Five Ways Focused Service Hotels Can Increase Direct Voice Bookings
Doug Kennedy | November 11, 2020
Operations
Knowcross Announces Launch of Covid-19 Ready Know Housekeeping
Knowcross | December 3, 2020
London – December 3, 2020 - Knowcross, the world’s leading service quality management platform announce the release of the updated, COVID-19 Ready KNOW Housekeeping. The enhanced solution was designed with direct input from Knowcross’s diverse customer base, faced with new challenges to streamline their operations due to ever-changing government guidelines and the introduction of new SOPs related to COVID-19. Cleanliness has always been a core value of any respected hotel but few could have predicted how important cleanliness, health, and safety have become. In the era of COVID-19, hotels are under extreme pressure to not only raise ...
Infor Launches Hospitality Management Cloud Solution Based on Amazon Web Services in China to Spur Digital Transformation Among Chinese Hotels
Infor | December 2, 2020
Rich capabilities allow hoteliers to centralize cross-platform hospitality management systems; AWS partnership ensures stability and security of data in the cloud BEIJING – Dec. 1, 2020 – Infor today announced the launch of Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) in China together with AWS China (Ningxia) Region (operated by Ningxia Western Cloud Data – NWCD). The launch is aimed at helping more customers in China’s hospitality management industry rapidly implement seamless solutions that streamline operations, with the overall goal to provide enhanced guest services and experiences. Infor HMS is a hotel property management...
Aimbridge Hospitality’s International Division Assumes Management of 31 Hotels in the United Kingdom
Aimbridge Hospitality | December 2, 2020
Interstate Hotels & Resorts selected to manage Jupiter Hotels’ UK portfolio [PLANO, Texas – December 2, 2020] Aimbridge Hospitality, the leading, global, third-party hotel management company, has announced that its international division, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, is managing 31 Jupiter Hotels located across the United Kingdom this month, operating its entire U.K. portfolio. Mike Deitemeyer, President and CEO-elect of Aimbridge Hospitality, said, “Aimbridge is very pleased to see continued momentum in our International division. Our deep operating acumen and vast experience across all hospitality verticals have continued t...
Clairvoyix Adds Contactless Guest Engagement and Digital Team Operations Suite With Fetch Integration
Fetch | November 19, 2020
Leading hotel marketing automation system integrates with digital guest engagement platform to empower hotels and further improve campaign ROI using service intelligence. LAS VEGAS, NV (November 19, 2020) – Two things are top of mind for hotels as they begin their recovery: acquiring guests and operating safely. Clairvoyix has partnered with Fetch to provide hotels one integrated platform to achieve these goals. Clairvoyix supported properties can now use Fetch to ensure safe high-quality guest experiences with proactive contactless guest engagement while leveraging guest satisfaction data to create targeted and personalized marketing ...
Unity in a Virtual Workplace – How to Unite Disparate Teams to Work as One
Travel Outlook | November 18, 2020
John Smallwood, CEO Travel Outlook Allison Ahrens, President Hospitality Revenue Solutions November 2020 In addition to the large human cost that COVID-19 has had on the world, its effect on the hospitality industry has been unprecedented. Because COVID has taken more jobs out of the office and further online, companies have been forced to look at how they can keep their teams united in the virtual workplace. Having previously written about silos in the workplace, this article looks at the “new norm” for hotels as they seek to unite disparate teams seeking to work as one. ...
6 Tips for Benchmarking Your Way to Success
HotStats | November 17, 2020
Like it or not, your hotel is in the middle of a race with the competition — although the current hotel climate may feel more like an obstacle course. Wouldn’t it be nice if, during this ongoing marathon, you could peek across at competitors, note their positions and analyze the techniques, equipment and other factors propelling them forward? That’s the magic of hotel benchmarking. It reveals the financial performance of the whole field, breaks down the factors contributing to each hotel’s position and highlights how your hotel can improve its financial standing. Ready to learn how to benchmark your hotel against competitors and...
Mass Rollout Bringing 900 Hotels Onto Maestro PMS Browser Version 5.5 in 2020 at No Cost to Clients
Maestro | November 17, 2020
Maestro shows its 43+ year service commitment by implementing portfolio-wide PMS upgrade to better prepare independent operators for the ‘new normal’ Markham, Ontario, November 17, 2020 — Maestro, hospitality’s most trusted provider of property- management systems for independent and luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups, is nearing completion of a portfolio-wide version upgrade of its latest Browser and Windows Versions. The provider offers complete flexibility to deploy it’s feature identical Browser PMS Suite of solutions either cloud-hosted, self-hosted, in your own private cloud or o...
