel group the opportunity to boost reservations and revenue, and attract larger segments of both the corporate and leisure markets to which it caters.
siteminder.com
**
TravelClick and Google Expand Partnership to Help Hoteliers Maximize Revenue in an Increasingly Competitive Market
TravelClick, a leading global provider of data and revenue-generating solutions for hoteliers, announced its expanded relationship with longtime partner Google to enable hoteliers to drive more direct bookings and revenue. This partnership helps independent and small to mid-sized hotel chains to better identify, attract and convert guests when using the combined Google and TravelClick solutions. With Google Premier Partner Status, TravelClick can now offer its hotel customers priority access to Google beta products, elite account support and performance review with a dedicated, global account team and unique pieces of data for campaign optimization.
http://www.travelclick.com/
**
TravelClick Releases New Data Showing Rate and Bookings Growth Continue Positive Trend for Hoteliers in Early 2018
TravelClick, a leading global provider of data and revenue-generating solutions for hoteliers, released new data from the company’s February 2018 North American Hospitality Review (NAHR). According to this data, North American hoteliers are continuing to experience healthy gains across both average daily rates (ADR) and bookings for all travel segments, up 0.6 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively, in the first quarter of the year. Transient bookings are particularly strong in Q1, up 1.9 percent across the segment for both business and leisure travel. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) is also up 2.7 percent for this sector.
http://www.travelclick.com/
**
DHISCO Launches Interface with Travel Packaging Innovator Peakwork
DHISCO Inc., one of the world’s leading hospitality distribution companies, announced it has launched a new interface with Peakwork AG, which offers next-generation, dynamic pricing solutions for packaging leisure travel. Based in Düsseldorf, Germany, Peakwork uses its Player Hub Technology to connect leading international tour operators and travel professionals with travel suppliers, enabling them to quickly and easily bundle hotels, flights, car rentals and other amenities. Peakwork has developed a new API to DHISCO’s seamless and push ARI connections with its Player Hub Technology and will now be able to extend this connectivity to its network of travel sales partners.
https://peakwork.com/, http://www.dhisco.com/
**
eRevMax completes integration with TravelBird
Hotel connectivity expert eRevMax has completed a two-way integration with one of Europe’s fastest-growing holiday specialists, TravelBird. The interface is the latest addition to the eRevMax Channel Eco-system that connects hotels to more than 350 online distribution channels. Active in 11 markets, TravelBird focuses on attracting travelers in the early stages of their trip planning process. The eRevMax interface will allow TravelBird’s hotel partners who use RateTiger and RTConnect to update their room rates and availability with immediate effect, as well as receiving reservations from their customers in real time.
http://www.erevmax.com
**
Pegasus Solutions Announces New Corporate Request for Information Tool to Better Connect Hotels to the Right Travel Buyers
Pegasus Solutions announced a new software tool that connects hoteliers in search of additional reservations to the right sources of corporate travel demand. This request for information (RFI) tool is one component of the broader Pegasus RFP Intelligence product and will be demonstrated to hoteliers at ITB Berlin this week. Business travelers are generally high-value customers for any hotel or chain, often producing a higher yield and ADR. RFP Intelligence is a solution within the Pegasus corporate demand service offering and centralizes how hoteliers deliver their value proposition to global companies and their employees who travel, reducing the time and effort required by hoteliers to research and identify those opportunities.
http://www.pegasus.io  
**


March 09, 2018

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

- IDeaS Integrates Voice Control with Revenue Management Technology for Ultimate Productivity
- IDeaS and protel Expand Partnership to Cloud Enable the Hotel Technology Stack
- Duetto and protel Announce Technology Partnership
--------------------------


IDeaS Integrates Voice Control with Revenue Management Technology for Ultimate Productivity
IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System (IDeaS G3 RMS) is now compatible with devices like Amazon’s Echo and Google Home, in multiple languages. Voice interaction and smart speakers are shifting the paradigm on how people interact with their technology at home, and many businesses are quickly adopting this same technology in the workplace to drive efficiency and productivity. A key challenge in the adoption of voice technology is the integration with existing legacy platforms and tools. IDeaS Revenue Solutions has broken this barrier for hotels with the unveiling of the first voice-based interface designed for a revenue management platform.
http://www.ideas.com/
**
IDeaS and protel Expand Partnership to Cloud Enable the Hotel Technology Stack
Cloud technology and next-level integrations are accelerating the hospitality industry’s ability to access, store and leverage data across multiple systems. IDeaS Revenue Solutions and protel hotelsoftware GmbH, provider of on-site and cloud-based advanced property management systems (PMS), have jointly enabled hotels to drive efficiency and productivity through the integration of powerful solutions. This latest advancement provides a single integration to seamlessly connect between any of the best-of-breed solutions offered by protel.I/O and IDeaS' advanced RMS. Available now, protel’s existing 14,000 hotel customers will be able to have direct, two-way access to IDeaS G3 RMS. This newly enhanced integration gives hotels ultimate flexibility to harness data insights and deliver next generation revenue strategy and optimize hotel profitability.
http://www.ideas.com, http://www.protel.net/
**
Duetto and protel Announce Technology Partnership
Duetto, a revenue strategy platform for the hospitality industry, and protel hotelsoftware GmbH, provider of on-site and cloud-based advanced property management systems (PMS), have announced a technology integration to enable the whole of the protel customer base to connect into Duetto’s platform of revenue solutions using a standardized and highly efficient enterprise bus solution, protel I/O. protel offers technology and service solutions for the hospitality industry. Its PMS offering includes a fully cloud-based solution, an installed on-site solution, and scalable hybrid solutions tailored to the specific needs of the client, from small independents to multinational hotel chains.
http://www.protel.net, http://duettocloud.com
**


March 09, 2018

GUEST SERVICES

- Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton, Texas, Convention Center Embraces Crave In-room Tablets
- Intelity Development Efforts Align with Industry Demands
- ADB Now Selling vuTyme IRE Direct to Hotels
--------------------------


Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton, Texas, Convention Center Embraces Crave In-room Tablets
Crave Interactive, a world leading developer of cloud-based digital guest service solutions for hotels, announced a partnership with Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center to provide a revolutionary digital guest experience in all 318 of its spacious suites with Crave’s latest in-room tablets. Crave’s sleek 8” T-Mini tablets will stand in lieu of all of the Embassy Suites property in-room printed directories and marketing materials to provide guests with real time information and personalized promotions that are updated instantly and easily by staff, as well as single-touch TV and room controls, news and weather, digital concierge, and more. The Crave tablet features an intuitive user-friendly interface and a charging dock with two USB ports for guests to charge their personal devices.
https://crave-emenu.com
**
Intelity Development Efforts Align with Industry Demands
As hoteliers continue to cautiously increase IT budgets and place a higher priority on digital guest engagement in 2018, Intelity continues to develop new tools to meet hoteliers’ and guests’ demands. Intelity is the developer of one of the world's first and most widely used integrated guest services platforms: ICE (Interactive Customer Experience™). Of keen interest to hoteliers will be Intelity’s new ICEvoice solution (formerly called Voice Request) that uses Amazon's Alexa to enable hotel guests to talk to their room with voice-activated commands. ICEvoice was developed in direct response to the industry’s demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and voice-enabled devices. It acts as a virtual concierge, enabling guests to make requests, adjust room controls and more all with just a few simple voice commands.
http://www.intelitycorp.com/
**
ADB Now Selling vuTyme IRE Direct to Hotels
To meet the hospitality industry’s growing demand for vuTyme, the company is now selling its popular in-room entertainment solution direct to hotels. Previously sold through the U.S. cable operators only as a white-labelled iTV solution, vuTyme is now available as a turnkey solution – from installation to support – via ADB.
https://www.adbglobal.com/ 
**


March 09, 2018

PERSONALIZATION/GUEST EXPERIENCE

- Honeywell Launches Amazon Alexa Voice-ready Thermostat for Hotels
- San Francisco’s Hotel Zelos, Part of the Viceroy Hotel Group, Selects ALICE to Increase Operational Efficiency and Enhance the Guest Experience
- Quinault Beach Resort & Casino Launches KEYPR as Guest Experience Technology Partner
--------------------------


Honeywell Launches Amazon Alexa Voice-ready Thermostat for Hotels
Honeywell, a global leader in connected buildings, announced the launch of its next-generation thermostat for the hospitality industry. Honeywell’s INNCOM e7 Thermostat (e7) is the first enterprise-grade environmental control and energy management solution that incorporates Amazon Alexa voice control for an effortless guest experience that includes room temperature, lighting, drapery and amenities services. With its modern design with easy-to-use controls, the e7 is based on a patent-pending Smart Wall Plate design that provides hotel staff with an easy and reliable backup of the device configuration. This makes routine maintenance or replacement of the e7 energy management system simple, even for other staff, which helps reduce ownership costs.
http://www.inncom.com/
**
San Francisco’s Hotel Zelos, Part of the Viceroy Hotel Group, Selects ALICE to Increase Operational Efficiency and Enhance the Guest Experience
San Francisco’s Hotel Zelos, a Viceroy Hotel, has selected ALICE’s suite of hotel technologies to streamline staff operations and enhance the guest experience. Hotel Zelos, which joins sister properties Hotel Zetta and Hotel Zeppelin on the ALICE platform, is using ALICE’s concierge software, ALICE Concierge, ALICE’s housekeeping and maintenance software, ALICE Staff, and the company’s guest text messaging solution, ALICE Guest. ALICE is one of the hospitality industry’s leading operations technologies, connecting every department of the hotel with one platform for all staff communication and guest requests. ALICE recently acquired concierge software provider GoConcierge to augment its technology and customer service offering.
https://info.aliceapp.com
**
Quinault Beach Resort & Casino Launches KEYPR as Guest Experience Technology Partner
KEYPR®, a leading cloud-based technology platform for the hospitality industry providing an integrated end-to-end experience for guests and staff through embedded and mobile devices, announced that Quinault Beach Resort and Casino, the Quinault Indian Nation-owned property facing beautiful Ocean Shores Washington, has deployed the first phase of its expansive hospitality platform, with keyless entry to be implemented by May. Quinault guests and staff now have access to a custom mobile app, in-room tablets and KEYPR’s Guest Experience Management System (GEMS®) along with other KEYPR technologies which combined, will dramatically improve operational efficiency, drive new revenue opportunities, and meet the expectations of today’s highly connected traveler.
http://www.keypr.com
**


March 09, 2018

MARKETING/MANAGEMENT

- Sabre Teams Up with Cendyn to Enhance the SynXis Platform with Advanced CRM Capabilities
- dailypoint™ Privacy Dashboard - TS&C Answer to the GDPR
- Tambourine and Teneo Hospitality Group Announce Strategic Partnership
--------------------------


Sabre Teams Up with Cendyn to Enhance the SynXis Platform with Advanced CRM Capabilities
Sabre Corporation, a leading technology provider to the global travel industry, announced an enhanced technology agreement with Cendyn, the customer relationship management (CRM) solutions provider. This arrangement expedites Sabre’s rollout of new, intelligent guest profile and experience management capabilities through the SynXis Enterprise platform that will revolutionize insights and personalization opportunities for the hospitality industry.
http://www.sabrehospitality.com/, http://www.cendyn.com/
**
dailypoint™ Privacy Dashboard - TS&C Answer to the GDPR
With the new dailypoint™ Privacy Dashboard, dailypoint™ offers hoteliers an important tool, when the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will take effect on May 25, 2018. The new Privacy Dashboard, available for all dailypoint™ software solutions, will be launched at ITB 2018. Since 2017, dailypoint™ has been working on a full GDPR compliance strategy. The new Privacy Dashboard, developed for the dailypoint™ software family, permits hoteliers to centrally manage all functions which need to be in place when the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) takes effect.
http://www.dailypoint.com/
**
Tambourine and Teneo Hospitality Group Announce Strategic Partnership
Teneo Hospitality Group, a premier global firm representing 300+ independent and luxury branded hotels, resorts and DMCs, and Tambourine, a global leader in hotel e-commerce, have announced a strategic partnership. The two well-known firms, who currently represent more than 700 of the top hotels in the world, will integrate services to increase meeting, group and transient results for their common clients. The combined services of Tambourine and Teneo will give client hotels a competitive advantage in integrated group/transient marketing campaigns, meeting/group sales lead generation and multichannel digital marketing.
http://www.Tambourine.com
**


March 09, 2018

BACK OFFICE

- Panache Management, LLC Selects Aptech Business Intelligence and Enterprise Back Office
- With Beekeeper, "No Employee is Left Behind" at 1 Hotel Central Park
- Chicago Tribune names Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza River North No. 1 Top Workplace, Driven by UniFocus’ Actionable Insights into Employee Engagement
--------------------------


Panache Management, LLC Selects Aptech Business Intelligence and Enterprise Back Office
Aptech Computer Systems, a leading provider of hospitality business intelligence, budgeting and forecasting and enterprise accounting hotel software systems, announced that Panache Management, LLC, selected Aptech’s Execuvue Hospitality Business Intelligence and PVNG Enterprise Accounting Systems. Panache will implement the solutions to streamline property data gathering, performance analysis and centralize financial reporting for its eight hotels. Panache Management, LLC, manages hotel brands with equity interest; its portfolio includes Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental, Choice and boutique hotels.
http://www.aptech-inc.com/
**
With Beekeeper, "No Employee is Left Behind" at 1 Hotel Central Park
Eco-chic brand 1 Hotels has been experiencing great success with internal team communication since it launched the digital workforce platform Beekeeper. Today three properties are using this tool as the hub of its internal communications operation, and each is finding new uses for staff engagement. Managers at 1 Hotel Central Park, located at 1414 6th Avenue in midtown Manhattan, say Beekeeper is engaging – and even addicting – noting that staff enthusiasm is skyrocketing. Beekeeper digitizes the non-desk workforce by connecting operational systems and communication channels within one secure, intuitive platform. Beekeeper connects colleagues across locations and departments in real time via mobile or desktop devices, and includes an intelligent analytics dashboard to help companies improve internal communication and streamline business processes.
www.beekeeper.io
**
Chicago Tribune names Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza River North No. 1 Top Workplace, Driven by UniFocus’ Actionable Insights into Employee Engagement
Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza River North, a UniFocus partner with 521 freshly redesigned guestrooms and 210 employees (termed “artists” within the company), was honored by The Chicago Tribune for being the No. 1 Workplace in Chicago among small employers. By incorporating the insight and feedback from UniFocus’ survey and action planning solution, STAFFScope, the hotel developed effective employee engagement strategies and teambuilding initiatives to earn it the top spot with a remarkable 90.6 engagement index score.
http://www.unifocus.com/
**


March 09, 2018

SALES & CATERING, MEETING PLANNING

- MSI Solutions Partners with Reserve Interactive
--------------------------
MSI Solutions Partners with Reserve Interactive
MSI Solutions and ReServe Interactive announced that they have entered into a partnership where MSI Solutions will become a reseller of ReServe’s cloud-based sales and catering solution. The two companies have already completed development of a bi-directional interface between their two systems. This integration will benefit their mutual customers by eliminating double entry of group guest room blocks and providing immediate guestroom inventory updates. With the two-way integration complete, MSI Solutions can offer a very compelling and competitive solution, continuing to increase products and services offerings to better serve its growing base of customers.
http://www.msisolutions.com/
**



March 09, 2018

INVENTORY/PURCHASING

- Four Winds Casinos Marks New Opening and Upgrades RFID Inventory Management System at Existing Properties
--------------------------
Four Winds Casinos Marks New Opening and Upgrades RFID Inventory Management System at Existing Properties
InvoTech Systems, Inc., a leading provider of linen, laundry and uniform inventory management solutions for hotels, casinos, resorts and theme parks worldwide, announced that Four Winds Casinos^® upgraded its existing uniform system at the Dowagiac, Hartford and New Buffalo locations, and implemented the uniform system at its newest property in South Bend. RFID technology will provide additional cost saving benefits by automating manual tasks that were previously required. The InvoTech uniform system is used at Four Winds Casinos to manage more than 4,500 staff uniforms at multiple properties.
http://www.invotech.com 
**



March 09, 2018

DATA SECURITY AND CYBER ATTACKS

- Ingenico Group Partners with Choice Hotels to Enhance Payment Security at Hotels Across the U.S.
--------------------------
Ingenico Group Partners with Choice Hotels to Enhance Payment Security at Hotels Across the U.S.
Ingenico Group, a global leader in seamless payment, announced that Choice Hotels, one of the world's largest hotel companies, has chosen to deploy Ingenico Group’s iSC Touch 480smart terminals across its 5,000-plus franchised hotels in the United States. Choice Hotels’ brands include Cambria Hotels, the Ascend Hotel Collection, Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites, Quality Inn and Sleep Inn, among others. Security was the driving force behind Choice Hotels’ decision to partner with Ingenico Group, as the company’s iSC Touch 480 smart terminals meet the highest hardware and software security requirements, and are PCI PTS 4.x certified. Additionally, to help ensure guests’ information remains protected, the iSC Touch 480 terminals allow Choice Hotels to support point-to-point encryption (P2PE) solutions, tokenization and EMV as part of its multilayered security approach to reduce PCI compliance, as well as an optional PIN shield for enhanced security.
https://ingenico.us/
**



March 09, 2018

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what…
 
A mafia Godfather finds out that his bookkeeper, Guido, has cheated him out of $10 million. His bookkeeper is deaf. That was the reason he got the job in the first place. It was assumed that Guido would hear nothing so he would never have to testify in court. When the Godfather goes to confront Guido about his missing $10 million, he takes along his lawyer who knows sign language.
 
The Godfather tells the lawyer, "Ask him where the money is!"
 
The lawyer, using sign language, asks Guido, "Where's the money?"
 
Guido signs back, "I don't know what you are talking about."
 
The lawyer tells the Godfather, "He says he doesn't know what you're talking about."
 
The Godfather pulls out a pistol, puts it to Guido's head and says, "Ask him again or I'll kill him!"
 
The lawyer signs to Guido, "He'll kill you if you don't tell him."
 
Guido trembles and signs, "OK! You win! The money is in a brown briefcase, buried behind the shed at my cousin Bruno's house."
 
The Godfather asks the lawyer, "What did he say?"
 
The lawyer replies, "He says you don't have the guts to pull the trigger."
 
**



March 09, 2018

SECURITY

- MIWA Lock Company Integrates With OpenKey to Bring Mobile Keyless Entry to Hotel Chains Around the World
--------------------------
MIWA Lock Company Integrates With OpenKey to Bring Mobile Keyless Entry to Hotel Chains Around the World
MIWA Lock Company, one of Japan’s leading providers of high-performance locks and security systems, announced a partnership and integration with OpenKey, a mobile key provider in hotels. The partnership will bring the enterprise-grade security and stability of the OpenKey platform as the mobile keyless entry system for all MIWA digital locks with Bluetooth Low Energy functionality.
http://www.miwalock.com, http://www.openkey.co
**



March 09, 2018

HOSPITALITY EVENTS

- HFTP Renews Sponsorship Agreement with Keystep Solutions for 2018 London Interest Meeting
- HFTP Sells Out Exhibition for Upcoming HITEC Amsterdam 2018, a 20 Percent Space Increase from Previous Year
- OpenTravel Advisory Forum Amsterdam to be Co-located with HFTP’s HITEC Amsterdam in April 2018
- Powered by Intelity, the Forbes Travel Guide "Verified Summit" App is Now Live on the App Store and Google Play
- NAVIS Leaders Conference 2018 Sets Attendance Record, Exceeds Expectations
--------------------------


HFTP Renews Sponsorship Agreement with Keystep Solutions for 2018 London Interest Meeting
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is pleased to announce Keystep Solutions as the exclusive sponsor of the upcoming HFTP London Interest Meeting. Keystep Solutions is a family-owned British company specializing in access control systems; they include: electronic keycard locks, access readers, energy-saving room switches and lift controllers. The event will take place Monday, March 12, 2018 at the Rosewood Hotel in London. Guests are invited to join HFTP and top European hospitality executives for an evening of interesting speakers and discussion. Those interested in attending the complimentary event can RSVP online.
https://hftp.org/
**
HFTP Sells Out Exhibition for Upcoming HITEC Amsterdam 2018, a 20 Percent Space Increase from Previous Year
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), an international nonprofit association and producers of Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), has sold all exhibit spaces for the upcoming HITEC Amsterdam 2018. HITEC Amsterdam will feature 84 exhibiting companies – a 20 percent increase from the inaugural 2017 event. A floorplan with a list of participating companies is available on the HITEC Amsterdam website. HITEC Amsterdam will take place from April 11-13 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre in The Netherlands.
http://www.hitec.org, http://www.hftp.org
**
OpenTravel Advisory Forum Amsterdam to be Co-located with HFTP’s HITEC Amsterdam in April 2018
OpenTravel Alliance (OpenTravel), a nonprofit responsible for developing and maintaining interoperability for disparate systems in all verticals of the travel industry, is pleased to extend its partnership with Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) and co-locate European conferences in April 2018. OpenTravel will co-locate its Advisory Forum, taking place from April 11-13, 2018, with HFTP’s HITEC Amsterdam. Both events will take place at the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam.
http://opentravel.org/opentravel-amsterdam/, http://www.hitec.org, https://hftp.org/
**
Powered by Intelity, the Forbes Travel Guide "Verified Summit" App is Now Live on the App Store and Google Play
Forbes Travel Guide 2018 Star Award Winners will convene in Beverly Hills for “Verified: The Forbes Travel Guide Luxury Summit” to celebrate their recognition as the world’s finest five-star and four-star hotels. To help navigate the event, attendees are encouraged to download “Verified Summit,” a mobile app powered by Intelity. Available in the App Store and Google Play, “Verified Summit” serves as a digital brochure providing schedules, speaker specifics, local area information, brand officials’ details and more. Intelity is the “Official Mobile and Technology Provider” of Forbes Travel Guide. Also in attendance will be Forbes Travel Guide’s 2018 brand officials, the top service and amenity providers for each segment of the hospitality industry.
http://www.intelitycorp.com/
**
NAVIS Leaders Conference 2018 Sets Attendance Record, Exceeds Expectations
Attendees from previous years understand why NAVIS Leaders Conferences (NLC) attracts such a large and inspired audience. With more than 200 attendees, the 2018 event celebrated a record number of participants with featured expert guest speakers from companies including MMGY Global, Marketo, TripTease, Flip.to, Miles Partnership and STR. Attendees were also treated to the unveiling of NAVIS Reveal, a business intelligence platform specifically designed for the changing needs of the hospitality industry.
http://www.thenavisway.com/
**


March 09, 2018

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- The real reason why most plane seats are blue – and other curious facts about plane cabins
- National Geographic’s 2018 Adventurers of the Year
- Optimizing the smart office: A marriage of technology and people
- How Harley-Davidson Used Artificial Intelligence to Increase New York Sales Leads by 2,930%
- Do OTAs Suck?
- Voice assistants are making the smartphone redundant
- Las Vegas hotel projects breathing life into the northern Strip
--------------------------


The real reason why most plane seats are blue – and other curious facts about plane cabins
 
National Geographic’s 2018 Adventurers of the Year
 
Optimizing the smart office: A marriage of technology and people
 
How Harley-Davidson Used Artificial Intelligence to Increase New York Sales Leads by 2,930%
 
Do OTAs Suck?
 
Voice assistants are making the smartphone redundant
 
Las Vegas hotel projects breathing life into the northern Strip
 
**


March 23, 2018

Siegel Sez

by: Rich Siegel

It is that time of year when those in the technology space have to pick and choose which events they should attend, or if you are a vendor, which you should support. Last week I was invited to the annual HTNG North American Conference which is now part of HT-NEXT. Nothing is worse than attending an event feeling that you are coming down with something, and then after arriving, getting worse and worse. That happened to me in San Diego. Honestly, how long can a cold last? It has been 10 days now. I did tough it out the best I could and enjoyed the event. I always love reconnecting with people I know but only get to see a few times throughout the year. Face to face is always the best as long as you aren’t spreading germs. The attendance was similar to last year, the exhibit area was bigger and the sessions were all well received. I did get to a point where the cold became more like the flu, so I left earlier than planned. Ron Hardin does a nice job sharing his thoughts on the conference before we get into the tech news that follows.
 
Yes, it is definitely that time of year and we at Hospitality Upgrade partner with many events. Geneva is at the Hunter Hotel Investment Conference here in Atlanta, Anne will be at the AAHOA Annual Convention & Trade Show next week at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in Maryland outside Washington, D.C., and I will be at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas. I remember when I started my business and attended the first AAHOA conference held in a ballroom at a hotel in Atlanta. It is amazing how that event has grown and now seems to take over any city where they hold the event. It’s pretty amazing.
 
Another event that I am really looking forward to is the second HITEC Amsterdam in early April. HFTP sold out the exhibit hall in record time this year and expects more than the 1,100 attendees they had last year. That is amazing for a first-time event. I have been invited to be a mentor for those participating in 20X, the competition for the startups who hopefully have the next big thing in hotel technology. I mentored at HITEC in Toronto and every attendee came back and thanked me afterwards. I guess maybe I related to many since it wasn’t that long ago that I was a startup, though the only investors I had were those who would lend me money to pay bills. Thankfully I paid them all back. Anyway, HITEC Amsterdam should be interesting. If it goes as well as it sounds like it will, then what is next? Another city in Europe or does it stay in Amsterdam? We shall see.
 
Here is the real reason we are here, the latest technology happenings which starts with Ron Hardin’s thoughts. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what and then will search for the miracle cure for a 10-day cold. Wish me luck!



