What Customers Want and Expect While Traveling in 2023
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | February 1, 2023
Labor Shortages and The Impact on Hotel Operating Costs
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | January 17, 2023
Operations
What Customers Want and Expect While Traveling in 2023
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | February 1, 2023
How the hospitality industry is shifting from touch-heavy to touch-free. By John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook February 2023 There’s no doubt about it, travel has returned and is stronger than ever in 2023. Despite things returning to normal in many ways, the landscape of travel and the hospitality industry has hit an inflection point. Thanks to technological advancements in the last half-decade, and the push for a contactless solution in the last few years, the hospitality industry has shifted from touch heavy to touch-free. In an ever-changing industry, it’s time for hoteliers to embrace change, technological advance...
Maestro Examines What Independent Hoteliers Want From Their PMS’ in 2023
Maestro | January 24, 2023
Leader in hospitality property-management systems shares what its clients say and discusses the shared passion for technology innovation to meet customer demands and exceed guest expectations MARKHAM, Ontario, Jan. 24, 2023 — Maestro PMS, 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. Coming off the heels of its Annual User Conference, Maestro team members spoke to customers to gain insight into their wants, needs, likes and dislikes rela...
Third-Party Hotel Operators Set to Grow Across Europe, Says HVS
HVS | January 19, 2023
19 January 2023, London: The number of hotel owners using third-party operators to run their properties looks set to increase across Europe, reflecting the desire for flexibility as well as a number of other benefits, according to a new report from global hotel consultancy HVS. The trend for third party operators (TPOs) has emerged from the US where the concept has become commonplace, with most franchised hotels from midscale upwards now being run by TPOs. These operators are not affiliated with the owner or the franchise brand and as such can be more aligned with owner objectives, often driving higher profits as a result. Examples of TPO...
Curator Hotel & Resort Collection Selects Shiji’s Concept to Power Its Members’ Spa and Golf Management
Shiji | January 19, 2023
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. ATLANTA, Georgia, January 19, 2023 – Shiji, the global hospitality technology innovator, has announced that its product, Concept, has been selected to offer the spa, golf, and resort activities management platform as a preferred provider to its member properties. Curator currently includes 97 independent boutique and lifestyle hotels and resorts across the U.S. After an extensive competitive process, Curator selected Shiji’s...
Labor Shortages and The Impact on Hotel Operating Costs
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | January 17, 2023
How Modern AI Solutions Offset Rising Costs That Cut into Hotel Profits By John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook January 2023 Thanks to the perfect storm of the last two years, costs are skyrocketing across multiple industries, and the hospitality industry is no exception. Maintaining control over your hotel’s operation is key to running a successful and profitable business. Hotels all over the world have had to adapt to rising costs thanks to inflation, the pandemic, and labor shortages, all of which combine to threaten profitability and longevity. In a perfect world, hotels can seamlessly meet a never-ending stream of deman...
With Pace of Progress in Hospitality Slated to Move Onward and Upward, Maestro Presents Its PMS Roadmap for 2023
Maestro | January 10, 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 MARKHAM, ONTARIO, January 10, 2023 — “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” When it comes to hotel property management system technology, this quote by Socrates is apropos. Last year, Maestro made five industry predictions for the evolution of PMS. While contactless technology did become more prevalent within the PMS ...
The Essex Resort and Spa Partners With Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center, to Offer Its Guests Genuine Hospitality and a Friendly, Helpful ...
Travel Outlook The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | January 5, 2023
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (January 2023): 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. In an increasingly digital world, a personal touch goes a long way, and a friendly and helpful voice can provide the definition of true hospitality. Callers are looking for sincere, direct assistance, not a generic response off a call sheet, and a properly trained call center agent will approach every call in this supportive way, matching the particulars of the hotel with the needs of the ca...
INTELITY Announces Updated Strategic Partnership With Unifocus, Formerly Knowcross
INTELITY | December 21, 2022
The updated partnership will provide new features for a stronger staff operations flow Los Angeles, CA (December 21, 2022) - INTELITY®, provider of hospitality’s leading guest experience and staff management platform, announced today an updated partnership with Unifocus, the global leader in hospitality operations software. Following recent revisions to Unifocus’s technology, the INTELITY integration is all new. Built on INTELITY’s R5 platform to take advantage of its industry leading capabilities, the latest integration includes richer synchronization of guest request details between INTELITY and Unifocus. “Partnering with INT...
Using Artificial Intelligence to Positively Impact Your Hotel
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | December 20, 2022
How Hospitality-Specific AI is Changing How We Do Business By John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook December 2022 Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to be a buzzword in today’s information age. AI is all around us. It’s in our phones, it’s in our cars, and it’s promised to be the way of the future. AI has captured the interests and imaginations of executives across multiple industries. I recently sat down with Adam and Larry Mogelonsky to discuss the importance of conversational AI and their recent article, Why Conversational AI Exemplifies the New Era of Hotel Operations. What I found was that not all artificial intell...