Hotel Management Company RFQ for a New-Build, Branded Lifestyle Hotel in the Ohio City Neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio
NEWMARK VALUATION & ADVISORY | November 12, 2020
On behalf of and by direction of a Cleveland, Ohio-based commercial real estate development firm, Newmark Valuation & Advisory is pleased to request qualifications from experienced hotel management companies for a hotel development in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Mixed-use developments at the site are planned to include market-rate apartments, leased retail and restaurant space, and the new-build hotel. The developer is seeking an operator for the hotel component only. Within the Request for Qualifications (RFQ), we provide an overview of the developer, summarize details regarding the proposed hotel and overall projec...
Five Ways Focused Service Hotels Can Increase Direct Voice Bookings
Doug Kennedy | November 11, 2020
By Doug Kennedy Although they are generally outperforming other lodging segments, most if not all focused and selective service hotels are looking to build occupancy and rate. Indeed, hoteliers can and should continue to focus on digital marketing opportunities to the full extent. However, let us not forget some old-school “analog” ways to generate revenue. Here are a few ideas for training and development. • Offer a small cash incentive for every voice booking secured by the front desk. I know some leaders will say that taking voice bookings is already part of the job description, but I can tell you from experience that mon...
Resolving Covid-Related Staffing Problems With Management Software
Larry Mogelonsky | November 11, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) We’re well on our way into the ‘next normal’ – a catch-all term differing from the more binary ‘new normal’ that inscribes the several of successive post-pandemic phases where operational shifts are required. What we know what our current near future is that hotels need to keep staffing costs low in order to breakeven with stricter cleaning protocols and fewer guests reserving rooms or amenities. This can in turn mean that frontline teams are often overworked and put into unfamiliar circumstances, thereby leading to morale and retention problems as well as service errors...
How to Better Manage Conference and Banqueting When It Returns
HotStats | October 28, 2020
Let’s face it: Even discussing conference and banqueting business right now drips of tone deafness. We get it: There’s not much of it on the books. According to HotStats data, year-to-date revenue from conference and banqueting is down 72% to $8.38 per available room compared to the same period last year. The days of the iced-over raw bar are over, for now. The regret is that conference and banqueting, based on normal times, has the potential to bring in a heaping helping of revenue. One study by Oxford Economics saw that eventgoers spent $38 billion in direct sales in 2016. Those events also generated 300 million room nights. ...
TraknProtect Adds New LTE Gateways to Platform
TraknProtect | October 27, 2020
Solution Bypasses Hotel’s Wi-Fi to Communicate Directly With the TraknProtect Cloud Chicago, Illinois, October 27, 2020 – 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. The TraknProtect Platform currently works when a safety button is activated, the safety button emits a BLE beacon signal that the TraknProtect BLE-Wi-Fi ...
Hotel Kansas City Taps Knowland to Prospect Group Business Ahead of Grand Opening
Knowland | October 21, 2020
New boutique hotel in Kansas City, Mo. prepares group sales lead generation to amplify meeting revenue ahead of grand opening in 2021 ARLINGTON, Va. — (October 21, 2020) —Opening a new property requires not only the right environment and the right location, it also requires industry-leading prospecting tools to help sales build out their group business pipeline. Knowland, the 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,...
BirchStreet Systems Partners With Industry Leader Highgate on Payment Processing Solution
BirchStreet Systems | October 20, 2020
NEWPORT BEACH, California – 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. “BirchStreet’s domain expertise in both payments and hospitality procurement gave us the confidence to select them as our partner to help streamline and automate our payment processes,” said Joseph Klam, Chief Accounting Officer at Highgate. “The ease of use and fast deploym...
ALICE and Vocera Partner to Improve Hotel Communication and Workflows
ALICE | October 13, 2020
Technology integration to help increase safety for employees and guests New York, NY – Oct. 13th, 2020 -- 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. “Innovative technology is essential for hotels as they adapt to new standards of operating procedures and guest demands in ...