Rich@HospitalityUpgrade.com
March 23, 2018

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Ron Hardin

Hospitality is a people business. It generally has a high head count, and the labor cost is typically the single largest expense in a hospitality operation. Hospitality is – traditionally – high-touch more than high-tech and has been resistant to automation in many areas. Hospitality has not exactly led the charge in employee engagement as evidenced by historically high turnover rates and the large number of low-wage jobs in the average establishment. Perhaps we should then be encouraged by Beekeeper, the winner of the 2018 HTNG TechOvation Award. Beekeeper does not sell an innovative product or service to enable labor savings. What they do sell is an employee communication and engagement solution that delivers real-time digital messaging to line employees who have, by and large, been left relegated to paper notices posted on bulletin boards. In an interesting parallel, one of the conference keynote sessions was about employee engagement through digital transformation. The presentation was certainly effective, which may have influenced attendee voters for the awards. Anything remotely related to HR has not traditionally ranked very high on the tech enthusiasm meter. The keynote speaker, David Osborne, executive organizational development consultant, trainer, Dale Carnegie Digital, cited some sobering statistics from a major study on employee engagement (from Gartner, perhaps; don’t quote me). The results of the study:  In the average U.S. business, out of 10 employees there are three who are “actively engaged,” and therefore productive and contributing positively to the business. Five out of 10 are “passively disengaged” – they do enough to get by under the radar, but they are not doing more than the minimum required. And two out of 10 are “actively disengaged.” Those two are not only nonproductive, they are actively disrupting the productivity of others and hurting the business. The graphic that Mr. Osborne used was also effective: A 10-man racing shell (“rowboat” for those of you in Rio Linda). That boat is your business. The first three guys are rowing with everything they have – heart, mind and body. The next five guys are going through the motions of rowing but are not breaking a sweat. And the last two guys? They are actively trying to sink the boat. One other statistic that Osborne threw in for all the executives in attendance: 75 percent of workers surveyed said that they would forego a raise in pay to see their immediate supervisor terminated. So yes, employee engagement is important. Automation in lieu of labor has it place – Cornell Professor Emeritus Richard Moore was fond of quoting the IBM Pollyanna Principle: “People should think, machines should work” (and, he added, “save the trees”).  But hospitality will continue to be a people-oriented business with high head counts. So think about how you are digitally engaging your employees – particularly, millennials and Gen Z – and watch out for those two guys at the back of the boat.
 
Ron Hardin, CHTP
RonHardin.TECH Consulting
Ron@ronhardin.tech
**


Recent headlines, from Hospitality Upgrade



March 23, 2018

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- DiamondRock Names Jay Johnson New Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Appoints Briony Quinn Senior Vice President and Treasurer
- Great Wolf Resorts Names Murray Hennessy as Chief Executive Officer
- Omni Hotels & Resorts Promotes Brand Veteran Peter Strebel to President
- Red Roof® to Open New Headquarters Location in Support of Company's Continued Profitable Growth
- Sandals Resorts International Appoints Gebhard Rainer as New CEO
- Siddharth Narang Appointed Chief Development Officer at sbe
--------------------------


DiamondRock Names Jay Johnson New Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Appoints Briony Quinn Senior Vice President and Treasurer
DiamondRock Hospitality Company (NYSE: DRH) announced that it has named Jay Johnson as its new executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Briony Quinn has been promoted to senior vice president and treasurer. Prior to joining DiamondRock, Mr. Johnson served as senior vice president and treasurer of Host Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: HST), a lodging real estate investment trust. Ms. Quinn joined DiamondRock in 2007 as assistant corporate controller and was promoted to vice president and corporate controller in 2008 and chief accounting officer in 2014.
**
Great Wolf Resorts Names Murray Hennessy as Chief Executive Officer
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., announced that Murray Hennessy will serve as the company’s next chief executive officer. Mr. Hennessy has a great deal of familiarity with the family-friendly collection of indoor water park resorts, having served as advisor to Great Wolf Resorts’ senior management team during his tenure on the company’s board of directors. Mr. Hennessy was serving as interim CEO following the departure of Rubén Rodriguez in December and now officially assumes the permanent role.
**
Omni Hotels & Resorts Promotes Brand Veteran Peter Strebel to President
Omni Hotels & Resorts announced the promotion of Peter Strebel, a 30-year-plus veteran of the hospitality industry, to president effective immediately. The former chief marketing officer and senior vice president of sales has been appointed to the role after providing 20 years of senior leadership to the brand. As president, Strebel will continue to elevate the vision of Omni while ensuring all operational areas within the company align with the long-term goals and objectives for the brand.
**
Red Roof® to Open New Headquarters Location in Support of Company's Continued Profitable Growth
Supporting growing demand for the brand, Red Roof, a leader in the upscale economy segment, has announced a new, 43,000 sq. ft. headquarters located at 7815 Walton Parkway, New Albany, Ohio, to house its team of 150 corporate office employees with the capacity to expand the workforce. The new location provides Red Roof the space, technology and resources as the brand continues to grow profitably, enter new geographies and expand its portfolio of sub-brands including Red Roof Inn®, Red Roof PLUS+® and The Red Collection®.
**
Sandals Resorts International Appoints Gebhard Rainer as New CEO
Sandals Resorts International (SRI) chairman and founder, Hon. Gordon "Butch" Stewart, OJ, CD, Hon. LLD, announced the appointment of industry veteran Gebhard F. Rainer as CEO, effective immediately.  The appointment, which follows an extensive search in concert with Deputy Chairman Adam Stewart, CD, was designed to accelerate the strategic growth of the award-winning luxury all-inclusive brands under the Sandals Resorts International banner. Reporting directly to the chairman and deputy chairman, Rainer is an accomplished and highly regarded hospitality executive with global operations and international finance experience, notably with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, where he served as executive vice president and CFO. 
**
Siddharth Narang Appointed Chief Development Officer at sbe
sbe, a leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning international hospitality brands, announced the appointment of Siddharth Narang as chief development officer. Narang's arrival marks the company's latest senior hire as it continues on unprecedented global growth over the next few years. Narang will play a key strategic role at sbe, driving sbe's development pipeline, real estate investments and growth globally. He and his team will partner with owners and developers to grow sbe's footprint in key markets throughout the United States, Middle East, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
**


March 23, 2018

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Stoney Creek Hospitality Relies on Maestro Analytics to Create Targeted Marketing Campaigns and Effective Performance Reporting
- StayNTouch Partners With Salt Hotels
--------------------------
Stoney Creek Hospitality Relies on Maestro Analytics to Create Targeted Marketing Campaigns and Effective Performance Reporting
Stoney Creek Hospitality wanted a new multiproperty software system that would centralize operations for its 15 hotels. Stoney Creek’s 15 properties extend across five states and offer a blend of modern lodge comfort, urban convenience and resort-style relaxation. Each has its own market and marketing challenges. Multiproperty management is perfect for Stoney Creek Hospitality’s widespread property locations. Stoney Creek Hospitality is completing its rollout of Maestro Multi-Property across its 15 hotels in 2018.
http://www.maestropms.com/
**
StayNTouch Partners With Salt Hotels
StayNTouch, an innovator in mobile technology and property management systems (PMS) for hotels, announced it has partnered with Salt Hotels, with the deployment of its Rover PMS™ and Zest™ products at Salt House Inn (Provincetown, Mass.), Eben House (Provincetown, Mass.), The Chequit (Shelter Island, N.Y.), and The Asbury (Asbury Park, N.J.).
http://www.stayntouch.com/
**



March 23, 2018

RESERVATIONS

- Cloud5 Adds Vertical Booking USA to Its Growing Roster of Contact Center Clients
- Sabre Corporation Announces Closing of Secondary Offering of Common Stock
- Market-leading Contribution to Hotel Revenue Earns SiteMinder a Gold Top Hotel Star Award
- Boulevard Hotéis Launches New Hotel Websites, Grows Online Bookings Almost 40 Percent with SiteMinder
--------------------------


Cloud5 Adds Vertical Booking USA to Its Growing Roster of Contact Center Clients
Cloud5 Communications Contact Center, a leading provider of voice reservations and enhanced agent services exclusively for the hospitality industry, announced that Vertical Booking USA has implemented Cloud5 Voice Reservation Services across 45 of its properties. The addition of these properties expands Cloud5’s established relationship with Vertical Booking USA, making it one of the company’s largest distribution and revenue management partners. Cloud5 provides high-conversion voice reservations, web and email support to this wide range of Vertical Booking sites across the United States.
http://cloud5.com/, http://www.verticalbookingusa.com/
**
Sabre Corporation Announces Closing of Secondary Offering of Common Stock
Sabre Corporation announced the closing of a secondary public offering by existing stockholders affiliated with TPG Global, LLC, and Silver Lake Management Company II, L.L.C. (the "Selling Stockholders") of 15,000,000 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $22.45 per share. The Selling Stockholders received all of the net proceeds from the offering. No shares were sold by the Company. Morgan Stanley acted as the sole underwriter for the offering.
http://www.sabrehospitality.com/
**
Market-leading Contribution to Hotel Revenue Earns SiteMinder a Gold Top hotel Star Award
SiteMinder, a leading cloud platform for the global hotel industry, was recognized at the 2018 Top hotel Star Awards held in Hamburg, Germany. The program presented one of its highest honors – the Gold Award for the category of Hotel Sales Promotion – for the material impact felt by hotel users of its holistic suite of guest acquisition solutions. Responsible for generating 72.6 million hotel bookings and more than $21.7 billion in hotel revenue in 2017, SiteMinder’s solutions include its channel manager, a hotel website creator and direct booking engine, real-time pricing intelligence, and a connection to the worldwide network of travel agents. The Gold Award marks the company’s fourth consecutive Top hotel Star Award win, as voted by the editors and readers of Germany’s widely circulated trade publication, Top hotel.
siteminder.com
**
Boulevard Hotéis Launches New Hotel Websites, Grows Online Bookings Almost 40 Percent with SiteMinder
Boulevard Hotéis, which caters to both leisure and corporate travelers in the metropolis of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, reported that online bookings have grown 38 percent only months after launching new hotel websites powered by SiteMinder, a leading cloud platform for the global hotel industry. Boulevard Hotéis has three properties – Boulevard Park, Boulevard Plaza and Boulevard Express – which employ SiteMinder’s integrated direct booking solutions to attract and convert guests on each of their hotel websites. The group is one of several deals won by SiteMinder in Latin America, where its solutions are supporting hotel businesses across the region to compete for guests internationally.
siteminder.com
**


March 23, 2018

GUEST SERVICES

- Bulk TV Partners with Aerohive Networks Delivering Powerful Connectivity to Customers
- Provenance Hotels Partners with Eleven Software and Blueport to Deploy Personal Area Networks for Seamless Casting in the Guestroom
- Del Lago Resort & Casino is Engaging Guests with Intelity
- Angie Hospitality Introduces New and Enhanced Features in Next-generation Voice-enabled Guest Room Assistant
- 71Above and Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurants Implement TableSafe’s EMV-secured Pay-at-the-table Technology
--------------------------


Bulk TV Partners with Aerohive Networks Delivering Powerful Connectivity to Customers
Bulk TV & Internet, an integrator of video, data and voice solutions to commercial properties nationwide, announced the deployment of its enterprise-grade network solution and cloud management platform in partnership with Aerohive Networks™, a cloud networking leader. The new offering complements the company's extensive suite of products and services for the hospitality, healthcare and student housing industries, further establishing Bulk TV & Internet as a single source for turnkey technologies.
http://www.bulktv.com/
**
Provenance Hotels Partners with Eleven Software and Blueport to Deploy Personal Area Networks for Seamless Casting in the Guestroom
Provenance Hotels announced its partnership with Eleven Software and Blueport Inc., both leading hospitality technology providers, to enable seamless casting from guests’ mobile devices to in-room TVs at its award-winning Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Ore. The solution brings together secure personal area networks (PANs) from Eleven Software and Blueport’s deployment of X2 cutting-edge casting capabilities to create an at-home experience in the guestroom.
https://www.elevensoftware.com/, http://www.loveyournetwork.com/
**
Del Lago Resort & Casino is Engaging Guests with Intelity
The Del Lago Resort & Casino has partnered with Intelity, using Intelity ICEapp and ICEbedside tablets which are averaging approximately 10,000 engagements a month with the property. Since opening the hotel in July, which includes a European-style spa and a 3,700-square-foot banquet facility, analytics show that people are looking at resort and casino information daily via the app. As a result, more than $25,000 in additional room service revenue has already been generated.
http://www.intelitycorp.com/
**
Angie Hospitality Introduces New and Enhanced Features in Next-generation Voice-enabled Guest Room Assistant
Angie Hospitality, developer of one of the world’s first voice and AI solutions purpose-built for the hotel environment, announced the release of its next-generation enterprise-class, cloud-managed interactive guestroom assistant, Angie. After winning the HTNG TechOvation Award in 2017 for its initial release, Angie has since been outfitted with a variety of enhancements and additional features that are designed to make the solution even more robust and augment its functionality for both guest-facing and operational applications.
http://www.angie.ai
**
71Above and Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurants Implement TableSafe’s EMV-secured Pay-at-the-table Technology
TableSafe Inc., maker of one of the first purpose-built pay-at-the-table platforms for table-service restaurants, announced that 71 Above and Takami Sushi have become the first restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area to provide EMV-secured pay-at-the-table convenience for their guests, using TableSafe’s  RAIL™ payment platform. The RAIL gives dining guests full control over the payment process at the table, allowing them to choose when and how they pay for their meal. In addition to providing guests with peace of mind knowing their credit card never leaves their hands, it also frees up restaurant staff to focus on other dining customers. Both restaurants will benefit from greater staff efficiency, quicker table turns, and the safeguards afforded by EMV (chip card) payment compliance.
http://www.tablesafe.com  
**


March 23, 2018

MARKETING/MANAGEMENT

- NAVIS Raises the Bar to Achieve Highest Level of PCI DSS Level 1 Certification
--------------------------
NAVIS Raises the Bar to Achieve Highest Level of PCI DSS Level 1 Certification
NAVIS, a leader in reservation sales and marketing technology for the hospitality industry, announced that it achieved Level 1 Compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS). The company has now reached the highest industry rating any business can attain for payment data security. The PCI standard is the most rigorous payment-card security standard available globally and is designed to minimize the exposure of credit card data to risk of fraud or compromise.
http://www.TheNavisWay.com
**



January 26, 2018

MARKETING/MANAGEMENT

- Mariana Safer of HEBS Digital to Be Honored at HSMAI’s 2018 Adrian Awards as a Top 25 Extraordinary Mind in Hospitality
- Milestone Enhances Local Events Publishing Platform with New Channels & Third-Party Site Compatibility
- Vizergy^® Introduces TargetingHub™ - An Innovative New Platform That Identifies Your Target Customer and Deploys Smarter Marketing Campaigns
--------------------------

Mariana Safer of HEBS Digital to Be Honored at HSMAI’s 2018 Adrian Awards as a Top 25 Extraordinary Mind in Hospitality
Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has awarded Mariana Mechoso Safer, senior vice oresident of client success at HEBS Digital, a spot on the 2017 list of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, Revenue Optimization.” This is the third such honor to be given to a HEBS Digital team member, following the selection of Jason Price, executive vice president, in 2011, and Max Starkov, president and CEO, in 2008. 
http://www.hebsdigital.com, http://www.hsmai.org
**
Milestone Enhances Local Events Publishing Platform with New Channels & Third-Party Site Compatibility
Digital marketing software vendor Milestone Inc. has launched new features for its local events publishing platform. The events platform, part of Milestone’s Digital Presence Cloud, allows businesses to add local events to their website manually, or by accepting events from nearby locations - automatically.
http://www.milestoneinternet.com
**
Vizergy^® Introduces TargetingHub™ - An Innovative New Platform That Identifies Your Target Customer and Deploys Smarter Marketing Campaigns
Vizergy, the developer of award-winning booking and marketing solutions for the hospitality industry, has launched a one-of-a-kind data-driven intelligence tool, TargetingHub™, as part of the company’s continuing efforts to bring sophisticated, seamless and innovative solutions to its customers. With TargetingHub, users connect their customer data to the Vizergy Marketing System, either through an interface or a data upload app and in 24 hours the data is analyzed and appended, providing a complete analysis of the user's most profitable customers’ attributes, buying habits, location and persona.
http://www.vizergy.com
**

January 26, 2018

BACK OFFICE

- hospitalityPulse Launches E-book to Help Hoteliers
- TravelClick Unveils Revamped Rate360^® Platform with Both Meta and Unlimited Real-time Shopping
- M3 Celebrates 5,000th Hotel to Select Accounting Core
--------------------------

hospitalityPulse Launches E-book to Help Hoteliers
hospitalityPulse™, a leading provider of next-generation technology solutions for the hotel industry, developed an e-book that goes beyond the same old strategies to explore the paradigm of what it means to sell a hotel room. The guide, titled, “Make A Lot More Money from Your Hotel Rooms,” shares best practices that span two essential and overlooked areas of hotel operations: how hotels sell rooms to guests and how the front desk does its job in delivering those rooms.
http://www.hospitalitypulse.com/
**
TravelClick Unveils Revamped Rate360^® Platform with Both Meta and Unlimited Real-time Shopping
TravelClick, a leading global provider of data and revenue-generating solutions for hoteliers, announced the newest version of its hotel rate shopping product, Rate360^®. The revamped Rate360 offers customers a brand new look and feel, real-time rate shopping, meta shopping and integrated forward-looking demand data via TravelClick’s Demand360^®.
http://www.travelclick.com/
**
M3 Celebrates 5,000th Hotel to Select Accounting Core
M3, a powerful cloud-based financial platform and services company nearing 20 years serving the hospitality industry, announced that it welcomed its 5,000th property to adopt Accounting Core. M3’s entry point solution, Accounting Core is a monthly subscription that provides robust accounting and financial analysis to more than half of the top hotel management companies in the U.S. 
http://www.m3as.com
**

January 26, 2018

F&B/POINT OF SALE

- Oracle Celebrates Continued Hardware Innovation with New MICROS Compact Workstation 310 Point-of-sale
--------------------------
Oracle Celebrates Continued Hardware Innovation with New MICROS Compact Workstation 310 Point-of-sale
Oracle introduced the new Oracle MICROS Compact Workstation 310 point-of-sale (POS) terminal. A high-performance, cost-effective workstation built with superior durability in a sleek, compact form factor, the Oracle MICROS Compact Workstation 310 is ideal for hospitality and retail applications that feature a limited menu or assortment and require a smaller footprint, terminal portability or additional capacity during peak trading or a sporting event.
http://www.oracle.com/hospitality
**


January 26, 2018

PAYMENT PROCESSING

- Oracle and FreedomPay Deliver Future of Consumer Payments at New York's Jacob K. Javits Center
--------------------------
Oracle and FreedomPay Deliver Future of Consumer Payments at New York's Jacob K. Javits Center
At NRF 2018, Oracle Hospitality, a trusted provider of hardware, software and services to hospitality operators, and FreedomPay, a leader in secure commerce technology for lodging, gaming, retail, restaurants, stadiums and other hospitality merchants, announced their collaboration to provide secure payment processing for conference attendees at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.
http://www.oracle.com/hospitality
**


January 26, 2018

INVENTORY/PURCHASING

- FireKeepers Casino Hotel Rely on RFID Technology to Control Uniform Inventory and Employee Assignments
--------------------------
FireKeepers Casino Hotel Rely on RFID Technology to Control Uniform Inventory and Employee Assignments
InvoTech Systems is a leading provider of advanced linen management, laundry and uniform systems that integrate the latest RFID technology to increase profitability for hotels, resorts, casino operators, sports arenas, convention centers and theme parks. The InvoTech System installed at FireKeepers Casino Hotel manages the Uniform inventory for 1,750 employees.
http://www.InvoTech.com
**


January 26, 2018

SPA/GOLF/LEISURE ACTIVITIES

- SpaSoft Unveils Latest Version of Spa & Activity Management Solution
--------------------------
SpaSoft Unveils Latest Version of Spa & Activity Management Solution
Springer-Miller Systems (SMS), a leading provider of guest-centric hospitality and spa management systems, announced the general availability of the latest release of the SpaSoft spa and activity management solution. SpaSoft version 6.5 leverages a new technology and development platform to enhance the overall system performance as well as allow for a faster and improved user experience. These technology updates allow SpaSoft to continue to scale and grow to serve the ever-changing needs of the spa industry.
https://www.springermiller.com/spasoft-spa-management-system/
**


January 26, 2018

DATA SECURITY AND CYBER ATTACKS

- Security Issue at Sabre Affects Rosewood Hotel Group Guests’ Payment Card Information
--------------------------
Security Issue at Sabre Affects Rosewood Hotel Group Guests’ Payment Card Information
Rosewood Hotel Group (Rosewood) announced an issue affecting certain Rosewood guest reservation information that was maintained on the systems of Sabre Hospitality Solutions (Sabre), a service provider used by Rosewood and other major hotel brands to process guests’ hotel reservations. Sabre informed Rosewood that other hotel brands were similarly impacted by this issue. The issue occurred on Sabre’s systems and did not affect Rosewood’s own systems.
https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/announcement, http://www.sabrehospitality.com/
**


January 26, 2018

SECURITY

- Mobile Key Solution Provider Lock Up Rebrands as STAYmyway
--------------------------
Mobile Key Solution Provider Lock Up Rebrands as STAYmyway
The innovative mobile key hospitality technology provider Lock Up, is announcing a strategic re-branding to STAYmyway to better reflect its platform’s multifaceted ability to help hoteliers engage with guests and deliver an enhanced stay through their own mobile devices. HSTAYmyway offers hoteliers a cost-effective and scalable solution partner to add mobile key functionality without replacing existing locks. Hotels can choose to upgrade their own existing mobile app or use the turn-key STAYmyway app for the guests.
http://www.staymyway.com
**


January 26, 2018

HOSPITALITY EDUCATION

- HFTP Launches Certification Advisory Program (CAP) to Benefit CHAE and CHTP Applicants
- HFTP Launches New GDPR Bytes Site, an Addition to its Online News Portfolio
- HFTP Chapters Offer Regional Education for Hospitality Finance and Technology Professionals
- Beekeeper’s "Bee School" is Back in Session
- IDeaS Announces 2017 Cornell Revenue Management Scholarship Recipients
--------------------------

HFTP Launches Certification Advisory Program (CAP) to Benefit CHAE and CHTP Applicants
International association Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP^®) recently introduced its new Certification Advisory Program (CAP), which is designed to provide guidance to Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE^®) and Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP^®) applicants. The inaugural program will pair HFTP certification candidates with HFTP members who hold an active HFTP designation.
https://hftp.org/
**
HFTP Launches New GDPR Bytes Site, an Addition to its Online News Portfolio
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP^®), an international nonprofit hospitality association, announced the launch of its new GDPR Bytes website. GDPR Bytes is an aggregated content destination that will serve as a daily news outlet to bring together specific publications, reports, feature articles, white papers and more.
http://www.hftp.org, https://gdpr.hftp.org
**
HFTP Chapters Offer Regional Education for Hospitality Finance and Technology Professionals
Several chapters of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) have banded together to curate and host regional, educational conferences in 2018. HFTP’s regional conferences showcase the many advantages of HFTP membership, and provide continuing education and networking opportunities to hospitality professionals in the area. To date, two HFTP regional conferences have been scheduled in areas across the United States.
https://hftp.org/
**
Beekeeper’s "Bee School" is Back in Session
Digital workplace app Beekeeper will kick off its 2018 “Bee School” educational series with a class titled, “If not you, who? Cracking the Code of Employee Disengagement." Led by best-selling author and employee engagement expert Jill Christensen, the 45-minute online course will provide a four-step strategy to turn a disengaged workforce into a unified high-performing team, resulting in increased profits, customer satisfaction, productivity and retention. The program will be streamed on Wednesday, January 31st, at 2:00 p.m. EST.
https://www.beekeeper.io/en
**
IDeaS Announces 2017 Cornell Revenue Management Scholarship Recipients
IDeaS Revenue Solutions, a leading provider of revenue management software solutions and advisory services, announced the 2017 IDeaS Cornell Management Scholarship winners. Offered in partnership with the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the scholarship presents hospitality professionals with the opportunity to earn online certificates developed by senior Cornell faculty leaders.
http://sha.cornell.edu, http://www.ideas.com
**

January 26, 2018

HOSPITALITY EVENTS

- Digital Signage Expo 2018 to Offer Educational Opportunities in Digital Signage for Hotel Operators, System Administrators, Marketers and Technologists
- HSMAI Recognizes Lifetime Achievements of Ed Fuller and Terry Gallagher
--------------------------
Digital Signage Expo 2018 to Offer Educational Opportunities in Digital Signage for Hotel Operators, System Administrators, Marketers and Technologists
Digital Signage Expo (DSE), one of the world’s largest international trade shows and educational conferences dedicated to digital displays, interactive technology and digital communications networks, will present new educational opportunities designed specifically for hotel operators, system administrators and technologists March 27-29, 2018, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The seminar programs are part of DSE’s Educational Conference designed to help attendees learn about the newest technologies available, how successful digital signage strategies are being implemented, and how to best take advantage of them to strengthen guest relationships through proactive engagement in a variety of applications.
http://www.dse2018.com
**
HSMAI Recognizes Lifetime Achievements of Ed Fuller and Terry Gallagher
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) announced the recipients of the 2017 HSMAI Lifetime Achievement Awards. Edwin “Ed” Fuller, president, Laguna Strategic Advisors, will be honored with the 2017 Albert E. Koehl Award, and Terence “Terry” Gallagher, president, Lou Hammond Group, will be recognized with the 2017 Winthrop W. Grice Award for Public Relations. HSMAI will celebrate the achievements of Fuller and Gallagher at the Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala on Feb. 20, 2018, at the New York Marriott Marquis.
http://hsmai.org/
**


January 26, 2018

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- Costa Rica has just run on 100 Percent Renewable Energy for 300 Days
- Chicago Becomes First U.S. City to Mandate Panic Buttons for Hotel Staff
- Attention Hotel Corporations, This Is How You Will Lose A 25+ Year Contributor (or any Valuable Employee)
- Google starts certificate program to fill empty IT jobs
-  Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid of Artificial Intelligence
--------------------------

Costa Rica has just run on 100 Percent Renewable Energy for 300 Days
 
Chicago Becomes First U.S. City to Mandate Panic Buttons for Hotel Staff
 
Attention Hotel Corporations, This Is How You Will Lose A 25+ Year Contributor (or any Valuable Employee)
 
Google starts certificate program to fill empty IT jobs
 
Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid of Artificial Intelligence
 
**

January 26, 2018

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what…
 
An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The fisherman replied that it only took a little while. The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish. The fisherman said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.
 
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
 
The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, señor."
 
The American scoffed. "I am a Wharton MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then L.A., and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise."
 
The fisherman asked, "But how long will this all take?"
 
To which the American replied, "Fifteen or 20 years."
 
"But what then?"
 
The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."
 
"Millions? Then what?"
 
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your friends."
 
**


February 09, 2018

Siegel Sez

by: Rich Siegel

It has been an interesting two weeks that started at the Infor Hospitality Customer Forum in Orlando where I co-led a session with Michael Schubach on the History of Technology that was extremely well received. Then it was off to Las Vegas to the very well attended Agilysys Users Group, Inspire. While at Inspire I heard Hall of Fame baseball player Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles speak about leadership. Ripken Jr. set a record that will probably never be broken – a 16-year streak and 2,632 consecutive games, surpassing Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games that stood for 56 years. He focused on commitments to success and of course when he opened it up to the floor all the questions were about baseball. It was a great session and a very good event this year. I love users’ groups since many of the conversations are about the technology in use and how users see the future, which can be very different than the vendors’ perspective. I thank both companies for inviting me to their great users’ conferences.
 