Virdee-Cloudbeds Connection Provides Fully Contactless Operations Platform
Virdee | December 15, 2022
The integration allows hotels and hosts to provide a completely contactless guest experience, including mobile or kiosk check-in, while improving guest satisfaction at each touchpoint. AUSTIN, Texas – December 15 – Virdee, which delivers digital check-in and virtual concierge services to the lodging industry, has announced an integration to Cloudbeds, an all-in-one lodging operations platform, that will provide hoteliers and hosts with an efficient end-to-end solution for providing contactless guest experiences. Virdee will be available as a new partner in Cloudbeds’ Marketplace. The Virdee Virtual Reception provides a fully cont...
Agilysys Announces Agreement With Marriott International to Deliver Its Cloud-Native Property Management System (PMS) Software Across Marriott’s...
Agilysys | December 15, 2022
ALPHARETTA, GA — DECEMBER 15, 2022 — Agilysys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGYS), a leading global provider of hospitality software solutions that deliver High Return Hospitality, today announced an agreement with Marriott International, Inc., (NASDAQ: MAR) to deploy its cloud-native property management system (PMS) software across Marriott’s United States and Canada luxury, premium and select service hotels over the coming years. Agilysys offers hospitality-focused innovation, the ability to provide diverse capabilities across different types of properties, and cloud-native technology that simplifies employee operations and enhances guest exper...
3 Tips We Learned From a Top Luxury Hotelier
INTELITY | December 13, 2022
From the latest Inside the Industry, redefining luxury with the inclusion of technology By: Matthew Lynch As a hotelier, you know there are many ways to define luxury. From a property’s physical space to its service culture standard, there’s no question that luxury lives in the details. But can you define a hotel as luxurious without modern, interactive technology? Perhaps luxury hotelier, Vaughn Davis, can offer some insight. With over a decade of experience at leading luxury lifestyle hotels in New York and Los Angeles, Vaughn is a forward-thinking, modern-day savant with exceptional vision and consistent attention to detail. A...
Kindred Spirits: Three Factors Independent Hoteliers Should Look for in a PMS Partner
Warren Dehan | December 13, 2022
By Warren Dehan The right team will encompass nimble reactions, personal support, and reliability; These traits will ensure the PMS vendor speaks hoteliers’ language and comes to the table with their own ideas to help meet operational goals Finding a high-quality technology partner may not get easier for independent hoteliers in the new year. Independent hotels are subject to operational challenges effectively served by only a select group of property-management system (PMS) providers, and they have increasingly relied on technology to manage their hotels, grow revenue, and communicate with guests. Unfortunately, the post-pandemic era...
Oracle Named a Leader in IDC MarketScape Worldwide Hospitality Property Management Systems 2022 Vendor Assessment
Oracle Hospitality | December 7, 2022
“Oracle Hospitality’s strategy around OPERA Cloud property management system puts the company in a strong position for the next phase of connected hospitality systems” AUSTIN, Texas – December 7, 2022 – Oracle has been positioned as a ‘Leader’ in the inaugural IDC MarketScape Worldwide Hospitality Property Management Systems (PMS) 2022 Vendor Assessment1. The report notes that Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud PMS “sets the bar as an example with all modules within the platform sharing a common data set and end-user experience and are secure, scalable, and globally available.” Where hoteliers have previously been hindered...
AAHOA Commends Best Western® Hotels & Resorts for Being Collaborative and Open-Minded With Respect to Fair Franchising Initiatives and Education...
AAHOA | December 7, 2022
ATLANTA, Ga., Dec. 7 – AAHOA leadership, which represents the largest hotel owners association in the world with nearly 20,000 members, recently met with leaders John Kelly, Board Chairman; Larry Cuculic, President and Chief Executive Officer; Danny Lafayette, Board Vice-Chairman; Phil Payne, Board Secretary-Treasurer; Mike Merchant, Board Director; Ishwar Naran, Board Director; Viral (Victor) Patel, Board Director; and Stephen Wahrlich, Board Director, from Best Western® Hotels & Resorts, a global brand leader with a portfolio of 19 brands, and approximately 4,500 hotels across all chain scale segments. The focus of the meeting was...
Newpark Resort & Hotel Partners With Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center, to Increase Voice Channel Revenue and Improve Guest Satisfact...
Travel Outlook The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | December 5, 2022
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (December 2022): Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™, is pleased to announce that Newpark Resort in Park City, Utah has joined the exceptional hotels enjoying the premium Travel Outlook voice services. Newpark Resort understands that in an increasingly digital world a personal touch goes a long way, and a friendly and informative voice on the other end of the line is just what it takes to turn a curious caller into a repeat customer. According to Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, “voice has become a forgotten revenue channel, and many hotel leaders have failed to recognize the i...
Increase Reservations and Lower Labor Cost by Harnessing Cutting-Edge AI Technology
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | November 29, 2022
How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Hospitality Industry By John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook November 2022 If you were to ask 100 hotels what the greatest problem they face in their day-to-day operations is, they would all reply with a similar version of the same story— staffing issues. Staffing shortages have become increasingly problematic for hotels around the world. These issues started before the pandemic and were made exponentially worse by the last two and a half turbulent years. Despite a hotel's best efforts, staffing shortages are noticed by guests and often negatively impact their stays. For most hot...