After Agilysys I went to the HFTP Las Vegas chapter meeting. The LV chapter is led by Dennis Montellano, the CEO of up and coming POS provider SkyWire, that seems to be growing pretty quickly as it branches out beyond the hotel/casino industry. Dennis gave me a few minutes to address the crowd (which he might have regretted afterwards) and it was fun. The chapter meetings always have great speakers and this time it was FBI Computer Scientist Michael Hill, the lead investigator for the Oct. 1 Las Vegas Shooting and an accomplished cyber security, cyber investigations and information technology professional with an extensive career spanning nearly 30 years. Security in all forms is a big issue in the Las Vegas market and Hill shared what many of the hotels and casinos are going to implement. What a great meeting, with a great crowd, and it was very informative. I’m grateful to have been a part of the program and I thank those who attended for putting up with me.                
               
Less than three weeks now to the Hospitality Upgrade Executive Vendor Summit (www.hospitalityupgrade.com/vendorsummit). This is the 14^th EVS and a great crowd is joining us in West Hollywood. We are very proud of the unique program we have this year. The event is unique with so many execs from the vendor community getting together, which gives us great leverage on the non-traditional program. Of course, we need to have fun also so why not go whale watching and to dinner at Warner Brothers Studio with our own special tour? You know it will be fun! If you are a vendor for the industry and you have not been invited, please contact Anne Boon immediately at anne@hospitalityupgrade.com. I mean immediately since rooms will be gone in hours. We thank HFTP and Ponterra Business Advisors for their support. John Rovani from Ponterra has done many mergers and acquisitions among the vendor community over the years and is always popular with this EVS crowd. For good reason! Plus he is based in Puerto Rico and was there when the hurricane hit. He has some amazing stories to share.
 
There is a great deal going on in the industry and it is only going to get busier as event season kicks into high gear next month. Hospitality Upgrade covers just about all of them through our many channels – online, in print, digitally, social and through our e-newsletters. Make sure your subscription is up to date to receive all this coverage as it happens. Go to www.hospitalityupgrade.com/subscribe.
 
Here now is the real reason we are here with our look back at the industry technology happenings over the last two weeks. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. 


Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
February 09, 2018

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Ron Hardin

In the immortal words of Sherriff Bart in Blazing Saddles, “I likes to keep my audience riveted.” I do, too. So, let’s talk about... the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry, 11^th Edition.  (Insert sounds of crickets chirping, people snoring or stampeding for the exits.)
 
No, really, I know it’s old news, but it’s important. As I’m frequently reminded by hotel owners, hotels exist to make money for said owners. The financial results of a hotel operation generate income (hopefully), which in turn factors into the value of the asset. Financial reports allow owners, investors, lenders, operators and analysts to evaluate financial performance. And the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI) provides guidelines for standardization that help make financial reports more accurate, more illustrative of the actual financial performance, more useful as management tools, and more comparable between multiple properties. The 11^th edition, released in 2014 and in effect since January 1, 2015, sought to improve on those goals with a battery of changes. According to an overview of the 11^th edition written by Tanya Venegas, MBA, MHM, executive director and HFTP fellow at the HFTP Americas Research Center, there is no legal requirement for operators to follow USALI guidelines, but many management agreements dictate adherence to “current” USALI. Some of the biggest changes in the 11^th edition were directly related to technology and how the costs for systems and telecommunications were booked and reported. It eliminated the “telephone department,” relegating the dwindling guest revenue (and any variable usage expenses linked to that revenue) to minor operating departments. More significantly, it created a new “undistributed” information and telecommunications systems department for the consolidation of all system-related technology expenses.
 
If you completely spaced on the 11^th edition, then you need to bite the bullet and make the change. It is not easy and will make year-over-year comparisons a nightmare the first year, but that is a small price to pay to be in financial reporting alignment with the rest of the industry. It definitely makes the financial reporting of technology expenses cleaner, and harder to fudge, hide or obfuscate. In the pre-11^th edition world (to which some operators are still clinging), technology expenses could be allocated to operating departments using questionable methodology, and major systems expenses could be buried in “maintenance contracts” in the property operations and maintenance department.
 
If you HAVE made the change, as I’m sure most of you have, has it been done completely and correctly? The devil, after all, does reside among the details. One of the problems I constantly find when I review client operating statements is that they still are not booking the fixed monthly recurring expenses for voice and internet services to the information and telecom systems (I&TS) department. The 11^th edition stipulates that the only voice and data expenses charged to the telephone lines in minor operating departments are those variable usage charges that can be directly linked to a guest charge. Even variable expenses for free guest services, like free local phone calls, are supposed to go to the I&TS department, not telephone cost of sales. And if your hotel happens to be run by one of the big brands? Well, let’s just say that some brands are competing to see who can come up with the most inventive interpretation of the 11^th edition – particularly as it relates to how brand and corporate technology fees and cost allocations are booked and reported. The 11^th edition calls for a line item in the I&TS department called “corporate office reimbursables”; that’s the first one to go as it’s way too self explanatory. And if the brand provides the property management system (PMS), that cost should be charged in I&TS to “rooms systems expense,” not “guest engagement.” It’s disingenuous to categorize the PMS expense as a guest engagement expense, but – to their credit – the charge on the monthly brand fee billing says, “guest engagement.” At least it’s easy to match the charge to the GL line item – just not quite as easy to tell what it’s actually for. So, go to the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute website, buy a copy of USALI, 11^th edition, and have some fun with accounting for a change.
 
Ron Hardin, CHTP
RonHardin.TECH Consulting
Ron@ronhardin.tech
**


Recent headlines, from Hospitality Upgrade

February 09, 2018

MERGERS and ACQUISITIONS

- Shift4 Payments Announces Acquisition and Integration of Three Leading Point-of-sale Brands
- Choice Hotels Completes Acquisition of WoodSpring Suites Brand and Franchise Business
- Knowland Acquires Competitive Marketing Exchange (CMX)
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Shift4 Payments Announces Acquisition and Integration of Three Leading Point-of-sale Brands
Shift4 Payments announced the acquisition of industry-leading point-of-sale (POS) brands Restaurant Manager, POSitouch and Future POS. The acquisition of these major companies, as well as their subsequent integration into the Shift4 Payments platform, is sure to transform the landscape within the entire financial technology industry. These acquisitions represent a significant share of the hospitality POS market and join Harbortouch in the Shift4 family of POS brands. These best-in-class POS companies add nearly 100,000 merchants to the Shift4 Payments platform, including some of the biggest national chain restaurants such as Wendy’s, Arby’s, Denny’s, KFC, Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill and Dairy Queen.
http://www.shift4.com/
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Choice Hotels Completes Acquisition of WoodSpring Suites Brand and Franchise Business
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, completed its acquisition of the brand and franchise business of WoodSpring Suites, an extended-stay lodging brand, from WoodSpring Hotels LLC. The acquisition was announced on December 18, 2017, and adds nearly 240 extended-stay hotels in 35 states to the Choice Hotels portfolio, creating an extended-stay portfolio of more than 350 properties with existing brands, MainStay Suites and Suburban Extended Stay.
http://www.choicehotels.com  
**
Knowland Acquires Competitive Marketing Exchange (CMX)
Knowland announced that it has acquired Competitive Marketing Exchange (CMX) as of February 1, 2018. Knowland is a globally recognized provider of meeting and group data that offers extensive insight into market analytics, group industry trends, and powerful benchmarking tools. CMX was founded in 1991 by Guy DiCara, and has grown to be a leader in supplying competitive group and meeting data to hotels across several markets.
http://www.knowland.com
**

July 10, 2020

Siegel Sez

If there is one positive thing I can find about the pandemic is that it seems to be easier to schedule phone calls these days. And yes, I prefer phone calls to nonstop emails. I recently shared a less than professional video I did from a trip to Florida and what it was like to check into three different hotels. I received a great deal of feedback and comments about how the three hotels from three different brands handled the check in process and addressed concerns about cleanliness and ensuring that guests and employees are kept safe. AHLA launched the Safe Stay program and a short time later the television show Inside Edition released an exposé as to how three different New York City hotels didn’t change sheets and pillowcases and didn’t quite clean the rooms as advertised. The challenge with the hotel industry is a hotel can have a flag, be managed by a hotel management company and each owned by a different --or sometimes the same-- ownership. It makes it difficult to get everybody onboard when change is needed.
 
I recently had a phone conversation with Westgate Resorts CEO Mark Waltrip. I only knew Westgate Resorts as a vacation ownership/timeshare company and didn’t realize how big the company is and also how many restaurants it operates with the resorts. Waltrip believes that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If 90% of hotels and/or restaurants handle COVID-19 safely but 10% do not, what impression does this leave on the guest? Waltrip’s belief is the bigger companies need to help the smaller companies that might not have the same resources, and I believe he is right. Even in the hospitality industry we are all in this together, and I applaud Westgate for trying to get everyone onboard. Westgate will be launching a series of webinars starting next week with many industry leaders taking part to share best practices, what they are doing and what still needs to be done. Take a look at what Westgate Resorts is doing at www.westgatecares.com. The company wanted to start the ball rolling by sharing so that others might also incorporate it to their businesses. We had a great conversation and I love the idea of getting the industry onboard. Nothing worth doing should ever be easy but we all need to try to do what needs to be done to get travelers confident in traveling again.
 
Many of my industry conversations are concerning technology, not just COVID-19. In this week’s Definitely Doug column, Doug Rice does a great job sharing his thoughts on the future of AI in the hotel room. Needed or not? It is a great read. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what, based on so many challenging conversations in the industry today I think we can all use a reason to smile.
 
Be well!

Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com

July 10, 2020

MARKET REPORTS

- Shift4 Payments: Merchant Transaction Volume Continues to Grow
Shift4 Payments, a leader in integrated payment processing solutions, has revealed that merchant transaction volume continues to increase across the country despite surging cases of the novel coronavirus. In the third of a series of updates since the pandemic began to impact the U.S., the data suggests that businesses are finding ways to drive sales even in the face of difficult economic and social conditions.
www.shift4.com

July 10, 2020

Definitely Doug

Alexa, Should I Buy a Voice Assistant for my Hotel?
 
Over the past few years, there has been much media hype around the concept of a voice-controlled hotel room. It’s not hard to see why: voice assistant devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home achieved remarkable penetration in the consumer market in just a few years. Statista reports that about 157 million smart speakers were installed in U.S. households as of December 2019, an astonishing 1.22 devices per household. I haven’t found hard numbers on penetration in hotels, but based on the companies in the market and what I know of their size and success, it’s still very low, probably still under 1% of US hotel rooms. Is that about to change? Should it?
 
COVID-19 has created a rush toward contactless technology for hotels, so it seems like a good time to take a deeper dive into voice assistants and voice control technologies. What can hotels expect if they start to explore this option? What are the considerations? Will voice become the “must-have” for hotels that it has already become in most homes?
 
There aren’t a lot of commercial solutions in the field – Volara, Angie and Intelity are the three that have been most visible. I wouldn’t describe any of these as truly mature voice technologies. Certainly, they can do some useful things, but they also fail (or provide a poor guest experience) at some things you’d really like them to be able to do. But each has had some success, and they represent different approaches worth considering. There are also at least a few custom solutions that have been built on toolsets provided by Amazon, Google, and others. I will not review any of these products in detail here today; rather, I will highlight some of the things I think are important in evaluating a voice-assistant solution.
 
I will start with a blanket prediction, that at some point in the not-too-distant future (my bet is 5-10 years), voice control will be ubiquitous – a must-have for virtually every business. It will be smart enough to pass the Turing Test most of the time – meaning that you won’t be able to tell if you’re talking to a human or to a machine. The underlying technology is not there yet, but it is improving significantly every year. To be sure, there will be consumers who will choose not to use it, whether out of privacy concerns, habit, or other reasons. But if you look at generational data, it’s clear that usage will increase as the population ages.



 


July 24, 2020

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- ALICE CTO & Co-Founder Elected to the HTNG Vendor Advisory Council
Dmitry Koltunov was elected by his peers in the HTNG Industry Partner community and will join 14 other senior level executives.
aliceplatform.com

- Marriott's Former Chief IT Officer - The Americas Page Petry Joins Cloud5 Communications Board of Directors
Cloud5 Communications, a leading provider of communications solutions for the world’s top hotel brands and management companies, today announced the appointment of Page Petry to the Company’s Board of Directors. The addition of Petry, who served as Chief IT Officer of the Americas at Marriott International, further reinforces Cloud5 as the leading communications technology and services provider in the industry.
www.cloud5.com

July 24, 2020

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Infor Turns High Touch into High Tech with New Contactless Applications for Hospitality
Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry, today announced a fully contactless suite of applications for the hospitality industry, specifically designed for hotels and resorts, casinos and gaming, restaurants and food services, and event sales and table reservations.
www.infor.com

July 24, 2020

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

- Pillows Hotels Implements IDeaS to Optimize Revenue Amid Market Demand Uncertainty
IDeaS announced Pillows Hotels selected IDeaS Revenue Management System (RMS) to enhance the hotel chain’s strategy and competitive position in the face of the current industry downturn.
ideas.com

July 24, 2020

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- Vegas’s First Adults-Only Resort to Deliver Digital Capabilities with Mobile Check-In, In-Room Tablets
INTELITY®, the leader in contactless guest experiences for the hospitality industry, announced today a new deal with Circa Resort & Casino to provide mobile check-in and mobile key, as well as deploy a fleet of 10” luxury tablets that will enable contactless service and give guests unprecedented digital control over their stays.
www.intelity.com

- Hotel On Phillips Highlights Local History, Delivers Global Technology With Local Roots
Before Hotel On Phillips opened in October 2019, a lot of consideration was given to honor the location’s history, offer a one-of-a-kind experience and support the local community. From stunning architecture and design, to local food and drink, to world-class technology from SONIFI Solutions, Hotel On Phillips has delivered on everything it hoped.
sonifi.com

July 24, 2020

MARKETING

- GCommerce Announces Strategic Partnership with Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa
Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, a Forbes 5-star and AAA 5 Diamond property, has partnered with GCommerce for digital marketing services. The resort is one of two Forbes 5-star resorts located in Palm Beach. Eau Palm Beach marks GCommerce’s 8th Forbes 5-star property that the company has partnered with, demonstrating the company’s digital marketing expertise in the luxury travel market.
www.gcommercesolutions.com

July 24, 2020

BACK OFFICE

- Cote Family Destinations Partners with ProfitSword to Maximize Business Intelligence Visibility and Company Growth Opportunities
ProfitSword, hospitality's premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software, has announced its partnership with Cote Family Destinations via the implementation of ProfitSage and ProfitPace.
www.profitsword.com

July 24, 2020

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Columbus, Georgia Partners with Hotel Internet Services to Implement High Speed Wi-Fi
Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced the successful implementing of a high speed Wi-Fi network upgrade at the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Columbus, Georgia.
www.hotelwifi.com

July 24, 2020

PAYMENT PROCESSING

- Onyx CenterSource Announces Global Partnership with WEX to Expand Digitized Payments Options
Onyx CenterSource, a leading global provider of B2B payments and business intelligence to the hospitality industry, today announced a new partnership with WEX Inc., a leading financial technology service provider, to streamline payments to travel agency partners. The partnership will focus on virtual payments methods for different transaction types across the hospitality industry.
www.onyxcentersource.com

July 24, 2020

OPERATIONS

- SynergyMMS Responds to COVID-19 by Releasing New Features & Strategies for Hotel Operations
- Quore Selected as Brand Standard for Cambria Hotels Preventative Maintenance Program
- Novotel Singapore on Stevens and Mercure Singapore on Stevens Upgrade Their Daily Operations with Knowcross
- Routier Forms Strategic Partnership with Knowcross® to Enhance Guest Contactless Service Quality and Efficiency in Wake of COVID-19

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SynergyMMS Responds to COVID-19 by Releasing New Features & Strategies for Hotel Operations
In response to the AHLA’s new “Safe Stay” program and similar initiatives in hospitality employed by many of the major brands, Systems Associates, Inc. (SAI) has developed new features in its flagship product, SynergyMMS, that are designed to support the new emphasis on employee and guest safety as they impact hotel operations.
www.synergymms.com

Quore Selected as Brand Standard for Cambria Hotels Preventative Maintenance Program
Quore, a Choice Qualified Vendor and the leading provider of workflow management and productivity tools for hotels, has been selected by Cambria Hotels, an upscale brand franchised by Choice Hotels International, Inc., as a brand standard to provide its software for their new preventative maintenance program.
www.quore.com

Novotel Singapore on Stevens and Mercure Singapore on Stevens Upgrade Their Daily Operations with Knowcross
KNOWCROSS, a global leader in providing service quality and optimization solutions for hotels, is excited to share that the 254-room Novotel Singapore on Stevens and the 518-room Mercure Singapore on Stevens, have both decided to implement the Knowcross platform in order to maximize their operational efficiency and to elevate the quality of their guest service deliverance. This twin implementation adds to the growing Knowcross clientele in Singapore.
www.knowcross.com

Routier Forms Strategic Partnership with Knowcross® to Enhance Guest Contactless Service Quality and Efficiency in Wake of COVID-19
Routier, Inc., a leading provider of AI-enabled hotel operations, marketing and guest engagement solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Knowcross®, a global leader in providing service quality and optimization solutions for hotels, to provide reopening hotels with advanced tools capable of overcoming a range of service challenges posed by COVID-19.
www.knowcross.com

July 24, 2020

SECURITY

- Powerful Encoding Capabilities Right at Your Fingertips with the New SALTO NCoder
SALTO Systems, a leading manufacturer of electronic access control solutions, has released the NCoder – a contactless smart card for next-generation access control systems that integrates the encoding capabilities of a powerful updated design encoder with a built-in desktop reader function.
www.saltohospitality.com

- ‘Employee Safety’ Webcast Series is LIVE!
The “New World, New Employee Safety Culture” webcast series is LIVE! Hosted by React Mobile CEO Rob Monkman, the fast-paced online resource provides answers to some of hoteliers’ most pressing questions about employee safety post pandemic and amidst civil unrest.
www.reactmobile.com

- SALTO Systems Earns Certified Carbon Neutral Achievement
SALTO Systems, a leading manufacturer of electronic access control solutions, has received carbon-neutral certification for its factory headquarters in Spain and across all of its operations. Carbon neutrality is achieved by calculating a carbon footprint and reducing it to zero through a combination of efficiency measures in-house and supporting external emission reduction projects.
www.saltohospitality.com

July 24, 2020

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- HFTP Pivots In-person Events to Cyber HITEC
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) announced today that October’s “Best of HFTP” in-person events will pivot to a virtual “Cyber HITEC.”
www.hftp.org

July 24, 2020

MARKET REPORTS

- The MAPP Report, by myDigitalOffice Gains Momentum
myDigitalOffice, the information management and back-office automation platform for hotels, recently launched the MAPP report (Market Analytics, Pace, and Performance), a free data analytics tool that enables hoteliers to identify forward-looking bookings pace and performance trends across their hotels and their respective markets, and visualize market recovery in real-time. In a matter of weeks, this free resource has garnered the attention of nearly 200 groups, representing over 15,000 hotels worldwide.
mydigitaloffice.com

October 16, 2020

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Lee Kramer Promoted to Director of Sales & Revenue Growth for NextPax Inc
NextPax Inc, a leader in channel management, is pleased to announce that Lee Kramer has been promoted to Director of Sales & Revenue Growth. In his new role, Kramer will manage the sales and revenue growth for NextPax in the Americas.
nextpax.com

- Renie Cavallari Wins Silver Lifetime Achievement Stevie® Award for Women in Business
“Outrageous! A Dynamo! A Change Innovator!” These are some ways people refer to Aspire and The RCI Institute’s Founder & Chief Instigator, Renie Cavallari, who has brought imaginative, innovative, & productive change to the international business community. This is what has led Renie and Aspire, a global sales training, strategic consulting, and leadership development firm, to their 15th consecutive Stevie® Award.
www.poweredbyaspire.com

October 16, 2020

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- A-List Osthoff Resort Positions for Travel Restart; Selects Maestro PMS During Industry Pause for Guest-Focused Mobile Services and Integrated Operations
Data mining and analytics, touchless operations, and robust third-party integrations are enabling personalized guest service, spa productivity.
maestropms.com

October 16, 2020

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- U.S. Hotel Industry in Plateau: SiteMinder Reveals the Five Stages of the Hotel Booking Reset
A new report by SiteMinder, the global hotel industry’s leading guest acquisition platform, reveals that five stages lay ahead of the world’s almost one million accommodation providers until their booking cycle resets into a different normal.
www.siteminder.com

October 16, 2020

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- Infor Unveils New Cloud-Based Revenue Management Functionality for Hoteliers
- IDeaS and Host Hotel Systems Implement Two-Way Data Integration
- Introducing MAX™, An Interactive Hotel Revenue Performance Platform
- Suitcase Hospitality Group Optimizes Revenue Management with Infor

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Infor Unveils New Cloud-Based Revenue Management Functionality for Hoteliers
Infor announced significant updates to Infor EzRMS, a leading revenue management application built specifically for the hospitality industry. Part of the Infor Hospitality suite of cloud-based solutions, Infor EzRMS is designed to help hoteliers better optimize revenue by automatically calculating demand forecasts and recommending appropriate selling strategies based on data such as day-of-week patterns, booking lead-time and the number of guests per room.
www.infor.com

IDeaS and Host Hotel Systems Implement Two-Way Data Integration
IDeaS and Host Hotel Systems have announced a two-way data integration to provide hotels with the most advanced science and automation to optimize the front- and back-office operations while maximizing revenue performance. The collaboration automates the seamless transfer of information between IDeaS’ revenue management solutions and Hostpms Property Management System (PMS).
ideas.com    www.hostpms.com

Introducing MAX™, An Interactive Hotel Revenue Performance Platform
Revenue Matters introduces MAX™, a proprietary, interactive hotel revenue performance platform designed exclusively for the hospitality industry. Now, hoteliers, owners, and asset managers can have access to this robust analytics tool to help with strategic planning, trend analysis, price positioning, occupancy and rate strategy, budgeting, forecasting, and more.
www.revenuematters.com

Suitcase Hospitality Group Optimizes Revenue Management with Infor
Infor announced that French hotel group Suitcase Hospitality is continuing to deploy Infor's EzRMS revenue management solution across its properties to standardize its practices across all of its facilities. The cloud-based solution, based on AI (artificial intelligence) and its extensive learning capabilities, provides hospitality professionals with enhanced revenue management functionality and advanced tools to help improve customer service, in particular to better anticipate the commercial services to be offered to them.
www.infor.com

October 16, 2020

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- Nomadix Casting Enables Guests to Personalize Their In-Room Entertainment Experience
​​Nomadix Inc​., a technology leader in hospitality and MDU, today announced its new cost-effective solution Nomadix Casting, which enables guests to choose the content they want to watch and cast it with their devices directly to the in-room TV.
nomadix.com

- Hotel Metro Milwaukee Adopts Latest in Content Casting Abilities with BeyondTV by Hotel Internet Services While Ensuring Seamless Guest Wi-Fi Connectivity
Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, has partnered with Hotel Metro Milwaukee, Autograph Collection to provide the latest in guestroom entertainment abilities via the implementation of BeyondTV in addition to ensuring that guest online needs are fully met with an advanced Wi-Fi network upgrade.
www.hotelwifi.com

- Hôtel de Verbier Partners with INTELITY to Enhance Their In-Room Guest Experience
The luxury Swiss property is supplying guests with brand new in-room tablets for a completely seamless guest stay.
www.intelity.com

October 16, 2020

BACK OFFICE

- Aptech + Zaru Driving Operational Efficiencies, Streamlining Invoice Processing for Hotels
Aptech, the industry standard for hospitality financial management, has partnered with Zaru, a company providing automated invoice processing solutions for hospitality businesses across North America. The integration partnership is enabling hotel accountants to receive critical invoice information accurately and efficiently while eliminating paper, removing manual data entry errors, and capturing cost savings.
www.aptech-inc.com    www.zaruapp.com

- Oliver Companies Partners with ProfitSword to Enhance Company Growth and Stability Using Latest in Business Intelligence and Forecasting Technology
ProfitSword, one of hospitality's premier developers of business intelligence and data integration software, has been selected by Oliver Companies, Inc. to provide each of its hotel locations with the industry's ultimate in business and market performance insight with the implementation of ProfitSage.
profitsword.com

October 16, 2020

OPERATIONS

- ALICE and Vocera Partner to Improve Hotel Communication and Workflows
ALICE, a leading hospitality operations and management platform, now integrates with the hands-free Vocera Badge and Vocera Smartbadge from Vocera Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VCRA), a leader in communication and workflow solutions. Interoperability between ALICE and these intelligent mobile devices enables hotels around the world to improve operational efficiency and increase safety for employees and guests.
www.aliceplatform.com

October 16, 2020

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- Will Meetings and Events Ever be the Same? 41 Clever Things Hotels are Doing to Make Them Safe
- Thayer Dares to Start a $ 175 Million Company to Buy Travel Acquisitions
- Working from a Hotel? Beware the Dangers of Public Wi‑Fi
- The Best Hotels in the World: 2020 Readers' Choice Awards

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Will Meetings and Events Ever be the Same? 41 Clever Things Hotels are Doing to Make Them Safe
Thayer Dares to Start a $ 175 Million Company to Buy Travel Acquisitions
Working from a Hotel? Beware the Dangers of Public Wi‑Fi
The Best Hotels in the World: 2020 Readers' Choice Awards

October 16, 2020

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what.…


Despite Brexit, the European Commission has finally agreed that English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and accepted a five-year phase-in plan for what will become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20 per sent shorter. 

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing ‘th’ with ‘z’ and ‘w’ with ‘v’.

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary ‘o’ kan be dropd from vords kontaining ‘ou’ and after ziz fifz yer ve vil hav a reil sensibl vriten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer.


October 16, 2020

Siegel Sez

I took three flights last week and, yes, they were all horse related. I flew three legs on three airlines-- Southwest, Jet Blue and Delta. After meeting with friends who flew American and United all I can say is stick to the three I mentioned. I can’t believe other airlines are packing people in. The three I flew all kept the middle seats empty and if you were lucky enough to get upgraded to first class on Delta they kept the seat next to you unoccupied. Maybe I am overreacting, but if our ultimate goal is to get people flying and staying in hotels again it helps knowing that some airlines are doing what they can to make passengers feel safe.
 
As Doug mentions in his Definitely Doug column that follows this opening, this is our last Siegel Sez before HITEC. If you are a vendor of technology, then you might be living a dream of sorts at Cyber HITEC if there are thousands of attendees, which I expect there will be. Cyber HITEC 2020 will be very different this year but who knows, maybe some positive things will be coming out of it. I am always honored to be asked to do sessions and this year I am doing two. The panels I’m doing are not about technology though it is discussed. The panels are all about leadership and what leaders look for when building teams, and what professionals should be aware of when they pursue careers in the industry. I have done two sessions, one from the vendor side and one from the hotel side. Yes, they were recorded, and I forgot there is no editing, so two minutes into the first one I screwed up big time. If that is the worst thing that happens to me, I can live with that. The sessions are on Tuesday and Wednesday October 27 and October 28, so we hope to see you there in the Hospitality Upgrade Theatre. How cool is it to have a theatre named for our company! I remind you that all our panelists will be live at the conclusion of their sessions to answer questions. To check out the Cyber HITEC schedule go to www.cyberhitec.com. Again, read Doug’s column regarding the good and bad of having HITEC virtual this year. My hope remains that it’s for this year only!      
           
I want to thank Jonas Chorum for inviting me to its Consultants and Industry Influencers get-together this week. The company had its last similar meeting 16 months ago in Phoenix. This week it was virtual as everything else is nowadays. Jonas Chorum did a nice job sharing both the highs and lows from the past 16 months. Many of the industry’s top consultants were there and I must give a shout out to John Burns who during the Q&A session brought up one of Doug’s columns from here on Siegel Sez. It was nice to know that everyone at the meeting had also read it. We thank everybody who reads Hotel Online and shares it with others. It is appreciated.
 
Here now is Definitely Doug with a unique look at the upcoming Cyber HITEC. He brings up some great points, and trust me, he isn’t the only one who will be looking even with COVID-19 hanging over our heads. I will see you at the end of the news with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Look for Hospitality Upgrade and Hotel Online at Cyber HITEC in the virtual exhibitor’s hall.

See you at Cyber HITEC!

Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com




October 16, 2020

CORPORATE NEWS

- Allbridge and Ipanema Solutions Merge to Simplify Technology Implementation for Hotels
Allbridge, the leading provider of data, video, and voice technologies for hospitality and senior living properties, is pleased to announce that they have merged with Ipanema Solutions (“Ipanema”), a provider of technology engineering, systems design, and project management for new build hotels.
www.allbridge.com    www.ipanemahospitality.com

October 16, 2020

MARKETING

- Zoox Smart Data Continues Rapid Global Expansion with New North America Headquarters
Zoox Smart Data “Zoox” is pleased to announce the expansion of its global operations with the establishment of its North America headquarters in the Atlanta metropolitan area. This move is part of a strategic global growth initiative that will allow Zoox to more effectively address the international hospitality and travel market with its established solution that provides unmatched visibility into guest preferences and behaviors.
www.zooxsmart.com

- GCommerce’s Performance-Based Fee Model Increases Website Production by 20% for Luxury Santa Barbara Hotel
The GCommerce team also created compelling content for the Hotel Californian website in order to keep the property top of mind during COVID-19.
www.gcommercesolutions.com

- Driving Revenue and Digital Guest Journeys Using Salesforce and Real-time Guest Data
Hapi's CRM Connector App for Salesforce is powering up the customer journey and helping drive revenue through smarter marketing.
hapicloud.io

October 16, 2020

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- AHLA, LHA Announce New Strategic Partnership
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Latino Hotel Association (LHA) announced a new strategic relationship. This collaboration, which goes into effect January 1, 2021, will deepen both organizations’ shared goals of advancing public policy and advocacy efforts of the U.S. hotel industry and growing Latino investment in the community of Latino owners and operators.
www.ahla.com


November 06, 2020

Siegel Sez

As I write this opening to Siegel Sez on Friday morning it looks like Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States. I do look forward to this happening simply so we can return to disagreeing or being upset with political decisions that are being made but not using the word hate. The United States has always been a country where there are two mainstream political parties and not agreeing on politics is actually a positive thing. This is truly what has always made America great. That is all the politics you are going to get from me.
 
Doug Rice in his Definitely Doug column that follows shares his HITEC experience including the many exhibitors that he visited during the event. I enjoyed HITEC as much as one can enjoy a virtual event but in truth it made me miss the real HITEC even more. I miss the lunches in the exhibit hall and people walking up and down the aisles visiting and catching up with industry cohorts while learning what new technology was being shown. That was tough in a virtual environment. Kudos to HFTP for finding the technology for a virtual HITEC. The many comments I received and what I experienced was that it worked well. The sessions were overall high quality but the two I did were tough not hearing any laughter from the audience or being able to inspire questions from them. One more reason I long for the pandemic to be over and recovery to truly kick in.
 
We at Hospitality Upgrade must thank the thousands for their great feedback on our Fall issue which came out last week during HITEC and was in the virtual bag of all the attendees. The positive feedback received along with the amazing support from the vendor community has us thinking that as bad as the hotel industry is suffering maybe it isn’t as bad as it seems. There was a great deal of positive energy at HITEC and way more optimism then I had heard in awhile. Maybe things are slowly getting better?
 
I hope if you are reading this you are also a subscriber to Hospitality Upgrade either in print or digitally. The growth of our e-newsletters continues so please be sure you receive the Watercooler which is sent every two weeks. Alan Zaccario does a masterful job in our recent Watercooler newsletter sharing his thoughts on what happens to data in closed hotels or those changing owners with foreign entities often purchasing them. It is kind of scary what might be happening. To receive the HU Watercooler newsletter please click here.
 
Here now is Definitely Doug with a look back at his HITEC experience. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. Looking forward to normal!
 
Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com


October 16, 2020

Definitely Doug

This Year’s Odd HITEC Pilgrimage

This is the last issue of Siegel Sez before this year’s CYBER HITEC event. HITEC is an event I have not missed in 30 years, and historically it has always been a great place to find innovation.

This year’s virtual event will be different. No one knows quite what to expect. I hope that the extended format (a month to absorb it all!) and low registration fees will drive good attendance despite all the staff reductions in the industry.

For the traditional HITEC format, I usually spent a solid week each June planning my activities. I researched the new exhibitors extensively. I watched the press releases to see what the established technology companies were going to be promoting. I tried to gauge the year’s trends and hot buttons, as well as to identify new technology ideas that might be appearing for the first time. I reviewed the educational sessions to see which ones I wanted to attend. I made a list of the exhibitors I wanted to see. I requested appointments with some, and I developed a plan to use my time on the trade show floor as effectively as possible.

This year I started a similar planning process, knowing it would be different, but quickly concluded it was not simply different, but VASTLY different. In some ways better, in some ways worse. I want to share some thoughts on what I learned and how I plan to get the most out of CYBER HITEC.

First, I think the HITEC Advisory Council has done a really great job pulling together some interesting sessions. Unlike every other HITEC, the sessions will be recorded and available for registered attendees to view for a month afterwards. This is great; one of my biggest frustrations with the physical show was that there was simply not enough time to do everything. Even if your first priority was the educational sessions, you might often find that two or even three of the sessions you most wanted to attend were scheduled at the same time, or conflicted with the only time someone was available for an important meeting. For many of us whose schedules are packed to the gills from 7am well into the evening every day, this is a real plus. There may not be as much interaction between the audience and speakers as in the past, but I can live with that tradeoff.

While many attendees go for the education, for others like me the most important part of HITEC is the ability to walk the trade show floor, find interesting new products, and meet the people and technologies behind them. In recent years I spent most of my show-floor time visiting the tiny booths scattered around the remote reaches of the exhibit hall or in the E20x pavilion; these are where the new entrants are most often to be found. That part will be quite different this year – in some ways better, in some ways worse. I have yet to attend a real virtual trade show of comparable size, but from what I have seen, there will be pluses and minuses.







November 06, 2020

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- Estatefy Chooses NextPax as Exclusive Channel Manager
Estatefy, a leading all in one software solution for property managers, real estate brokers, vacation home owners and vacation rental management companies selects NextPax, provider of one of the most advanced worldwide channel management technologies for hotels, resorts and vacation rentals as its exclusive channel manager.
nextpax.com

- SiteMinder Launches Partner Program to Harness Local Power for Hotels Globally
SiteMinder, one of the global hotel industry's leading guest acquisition platforms, has launched the SiteMinder Partner Program to bring out the strength of the local advisory community for hotels. The Program forms the most extensive, global program for hotel advisors and property management system (PMS) vendors, who can now gain access to critical training, educational resources and dedicated online support from SiteMinder to provide a more holistic offering to their hotel clients.
www.siteminder.com

- Amadeus is Breaking Data Silos with the First Integrated E-Commerce Platform for Hoteliers
To benefit both hoteliers and guests, Amadeus is introducing the Amadeus Integrated Booking Suite. The combination of Amadeus’ iHotelier central reservations system, guest Management Solutions, and Web, provides a one-stop shop for hoteliers to efficiently manage the nuts and bolts of their distribution strategy, web design, and guest communications.
www.amadeus.com

November 06, 2020

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- Hersha Hospitality's Independent Collection Partners sith Duetto
Hersha Hospitality Management (HHM) has deployed Duetto’s Revenue Strategy Platform across its entire Independent Collection, a growing portfolio of boutique, lifestyle, and luxury hotels across the United States.
www.duettocloud.com

- Hilton and Amadeus Renew and Expand Exclusive Business Intelligence Partnership
In challenging times for the hotel industry, having access to quality, forward-looking data is paramount. Hilton and Amadeus announce an extension of their business intelligence partnership for Demand360, Rate360, and Agency360.
amadeus.com

- Kalibri Labs Launches Cutting Edge Predictive Tool to Support Recovery Planning
Kalibri Labs continues to make substantial upgrades to the industry’s most robust database by 1) providing RevPAR, Occupancy and ADR for future dates and 2) creating greater visibility at the market/submarket level. The Kalibri Labs database contains daily transaction data sourced directly from almost 35,000 hotels in the U.S. calculating revenue, ADR, Occupancy, rate category contributions, channel mix, arrival/departure dates, lead time, length of stay, loyalty contribution and corresponding costs of acquisition measures.
www.kalibrilabs.com

November 06, 2020

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- Nonius Has Been Playing an Important Role on The Guest Journey for More Than 600 Hotels Worldwide
- Rudding Park Reopened with Online Check-In and Hotel App to Improve Guest Safety
- Angie Hospitality Demonstrates Contactless, Smart Hotel Technologies at Cyber HITEC
- Hotel Zena, a Groundbreaking Hotel Dedicated to Female Empowerment, Opens with Volara + Google in Every Guestroom
- MCOMS Provides Mobile Contactless Experience at COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach
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Nonius Has Been Playing an Important Role on The Guest Journey for More Than 600 Hotels Worldwide
The world is no longer the same, nor people's behavior. More than ever, consumption is more conscious, prioritizing health and safety, and there is no doubt that technology is a great ally for companies to adapt to this new business model.
www.noniussoftware.com

Rudding Park Reopened with Online Check-In and Hotel App to Improve Guest Safety
Among the essential adaptations to support the hotel’s exceptional high standards of service, and embrace the benefits of technology, it implemented a contactless check-in process and now offers its own branded App for guests to have a memorable and safe stay.
www.noniussoftware.com

Angie Hospitality Demonstrates Contactless, Smart Hotel Technologies at Cyber HITEC
Angie Hospitality® by Nomadix, the leading provider of voice-activated and contactless technology solutions for hotels, today announced it will demonstrate its new touchless technologies, including its in-room assistants, casting, PBX and mobile guest apps, at Cyber HITEC October 27-29, 2020, in the Clean to Cleaner Pavilion booth #829.
angie.ai

Hotel Zena, a Groundbreaking Hotel Dedicated to Female Empowerment, Opens with Volara + Google in Every Guestroom
Integration and implementation of the Google Hotel Solution expands Volara’s corporate relationship with Viceroy Hotels & Resorts and launches a new relationship with the Pebblebrook Hotel Trust.
volara.io

MCOMS Provides Mobile Contactless Experience at COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach
MCOMS is proud to announce that COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach has selected MCOMS HOTstream Mobile app for iOS and Android devices to further enhance the hotel’s luxury contactless experience.
mcoms.com

November 06, 2020

MARKETING

- Milestone Inc. Will Host Digital Transformation Thought Leaders and Marketing Trailblazers at Engage2020 on November 12
- Sojern Adds Metasearch to Multichannel Digital Marketing Platform Led by New Head of Product
- Vizergy Receives Multiyear Recognition in Website Design and Development
- HotelSiteXPRESS Offers All-Inclusive Website Solution at Affordable Monthly Rates for Any Size Hotel
----------------------
 

Milestone Inc. Will Host Digital Transformation Thought Leaders and Marketing Trailblazers at Engage2020 on November 12
Milestone Inc, a premier provider of digital marketing software and solutions for enterprise and hospitality opens registration for its digital transformation summit, Engage2020: Transform. Rebound. Accelerate.
www.milestoneinternet.com

Sojern Adds Metasearch to Multichannel Digital Marketing Platform Led by New Head of Product
Now travel marketers can access all major digital marketing channels from a single provider: metasearch, display, native, video, connected TV, search, and social.
www.sojern.com

Vizergy Receives Multiyear Recognition in Website Design and Development
For the second consecutive year, Jacksonville Business Journal lists Vizergy® Digital Marketing No. 2 for Website Design and Development in Northeast Florida, ranked by local employment.
vizergy.com

HotelSiteXPRESS Offers All-Inclusive Website Solution at Affordable Monthly Rates for Any Size Hotel
Lodging Interactive, a full-service digital marketing, social media engagement, and reputation management agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, is making it possible for hotels to upgrade their existing website and digital marketing efforts through the company’s affordable, fully managed,  HotelSiteXPRESS services.
hotelsitexpress.com

November 06, 2020

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- Golden Nugget Leverages Knowland to Prospect for New Business
Knowland, the leader in group hospitality analytics for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, announced today that Las Vegas hotel and casino, the Golden Nugget, has leveraged Knowland’s historical database of actualized events to amplify its group sales and prioritize leads.
www.knowland.com

- Hotel Kansas City Taps Knowland to Prospect Group Business Ahead of Grand Opening
Knowland, a leader in group hospitality analytics for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, was selected by the newly opened Hotel Kansas City, part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, to help increase group business for its 20,000 sq. ft. flexible event space.
www.knowland.com

November 06, 2020

BACK OFFICE

- ProfitSword Recognized by Golden Bridge Business & Innovation Awards as a Leading Developer of Next Generation Business Intelligence Technology
- Aptech to Showcase its Hospitality-Specific Finance & Accounting Software at HFTP’s CYBER HITEC
- Hotel Technology Experts Trust PAS to Help with Standardization and Automation Initiatives Across the Globe
- M3 to Showcase Latest Offerings and Developments at Cyber HITEC
- Aptech Announces Next Version to its Execuvue Business Intelligence Solution
- ProfitSword Partnership with Event Temple Offers Full Real-Time Insight into Hotel Group Sales, Event and Catering Performance
- BirchStreet Systems Partners with Industry Leader Highgate on Payment Processing Solution
- Hotel Technology Experts Trust PAS to Help with Standardization and Automation Initiatives Across the Globe
----------------------

ProfitSword Recognized by Golden Bridge Business & Innovation Awards as a Leading Developer of Next Generation Business Intelligence Technology
ProfitSword, a leading developer of business intelligence and data integration software for the hospitality industry, has been named a Silver winner by the 12th Annual Golden Bridge Business and Innovation Awards for its role in enhancing business intelligence capabilities with the recently launched ProfitAbility solution.
profitsword.com

Aptech to Showcase its Hospitality-Specific Finance & Accounting Software at HFTP’s CYBER HITEC
In today’s economic climate, hoteliers are looking for ways to reduce costs across the board. To know where to cut, they must have the ability to access, view, compare, and dynamically analyze the performance data of their single hotel or multi-property, multi-branded portfolios. Without access to this vital information, operators may find themselves unable to make effective business decisions.
www.aptech-inc.com

Hotel Technology Experts Trust PAS to Help with Standardization and Automation Initiatives Across the Globe
For more than 30 years, Professional Accounting Solutions (PAS) has been a preferred provider of back office and accounting solutions for the global hospitality industry, and currently is a leading provider of Infor SunSystems services. The PAS team possesses the unique understanding of accounting processes, information flows and the dynamics of operating a hotel back office.
www.profact.com

M3 to Showcase Latest Offerings and Developments at Cyber HITEC
M3, one of the hospitality sector’s preferred cloud-based financial and data management platform, invites its current customers and industry peers to learn about the company’s latest product offerings, software enhancements and more at Cyber HITEC 2020 on Oct. 26-29.
www.m3as.com

Aptech Announces Next Version to its Execuvue Business Intelligence Solution
Aptech, the industry standard for hospitality financial management, has released the next version of its Execuvue business intelligence solution. The web-based hospitality application gathers and coordinates data from a wide variety of corporate systems, including Smith Travel Research, into accessible, easily understood information with familiar browser commands.
www.aptech-inc.com

ProfitSword Partnership with Event Temple Offers Full Real-Time Insight into Hotel Group Sales, Event and Catering Performance
ProfitSword, a premier developer of hospitality-related business intelligence and data integration software, has announced a strategic partnership with Event Temple, a leading provider of hotel and venue sales and catering software, to provide hoteliers with seamless and complete visibility over group, catering and event sales performance activity.
profitsword.com

BirchStreet Systems Partners with Industry Leader Highgate on Payment Processing Solution
BirchStreet Systems, the market leader in procure-to-pay software for the hospitality industry, announces it has partnered with Highgate, a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company. Through this new partnership, BirchStreet will deliver its state-of-the-art payment solution to 160 Highgate hotels worldwide.
www.birchstreet.net

Hotel Technology Experts Trust PAS to Help with Standardization and Automation Initiatives Across the Globe
For more than 30 years, Professional Accounting Solutions (PAS) has been a preferred provider of back office and accounting solutions for the global hospitality industry, and currently is a leading provider of Infor SunSystems services. The PAS team possesses the unique understanding of accounting processes, information flows and the dynamics of operating a hotel back office.
www.profact.com

November 06, 2020

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- Radisson's Country Inn & Suites and Park Inn Albany Locations Partner with Hotel Internet Services to Adopt Latest in Guest Wi-Fi Technology
- Cox Business’ Blueprint RF Launches Upgraded Wi-Fi Network Platform
- Hotel Internet Services Showcases Advances in Contactless Guest Service and Entertainment Personalization Along with Latest in Wi-Fi Connectivity at Cyber HITEC 2020
- Nomadix Unveils New Suite of Hotel Offerings at Cyber HITEC
- Nomadix Dials Up New Cloud PBX Service for High-Quality Calling at a Low Cost
----------------------

Radisson's Country Inn & Suites and Park Inn Albany Locations Partner with Hotel Internet Services to Adopt Latest in Guest Wi-Fi Technology
Georgia-based hotels prioritize ability to meet guest demands for high-speed internet access by leveraging expertise of industry's leading network provider.
www.hotelwifi.com

Cox Business’ Blueprint RF Launches Upgraded Wi-Fi Network Platform
Blueprint RF, a Cox Business company, announced the launch of its new all-in-one hospitality WiFi platform – DG2. Built with the needs of modern hotels in mind, this out-of-the-box solution integrates network appliances into one a single architecture that works in unison for a more dynamic, cost-effective and energy-efficient hospitality solution. The new DG2 platform is highly improved with better, stronger and faster performance.
blueprintrf.com

Hotel Internet Services Showcases Advances in Contactless Guest Service and Entertainment Personalization Along with Latest in Wi-Fi Connectivity at Cyber HITEC 2020
Leading provider of hotel connectivity solutions to exhibit voice-enabled and smart device compatible advantages of BeyondTV content streaming platform in addition to offering insight over how to cater to growing guest Wi-Fi expectations.
www.hotelwifi.com

Nomadix Unveils New Suite of Hotel Offerings at Cyber HITEC
Nomadix® Inc., a technology leader in hospitality and multi-tenant industries, today announced it will demonstrate its new suite of cost-effective hotel solutions, including casting, cloud PBX and a mobile guest app, at Cyber HITEC October 27-29, 2020, in the Cyber Exhibitor Advantage Pavilion booth #730.
nomadix.com

Nomadix Dials Up New Cloud PBX Service for High-Quality Calling at a Low Cost
Nomadix Inc., a technology leader in hospitality and MDU, today announced its new cloud PBX service that offers clear and reliable communications for hotels.
nomadix.com

November 06, 2020

FOOD & BEVERAGE

- PPHE Hotel Group Choose Crave Interactive’s ServeSafely Mobile Ordering for its Hotels and Restaurants
Crave Interactive, a leading global hospitality technology company, have signed an agreement with PPHE Hotel Group (‘PPHE’) to provide mobile orderings solutions to PPHE’s hotels and restaurants using its innovative ServeSafely solutions.
crave-emenu.com

- Infor Develops Contactless Ordering Solution for Hospitality Industry
Infor announced Infor OrderNow, a new contactless ordering solution to help the hospitality industry better navigate the operational challenges that the current pandemic presents, while supporting the dining revenue stream in the future.
www.infor.com

November 06, 2020

OPERATIONS

- Case Study: Hotel Paso Del Norte Re-Opens as One of the First Autograph Collection Hotels Using Bipolar Ionization for Air Purification
The bipolar ionization system works differently from traditional air filtration systems, which gradually replaces air within a property over time. The system at work in the Hotel Paso Del Norte is at work at all times, constantly sending positive and negative ions into the surrounding oxygen to neutralize viruses, bacteria, negative odors, and more. Since the air in the hotel does not need to wait to go through a filter to be cleaned, the property is able to maintain a consistent state of sanitation.
www.greenwoodhospitality.com

- ALICE Launches a Hotel Technology Buyer’s Guide
ALICE, the hospitality industry’s leading operations technology company, has released “The Hotel Technology Buyer’s Guide: Top Tools to Support Lean Teams.” More than 2,500 hotels and thousands of hoteliers around the world have chosen ALICE to streamline operations and communication with a single platform.
www.aliceplatform.com

- Circa Resort & Casino Implements the InvoTech Uniform System for Contactless Uniform Distribution and Inventory Management
InvoTech Systems Inc. announced the recent implementation of its Uniform System at Circa Resort & Casino. InvoTech Systems is the leading provider of advanced Linen Management, Laundry and Uniform Systems that integrate the latest RFID technology to increase profitability for hotels, resorts, casino operators, sports arenas, convention centers, theme parks and production plants.
www.invotech.com

November 06, 2020

SECURITY

- Onity Combines Modern Aesthetics and Contactless Access with the Launch of Serene, an All-In-One, Small-Form-Factor Lock
Onity, a global leader in electronic access solutions, is announcing Serene™, an all-in-one minimalist lock designed for aesthetically-minded, high-end hotels. This small-form-factor lock combines both elegant design and leading-edge DirectKey™ mobile access technology. Onity is part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), a leading global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions.
onity.com

- TraknProtect Adds New LTE Gateways to Platform
TraknProtect, a pioneer of location-based technology purpose-built for the hotel industry and a leading employee safety button provider for several major hotel brands, has unveiled powerful new technology to the TraknProtect Platform that delivers the capability to have LTE Gateways connect via a private network to communicate directly with the TraknProtect Cloud.
www.traknprotect.com

November 06, 2020

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- HFTP Debuts CYBER HITEC to Large Virtual Crowd
The virtual event concluded its live portion on October 29 but will continue to be available through November 25. The event offered 30+ education sessions and 90+ exhibitors.
www.hftp.org

- HFTP 2020–2021 Global Executive Committee and Board of Directors Begin Term
The 2020-2021 Global Executive Committee and Board of Directors for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) have officially begun their term at the start of this month. The association leaders represent a wide variety of segments within the hospitality industry, including: clubs, academics, hotels, finance, technology and more. The HFTP Global Board volunteers its time and professional expertise to help guide and progress the association to the forefront of the industry as it carries out its strategic plan.
www.hftp.org

March 18, 2022

CORPORATE NEWS

- #HospitalityHelps Now Supported by Over 300 Hotels in 38 Countries with 33,575 Room Nights Available for Displaced Ukrainian Residents
- Nonius Acquires Criton as Demand for Mobile Technology in Hospitality Soars
- P3 Hotel Software Targets Growth in U.S. and Germany After Securing $1.2M Investment
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution Names Venza a Winner of the Metro Atlanta Top Workplaces 2022 Award
- SALTO Acquires Automated Face Recognition Innovator COGNITEC Systems
----------------------

#HospitalityHelps Now Supported by Over 300 Hotels in 38 Countries with 33,575 Room Nights Available for Displaced Ukrainian Residents
Created by a group of hospitality industry veterans, #HospitalityHelps was launched with one goal: to provide temporary hotel accommodation to Ukrainian residents who are forced to leave their homes because of the war.
www.Hospitality-Helps.org

Nonius Acquires Criton as Demand for Mobile Technology in Hospitality Soars
Nonius, a global hospitality technology solutions vendor has announced today that it has acquired award-winning hospitality tech provider Criton, the UK’s largest provider of guest apps for independent hotels. The merger of Criton with GuestU, Nonius’s mobile solution, will create an unparalleled offering in the hospitality sector allowing the merged companies to better serve a market that has grown exponentially since the pandemic hit in 2020.
www.noniussolutions.com

P3 Hotel Software Targets Growth in U.S. and Germany After Securing $1.2M Investment
The Irish company offers an integrated ecosystem of hotel technology through core products, such as custom booking engine and online check-in/checkout solutions.
www.p3hotels.com

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Names Venza a Winner of the Metro Atlanta Top Workplaces 2022 Award
VENZA has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2022 honor by Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top Workplaces.
www.VENZAgroup.com

SALTO Acquires Automated Face Recognition Innovator COGNITEC Systems
In recent years, we have experienced extraordinary change and evolution in digital transformation globally. Entire industries have been reimagined and people now increasingly use digital means to work, live, learn, and be entertained. Digital credentials, digital identities and facial recognition are becoming the new standard across all industries, making Automatic Face Recognition a key technology to address the market's needs.
saltosystems.com