Third Parties First: Why Hotel PMS Integrations Matter as Much as Its Operational Capabilities
Warren Dehan | November 29, 2022
By Warren Dehan Hospitality technology companies are integrating with more and more third parties, and these relationships are almost as valuable as the services they offer at the ground level What will be the next innovation to hit the industry, and will your hotel be able to accommodate it? “No man is an island,” and no property-management system comes prepackaged with all the capabilities needed to operate a hotel on its own. Successfully operating an independent hotel today requires a myriad of partnerships, and the same is true for offering a high-quality PMS platform. Technology is always changing, and operators should ask the...
Fully Mobile: Visual Matrix Integrates MOP Housekeeping Management System Into PMS, Expands Platform Capabilities
Visual Matrix | November 18, 2022
First Direct Integration in the Industry Using the New HTNG Express PMS API Specification Dallas, November 17, 2022 - Visual Matrix, a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the hospitality industry, is becoming a completely mobile-first platform. The company today announced the full mobile integration of its MOP housekeeping solution into its award-winning PMS, part of a comprehensive feature expansion that includes the first direct integration in the industry using the new HTNG Express PMS API specification and coming in early 2023, a fully device responsive enhancement of its user interface. The enhancements empower ho...
Agilysys Brings Its Market-Leading Hospitality Cloud Solutions to Hotel Operators in the Middle East
Agilysys | November 15, 2022
Hospitality veteran Hussein Tawalbeh to lead sales and operations in the region from Dubai UAE ALPHARETTA, GA — November 15, 2022 — Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of hospitality software solutions that deliver High Return Hospitality, today announced it is bringing its Agilysys Hospitality Cloud solutions to the Middle East. While Agilysys previously has cultivated customers in the region through its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations in the United Kingdom, the company now has hired Hussein Tawalbeh, an executive whose hospitality expertise comes through a 20-year career in the region, to lead ...
Shiji to Power POS Technology for American Liberty Hospitality (ALH) in the United States
Shiji | November 15, 2022
Shiji Group continues its rapid growth in the Americas region signing POS master agreement with American Liberty Hospitality for Shiji's Infrasys Cloud POS. ATLANTA, Georgia, November 15,2022 – Shiji announced today that its product Infrasys Cloud Point-of-Sale (POS) has gone live at one of American Liberty Hospitality biggest properties in Houston, Texas. The American company decided to deploy Shiji Infrasys, a leading food & beverage enterprise solution provider of cloud point-of-sale for hospitality businesses across the globe, at Staybridge Suites Houston Galleria Area, a 318-room dual-branded Holiday Inn Express & St...
Recipes: 4 Reasons Why Your Operation Needs Them
David Lund | November 14, 2022
Introducing: Patrick CORE McClary If Your Challenge Is Food & Beverage Then – Meet Your Maker Everywhere You Look it’s Bleeding 🩸. The Patient is So Messed Up it’s Not Even Funny. It Will Never Fix Itself. You Need CORE On Your Side. Cost Operations Revenue Execute Patrick is a self-made star of the food and beverage trade. He knows and has seen it all. No problem or challenge is too big or too small. He can help you turn the page and make day-old bread sing again. Have a read and do yourself a favor. Reach out and talk to Patrick about how he can help you today. Recipes: 4 Reasons Why Your Operation Need...
Cut Labor Expenses Without Sacrificing Service
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | November 10, 2022
How Annette, The Virtual Hotel Agent™ goes above and beyond IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems By John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook November 2022 Customer service is at the core of the hospitality industry. You won’t last long in the hotel business if you choose to cut corners and sacrifice service for the sake of profit. Unfortunately, in the modern, complex economy, too many businesses are forced to choose between providing quality customer service and running a sustainably profitable hotel. In the past, when hotels needed a better way to handle their increasingly large call volumes, they would turn to IVR (Inter...
Think Simplicity and Cloudbeds Partner to Streamline Cloud Communications for Hoteliers
Think Simplicity | November 9, 2022
Cloudbeds selects Think Simplicity as a preferred phone system partner; Think Simplicity will soon be available in the Cloudbeds Marketplace for a seamless integration BONITA SPRINGS, Fla., Nov. 9, 2022 — Think Simplicity, a cloud communication technology provider of all-inclusive voice and chat solutions for the hospitality industry, announced today a partnership with Cloudbeds, the fastest-growing hospitality management platform. The partnership will provide joint customers with the ability to leverage Cloudbeds’ best-in-class property management software (PMS) and Think Simplicity’s full-service cloud communications system seamles...
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Today's News
Dusit International Appoints Makoto Yamashita as Pre-Opening General Manager of ASAI Kyoto Shijo and Area GM – Kyoto, Japan
Hospitality Industry Public Relations Leader David “Jerry” Daly Dies at 78
West Palm Beach Among Priciest Destinations in Florida, Survey Reveals
MCR Acquires the Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon
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