March 18, 2022

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Visual Matrix Continues Global Expansion Through Partnership with Data Express Latinoamérica Across Central and South America
The electronic invoicing company will serve as the exclusive reseller of Visual Matrix PMS solutions throughout both regions.
www.visualmatrix.com

March 18, 2022

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- SHR Recognized as Elite Expedia Partner for Second Straight Year
Sceptre Hospitality Resources (SHR), which offers a powerful suite of solutions to help hoteliers improve the guest experience and drive revenue at each touchpoint along the guest journey, has once again announced its status as an Expedia Elite Connectivity Partner, for the second consecutive year.
www.shr.global

March 18, 2022

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- Lily Country Club to Implement IDeaS Revenue Management System Ahead of Demand Resurgence
IDeaS, a SAS company, the world’s leading provider of hotel revenue management software and services, announced today that the Lily Country Club will implement IDeaS Revenue Management System (RMS) at its 507-room Norwegian golf resort—the third-largest hotel in the Oslo area.
ideas.com

March 18, 2022

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- Volara Partners With Josh.ai to Bring Premium Privacy Centric Voice Assistant Solutions to the Ultra-Luxury Hotel Market
- Reside Expands Virdee Rollout Portfolio-Wide
- InterContinental Barcelona updates its Guest Technology
- Fairfield by Marriott Hotel Chooses Guesthub to Manage and Track Parcels
----------------------

Volara Partners With Josh.ai to Bring Premium Privacy Centric Voice Assistant Solutions to the Ultra-Luxury Hotel Market
Josh.ai has selected Volara, part of the Uniguest group of engagement technologies, as its choice partner for hotel applications of its innovative hardware products, including Josh Micro, Josh Nano, and Josh Core. Volara, the voice hub for the hotel industry, in supporting the Josh.ai ecosystem, brings the first voice assistant built specifically for the most discerning guests staying in the most prestigious hotel properties.
volara.io    josh.ai

Reside Expands Virdee Rollout Portfolio-Wide
Reside, the leading prop-tech and alternative accommodations firm with operations in over 19,000 cities and 60 countries, announced today that it has expanded its partnership with Virdee, an Austin, Texas-based SaaS provider serving the hospitality, short-term rental, multi-family and commercial real estate industries.
www.virdee.co

InterContinental Barcelona updates its Guest Technology
Nonius updated the Wi-Fi system to IHG Connect standards and installed our HTNG TechOvation winner Cast solution in all the guest rooms.
noniussolutions.com

Fairfield by Marriott Hotel Chooses Guesthub to Manage and Track Parcels
Modular web-based guest services app is enabling the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Miami Airport to boost operational efficiency and guest satisfaction by automating package tracking.
www.GuestHub.io

March 18, 2022

MARKETING

- HSMAI to Honor GCommerce Solutions with Bronze Adrian Award for Outstanding Travel Marketing
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will honor GCommerce Solutions with a Bronze Adrian Award for travel marketing excellence for its winning entry in the 65th annual  Adrian Awards, the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition.
www.gcommercesolutions.com

March 18, 2022

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- Knowland Provides Data-Driven Insights to Jumeirah Emirates Towers
Today Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, announced that Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai has selected its platform to gain insights into Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) business trends.
www.knowland.com

March 18, 2022

BACK OFFICE

- AI Functionality Within Aptech’s Execuvue Is Making Business Intelligence Visualizations and Reporting a Breeze
Leveraging the IBM Cognos® Analytics and AI Assistant, hoteliers can build dashboards and charts, identify trends, and select the best visualizations for reports on demand based on simple commands, such as ‘Show Me Room Revenues by State.’
www.aptech-inc.com

- OTH Hotels Resorts Partners with ProfitSword for Robust Business Intelligence and Performance Forecasting Capabilities
Rapidly growing hotel management company leverages ProfitSword suite for its ability to serve as a comprehensive source of real-time business performance health to maximize decision-making and operational efficiency.
profitsword.com

March 18, 2022

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- Cloud5 Achieves Top Hospitality Honor in the 2021 Mitel Partner Awards
Cloud5 Communications, a leading provider of communications solutions for more than 5,000 hotels, MDUs, and commercial facilities across the Americas, has been named Hospitality Partner of the Year, Americas, in the Mitel Global Partner Awards.
cloud5.com

- Technology Distributor WAV to Supply New Nomadix Networks and Full Product Portfolio
WAV, LLC, a full-service distributor of LTE, wireless broadband, networking, and Wi-Fi equipment, and ​​Nomadix® Inc​., a technology leader in hospitality and multi-tenant industries, today announced WAV will now supply Nomadix’s suite of internet and guest-facing technologies through its channel across North America.
www.wavonline.com

March 18, 2022

OPERATIONS

- Quore Checks-In 5,000 Hotels and Upgrades Cleanings Plus
Quore, a leading provider of workflow management and productivity tools for hotels, today introduced new features to its Cleanings Plus application as the company reaches a milestone of serving 5,000 hotels.
www.quore.com

March 18, 2022

HUMAN RESOURCES

- UniFocus Boosts Hotelier Capabilities to Attract and Retain Employees With Intelligent Tip Pooling
UniFocus, the leading provider of Workforce Management Systems, has today announced its launch of an advanced tip pooling software feature. This feature streamlines hotel business operations while automatically providing employees with the precise amount of tips owed. Combined with UniFocus’ innovative instant pay capabilities (Rain), the new functionality will allow hoteliers to address widespread demands for flexible wage access which has become essential to creating and maintaining a loyal and productive workforce.
www.unifocus.com

- Gillis Sales Reports $23M in Actual Revenue for Hospitality Clients in 2021, Increases New Business by 40 Percent
Gillis Sales, a remote sales and training organization for hoteliers, reported today that it generated $23M in actual revenue for its client base in 2021 while increasing its client base by 40 percent since the beginning of the pandemic. These numbers indicate that hotels are seeing the benefits of investing in sales to increase profitability as travel resumes.
www.gillissales.com

March 18, 2022

MARKET REPORTS

- Hotel Industry Says Automation & Integration Vital to Recovery
The latest survey from Duetto reveals nearly 78% of hoteliers will increase their investment in hotel tech in the next three years.
www.duettocloud.com

March 18, 2022

SECURITY

- Little National Sydney Selects ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions to Implement Industry-Leading Security Access Alongside Energy Management Solutions
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, a leading provider of advanced security technology for the hospitality industry, has announced the successful implementation of VingCard Allure door locks at Little National Sydney alongside the integration of energy management solutions provided by Telkonet. and self check-in solutions provided by Liverton.
assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/hospitality

- Updates and Enhancements to Programs, Solutions, and Services
In the spring of 2021, VENZA announced a commitment to produce and release an extensive list of program updates as part of their Product Roadmap Vision 2022. As of last month, they have delivered on this promise. Vision 2022 updates and enhancements are now available to all VENZA customers.
www.VENZAgroup.com

March 18, 2022

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- M3 Announces Keynote Speaker for 2022 Partners’ Meeting
M3 has announced Dr. Mary Key as the keynote speaker for its 2022 Partners’ Meeting in St. Pete, Florida. Key is a trusted advisor, international consultant, author, speaker, and executive coach.
www.m3as.com

March 04, 2022

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- Book on Google for Hotels to Shut after Low Take-up
- Why Sustainability is the New Competitive Advantage
- Can Robots Solve the Hotel Labour Crisis?
- IoT in Hotels Goes Mainstream
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Book on Google for Hotels to Shut after Low Take-up
Why Sustainability is the New Competitive Advantage
Can Robots Solve the Hotel Labour Crisis?
IoT in Hotels Goes Mainstream

March 04, 2022

And now for the You-Know-What...

March 18, 2022

Siegel Sez

I must admit it is getting quite exciting. Like every other industry event in 2020, our Executive Vendor Summit was cancelled that year. Last year we held EVS in June because HITEC was pushed back to September. We didn’t know what to expect, but instead of the traditional 60 or so attendees we had a record 103 attend. 
 
This year we are back to the traditional March dates, and much to our surprise the crowd is bigger than ever! Of course, it helps that we have some crashers from hotel operators, but if they can deal with close to a hundred attendees from the vendor community more power to them! We have a great program lined up, and we are thankful that Aimbridge has helped us with their Westin Dallas Stonebriar Resort in Frisco, Texas. Hopefully all our creative plans will come together to make for a truly memorable experience. A big thank you to HFTP for sharing their expertise in putting on events, they are great to work with!
 
EVS aside, the Thursday evening event celebrating the 30 years since I created a little 20-page hotel technology newsletter will be an event to remember. The HU@30 celebration that was created by our friends at PROVision Partners will be something very different for the industry, but like most industry events, it will include a lot of great networking.
 
Many hoteliers are joining us this year, both from operations and technology alike. Having the industry get together for a fun and memorable evening is something that is long overdue. The proceeds from the event will go to the HFTP Scholarship Fund for those pursuing careers in hospitality. If you would like to join us, please click here to purchase tickets.
 
The evening’s entertainment will include a live band, thanks to Clairvoyix, along with industry leaders looking back and roasting me on my thirty years in the business. I am not allowed to see the videos that have been created for that evening, but my team says they are a riot. If you and I have had an exchange over the years and you’d like to get in on the action, you can submit a very short video for the event, please contact Liz at elizabeth@hospitalityupgrade.com.
 
Honestly, I can’t wait until Thursday night March 31, when the roasting starts. The best part is I get to speak last, and I am already working on my payback. This will be a unique and fun night sure to create memories and laughs that will last a long while. Can’t wait! 
 
Our Spring issue is soon to be in your hands or digitally sent to you. Spring is one of my favorite issues, because we recognize 10 industry Rock Stars from the hotel technology world. We have a dynamic and diverse group being honored this year. You will love how we don’t just talk about their tech accomplishments, but we get personal to really humanize our Rock Stars. If you are not a subscriber to Hospitality Upgrade in print or digital formats, please click here. I promise, you will love this issue.
 
A big thank you to Doug Rice for his Definitely Doug column that follows. Nothing drives hoteliers wackier than online reviews, and this week Doug’s deep dive into Online Reputation Management is a must read for all. The stats he shares are eye-opening. I will see you at the end with this week’s March Madness attempt at you-know-what. Can’t wait for Frisco, let me know if you want to join us.

Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com


March 18, 2022

Definitely Doug

Put Your Online Reviews to Work!

For better or worse, every hotel is affected by its online reputation. Summary ratings posted on metasearch sites like Tripadvisor and Google often determine which hotels even get consideration at the start of the planning phase. Further down the sales funnel, reviews themselves become important as travelers look to see what others like them enjoyed or disliked about specific hotels. Online reviews are an anomaly in consumer marketing: unlike your internal data, they are available for anybody to see, both for your hotel and for your competitors. You can be certain sure that if you don’t manage your reviews well and your competitors do, it will hurt you.

This week’s column will delve into technology tools that can help hotels manage online reputation more effectively. To be sure, Online Reputation Management (ORM) tools work best in tandem with Guest Satisfaction Surveys (GSS) and key customer systems such as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system or Property Management System (PMS). Taken together, these tools can be used proactively over time to deliver a better-rated product, which can attract new guests. Feedback collection can also be enhanced through integration of chatbots, call-center surveys, and other tools, which I will not cover today but will come back to in subsequent weeks.

The goal is to obtain, analyze, and act on guest feedback. The “act” part may be as simple as acknowledging past experiences on a future stay by the same guest or choosing the best email messaging for a particular market segment. Or it can be as significant as deciding whether guest satisfaction scores might improve more if you renovate the pool vs. investing in staff service training. Hotel managers need to focus limited resources on things that will “move the needle,” but that means having the right metrics and understanding how they affect guest satisfaction.

ORM, GSS, and CRM/PMS systems each play often-overlapping roles in this process. This week’s column features a deep dive just on ORM; future installments will cover the role of the others. The main objective of ORM tools is to help maximize the attractiveness of your hotel to prospective customers, especially first-timers. As such, it is a primary marketing tool. The feedback you get in the form of ratings and reviews is not very scientific and probably doesn’t represent your average customer. It is mostly qualitative and will not really tell you where you will get the biggest return on investments in improvements. To be sure, it can help you identify strengths and weaknesses – especially ones you never suspected. But most important, it is the first and possibly the last thing many prospective guests will see about your hotel.

To quantify the value of different potential actions a hotel might take to improve ratings, Guest Satisfaction Surveys are much more useful: they are more representative, you can target them at specific issues, and depending on when you collect them, they may enable service recovery while the guest is still in-house, avoiding a bad review. And to act on specific customer concerns voiced in online reviews or surveys, or to market to customers in a more personalized way, you will need to bring at least some of the data from ORM and GSS tools back into your CRM or PMS. A full solution should involve these three sets of tools.

In researching this topic, I spoke with several companies that offer ORM, GSS, and/or CRM tools (some focus on just one, others have two or all three). There were many commonalities but also many differences in the solutions. ORM is part science and part art, so differences are to be expected. But I learned a great deal in conversations with several providers across this spectrum, including dailypoint, GuestRevu, Medallia, RepUp (part of Xperium), ReviewPro (part of Shiji Group), Revinate, and Sentinel (part of D-EDGE); I thank them for their time and thoughtful contributions. TrustYou also plays in the ORM space but did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.

 

Click here to read more of Doug’s column on Put Your Online Reviews to Work!

February 04, 2022

Definitely Doug

 
The “Cobot” Revolution

Few challenges to today’s hospitality operations are bigger than labor. Shortages have forced many hoteliers to rethink long-held beliefs about hospitality as a business where service is provided only by smiling, welcoming humans. Hoteliers are realizing that they cannot deliver a good experience without changing the mix of humans and technology. And especially during the pandemic, we have learned that many guests want less human contact.

This has led some hoteliers to rethink the potential of robots. To be sure, most hotels do not want cyborgs greeting guests, but robots can be valuable in other ways. And recruiting and retention can be easier if some of the less desirable tasks currently performed by humans can be transferred to robots.

Mobile robots can play a role in addressing this issue. It is not about staffing the front desk with talking robots. While such products exist, the technology as still early stage, not capable enough to provide a satisfactory experience to most hotel guests. The Henn na Hotel in Nagasaki, Japan opened in 2015 with a full staff of 243 robots, but ended up “firing” half of them less than four years later due to complaints from both guests and human staff.

The growth area for robotics in hotels today is where mobile robots serve as an extension of human staff. In hospitality, this means taking menial tasks that have little or no impact on the guest experience and giving them to a robot that works alongside (not instead of) humans. Robots never complain, call in sick, or deviate from standard operating procedures. Used properly, they can be excellent employees, wherever a human touch isn’t necessary or where humans don’t like the work. The term “cobot” has been coined to describe a robot that works in collaboration with a human. In the short to medium term, most robotic applications within hotels will fall in this category.

The technology for autonomous mobile robots has advanced remarkably, thanks to massive investments in self-driving cars by the likes of Tesla, Ford, Google, and Uber. The benefits have spilled over into autonomous service robots, yielding better functionality and lower cost. To be sure, these robots are still not cheap, with unit costs typically in the (low) tens of thousands of dollars. And a robot that might last five years can be similar in cost to paying an unskilled human for just one (although this isn’t a valid comparison, for reasons discussed below). Unlike humans, robots can work 24 hours a day (as long as they get a little charging time), 365 days a year. They don’t incur payroll taxes or fringe benefit costs, and they can perform tasks consistently to quality standards.

 

Click here to read more of Doug’s column on The “Cobot” Revolution

February 04, 2022

CORPORATE NEWS

- Virdee Is Named One of Austin's '22 Start-Ups to Watch in 2022'
Virdee, a SaaS company delivering digital check-in and virtual concierge services to the hospitality and commercial real estate industries, was named one of Austin’s 22 hottest start-up companies to watch by Built in Austin, a platform connecting innovators, employers and investors in the hot Austin, Texas, tech market.
www.virdee.co

- Cendyn and Pegasus Complete Merger
Cendyn and Pegasus closed their previously announced merger agreement, bringing two industry leaders together as one company. This merger provides hoteliers with a transformative platform to maximize the direct-booking channel, enhancing the guest experience end-to-end.
cendyn.com

February 04, 2022

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- The Copenhagen Admiral Hotel Checks in with Infor
Infor, an industry cloud company, announced that the 366-room Copenhagen Admiral Hotel has selected Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) and Infor EzRMS Revenue Management System (RMS).  Infor HMS went live in Q4 2021 and will be followed by Infor EzRMS in 2022, replacing a legacy property management system (PMS) that restricted growth and limited the guest experience.
www.infor.com

- Leisure Hotels & Resorts Selects Stayntouch to Deploy Its Flexible Cloud-Native PMS Across 4 Upscale Independent Properties
Stayntouch, a global leader in guest-centric cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and contactless technology, today announced a partnership with Leisure Hotels & Resorts, a leading comprehensive hospitality management company that specializes in upscale destination markets and unique independent brands.
www.stayntouch.com

February 04, 2022

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- Travelers Push Tripadvisor Past 1 Billion Reviews & Opinions!
Millions of travelers and diners rely on the resource to help inform them on where to stay, what to eat, what to do and how to make the most of their trips — all based on guidance from a community of contributors who have been there, done that before.
www.tripadvisor.com

February 04, 2022

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- MOB HOTEL Selects IDeaS for Pricing, Forecasting and Reporting Across its Growing Portfolio
IDeaS, a SAS company, a world leading provider of hotel revenue management software and services, announced today that MOB HOTEL will implement IDeaS Pricing System across its growing portfolio of eco-friendly, socially-minded properties in France and the United States.
ideas.com

February 04, 2022

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- Buenos Aires' Luxury Hotel Madero to Transform Guest Experience with the INTELITY Platform
INTELITY®, provider of hospitality’s broadest guest experience and staff management platform, announced today a new deal with Hotel Madero in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The modern hotel will implement the entire INTELITY platform, including a branded mobile app, mobile check-in, mobile key, smart-room tablets, and GEMS®, INTELITY’s staff-facing suite of tools.
www.intelity.com

February 04, 2022

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- How Premier Resorts & Management Leverages STS Cloud to Transform Their Sales Process, Manage Client Relationships, and Drive Productivity Across Properties
Premier Resorts & Management, the full-service hotel operating company known for delivering superior financial returns and increasing asset value to owners and investors in the southeast, has moved their Daytona hotels over to the STS Cloud sales and catering platform. Using the STS Cloud platform, Premier sales teams can easily capture leads, send digital proposals, update the CRM, manage bookings, merge contacts, manage workflows, and so much more.
salesandcatering.com

 
- Mills James’ Secret to Meeting and Event Success Is Service
Exceptional pre-production sales and service is enabling this boutique hospitality AV group — named ‘Best AV Provider’ in Ohio — to bring revenue-generating differentiation to hotels.
www.millsjames.com

February 04, 2022

BACK OFFICE

- Onyx CenterSource Announces Launch of Tax Services Solution
Onyx CenterSource, a leading global provider of B2B payments and business intelligence to the hospitality industry, today announced the launch of Tax Services, designed to empower hotels with partner information needed to generate business-critical tax invoicing documentation.
www.onyxcentersource.com

February 04, 2022

FOOD & BEVERAGE

- FIU’s SHTM Addresses Labor Issues with World’s First Bartender Powered by Artificial Intelligence
Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management continues to address pandemic-imposed challenges like labor shortages by introducing its latest teaching tool – Cecilia.ai, the world's first robotic, interactive bartender that offers the potential of round-the-clock service.
hospitality.fiu.edu

- Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Moves Forward with Infrasys Point-of-Sale Across Portfolio and Installs Infrasys in Flagship Properties
Shiji has announced today that Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has completed successful implementations at multiple properties, which then led to the installations at flagship properties in London and Hong Kong.
www.shijigroup.com

- The Flying Lark Selects Suite of Agilysys Point of Sale Management Solutions
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of next-generation SaaS and on-premise hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that The Flying Lark has selected Agilysys cloud-native solutions for its new gaming, entertainment and dining destination in Grants Pass, OR including its award-winning InfoGenesis POS, IG Flex for mobile POS, IG OnDemand for guest self-service F&B ordering and payment, Agilysys Eatec for inventory and procurement management, and Agilysys Seat for venue reservations.
www.agilysys.com

February 04, 2022

OPERATIONS

- Verdant Thermostats Deliver Seamless Compatibility with LG VRF Systems
Verdant is proud to announce a new collaboration with LG Electronics, U.S.A.’s Air Conditioning Technologies that allows for seamless integration of Verdant’s energy management thermostats with the LG Multi V™ VRF series product line available in the United States.
www.verdant.co

- EB Hotel Miami Airport Leveraging GuestHub to Track Shuttle Service
Leveraging its web-based guest services app, GuestHub, the EB Hotel Miami Airport is finding its airport shuttle service to be a deciding factor for guests considering whether to book again in the future. Via the app, the hotel is providing custom shuttle tracking and real-time location and estimated time of arrivals (ETAs) for each stop or pickup location, thereby eliminating traveler anxiety, and assuring guests that they will soon be en route to the hotel.
guesthub.io

February 04, 2022

HUMAN RESOURCES

- UniFocus Donates Labor Management Technology to Cornell University as Educational Tool to Prepare Future Hospitality Leaders for Industry Success
Top ranked hospitality school program leverages industry-leading workforce management tools to demonstrate how advanced AI and automation can ensure high service quality, employee loyalty and appropriately staffed operations.
www.unifocus.com

- Kennedy Training Network Announces Online (Self-Study) Version of Reservations Sales QUEST
KTN, the lodging industry’s best source for training in the topic areas of reservations sales, hospitality and guest service excellence, and hotel sales team training, announced the first in a series of online, (self-study) versions of its menu of training programs.
www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com

- Beekeeper Partners with EduMe to Bring Digital Training Tools to Frontline Workers in One Seamless Platform
Beekeeper, the leading mobile workforce collaboration platform designed specifically for frontline workers, today announced a full-scale integration with EduMe, the market-leading mobile-based training platform for the deskless workforce, to improve organizational productivity and boost employee retention.
www.beekeeper.io

February 04, 2022

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- HFTP and HSMAI Renew Strategic Alliance
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) have renewed their commitment to collaborate on industry advancing initiatives. The two leading-associations have long worked together via co-located events, knowledge-sharing, research and recognition of industry leaders. This recent partner agreement continues this tie through 2024.
www.hftp.org

January 21, 2022

And now for the You-Know-What...

For several years, a man was having an affair with an Italian woman.

One night, she confided to him that she was pregnant. Not wanting to
ruin his marriage, he said he would pay her a large sum of money, if
she would go to Italy to secretly have the child. If she stayed in
Italy to raise the child, he would also provide child support until
the child turned 18.

She agreed, but asked how he would know when the baby was born.

To keep it discreet, he told her to simply mail him a post card, and
write 'Spaghetti' on the back. He would then arrange for the child
support to begin.

One day, about 9 months later, he came home to his confused wife.

'Honey, she said, 'you received a very strange post card today.'

The wife watched as her husband read the card, turned white, and fainted.


On the card was written:

Spaghetti,

Spaghetti,

Spaghetti.

Two with meatballs, one without.

Send extra sauce.





January 21, 2022

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Patrick van der Wardt Joins PROVision as Senior Managing Director EMEA
PROVision Partners "PROVision", a leading global strategic growth, marketing, technology, and commercial services advisory firm to the travel and hospitality industry, announces the appointment of Patrick van der Wardt to the role of Senior Managing Director EMEA.
www.provision-partners.com

February 04, 2022

Siegel Sez

February 2022: This is the month that I have been dreading. Word has slowly gotten out that it was 30 years ago when I had this idea to create a newsletter for the hotel industry to keep everyone informed on where technology is but more importantly where it was going. Thirty years to a lot of people (including me) is amazing —what a wild ride it has been.

I won’t bore you with the details of this ride, but thanks to our friends at PROVision Partners, this milestone won’t pass quietly. On March 30^th at the Hyatt Regency in Frisco, Texas, we will be holding our 17^th Executive Vendor Summit, which brings just about all the industry’s leading tech companies together.  In a world where vendors compete but also partner, it is an amazing event. Last year we also had six leading industry CIOs join us for an eye-opening closing session and they all want to come back - and quite a few others also want to join them. Why, might you ask? PROVision said we need to celebrate this milestone and it plans to do it at my expense.

PROVision had this idea for an old Dean Martin-style roast, and when asking our attendees what they thought of this idea it was simply nonstop laughter and many wanting to be the “roasters.” Many of the attendees are sharing their thoughts on this year’s EVS so we started recording their comments. Here is a recent one from Jeff Bzdawka, the CEO at KNOWLAND.

I can assure you that there will be many private jokes shared. We tweaked the schedule for this year’s Executive Vendor Summit so if you aren’t a vendor but want to attend the celebration on Thursday night in Frisco, we are going to have tickets available for purchase. The proceeds will go to the HFTP Scholarship fund, which is a perfect way to give back to the industry and help those looking to further their careers in the hospitality industry.

Make sure you connect with Hospitality Upgrade on our numerous social media channels as some of the videos we will share leading up to the EVS are funny. If you are a vendor and would like to join us at EVS or have any questions regarding the event, please reach out to kim@hospitalityupgrade.com immediately. The cutoff to participate is a week away. Wow, 30 years, honestly, it is an amazing feeling.

Now back to the technology at hand. One can never be sure what is up Doug Rice’s sleeve in his Definitely Doug column. I believe that eventually robots will be making a big impact in the hospitality industry and truly much progress has happened. Doug does a fantastic job defining the roles robots are playing or will play and where they simply don’t make sense. Great column and something all who are actively following changes in the industry will relate to. We thank Doug for sharing his wisdom with us.

Thanks to all who have encouraged me — there is lots more to come. I will see you at the end for this week’s you-know-what so we don’t ignore the upcoming Super Bowl. Remember, it is the year of the Tiger.

Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com


February 04, 2022

MARKET REPORTS

- Stayntouch, NYU Tisch Center of Hospitality Graduate Students, Release 2022 Hotelier Technology Sentiment Report
Stayntouch, a global leader in guest-centric hotel property management systems (PMS) and contactless technology, today released the 2022 Hotelier Technology Sentiment Report in partnership with graduate students at NYU School of Professional Studies Tisch Center of Hospitality. The report captures comprehensive insights and sentiments from over 500 hoteliers.
www.stayntouch.com

February 18, 2022

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Enseo Appoints Jeff Johns to Lead Room Controls Business Unit
Enseo, a premier technology services provider offering solutions in hospitality, senior living, and education, has hired Jeff Johns as the Managing Director of Connected Solutions. In this role, Johns will lead the growth of room controls, energy management and IoT products in both hospitality and senior living.
www.enseo.com

- UniFocus Announces Moneesh Arora as Chief Executive Officer
Workforce management provider positions itself for growth with the appointment of a new CEO with extensive experience in human capital management.
www.unifocus.com

- ROAR for Good Adds Depth and Experience to Sales Team with Two New Hires
ROAR for Good, a leading technology company for hotel worker safety, has expanded its sales team with the hiring of Aldo Fratta and Maria Marroquin.
www.roarforgood.com

February 18, 2022

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Historic Pickwick Hotel Selects Stayntouch PMS to Help Elevate the Guest Experience through a Fully Connected, End to End Platform
Stayntouch, a global leader in guest-centric cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and contactless technology, today announced the completed implementation of its flagship cloud-native PMS platform at the historic Pickwick Hotel in San Francisco.
www.stayntouch.com

- Agilysys and IDeaS Partner for Seamless Two-way Integration with Agilysys PMS Solutions – Stay, Visual One and LMS
Agilysys, Inc., a leading global provider of next-generation SaaS hospitality software solutions and services, today announced it has partnered with Integrated Decisions and Systems (IDeaS), a SAS company, the leading global hotel revenue management solution provider. The result of this relationship expansion includes the seamless two-way integration between IDeaS and three Agilysys PMS solutions servicing all verticals of the hospitality market: Visual One, LMS and Stay.
www.agilysys.com

February 18, 2022

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- SiteMinder, Hopper Partner to Fuse Benefits of Online Commerce and Travel Fintech for Hotels
SiteMinder, a world leading open hotel commerce platform, and Hopper, the most downloaded travel booking app in North America, have partnered to bring together the benefits of online commerce and travel fintech at a scale never before seen for hotels. The partnership will see SiteMinder’s more than 33,000 hotels in 150 countries gain a newfound ability to reach modern travelers, by directly accessing Hopper’s 70 million users, 70 percent of whom classify as Generation Z and millennials.
siteminder.com

February 18, 2022

REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS

- Wyndham Teams up with Amadeus for Business Intelligence Insights
Increasingly, hoteliers are turning to data to build more informed business strategies that take into account shifting traveler demographics, booking behaviors, and preferred channels for their properties. To gain a broader view of market performance across its organization and in turn, enhance its demand generation strategies, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has selected Amadeus Demand360.
www.amadeus-hospitality.com

February 18, 2022

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- INTELITY Named a Forbes Travel Guide Brand Official for Sixth Year in a Row
INTELITY®, the provider of hospitality’s most comprehensive guest experience platform, announced today its appointment as a Brand Official by Forbes Travel Guide, the creators of the original Five-Star rating system, for the sixth straight year.
www.intelity.com

February 18, 2022

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- STS Cloud Becomes the Preferred Sales and Catering System of Award-Winning Genesis Hospitality Management's Growing Portfolio of Hotels
Genesis Hospitality Management, a leading hospitality management company, has moved 10 of their Canadian hotel properties onto SalesAndCatering.com’s STS Cloud platform. Since its original implementation, STS Cloud has become the preferred platform of Genesis Hospitality Management’s ever-growing portfolio of hotels.
salesandcatering.com

February 18, 2022

BACK OFFICE

- M3’s New Mobile App Takes the Work out of Labor Management
M3’s partnership with Haneke Design dates back to 2017, when development of the M3 Insight application began. M3 Insight was developed specifically for managers of large hotel chains, offering an overview of key performance indicators (KPIs) across various branch locations.
www.m3as.com

- OTH Hotels Resorts Makes its Accounting Operation Paperless with PVNG from Aptech
With revenue volumes among its portfolio of independent, branded and soft-brand hotels and resorts on the rise, third-party management company OTH Hotels Resorts needed a way to streamline its financial processes without incurring costly support fees.
www.aptech-inc.com

February 18, 2022

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- Boyd Gaming Upgrading In-Room Entertainment, WiFi through Partnership with Cox Business and Hospitality Network
Cox Business and Hospitality Network announced that it is outfitting Boyd Gaming Corporation’s Las Vegas properties with premium connectivity services to enhance the guest experience from hotel rooms to the casino floor.
www.coxbusiness.com

February 18, 2022

FOOD & BEVERAGE

- Belmond Hotels Selects Silverware as the Preferred POS for All F&B Outlets Including the Michelin 2 Star Rated Restaurant at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
- Historic Pinehurst Resort Successfully Deploys Beachy's 5G Mobile POS Solution to Modernize F&B Operations Across Six Golf Courses
- The Cape, A Thompson Hotel, Completes Multiple Outlet Installation of Infrasys Cloud POS
- Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Moves Forward with Infrasys Point-of-Sale Across Portfolio and Installs Infrasys in Flagship Properties
---------------------

Belmond Hotels Selects Silverware as the Preferred POS for All F&B Outlets Including the Michelin 2 Star Rated Restaurant at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Trusted by the most notable brands around the globe, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons a Belmond Hotel is one of many Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Belmond luxury properties running on Silverware today as the rollout continues in Italy, Peru, Russia, and U.S.
www.silverwarepos.com

Historic Pinehurst Resort Successfully Deploys Beachy's 5G Mobile POS Solution to Modernize F&B Operations Across Six Golf Courses
The famed golf resort has seen an immediate impact on guest service levels and F&B revenue with the technology leader's integrated tablet-based solution.
www.beachyapp.com

The Cape, A Thompson Hotel, Completes Multiple Outlet Installation of Infrasys Cloud POS
Shiji Group has recently announced that The Cape, A Thompson Hotel and part of the Hyatt brand portfolio in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, has gone live with Infrasys Cloud POS in 10 outlets across the hotel property.
www.shijigroup.com

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Moves Forward with Infrasys Point-of-Sale Across Portfolio and Installs Infrasys in Flagship Properties
Shiji has announced that Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has completed successful implementations at multiple properties, which then led to the installations at flagship properties in London and Hong Kong.
www.shijigroup.com

February 18, 2022

SECURITY

- Sea Pines Resorts Picks VENZA For Privacy Management Services
As of November 7, 2021, Sea Pines Resorts has selected VENZA to perform a privacy regulation readiness assessment and ongoing privacy management to ensure company and customer data remains secure and used appropriately.
www.VENZAgroup.com

- SALTO Introduces EAN Code Standard into Product Packaging
SALTO Systems has introduced EAN13 standardized barcodes into its product packaging answering to partners and channel needs. The EAN code is a 13-digit bar code used internationally to identify each product.
saltosystems.com

February 18, 2022

MARKET REPORTS

- Expedia Group Media Solutions Releases Q4 2021 Travel Recovery Trend Report
New data shows growing appetite for travel and sustained demand for long-haul destinations.
www.expedia.com

- Knowland Meetings Recovery Forecast Identifies Top U.S. Markets to Recover in 2022
Knowland, a world leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, announced it has added the ability to filter its U.S. Meetings Recovery Forecast by market, now known as the Top 25 U.S. Meetings Recovery Forecast (MRF25). Access to the data is complimentary and provides the industry with predictive insights into event recovery over the next three years.
www.knowland.com

- Meetings Up 350 Percent Year-over-Year from January 2021
Knowland, a world leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, today released its monthly meetings and events data for January. Meetings are up 350 percent year-over-year from January of 2021 while month-over-month there was a slight decline of 16.5 percent from December 2021 to January 2022.
www.knowland.com

February 18, 2022

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- Get Ready for The Next Intelligent AI-Powered Voice Bot
- Hoteliers Hit by Labor Shortage Have Robots in their Toolbox
- How Supply Chain Issues Are Crushing Hotels — and Your Stay
- Why Hospitality Workers Are Quitting
- Hotel CEOs Concede a Lasting Labor Shortage May Reshape Guest Experience
---------------------


Get Ready for The Next Intelligent AI-Powered Voice Bot
Hoteliers Hit by Labor Shortage Have Robots in their Toolbox
How Supply Chain Issues Are Crushing Hotels — and Your Stay
Why Hospitality Workers Are Quitting
Hotel CEOs Concede a Lasting Labor Shortage May Reshape Guest Experience

May 07, 2021

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- April Group Data Shows U.S. Meetings and Events Volume Increased 58.5 Percent over March 2021
Knowland, a leader in AI-powered data for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, today released its monthly meetings and events data for April. The numbers reveal that April U.S. group meetings volume increased 58.5 percent over last month.
www.knowland.com

- Nemacolin Selects Knowland to Expand Lead Volume and Increase Meetings and Events Revenue
Knowland, an innovator of AI-powered group data analytics for hospitality, announced that Nemacolin has selected Knowland to give its sales team the leverage it needs to be more proactive and productive in uncovering meetings and events business through recovery.
www.knowland.com

May 07, 2021

BACK OFFICE

- ProfitSword Demonstrates the Cost Savings of Business Intelligence for Hotels With Newly Published White Paper
ProfitSword, a premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software, has announced the publishing of a white paper focusing on how hoteliers can save themselves from thousands of dollars in operational expenses when deploying an advanced business intelligence platform.
profitsword.com

- Arbor Lodging Management is Emerging Strong from Pandemic with Aptech Financial Solutions
Prior to the 2020 pandemic, Arbor Lodging Management made a critical financial decision; the hotel management group operating Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and InterContinental Hotel Group brands partnered with Aptech, an industry standard for hospitality financial management.
www.aptech-inc.com

May 07, 2021

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- The First "Crypto Hotel" Presented by Hotel Manager Johannes Fritz Groebler
- Vaccine Passports: World’s 20 Biggest Economies Give Go-Ahead
- Why Fake Travel Sites Are Fooling More People
- Hotels, Retail, Restaurants: In Pandemic, Industries Worry about Finding Summer Workers
---------------------


The First "Crypto Hotel" Presented by Hotel Manager Johannes Fritz Groebler
Vaccine Passports: World’s 20 Biggest Economies Give Go-Ahead
Why Fake Travel Sites Are Fooling More People
Hotels, Retail, Restaurants: In Pandemic, Industries Worry about Finding Summer Workers

May 07, 2021

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for a very different you-know-what.…

For When It’s Time

April 23, 2021

OPERATIONS

- View Hotels Revolutionizes Operations With Infor for Enhanced Business Agility and Workplace Flexibility
Infor, the industry cloud company, announced today that View Hotels has deployed Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) and Interfaces across its three Australian Hotels to better leverage the cloud for data insights, marketing and remote working.
www.viewhotels.com     www.infor.com


May 07, 2021

Siegel Sez

If you haven’t seen the HU High Five with Keryn McNamara the VP of Hotel Technology for the 1,500 hotels at Aimbridge Hospitality, I am going to strongly encourage that you watch it. In the first few minutes you will see the best one-word answer ever to one of my offbeat interview questions. I promise you will laugh. Keryn shared many of the Aimbridge initiatives as we now start to see the pandemic move to our rearview mirror. She also shared her thoughts as to why there are so few women in key technology roles in the industry, and if things will ever change. To watch the High Five with Keryn, please click here. If you are like most who are curious about changes in the industry you will watch the whole nine minutes.
 
I thought I was knowledgeable as to what changes are happening in the hotel room when it comes to technology, especially how and what we watch on the television. Then I read Doug Rice’s Definitely Doug column and realized how much I don’t know. We are grateful to Doug for sharing his wisdom with us each week and for those vendors who helped him with this column. It is an eye-opening read.
 
A handful of top industry consultants including Doug will be joining us in Nashville for Hospitality Upgrade’s 16^th annual Executive Vendor Summit. Along with the consultants, there will be six hotel CIOs joining us for an incredibly unique session where everyone will be actively engaged as we discuss the state of the industry. The session format will be very creative. As of today, there are more than 50 technology companies expected and with 10 days to go for registration we expect that number to grow. The conversations with those attending is a true adrenaline rush. The eagerness to travel, to be with peers and interact face to face is beyond belief. No matter what role you have in the industry, hospitality is a people business and the people in this industry are what makes it what we all love. June 9^th will be here before you know it. We are sending a big thank you to the Loews Vanderbilt in Nashville for going above and beyond in accommodating with what we are trying to accomplish this year! If you are a technology vendor for the hotel industry and you might want to join us in Nashville, please email kim@hospitalityupgrade.com today.
 
Here now is Definitely Doug and his look at the changes and challenges in the hotel room today. I will see you at the end with a very different ending. Whoever thought we would close Siegel Sez with a mainstream commercial that is not about hotels, but all about the end of the pandemic? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
 
Rich
Rich@hospitalityupgrade.com


May 07, 2021

Definitely Doug

Over the Top

Not too many sectors of hospitality technology are as much in flux as guest room entertainment. Conventional wisdom of just a few years ago is rapidly changing and will likely continue to do so. Many experts in the space hold zealous but contradictory opinions on which approaches to Over-the-Top (OTT, or streaming) content will dominate in years to come. Many of them will be wrong; a few of them might be right.

For hotels, this means risk. Many hotels need solutions now, but any decisions they make today will likely turn out to be partially or significantly wrong within just a few years. In the current environment, a reasonable payback period for an in-room entertainment (IRE) investment is perhaps as short as two years. My own crystal ball is very hazy; there are forces driving the streaming industry in different directions and no one really knows which ones will prevail. Studios, distributors, streaming networks, consumer and hospitality TV providers, mobile device manufacturers and consumers all have their own agendas, and many of these are mutually incompatible.

OTT content matters. A recent Hub Entertainment study commissioned by HTNG surveyed 1,200 U.S. consumers last fall and found that 18% watched only traditional (linear) content, 18% watched only OTT (streaming) content, and 64% watched both. Another study by Enseo comparing their own hotel installations from summer 2019 to summer 2020 showed a 49% increase in hours watched per hotel room night, but that whereas traditional TV was up 19% to 35% (depending on market segment), streaming was up 68% to 84%. Other IRE providers spoke of similar changes. Hotels that ignore this shift toward OTT do so at their peril.

OTT has been welcomed by many hotels because unlike traditional sources of entertainment, the content is generally cost-free to them as guests bring their own subscriptions from home. Many hotels, especially in some parts of the world, have dropped expensive interactive TV services and all or most premium channels, and now offer only a few linear channels and streaming. However, there is serious debate as to whether the current streaming economic model is sustainable for content providers. It would not surprise me to see streaming content providers find a way to charge hotels in the future, so this is a risk to bear in mind when signing contracts with IRE providers.

Today’s column will try to frame some of the issues around OTT content so that hotels can ask the right questions. As usual, I will not recommend any specific solution, both because there is no ‘one size fits all’ product on the market, and because of the uncertainty around the future consumer and technology trends and business strategies of key players. To be sure, there are dozens of options available in different markets around the world, most of using approaches similar to those discussed here. However, for this article I spoke with some of smartest technology leaders in the hotel IRE field, including senior product executives from Enseo, Hotel Internet Services (BeyondTV), InnSpire, Nevaya, Nonius, and Sonifi. All generously shared sharing their thoughts, identifying the questions that they think you should ask, and why.

Click here to read more of Doug’s column on Over the Top

 

May 07, 2021

FOOD & BEVERAGE

- Hotel Buffets Are Out. Here’s What’s In.
Hotel food and beverage operations have radically changed in the wake of the pandemic. From breakfast buffets to banquet dinners, service has drastically altered to keep guests safe and as stopgap against weaker demand. Several of the adjustments made due to immediate needs are likely to remain in place for the foreseeable future, according to some F&B authorities.
www.hotstats.com


May 21, 2021

Definitely Doug

Rethinking Guest Arrival

For years, hotels have tinkered with every aspect of the guest arrival process, trying to improve service and engagement and offer guests more choice. Few efforts have truly been successful, however. Mobile apps typically apply only to loyalty program members and only a minority use them regularly. Kiosks have been tested for decades but few have achieved much usage except in front-desk-less hotels. Mobile key was much heralded when Starwood launched it in 2014 and has been copied by most major brands, but with few exceptions, guest usage (where offered) remains in single-digit percentages. 

Many hotels are again rethinking the process. Why? Guests want to avoid long lines at the front desk. They may be tired after a long trip and not want to engage in conversation. They may want contactless options because of COVID. Many travelers, especially younger ones, simply prefer self-service options. And today it is no longer just about the guests: staffing constraints that started during COVID now appear likely to worsen as travel recovers, and hotels are actively looking for ways to reduce front desk labor without impacting guest satisfaction.

Too many hotels still offer streamlined arrival processes only to loyalty program members and/or holders of the hotel or brand app. The rationale has been that the benefit of faster check-in would get more guests to download the app, join the loyalty program, and book direct. There is little evidence that this has worked, however. After years of following this strategy, major brands have told me that 80% to 90% of guests do not have the app (or have it but do not use it), and that even most loyalty program members do not use it. When the only choice is an app or the front desk, many guests will choose the front desk. This creates unnecessary friction for the guest and extra work at the hotel.

Hotels often say, “we are in the hospitality business, we want guests to interact with our wonderful hospitality staff upon arrival, not with technology.” I certainly understand this as an objective, but since when is it about what a business wants, as opposed to what their customer wants? Guests who prefer to talk to staff should of course have the choice and ability to do so, and many will. But others want it only sometimes, or not at all. I have never understood the business logic for forcing guests to do something they prefer not to do, that requires expensive staff resources to deliver, and that delivers no significant benefits to the business. Yes, local regulations or practices may require certain things be done that seem to need a front desk (more on that later), but many times that is not the case, and even when it is, there are often more effective ways to comply.

Click here to read more of Doug’s column on Rethinking Guest Arrival

 

May 21, 2021

CORPORATE NEWS

- iVvy Announces AUD$7M (U.S. $5.4M) Pre-IPO Investment Round to Accelerate Global Growth
- Agilysys Reports Fiscal 2021 Fourth Quarter Revenue of $36.3M
- Relay and the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation Launch Relay It Forward Giveback Program
- Fast-growing Senior Living Innovator Acquired to Enhance Leading Community Engagement Technology Platform
--------------------    

iVvy Announces AUD$7M (U.S. $5.4M) Pre-IPO Investment Round to Accelerate Global Growth
iVvy, an innovative, cloud-based event and venue management platform, has raised $7 million Australian dollars (US$5.4 million) in a pre-IPO round to further accelerate the growth of the company’s leading sales and catering software, particularly in the U.S. and European markets. iVvy plans to list on the Australian Securities Exchange within the next 12 months.
www.ivvy.com

Agilysys Reports Fiscal 2021 Fourth Quarter Revenue of $36.3M
Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation cloud-native SaaS and on-premise hospitality software solutions and services, today reported operating results for its fiscal 2021 fourth quarter and fiscal year ended March 31, 2021.
agilysys.com

Relay and the American Hotel & Lodging Foundation Launch Relay It Forward Giveback Program
In exchange for every Relay purchase by a hotel, the voice-first communications software company for frontline workers will sponsor a hotel employee’s training and development in a national partnership with the AHLA Foundation’s Empowering Youth Program.
relaygo.com

Fast-growing Senior Living Innovator Acquired to Enhance Leading Community Engagement Technology Platform
Uniguest, a leading provider of digital engagement technology to multiple end markets, announces the acquisition of US-based Sagely, a market leader in providing user-friendly, data-driven engagement tools for senior living communities.
www.uniguest.com

May 21, 2021

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Knowland Announces Rob Landon as Vice President Engineering
Knowland, a leader in AI-powered group business data for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, announced today the selection of Rob Landon as its vice president of engineering.
www.knowland.com

May 21, 2021

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Investing in the Guest Experience: Wyndham Becomes First Major Hotel Company to Begin Rollout of Oracle’s OPERA Cloud Globally
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with over 8,900 hotels across nearly 95 countries, today announced the roll out of the next-gen Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud Property Management (PMS) to its full-service hotels, making it the first major hotel company to adopt the system globally.
www.wyndhamhotels.com

- Maestro PMS Integration with HelloShift Brings Seamless Guest Messaging and Comprehensive Hotel Operations
Following the impact of the pandemic, hotel guest service and communication is more virtual than ever. The new integration partnership between Maestro PMS and HelloShift brings their mutual clients a guest messaging solution that is simple and intuitive for staff and guests to use.
www.maestropms.com

- Visual Matrix Adds Staff Productivity Tracking and Guest Texting Features to All-in-one PMS Solution
Innovator of cloud-based PMS technology provides labor resource-strapped hoteliers with advanced tools needed to effortlessly adapt to the uptick in guest bookings.
www.vmpms.com

September 04, 2020

CORPORATE NEWS

- Shiji Group and MCR Announce Agreement on the $46 Million Purchase of StayNTouch
Shiji Group, a global hospitality technology provider, today announces it has reached a definitive agreement to sell StayNTouch to MCR, the fifth-largest hotel owner-operator in the United States, for the purchase price of $46 Million, including potential earnouts.
www.shijigroup.com

September 04, 2020

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Neil Murray Joins GuestTek as Vice President Strategic Partnerships
GuestTek Interactive Entertainment Ltd., the global leader in providing innovative and interactive technology solutions for the hospitality industry, is pleased to announce and welcome Neil Murray as Vice President (of) Strategic Partnerships. As Vice President (of) Strategic Partnerships, Neil will be responsible for the development of key strategic relationships and expansion of our International Markets.
www.guesttek.com

- Richard Sprecher to Head Meyer Jabara Hotels Development Effort From New Chicago Office
Meyer Jabara Hotels (MJH), a multi-branded hotel management and ownership company, has appointed Richard Sprecher to Vice President of Development. The 40-year hospitality veteran will focus on growing the company’s third-party hotel management contracts, as well as structuring joint venture agreements, obtaining hotel receivership assignments, and identifying hotels the company should acquire. Operating from MJH’s new development office in Rolling Meadows, Ill., Sprecher will also spearhead a new distressed asset division — Hospitality Strategic Services LLC — designed to assist banks and special servicers in dealing effectively with hotel assets in their portfolios.
www.meyerjabarahotels.com

September 04, 2020

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

- McDreams Optimizes Revenue Management with Infor
Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry, today announced that it is equipping the family-owned McDreams hotel group with Infor EzRMS, Infor's powerful cloud-based revenue management solution. Infor EzRMS uses deep learning AI to provide enhanced revenue management functionalities and helps to improve guest service.
www.infor.com

- Boutique Resort, Belvedere Hotel Mykonos Turns to IDeaS to Manage, Control and Maximize Data
One of the “Leading Hotels of the World,” the Belvedere Hotel Mykonos has selected IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System (RMS) to manage, control and maximize data. It also selected Revenue Architect, a revenue performance analysis service conducted by the IDeaS Advisory Services team.
www.ideas.com

September 04, 2020

GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY

- McLaren Technologies Leads Forward-Thinking, Tech-Driven Strategy at the Iconic Byron at Byron
- VIX’s Latino Content Now Available in Over 500,000 U.S. Hotel Rooms on SONIFI Platform
- Mohegan Sun Adopts Wireless eTray Technology by Bartech to Provide Guests with Convenient and Safe In-room Purchase Options
- Hotel G San Francisco Adopts BeyondTV GuestCast™ by Hotel Internet Services to Maximize Competitive Edge in Guestroom Entertainment Content Personalization
- The Gale South Beach Adds Volara + Google Contactless Guest Engagement Solution in Preparation for Reopening
- Enseo's Technology Investment Pays Off with New Patents and Touchless Technology Launched in Hotel Rooms Around the World
- Google + Volara Enabling Voice Based Contactless Guest Engagement and Touchless Room Controls

----------------------

McLaren Technologies Leads Forward-Thinking, Tech-Driven Strategy at the Iconic Byron at Byron
Three reasons why Byron at Byron, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort, will reopen as Australia’s most luxe post-pandemic hotel haven this spring.
www.mclarenint.com   www.intelity.com

VIX’s Latino Content Now Available in Over 500,000 U.S. Hotel Rooms on SONIFI Platform
VIX announced that its Video On Demand (VOD) content is now available through SONIFI’s guest entertainment platform in over 500,000 U.S. hotel rooms.
sonifi.com

Mohegan Sun Adopts Wireless eTray Technology by Bartech to Provide Guests with Convenient and Safe In-room Purchase Options
Bartech, the leader in automatic minibar solutions for the global hospitality industry, has partnered with the Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort to implement its advanced eTray solution, an innovative platform that allows hoteliers to sell non-refrigerated products within the guestroom without the need for an existing minibar.
www.bartech.com

Hotel G San Francisco Adopts BeyondTV GuestCast™ by Hotel Internet Services to Maximize Competitive Edge in Guestroom Entertainment Content Personalization
Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions, has announced the successful implementation of BeyondTV GuestCast™ at Hotel G San Francisco, a trend-setting lifestyle hotel located in the heart of San Francisco.
www.hotelwifi.com

The Gale South Beach Adds Volara + Google Contactless Guest Engagement Solution in Preparation for Reopening
Menin Hospitality is embracing the voice-based on-command solution for its ability to boost operating efficiency, drive revenues, and deliver a contactless guest experience.
volara.io

Enseo's Technology Investment Pays Off with New Patents and Touchless Technology Launched in Hotel Rooms Around the World
Enseo®, one of the fastest growing technology service providers in the U.S., celebrates big wins during the COVID Crisis. Enseo has earned more than 10 new patents in 2020, including multiple patents related to touchless technology and remote control.
enseo.com

Google + Volara Enabling Voice Based Contactless Guest Engagement and Touchless Room Controls
Partnership between Google and Volara is enabling hotels across the globe to deploy the best of Google, including a contactless guest engagement and touchless room controls solution that facilitates private, automated and live, conversational interactions between hotel guests and staff.
volara.io

September 04, 2020

MARKETING

- Lodging Interactive Launches All-Inclusive Subscription Based Digital Marketing Services for Hotels
HotelSiteXPRESS provides fast, affordable website development and digital marketing services enabling any size property to effectively compete within their marketplace.
HotelSiteXPRESS.com

September 04, 2020

SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS

- ProfitSword and Infor Partner to Provide Hoteliers with Enhanced Business Intelligence Insight into Group Room, Banquet and Catering Revenue Performance
ProfitSword, a premier developer of hospitality-related business intelligence and data integration software, has partnered with Infor, a leading provider of global cloud business software, to equip hoteliers with the latest in group room, banquet and catering business performance analysis technology.
profitsword.com

- Knowland Announces Prospector, A Solution to Help Select Service and Boutique Hotels Source Group Business
Knowland, a leader in group hospitality analytics for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, announced the launch of Knowland Prospector, a prospecting solution designed for select service and boutique hotels to increase occupancy and meeting room revenue in today’s highly-constrained market.
www.knowland.com

- More Than 30,000 Event and Hospitality Professionals Have Been Trained or Cvent Certified Across More Than 70,000 Educational Courses Since March 2020
Cvent extends its free training and certification offer through December 31, 2020 to give industry professionals the tools they need to adapt to the current environment and prepare for the future.
cvent.com

September 04, 2020

OPERATIONS

- ALICE Creates Free Digital Hotel Operations Checklists for Hoteliers
ALICE, the hospitality industry’s leading hotel management and operations platform, has just published the Ultimate COVID-19 Hotel Operations Digital Checklist for hoteliers. With more than 15 checklists available, hoteliers can download and start using them immediately.
www.aliceplatform.com

- ALICE Releases Free Hotel Preventative Maintenance Checklist
As hotels resume operations after periods of low occupancy or temporary closures, saving on capital expenditures with regular preventative maintenance will be essential for hotels.
www.aliceplatform.com

September 04, 2020

HUMAN RESOURCES

- Hotel Effectiveness Partners with Global Industry Leader Aimbridge Hospitality
- React Mobile, CommScope Collaborate to Protect Workers, Drive IoT Innovation
- Aspire's Winning Virtual Learning Innovation
- SIXTY Hotels is ‘Always Open’ and Keeping Workers Safe via Technology and More

----------------------

- Hotel Effectiveness Partners with Global Industry Leader Aimbridge Hospitality
Hotel Effectiveness, a leading provider of labor management software for the hotel industry, announces it has partnered with Aimbridge Hospitality, the leading, global, third party hotel management company. Through this new partnership, Hotel Effectiveness will deliver optimized labor costs for many of the company’s 1,400+ hotels.
hoteleffectiveness.com

- React Mobile, CommScope Collaborate to Protect Workers, Drive IoT Innovation
React Mobile and CommScope are joining forces to provide a flexible and cost-effective solution for keeping workers safe. Employee safety is of the utmost importance to businesses across many industries such as hospitality, healthcare and education.
www.reactmobile.com

- Aspire's Winning Virtual Learning Innovation
"Overwhelmed, afraid, and confused," are some of the emotions employees are feeling as they venture back to work. "I want to do a good job, and so many protocols and expectations have changed. It makes me feel incompetent."
www.poweredbyaspire.com

- SIXTY Hotels is ‘Always Open’ and Keeping Workers Safe via Technology and More
In Episode 4 of the React Mobile “New World, New Employee Safety Culture” webcast series, SIXTY Hotels Vice President of Operations Christopher Horn shares with React Mobile CEO Robb Monkman a host of ways that its employees are being protected at Sixty Soho, Sixty LES, and Sixty Beverly Hills.
www.reactmobile.com

September 04, 2020

SECURITY

- SALTO Adds Antimicrobial Technology to SALTO Neo Cylinder Range
Leading electronic access control solutions manufacturer SALTO Systems, and BioCote, the market-leading antimicrobial technology supplier, have added antimicrobial technology to the new SALTO Neo Cylinder Range. As a result, SALTO and BioCote offer buildings increased protection against microbes to support a cleaner and more hygienic environment.
www.saltosystems.com

September 04, 2020

HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS

- HFTP Announces 2020 Paragon Award Recipient – Ian Millar, CHTP
Ian Millar, CHTP was selected as the 2020 Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) Paragon Award recipient for his unwavering support of the association and substantial contributions to increase knowledge sharing and promote growth in the hospitality industry at large, specifically amongst students and hospitality professionals within Europe.
www.hftp.org

August 21, 2020

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

- London’s Luxurious Ritz Hotel Hackers Target Upmarket Restaurant Diners
- Habitas Reveals New 3D Printed Luxury Hotel in Todos Santos, Mexico
- Hotel Robots Become Frontline Workers as Pandemic Grinds On
- Senior Living Industry Seeks to Expand a COVID-19 Hospitality Hiring Wave

---------------------

London’s Luxurious Ritz Hotel Hackers Target Upmarket Restaurant Diners
Habitas Reveals New 3D Printed Luxury Hotel in Todos Santos, Mexico
Hotel Robots Become Frontline Workers as Pandemic Grinds On
Senior Living Industry Seeks to Expand a COVID-19 Hospitality Hiring Wave

August 21, 2020

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what.… 

Father O'Malley rose from his bed one morning.
He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a deep breath of the beautiful day outside.
He then noticed there was a donkey lying dead in the middle of his front lawn.
He promptly called the local police station.

The conversation went like this:
"Good morning. This is Sergeant Jones. How might I help you?"

"And the best of the day te yerself. This is Father O'Malley at St.
Ann's Catholic Church. There's a donkey lying dead in me front lawn
and would ye be so kind as to send a couple o'yer lads to take care of
the matter?"

Sergeant Jones, considering himself to be quite a wit and recognizing
the Irish accent, thought he would have a little fun with the good
father, so he replied:
"Well now Father, it was always my impression that you people took
care of the last rites!"

September 04, 2020

Definitely Doug

Invisible Innovation

Writing this column every two weeks typically takes me on a journey of discovery. I learn about innovations, find new technologies, and look at a wide diversity of products. Inevitably this involves a lot of web research to identify both core technologies and applications, and the different vendors offering solutions.

This week I want to address some of the vendors who are selling these solutions. Hoteliers who have searched for new technologies will likely have shared some of the frustrations I will describe.

For my last article, I looked at 61 different companies offering guest messaging solutions. My research involved, among other things, combing through 61 websites. I already knew some of these companies and that some of the products were very interesting, but I was astonished at how poorly some of their websites marketed them. This isn’t the first time I’ve noticed this by any means, but doing 61 in one week really drove home the issue. These companies are operating in a crowded field and are fighting for attention. Yet some of their really cool and innovative products are either poorly presented or, worse, totally invisible on the web.

To be sure, this is not a universal problem, and many of the websites are great. But it makes me sad when I find out later about a great product that had been hidden from my view when I was actively looking for it.

As a blogger, I may not be in the market to buy your technology, but I nevertheless look at it much like a buyer might. So, if your goal is to get more sales, you should know what you might be doing wrong. And even if you’re one of the ones doing it mostly right, you might get some helpful ideas for making your website more effective.






Douglas Rice
Email: douglas.rice@hosptech.net
Twitter: @dougrice
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ricedouglas/




September 04, 2020

BACK OFFICE

- ProfitSword Launches Hospitality Recovery Dashboard to Provide Industry with Insight into Real-time Market Performance and Future Outlook
ProfitSword, a leading developer of business intelligence and data integration software, has unveiled its designing of an advanced hospitality market performance dashboard that can aggregate real-time metrics from businesses across the industry to present a comprehensive analysis of how recovery efforts are progressing and what hoteliers can expect from the marketplace in upcoming months.
www.profitsword.com

- Gayle Edwards of PAS Named B4B Top Sales Person of the Year by Professional Advantage
For the financial year 2020, Professional Advantage, a global financial management software and services provider, has given its award for Top Sales Person of the Year for B4B to Gayle Edwards of PAS (Professional Accounting Solutions).
www.profact.com

- Carver Hotel Group Announces New Staffing Alternative to Help Clients Impacted by J-1 and H2B Visa Changes
CHG, a division of The Carver Companies, will now offer preferred clients SWATkeepers and SWATservers as alternatives to J-1 and H2B visa staffing. “CHG has always been a leading Task Force agency that works quickly to create solutions for our clients’ changing needs,” said Chief Development Officer Charlene “Charley” Carter.
www.thecarvercompanies.com

September 04, 2020

GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

- Maestro PMS Offers 24/7 Guest Engagement and Outreach with Integration to Fetch Feedback App
To create instant and ongoing communication between hoteliers and travelers, as well as internal staff operations, Maestro PMS, a leader in cloud and on-premise property-management system solutions for independent hotels and luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups, has partnered with Fetch to provide a digital hub to enhance guest engagement, communication, and operations.
maestropms.com

September 04, 2020

RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION

- Sunway Hotels and Resorts Signs Three Year Agreement with Amadeus to Boost Efficiency and Customer Loyalty
Amadeus, an industry-leading provider of hospitality technology solutions, has announced a new agreement with Sunway Hotels & Resorts, one of Asia’s most prominent international hotel groups, to deliver a comprehensive technology solution enabling them to streamline reservations and loyalty programs across Sunway’s 11 independent properties in Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as future developments which include a new hotel in Malaysia’s southern state of Johor, scheduled to launch in 2021.
www.amadeus.com

September 04, 2020

Siegel Sez

Every week I talk to many hotel technology leaders and the conversations go all over the place. I love asking them when they think the pandemic will end and pretty much it is always the same answer -- as soon as there is a vaccine. If you want some interesting reading, then Google, when will the COVID-19 vaccine be available?
 
We’ve heard news reports recently about possibly October/November but what does that really mean? It is interesting but can be added to one more thing that is unknown during these trying times. This conversation was brought up recently with Scott Strickland the CIO at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts who I roped into doing our latest Hospitality Upgrade High Five released today. Scott shared a great deal about what Wyndham went through and also its focus on technology during the pandemic. It is interesting to hear how Wyndham has moved forward with many projects, as we all know some projects need to be completed as we prepare for the industry rebound which will happen. It is definitely worth 10 minutes to watch our interview. Click here for the HU High Five with Wyndham.
 
For some reason I am quite excited about Cyber HITEC (www.cyberhitec.org) this year. Of course, it is also going to make me miss the once a year gathering of technology professionals who travel from all over the world to attend but considering it will be done virtually it looks very cool. I saw a short demo and the exhibit hall is pretty amazing. You actually get to “walk” into a booth and have a private conversation with the exhibitor. Hospitality Upgrade and Hotel Online will have a booth so please come by and visit. It might be fun but no doubt it will be interesting. Virtual or not, it is always fun to catch up with those from the industry. I have been entrusted to create a couple of creative sessions for HITEC which will include technology leaders from the hotel and vendor sides. I will hold off on the session details until the final pieces of the puzzle are completed but I promise to make the sessions interesting. My fingers are crossed that it works out the way I hope.
 
Check out Doug Rice’s blog and the latest technology news. I love Doug’s thoughts and views on industry issues but can’t say I totally agree with him on this one. You can read through and let me know your thoughts by sending a note to rich@hospitalityupgrade.com.
 
Here now is the latest news and happenings in the world of technology for the hospitality industry. I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you-know-what. It is Labor Day weekend here in the States, so I guess on Tuesday summer is over. What a strange season it has been but hopefully things will get better sooner than later. We can hope.
 
Stay well!
 
Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com


September 04, 2020

PIQUED OUR INTEREST

 
- COVID-19 Hit the Hotel Industry Hard. Here’s How Hotels are Pivoting in the New Reality
- Hotel Owner-Operator to Acquire PMS Company StayNTouch
- Contactless Self-Services Are Here to Stay After COVID-19
- Travelers on the Move Again - PwC Traveler Sentiment Survey

---------------------


 
COVID-19 Hit the Hotel Industry Hard. Here’s How Hotels are Pivoting in the New Reality
Hotel Owner-Operator to Acquire PMS Company StayNTouch
Contactless Self-Services Are Here to Stay After COVID-19
Travelers on the Move Again - PwC Traveler Sentiment Survey

September 04, 2020

COMMUNICATIONS

And now for you-know-what.… 


A golf story

The Pope met with his Cardinals to discuss a proposal from Benjamin
Netanyahu, the leader of Israel.

"Your Holiness," said one of his Cardinals, "Mr. Netanyahu wants to
challenge you to a game of golf to show the friendship and ecumenical spirit
shared by the Jewish and Catholic faiths".

The Pope thought this was a good idea, but he had never held a golf club in
his hand. "Don't we have a Cardinal to represent me? " he asked.

"None that plays very well," a Cardinal replied.

"But," he added, "there is a man named Jack Nicklaus, an American golfer
who is a devout Catholic. We can offer to make him a Cardinal, and then ask
him to play Mr. Netanyahu as your personal representative. In addition to
showing our spirit of cooperation, we'll also win the match."

Everyone agreed it was a good idea, and the call was made. Of course,
Nicklaus was honored to be made a Cardinal, and agreed to play.

The day after the match, Cardinal Nicklaus reported to the Vatican to inform
the Pope of the result.  "I have some good news and some bad news, your
Holiness," said the golfer.

"Tell me the good news first, Cardinal Nicklaus," said the Pope.

"Well, your Holiness, I don't like to brag. Even though I've played some
pretty terrific rounds of golf in my life, this was the best I have ever
played, by far. I must have been inspired from above. My drives were long
and true, my irons were accurate and purposeful, and my putting was perfect.
I played like I was 30 years old again. With all due respect, my play was
truly miraculous."

"And what's the bad news?" the Pope asked.

Nicklaus sighed. "I lost to Rabbi Tiger Woods."

September 18, 2020

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Cox Business’ Blueprint RF Welcomes New Senior Sales Leader Blueprint RF Sales Director Kathy Hatala
Blueprint RF, a Cox Business company, announced the appointment of Kathy Hatala as its new director of sales. In this role, she will lead Blueprint RF’s sales efforts with a renewed focus on developing and nurturing relationships with national brands, property management groups and local leadership teams within the Hospitality industry.
www.blueprintrf.com

- Technology Finance Veteran Aman Kothari Joins Sojern as Chief Financial Officer
Sojern, a leading provider of digital marketing solutions for travel, today announced that technology finance veteran Aman Kothari has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In his new role, Kothari will oversee all aspects of finance, including financial planning and analysis, accounting, tax, and treasury.
www.sojern.com

September 18, 2020

COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE

- GuestTek Announces Collaboration with IT Hospitality for Middle East and Africa Region
GuestTek Interactive Entertainment Ltd., the global leader in providing innovative and interactive technology solutions for the hospitality industry, is pleased to announce the collaboration with IT Hospitality for the Middle East and Africa region. With over 20 years’ experience operating within the hospitality industry, they have an unsurpassed wealth of knowledge of the region and coupled with GuestTek, will be a formidable partnership.
www.guesttek.com

- The Lodge at Tiburon Partners with Hotel Internet Services to Upgrade Its Guest Wi-Fi With High Speed Network Capabilities
Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced the successful upgrade of guest Wi-Fi services at The Lodge at Tiburon.
www.hotelwifi.com

September 18, 2020

OPERATIONS

- Quore Deemed Essential at Holiday Inn Detroit Northwest to Uphold Guest Experience During Pandemic
Quore, a leading provider of workflow management and productivity tools for hotels, was determined to be an indispensable tool for the staff at the Holiday Inn Detroit Northwest while navigating the challenges brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic. Quore was temporarily suspended but quickly brought back when guest satisfaction suffered.
www.quore.com

- Boston Laundry Inc. Grows Client Base and Improves Services Installing the InvoTech Laundry System
InvoTech Systems Inc. announced the recent implementation of its Laundry System at Boston Laundry Inc. in Medford, Massachusetts. The InvoTech System installed at Boston Laundry Inc. manages the Laundry inventory and the rental activity for thousands of items daily, and the Laundry joins InvoTech’s extensive client portfolio of laundry, uniform & linen services worldwide.
www.invotech.com

September 18, 2020

HUMAN RESOURCES

- Beekeeper Webinar to Showcase Some Technology Must-Haves of the Next Normal
Together with its marketplace partners Lua and SalesBoost, employee communication hub Beekeeper will showcase some of the tools every hotel needs on the road to recovery.
www.beekeeper.io

June 30, 2006

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Clive Taylor joins EasyRMS as director of sales and operations
- Kimberly Enright hired as marketing director at Certain Software
- Bill Oates named to Passkey’s board of directors
--------------------------

Clive Taylor has joined EasyRMS as director of sales and operations.  Mr. Taylor has over 10 years in the hospitality industry, serving most recently as CIO for Extended Stay Hotels and in various IT oversight roles for the Blackstone Group’s other properties including the Boca Resorts.  He was earlier IT director with The Savoy Group in London.
**
Kimberly Enright has been hired as marketing director at Certain Software.  Ms. Enright brings more than 20 years of experience in enterprise sales, marketing and business development, most recently in developing marketing programs for top Silicon Valley technology companies.  Earlier, she had managed global alliances and product marketing at Siemens, served as vice president, marketing and alliance development at Zacson
Corp., and held several positions within IBM’s sales and marketing departments.
**
Bill Oates has been named to Passkey’s board of directors and head of its technology committee.  The former senior vice president and chief information officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Mr. Oates held a number of posts at ITT Sheraton and Starwood as he progressed through the information technology organizations during his 25 years of experience as an IT professional.
**

June 30, 2006

RESERVATIONS

- TravelCLICK introduces iStay, upgraded version of OneScreen Web booking engine
- TravelCLICK introduces RateADVISOR rate recommendation tool
- West Paces Hotel Group to implement TravelCLICK’s iHotelier CRS
- Kahala Hotel and Resort in Honolulu, Hawaii, selects TravelCLICK’s iHotelier CRS
- Dorchester Group orders Serenata link between Voyager CRS and Fidelio PMSs
- Trust.Wizcom implements Web services interface between Voyager CRS and IDeaS RMS
- InnLink CRS announces multiple enhancements
- LeisureLink selects Eydeas’ Connect system to link to vacation rental property companies
- Booking Booster to release online portal for managing multiple extranet partners
- SynXis partners with Nirvana Technology for single itinerary booking of rooms and activities
- SynXis releases version 5.0 of RedX Distribution Management System
- SynXis announces Property Connect and Channel Connect integration products
-------------------------------------------

TravelCLICK has introduced iStay, an upgraded version of its OneScreen Web booking engine that includes hotel packages and enhanced stay options on the same screen as room reservations. 

TravelCLICK has introduced its RateADVISOR rate recommendation tool, developed in collaboration with IDeaS.  Incorporated into TravelCLICK's RateVIEW shopping solution, RateADVISOR suggests a range of optimal rates of the day for various hotel occupancy levels. 

The West Paces Hotel Group, founded by Horst Schulze and other former Ritz-Carlton executives, is implementing TravelCLICK’s iHotelier CRS for Web site and GDS reservations, as well as market intelligence and marketing systems for decision support and demand growth for seven managed properties in the U.S. and Germany and three Solms brand hotels. 

The 345-room Kahala Hotel and Resort in Honolulu, Hawaii, has selected the iHotelier central reservation system.  The property also uses TravelCLICK's market intelligence solutions.  www.westpaceshotels.com, www.kahalaresort.com, www.ideas.com, www.travelclick.net
**
The Dorchester Group has ordered Serenata’s Voyager CRS Integration to automate the reservation flow from Trust.Wizcom’s Voyager CRS and all connected channels to the Micros-Fidelio PMSs at the respective hotels.  A second implementation phase is planned to implement NetHotel Central Profile to ensure automatic profile synchronization between the PMSs and the Voyager CRS. 

Trust.Wizcom has implemented a Web services interface between its Voyager Central Reservation System (CRS) and IDeaS’ revenue management solution.  www.dorchestergrouphotels.com, www.serenata.com, www.wizcom.com
**
InnLink CRS announced enhancements to its channel distribution management tool for increased flexibility in both horizontal and vertical distribution channels.  New features include an improved RESmatrix graphical customer data management tool, revASSIST Competitive Rate Shopping for up to seven competitive hotels, enhanced length of stay “sell-through” and "no-arrival" controls, online invoicing and dispute resolution, online training, high occupancy vs. room-type displays, a base rate modifier, vLINK voice services, callASSIST periodic call forwarding, enhanced group/tour desk, improved iLINK booking engine, an alternate property display, eLINK electronic reservation services and new package handling solutions.  www.innlink.com
**
LeisureLink has selected Eydeas Technology’s Connect system to link vacation rental property and timeshare companies to LeisureLink’s electronic marketplace for booking vacation rental properties.  In addition to established connections to First Resort Software and PAR Springer-Miller Systems, Eydeas will add new connections to other property management systems that serve this market.  LeisureLink currently links vacation rental suppliers with over 180,000 travel agencies and with 26 million consumers worldwide.  www.leisurelink.com, www.eydeas.net
**
Booking Booster announced the impending release of its online portal for managing multiple extranet partners.  Add-on applications include a hotel Web site with real-time room availability, search-engine optimized and with an integrated pay-per-click (PPC) Web marketing campaign, with Google as partner.  www.bookingbooster.com
**
SynXis has partnered with Nirvana Technology to allow travelers to book activity-based reservations (spa services, dining, transportation, golf, fitness, tennis, etc.) in conjunction with guest rooms in a single itinerary. 

SynXis released version 5.0 of its RedX Distribution Management System with enhancements for quicker and easier navigation, more efficient revenue management capabilities and faster system response times.

SynXis announced its Property Connect and Channel Connect integration products.  Property Connect integrates reservations from RedX to a property’s PMS, yield management, CRM and spa/golf reservation functions.  Channel Connect links RedX directly to third party travel sites such as Travelocity and Groople, as well as custom built booking engines. www.nirvana-technology.com, www.synxis.com
**

June 30, 2006

MARKETING/MANAGEMENT

- Agilysys announces Cognos-based Hospitality Business Intelligence system
- BDL Hotel Group implementing Serenata’s NetHotel and @mail
- TravelCLICK announces paid search with continuously optimize key word selection
- Grand Heritage Hotel Group implementing Clairvoyix’s database marketing application
- Clairvoyix upgrades its Knowledge Factory (CKF) and Hospitality Solution (CHS)
- Ginn Clubs and Resorts installs Datavision at all clubs and resorts and the corporate office
- Great Wolf Resorts installs Datavision at all locations
- Meyer Jabara Hotels orders Cendyn eConnectivity middleware for 24 hotels plus call center
- Peabody Hotels implements UniFocus’ GUESTScope at three properties
- Cultuzz GmbH contracts with Leonardo for rich media content for hotels on eBay Travel

Agilysys announced its Hospitality Business Intelligence system, based on Cognos 8, to integrate and analyze data from its Lodging Management System (LMS) and Materials Management System (MMS).  The system also provides customized executive dashboards.  www.agilysys.com
**
The UK-based BDL Hotel Group is implementing Serenata’s NetHotel product suite and Serenata @mail in all newly opened Ramada hotels in the United Kingdom and Ireland, interfaced with Brilliant Hotelsoftware’s PMPro PMS.  http://www.bdlmanagement.co.uk, www.myhotelsoftware.com, www.serenata.com
**
TravelCLICK announced new paid search technology to continuously optimize key word selection in Internet marketing campaigns for the hotel industry.  Customers receive trackable measurement of all online and offline (call center reservation) activity generated directly from paid search campaigns.  Enhanced tracking metrics gauge actual room revenue generated by paid Internet search marketing campaigns implemented by
TravelCLICK. www.travelclick.net
**
The Grand Heritage Hotel Group is implementing Clairvoyix’s database marketing application to focus its marketing effort by identifying its best guests and their spending habits.  Grand Heritage was introduced to Clairvoyix by Digital Alchemy, which already provides them with e-marketing and customer relationship management tools under a June 2005 alliance to cross-market their products.  All Grand Heritage properties currently use Digital Alchemy’s e-marketing and CRM tools, and will all shortly be live with the Clairvoyix Hospitality Solution.

Clairvoyix has released upgrades for its Clairvoyix Knowledge Factory (CKF) and Clairvoyix Hospitality Solution (CHS).  CKF Version 4.0 includes a new option for importing validated data by specific request, such as e-mail only or phone number only, if a physical address is not present, and enables multiple data fields to be updated via the normal import processing.  CHS Version 3.8.1 now allows hoteliers to access past guest data rapidly using intuitive search engine triggers, exclude offers going to guests who already have a reservation, and preview e-blast creative prior to campaign execution and send a test e-mail.  CHS also runs on the most current version of Microsoft’s .Net development platform.  www.grandheritageinternational.com, www.data2gold.com, www.clairvoyix.com
**
Ginn Clubs and Resorts has installed Datavision Technologies’ DVEnterprise suite of products for use at all Ginn clubs and resorts and at the corporate office.  DVEnterprise collects and warehouses data from on-property systems such as the PMS, golf, spa, point-of-sale, sales and catering and payroll, and allows consolidated viewing in one integrated platform via Excel spreadsheets, browser-based reports and highly graphical dashboards. 

Great Wolf Resorts in Madison, WI has installed Datavision’ DVEnterprise suite to collect and warehouse data from systems such as PMS, POS, spa, central reservations and back office.  Data is collected from all systems at the local level and used in a data warehouse at the head office. http://www.ginncompany.com, www.greatwolfresortsinc.com, www.datavisiontech.com
**
Meyer Jabara Hotels has ordered Cendyn’s eConnectivity middleware platform for its 24 hotel properties and call center in the U.S.  eConnectivity integrates Cendyn products with a hotel’s PMS, S&C, CRS, Web booking engines, back office, reporting and other systems, to push system data and important events proactively to an intelligent messaging system.  www.meyerjabarahotels.com, www.cendyn.com
**
Peabody Hotels has implemented UniFocus’ GUESTScope guest satisfaction measurement and reporting service at its three properties in Orlando, Memphis and Little Rock.  www.peabodyhotelgroup.com, www.unifocus.com
**
Cultuzz GmbH, a seller of accommodation content on eBay, has contracted with Leonardo Media for customized delivery of rich media content for hotels featured within the eBay travel category.  www.cultuzz.com, www.leonardo.com
**

June 30, 2006

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

- TravelCLICK introduces RateADVISOR rate recommendation tool in collaboration with IDeaS
- IDeaS releases version 3.0 of Revenue Optimization system
- IDeaS implements Web services interface with Trust.Wizcom Voyager CRS
- Manugistics rolls out Unconstrained Demand Forecasting pricing optimization tool
- Manugistics acquired by JDA Software Group
- Dorchester Group Hotels implement EzRMS at three properties
- Ritz London implements EzRMS’ Internet Product Suite
- Coral Beach Hotel & Resort becomes EzRMS’ first client in Cyprus
- Intrawest deploying HBSI’s Demand Management at 11 resort properties
- SynXis offering revenue management services to RedX customers
- Xotels launches Online Revenue Management Community and Forum

TravelCLICK has introduced its RateADVISOR rate recommendation tool, developed in collaboration with IDeaS.  Incorporated into TravelCLICK's RateVIEW shopping solution, RateADVISOR suggests a range of optimal rates of the day for various hotel occupancy levels.

IDeaS has released version 3.0 of its Revenue Optimization system.  Enhancements include three new modules: IDeaS Budgeting Module to evaluate a hotel’s performance throughout the year, Managing Group Business for an improved evaluation of various dates and ancillary revenue streams from potential group business, and IDeaS Learning System for V5, a convenient, highly customizable e-learning system for scalable product training and ongoing support.

IDeaS has implemented a Web services interface between its revenue management system and TRUST.WIZCOM’s Voyager Central Reservation System, to transmit IDeaS’ pricing and revenue information automatically to Voyager.  www.travelclick.net, www.wizcom.com, www.ideas.com
**
Manugistics Group announced the roll out of its Unconstrained Demand Forecasting pricing optimization tool for the hospitality and travel industries. The new application predicts forecasted demand more accurately to allow hotel and travel companies to set limits on lower value customer segments to increase RevPAR. 

JDA Software Group has acquired the Manugistics Group.  JDA currently offers a range of advertising, pricing and promotion management solutions to retail and consumer goods companies, and will roll Manugistics’ price optimization capabilities into those arenas.  JDA will continue to work with Manugistics on revenue management systems for the travel, transportation, hospitality and entertainment industries; Manugistics’ current hospitality clients include Harrah's Entertainment.  www.manugistics.com, www.jda.com
**
The Dorchester Group Hotels, London has implemented EzRMS’ Internet Product Suite at its properties in London, Paris and Milan.  Its Beverly Hills property will cut over in July, and a second Paris property later this year. 

The Ritz London has implemented EzRMS’ Internet Product Suite at its property in London’s Mayfair district, interfaced with its MICROS-Fidelio Opera PMS system.

The 421-room Coral Beach Hotel & Resort has implemented EzRMS’ Core Module and Ez-QUOTE and Ez-COMPETE modules at the property in Coral Bay in Cyprus.  This is EasyRMS’ first client in Cyprus. 
www.dorchestergrouphotels.com, www.theritzlondon.com, www.coral.com.cy, www.easyrms.com
**
Intrawest Corp is deploying Hotel Booking Solutions Incorporated’s (HBSI’s) demand management technologies and services at its 11 resort properties, with a single interface through the demand gateway for the real-time exchange of availability, rates and restrictions.  Intrawest will incorporate 16 channels in the first phase of the initiative, representing a substantial portion of its demand generators.  www.intrawest.com, www.hotelbookingsolutions.com
**
SynXis is offering revenue management services to customers who would like more assistance in leveraging SynXis’ distribution network.  Services range from brief focused projects to broader long term engagements, and cover advice on using ecommerce programs effectively, analyzing distribution strategies and channel management processes, and performing all revenue management functions.  www.synxis.com
**
Xotels has launched an Online Revenue Management Community and Forum operated by wiwih.com (Who Is Who In Hospitality), a community platform for the hotel and travel industry operated by HSyndicate.org.  The forum is an interactive platform to discuss revenue management market trends, ideas and best practices, and will feature job vacancies, audioblogs, related industry news and resources such as books and publications.  www.xotels.com, www.wiwih.com
**

June 30, 2006

F&B/POINT OF SALE

- Louvre Hotels to deploy MICROS 3700, mymicros.net and OPERA in 210 hotels
- Squirrel and HIS to provide more seamless integration between POS and PMS systems
- Treasure Island chooses Capton’s Beverage Tracker system for all casino bars
- Capton partners with Lone Tree Technology, releases POS Integration Module
- Peabody Hotel Group upgrades HSI Profit Series POS at properties in Memphis and Orlando

Louvre Hotels will deploy MICROS Systems’ 3700 Point of Sale/Enterprise Management, mymicros.net and OPERA PMS and Reservation System (ORS) in all its 210 company owned hotels by the end of September 2006.  Louvre also designated MICROS as preferred vendor solution for the entire chain, which represents approximately 750 budget hotels in France (806 including the rest of Europe) under the Kyriad, Campanile and Premiere Classe brands.  All systems will be centrally hosted at MICROS-Fidelio’s Data Center in Frankfurt, Germany.  www.louvrehotels.com, www.micros.com
**
Squirrel Systems and Hotel Information Systems have partnered to provide more seamless integration between their PMS and POS systems, under the name of epitome Food and Beverage Management  System Powered by Squirrel Systems.  The eFBMSPSS includes the SquirrelOne POS with IP connectivity to HIS’ epitome PMS under a common user interface that allows users to access both PMS and POS features seamlessly at any time.  HIS’ service team will provide support for both systems.  www.squirrelsystems.com, www.hotelinfosys.com
**
Treasure Island (TI) Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, has chosen Capton's RFID-based Beverage Tracker system to monitor beverage operations in its casino bars, following a 30-day pilot installation in one bar.  Beverage Tracker is a spout-based RFID device that accurately measures what brand was poured and how many ounces go into every drink. 

Capton announced a partnership with Lone Tree Technology, a consulting, integration and software development firm, and the release of a POS integration module developed as a joint venture between the companies.  The POS integration module combines Capton’s liquor pouring information with item sales information from standard POS solutions to allow clients to define drink recipes and monitor common liquor shrinkage problems such as substitutions and free drinks. www.treasureisland.com, www.captoninc.com
**
The Peabody Hotel Group (PHG) has upgraded the Hospitality Solutions International (HSI) Profit Series POS software at its properties in Memphis, Tenn., and Orlando, Fla., and has begun upgrades at franchised locations.  www.peabodyhotelgroup.com, www.hsi-solutions.com
**

June 30, 2006

GUEST SERVICES

- Four Seasons Hotel in Miami installs Tiare’s intelliChaise Personal Ordering System
- Peninsula Hotels select Tangerine Global for HDTV entertainment services
- Mandarin Oriental expands Tangerine Global service to include three more hotels
- LodgeNet launches 'Easy HD' program to help hotels transition to HD TV systems
- LodgeNet launches Entertainment 2Go service for fast, legal movie downloads to guest PCs
- LodgeNet developing guest connectivity center to link portable media devices to HD displays
- GBCblue partners with IKON and Canon to offer COPIERblue self-service digital copy/fax units
- Asoka USA releases 85Mbps Powerline Network system

The Four Seasons Hotel in Miami, Fla., has installed Tiare Technology’s intelliChaise Personal Ordering System, a wireless touch screen device designed to be fixed to guests’ poolside or beach chaises so that they can place orders directly into the hotel’s POS system or into Tiare’s software.  The server unit stores guests’ orders and purchasing information, guest-service information such as what time a guest ordered his or her last beverage and how he or she likes to have it prepared, notifies staff when an order is ready for pickup and provides information on the chaise’s location.  Customers can also simply press the “Call Server” button on the unit.  www.fourseasons.com, www.tiaretech.com
**

The Peninsula Hotels has selected Tangerine Global to provide HDTV entertainment services to its hotels, starting this summer. 

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is expanding its HDTV service with Tangerine Global to include the properties in Tokyo, San Francisco and Miami.  Mandarin Oriental’s newly refurbished flagship property in Hong Kong, due to re-open later this summer, will also include Tangerine’s HDTV service delivered entirely via Internet protocol (IP).  www.peninsula.com, www.mohg.com, www.tangerineglobal.com
**
LodgeNet has launched its 'Easy HD' program to help hotels transition to HDTV systems.  The program includes network optimization to assess (and if necessary, upgrade) the hotel's infrastructure, consulting assistance regarding selection of a cost-effective, cross-compatible HDTV display options, and in-room integration services including installation of the HD displays, in room wiring/cabling and other peripherals. 

LodgeNet launched its Entertainment 2Go service, which enables guests to download movies from an on-site digital server to their laptops quickly, easily and legally in as little as five minutes per movie.

LodgeNet is developing a guest connectivity center (GCC) to provide an easy interface between high-definition displays and many portable media devices, plus an HSIA connection for laptop users.  It is also testing a prototype Digital Lifestyle Outfitters 'RoomDock' iPod docking station, designed for hotel rooms and letting guests re-charge their iPods and play music and videos through the guest room TV without cords or cables, and using the LodgeNet remote control to navigate the iPod menus. www.lodgenet.com
**
GBCblue has partnered with IKON and Canon U.S.A. to offer the GBCblue COPIERblue series of self-service digital copy/fax units.  COPIERblue uses a Canon imageRUNNER fax/copier and allows GBCblue to monitor the status of the unit constantly.  Enhancements scheduled for the third quarter of this year include network printing to support PrinterON applications and a scan-to-e-mail feature allowing users to scan and send hard copy documents.  www.gbcblue.com
**
Asoka USA Corp has released its 85Mbps Powerline Network system, allowing hotels to add two Ethernet ports at any power outlet.  The PlugLAN 8750 SmarTAP also provides two AC power outlets to substitute for those used in the connection.  www.asokausa.com
**

June 30, 2006

BACK OFFICE

- Aptech updates Web-based Data Manager multiproperty data consolidator
------------------------
Aptech Computer Systems has released an update of its Web-based Data Manager application, which streamlines data gathering from properties with various front office and back office systems that do not interface with their chain or corporation financial application.  Data Manager uses Web templates to capture each property’s daily operating information regardless of the front office system, then transfers the data to the back office system for posting.  Interfaces have been written for third-party systems such as J.D. Edwards, Epicor and other non-Aptech applications. www.aptech-inc.com
**

June 30, 2006

ENGINEERING

- Loews to install Mintek’s WinTrack PM preventive maintenance system in 18 properties
------------------------------
Loews Hotels has contracted with Mintek to install the WinTrack PM preventive maintenance (PM) system in 18 of its properties in the United States and Canada.  www.loewshotels.com, www.mintek.com
**

June 30, 2006

SECURITY

- Safemark named a preferred vendor of guest room safes for Loews Hotels
- Onity announces new ADVANCE by Onity locking system, a two-piece design
- VingCard Previews its Coming Attraction: Signature RFID
--------------------
Safemark Systems has been named a preferred vendor of guest room safes for Loews Hotels throughout the U.S. and Canada.  www.loewshotels.com, www.safemark.com
**
Onity announced its new ADVANCE by Onity locking system, a two-piece design that minimizes hardware on the guestroom door.  The ADVANCE units include dual upgradeable technology to allow future advances in security technology to be retrofitted affordably.  www.onity.com
**
VingCard gave a sneak peak to the future of RFID technology with the ongoing development of “Signature RFID by VingCard,” a contactless electronic-locking system previewed at HITEC last week. Also announced was the ongoing collaboration with Philips Electronics using Near Field Communication (NFC) which is the new short-range wireless technology that combines the functionality of a reader and a card into one device to be implemented in new generation cell phones. www.vingcard.com
July 20, 2006

COMMUNICATIONS

by: Rich Siegel

So often we forget to say thank you. I try to be one of those that remember, but I must admit when my recent audit was completed, I did forget to thank the IRS. I hope they forgive me. Geneva diligently worked on getting our new http://www.hospitalityupgrade.com/ Web site finished in time for HITEC. So many came by at the show to share their comments and then when I mentioned it in our last Siegel Sez, we got lots more. It is still a work in progress, but today there has been a lot more progress then work still to be done. We do take some liberties with the things we do, but we never compromise our purpose of being a great source for those involved or interested in technology. Thank you all who have shared your comments, they really helped. If you haven’t done so yet, check it out even if it is just to read my favorite thing, the Industry Hotshot. How we get people to answer some of our questions just cracks me up. Nick Price, the guy in charge of technology at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, is our current hotshot. There is some pretty interesting stuff about him. If you want to share comments good or bad, e-mail Geneva at Geneva@hospitalityupgrade.com. Thank you.

Keeping with our thank-you theme, we must thank the Waverly Hotel here in Atlanta for offering to host our Hotel-Online/Hospitality Upgrade social event. If you haven’t been before and will be in Atlanta on August 17, please come by. It is all for fun and we gather folks from hotels, restaurants, travel related companies, vendors, consultants and a few crashers. It is fun bringing people in this industry together even if it is just for fun. If you want more info on the event, please e-mail Sharon at Sharon@hospitalityupgrade.com. We are going to have some very cool prizes to raffle off, it will be a great time.

My last thank you this week will be for Amelia Island Plantation (http://www.aipfl.com/) for simply being a great hotel and very easy to work with. Our fifth CIO Summit coming up in September (http://www.theciosummit.com/), which was created as a thank you for all the CIOs who have supported our efforts over the years, is on pace for record attendance this year. It has grown each year. Interesting that this year along with the growth from the hotel, gaming and timeshare industries has been the support from the cruise lines. Already Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Silversea Cruise Lines have confirmed attendance with a few more trying to adjust schedules. It is so much fun watching the interaction that goes on at this meeting with all these technology hotshots. Thank you also must go to InfoGenesis, NCR, CAPTON and HFTP for sponsoring this unique event along with BearingPoint for being a great partner. I cannot wait.

Sorry that we missed a week, but Jon Inge was doing something that we should all be doing this time of year, vacationing. Read his opening comments regarding technology and service from his recent travel experience. It should be taken to heart.  Six years of Siegel Sez via Hotel Online, thank you Jon for all your work and thank you to you, our readers, for putting up with my shenanigans. I will once again see you at the end with this week’s attempt at “you-know-what”.

rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
July 20, 2006

RESERVATIONS

- Frankfurt Tourism Office selects MICROS to manage Web site bookings for 250 hotels
- Boar's Head Inn selects iHotelier CRS
- Sheraton updates Web site to encourage guests to post their feedback
- Cendant to sell Travelport unit to the Blackstone Group
- Expedia.com adds Fare Alert and Gas Station Locator tools to Web site
-------------------------------------------
Tourismus+Congress GmbH Frankfurt am Main (TCF), the official tourism office and destination management company for the city of Frankfurt, Germany, has selected MICROS' myfidelio.net to manage Web site bookings for 250 hotels in Frankfurt and its surrounding areas.  The system is hosted in the MICROS Data Center located in Frankfurt, Germany.  http://www.frankfurt-tourismus.de, http://www.micros.com
**
The 170-room Boar's Head Inn (Charlottesville, Va.) has selected TravelCLICK's iHotelier central reservation system (CRS).  The resort, owned and operated by the University of Virginia Foundation, includes a sports club, tennis, golf, spa and meeting/function rooms. http://www.boarsheadinn.com, http://www.travelclick.net
**
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has updated its Web site to encourage guests to post their feedback.  The site invites visitors to share stories, tips and photos about their travel finds, destination favorites and experiences.  http://www.sheraton.com
**
Cendant Corp. has agreed to sell its Travelport unit to the Blackstone Group.  Travelport, formerly known as Cendant Travel Distribution Services (TDS), owns Orbitz, Cheaptickets and other travel services. http://www.cendant.com
**
Expedia.com has added fare alert and gas station locator tools to its Web site.  Fare Alert automatically sends alerts to users when an airfare or flight+hotel vacation package falls within a user specified price range.  Gas Station Locator displays, for any of 50 airports, up to five local gas stations (with the current price of regular unleaded gas at each) to help travelers returning rental cars.  http://www.expedia.com
**
July 20, 2006

MARKETING/MANAGEMENT

- Lanyon expands RFP Control Center corporate travel management application
- TIG Global signs three new Destination Marketing Organization clients
- SECURE-RES adds Webloyalty programs to its Internet marketing services
- Pegasus offers discounted ICE Portal rich media services through its Online Distribution Database
- TravelCLICK expands agreement with Travelport
- Hawaiian Hotels and Resorts installs Datavision at two properties
----------------------------
Lanyon has expanded its RFP Control Center corporate travel management application.   Enhancements to support RFP bid processing include rating bids against key criteria to check conformity with corporate guidelines, corporate travel manager control of hotel and chain contact lists, customized file export capabilities, improved reporting and renegotiation process control including bulk rate updates and pseudo city code validations.  http://www.lanyon.com
**
TIG Global has signed three new destination marketing organization clients for its Internet marketing services: New England Inns and Resorts Association, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Services to be provided include Web site design and development, site hosting and maintenance, search engine optimization, pay-per-click marketing, strategic linking and online advertising, e-mail marketing, Web site analytics, statistical reporting and analysis and consultative account management.  http://www.tigglobal.com
**
SECURE-RES has added Web-based loyalty programs from Webloyalty to its Internet marketing services.  http://www.secure-res.com
**
Pegasus Solutions has contracted with ICE Portal to offer hotels rich media content hosting, management and distribution at significant savings through the Pegasus Online Distribution Database (ODD).  This follows its recent agreements with Leonardo Media to improve the quality and quantity of the still images in the ODD and with GIATA mbH for translation services.  http://www.pegs.com
**
TravelCLICK has expanded its agreement with Travelport to include exclusive sales rights for Galileo Headlines inventory in the hospitality industry.  http://www.travelclick.net
**
Hawaiian Hotels and Resorts has installed Datavision Technologies’ DVEnterprise application at the Royal Kona Resort, Hawaii and the Royal Lahaina Resort, Maui, to consolidate data from a on-property systems such as PMS, golf, spa, point-of-sale, sales and catering and payroll.  http://www.hawaiianhotelsandresorts.com, http://www.datavisiontech.com
**
June 30, 2006

SALES & CATERING, MEETING PLANNING

- iBAHN launches wireless Conference PC
- Wolfgang Puck selects ReServe Interactive as preferred catering and events software vendor
- Carlson goes live with Newmarket’s MeetingBroker Web-based lead management system
- Newmarket and HIS enhance integration between Delphi and epitome
- Warren House orders Visual One’s integrated front office, sales and catering systems
- Competitive Marketing Exchange launches online version of Readerboard
- Certain Software releases Version 4.6 of its Register123 meeting management system

iBAHN has launched its Conference PC, a wireless version of its Lobby PC product designed for Internet use in conference spaces or outside of meetings.  The Conference PC provides a “clean PC” environment cleared of all session information (cookies, passwords, site history, etc.) between users, and includes standard office applications as well as an Internet browser.  www.ibahn.com
**
Wolfgang Puck Catering has selected ReServe Interactive as a preferred catering and events software vendor for catering operations nationwide.  ReServe added custom features such as an interface to Microsoft Outlook, to attach incoming e-mails to ReServe events, and synchronize appointments with Outlook Calendar and traces with Outlook Tasks.  www.wolfgangpuck.com, www.reserveinteractive.com
**
Carlson Hotels Worldwide has gone live with Newmarket International’s MeetingBroker Web-based lead management system.  Inquiries received through a hotel’s Web site or other online channel are automatically integrated into the Delphi sales and catering system.

Newmarket International and HIS are enhancing the integration between the Delphi Sales & Catering system and epitome Property Management System for real-time synchronization of inventory and availability data.  This will ensure accurate non-group future consumption in Delphi, synchronized group blocks between Delphi and epitome and better access to key information for sales managers.  www.carlson.com, www.newmarketinc.com, www.hotelinfosys.com
**
The UK’s Warren House, a 45-guestroom conference and training centre sited in a country house in Kingston near London, has ordered Visual One’s integrated front office, sales and catering systems.  www.warrenhouse.com, www.v1s.com
**
Competitive Marketing Exchange has launched its online Readerboard Report Management Application.  CMX has for many years provided competitive hospitality marketing intelligence by gathering and reporting Readerboard data identifying details of groups who have met at a competitor’s property.  The new Web-based interface now provides access to competitive data online, as well as filter and query tools to identify potential business opportunities.  www.readerboard.com
**
Certain Software has released Version 4.6 of its Register123 meeting management system.  New features include PCI compliance and increased credit card transaction security, as well as enhanced financial report types and other reporting features.  www.certain.com
**

June 30, 2006

SPA/GOLF/LEISURE ACTIVITIES

- Nirvana partners with SynXis to let travelers book activities in conjunction with guest rooms
- SoftBrands adds Cerenity Spa system to product range
- HIS integrates Envision Spa Management and Active Golf Solutions software into epitome PMS for single-itinerary booking with guestrooms
------------------------
Nirvana Technology has partnered with SynXis to allow travelers to book activity-based reservations (spa services, dining, transportation, golf, fitness, tennis, etc.) in conjunction with guest rooms in a single itinerary.  www.nirvana-technology.com, www.synxis.com
**
SoftBrands has added the Cerenity Spa system to its product range, a version of the UK-based Premier Spa system used by more than 1,300 clients. www.softbrands.com
**
Hotel Information Systems has integrated Ennoview, Inc.’s Envision Spa Management System and Active Golf Solutions golf and activity software into the epitome PMS, so that reservation agents can book spa, golf and other activities while making a room or package reservation.  All bookings are added to the guest’s itinerary and can be e-mailed; cancellations in one system notify users if linked bookings exist in the others. 
www.ennoview.com, www.activegolfsolutions.com, www.hotelinfosys.com
**

June 30, 2006

And now for you-know-what…

A furniture dealer from a small town in the mountains decided to expand the line of furniture in his store, so he decided to go to Paris (France, not Paris, Tennessee) to see what he could find. After arriving in Paris he met with some manufacturers and selected a line that he thought would sell well back home.
 
To celebrate the new acquisition, he decided to visit a small bistro and have a glass of wine. As he sat enjoying his wine, he noticed that the small place was quite crowded, and that the other chair at his table was the only vacant seat in the house.

 

 

 

July 20, 2006

TOP O' THE NEWS

by: Jon Inge

Systems News in Plain English from Jon Inge

 

jon@joninge.com
July 20, 2006

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

- Venetian contracts with AnyRate Software for competitive rate intelligence data
- EZ Yield partners with IDeaS to update channels with revenue-managed pricing
- EZ Yield.com reports more new clients in the first six months of 2006 than in all of 2005
- NH Hoteles implements EzRMS at nine properties in Amsterdam
----------------------------

The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino has contracted with AnyRate Software for its competitive rate intelligence data and reporting.  http://www.venetian.com, http://www.any-rate.com
**
EZ Yield has partnered with IDeaS to enhance its S.P.I.D.E.R. platform for automatic updating of a hotel’s distribution channels with IDeaS’ revenue-managed pricing. The first company to take advantage of the joint solution is Singapore’s Pan Pacific Hotel. 

EZ Yield.com has reported adding more new clients in the first six months of this year than in all of 2005, and currently supports over 1,200 hotels worldwide.   http://www.ezyield.com, http://www.ideas.com
**
NH Hoteles has implemented the EzRMS Internet Product Suite at nine properties in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, interfaced with NH’s in-house PMS and CRS systems.  The implementation also includes multiproperty optimization across all nine properties.  NH Hoteles has 256 hotels in 19 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa.  http://www.nh-hotels.com, http://www.ezrms.com
**

July 20, 2006

F&B/POINT OF SALE

- ReServe Interactive releases nine interfaces for its event/dining reservations system
---------------------------
ReServe Interactive has released nine new interfaces for its event/dining reservations system including:
- POS system interface with Aloha or MICROS for table status monitoring.
- Paging system interface with JTECH and NTN pagers given to waiting guests.
- Caller ID interface with CallerID.com's “Whozz Calling?” to match incoming calls to ReServe customer database records.
- Web booking interface via ReServeIT for guests to make real-time dining reservations or inquire about events over the Internet.
- Microsoft Outlook interface to synchronize appointments, to-do lists and contact information.
- F&B management system interface with vendors such as FoodTrak and Computrition.
- Room diagramming interface with MeetingMatrix for event layout diagrams.
- Accounting interface with QuickBooks for automatic invoice creation and payment recording based on ReServe activities.
- E-mail scheduler to create and send graphically enhanced e-mails for improved customer correspondence, marketing messages or reminders.
http://www.reserveinteractive.com
**

July 20, 2006

SPA/GOLF/LEISURE ACTIVITIES

- Intellistrand launches GuestDesk Web site for accommodation and golf course bookings
------------------------
Intellistrand has launched its GuestDesk booking Web site to offer accommodation and golf course bookings in the Myrtle Beach market online in a single screen format.  GuestDesk operates on either an allocation or real-time basis depending on the interfaces available from the property management or central booking system used by each particular company.  Additional tee-times are available through an interface to the T-links system, a central inventory network of Myrtle Beach golf courses.  http://www.intellistrand.com
**


July 20, 2006

GUEST SERVICES

- Kahala Hotel & Resort implements GoConcierge
- Carey International integrates with GT3 for GDS and Internet booking of its chauffeured transportation
- Thinix releases Version 2.73 of TS-890i WebConsole and HDTV-LINK guestroom workstations
- Marriott appoints TeleAdapt an approved vendor in EMEA
- Choice selects EthoStream for high-speed Internet access at Econo Lodge locations
- Kimpton implementing Eleven Wireless’ dual OS business center computers
- MGM Grand, InterContinental Chicago and Denihan Hospitality Group all implementing MTech’s HotSOS
------------------------

The 345-room Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu has implemented GoConcierge.  http://www.kahalaresort.com, http://www.goconcierge.net
**
Carey International has integrated its global reservation system with Ground Travel Technology Team (GT3) to allow its chauffeured transportation options to be booked through the GDSs and online travel portals with instant confirmations.  http://www.carey.com, http://www.groundtravel.com
**
Thinix has released Version 2.73 of its TS-890i WebConsole and HDTV-LINK guestroom workstation systems.  The WebConsole provides secure access to the Internet, e-mail, instant messaging and games, and can connect to office computers using Citrix GoToMyPC, Citrix ICA or Microsoft Terminal Services. It includes a VoIP soft phone and an in-room advertising system for hotels called Thinix Promo.  The HDTV-LINK provides the same features as the Web Console but uses the guestroom HDTV (with a SVGA input) for its display with a button on the remote control to change from local programming to the Internet.  http://www.thinix.com
**
Marriott International has appointed TeleAdapt an approved vendor in the EMEA region for its consumer electronics and desktop Internet connectivity units.  http://www.teleadapt.com
**
Choice Hotels has selected EthoStream to implement high-speed Internet access to Econo Lodge franchise locations.  http://www.choicehotels.com, http://www.ethostream.com
**
Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants is implementing Eleven Wireless’ dual operating system business center computers in all 40 properties.  The units run both Apple’s Mac OS X and Windows XP simultaneously on a single Apple iMac computer.  http://www.kimptonhotels.com, http://www.elevenwireless.com
**
The MGM Grand Hotel/Casino has installed MTech’s HotSOS Hotel Service Optimization System to manage guest requests from its 5,034 guestrooms and 30 private villas. 

The InterContinental Chicago has migrated its guest-services and engineering maintenance data from MTech’s on-property Espresso! system to the Web-based HotSOS application.  The property includes 792 guestrooms and more than 40,000 square feet of conference and banquet facilities.

New York’s DHG (Denihan Hospitality Group) is implementing MTech’s HotSOS in all of its properties including five Affinia Hotels and The Benjamin.  Installation will be completed early in 2007