Why Independent Call Centers Often Outshine Hotel Brands
Travel Outlook Hotel Reservation Call Center Services | October 7, 2020
Most hotels have suffered a major decline in sales leads from reliable digital channels. Can the voice channel pick up the slack and drive direct bookings? Doug Kennedy, President of the renowned Kennedy Training Network, certainly believes it can. In the following interview, Kennedy discusses why the voice channel matters more than ever, and how hotels can convert more phone inquiries. He also discusses why well-trained independent call centers often outperform hotel brands. Interviewer: What are the most interesting and rewarding parts of your job? Doug: I would say the most interesting part is that I get to work with an incr...
Does Quality Assurance, as We Know It, Have a Future?
Jochen Ehrhardt | October 6, 2020
By Jochen Ehrhardt Hotel group revenues are down by as much as 90% across the boards for the second quarter of 2020. The third quarter isn't looking much better, with many hotels only re-opening in the fourth quarter. The global demand-reduced crisis is here to stay and any recovery to 2019 levels is expected to take years, not months. As a result, hotels are forced to cut costs wherever possible: Anything that is not considered an essential part of the core business is put to the test. Quality Assurance falls into this category, raising the question whether traditional Quality Assurance hasn't been an anachronism for some time anywa...
A-List Osthoff Resort Positions for Travel Restart; Selects Maestro PMS During Industry Pause for Guest-Focused Mobile Services and Integrated Operati...
Maestro | October 6, 2020
Data mining and analytics, touchless operations, and robust third-party integrations are enabling personalized guest service, spa productivity MARKHAM, ONTARIO, OCT. 6, 2020 — The Osthoff Resort is a AAA Four-Diamond stunning year-round resort, spa and event destination in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. The 238-room Resort offers its award winning Aspira Spa, the L'ecole de la Maison cooking school, its family-friendly Pleasures™ Program, gift shops, dining outlets, as well as a fitness center, arcade and outdoor activities venue. Adam Hartenberger, Reservations Sales Manager for The Osthoff Resort, said, “It was the resort’s goal to bring al...
Aptech Offers Hoteliers Six Budgeting Tips for 2021
Aptech Computer Systems Inc. | September 29, 2020
At a time when revenues are at their lowest, it’s critical that operators understand where to trim costs and how to track spending per occupied room using historical drivers PITTSBURGH, Sept. 29, 2020 — With operating budgets thrown out the window by second quarter this year, hoteliers are scrambling to find useful historical data to help guide them through the 2021 budgeting and forecasting process. Aptech, a provider of budgeting and forecasting, enterprise accounting, and business intelligence solutions for hotels, is advising operators to rely on historical drivers rather than bottom line revenues to help them better plan for the d...
Hotel Alhambra Palace Checks In With Infor for World-Class Customer Service
Infor | September 29, 2020
Five-star Spanish hospitality leader set to standardize with Infor Hospitality LONDON — 29 September 2020 — Infor today announced that the five-star, 108-room Hotel Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, has chosen to implement Infor Hospitality Cloud solutions throughout all operations, including front of house, housekeeping, restaurants and conference bookings. Deployed in the cloud, the deal includes Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS), Infor Sales and Catering, and Infor Table Management. Following a thorough review of the market, Hotel Alhambra Palace chose Infor based on its global expertise with elite hospitality establis...
Jonas Chorum Announces Integration With Whistle Guest Messaging Platform
Jonas Chorum | September 22, 2020
Phoenix, Arizona – September 22, 2020 – Jonas Chorum, a suite of streamlined, intuitive, and flexible property management solutions, announces a direct integration with Whistle, the leading hotel and guest messaging platform. With this integration, Jonas Chorum clients will be able to leverage two-way text communication with guests throughout the duration of their stay. “We are delighted to announce this integration with Jonas Chorum, which provides an enhanced and streamlined messaging experience for Chorum clients,” stated Christopher Hovanessian, Co-Founder and CEO of Whistle. “As the importance of mobile communication continu...
The Future of Hotel Call Centers
Travel Outlook Hotel Reservation Call Center Services | September 8, 2020
Why Outsourcing May Be in Your Hotel's Best Interest As hotels slowly reopen in parts of the US, it’s time to question the future role of hotel call centers. In the following interview, we’re speaking with Travel Outlook’s CEO John Smallwood and its Vice President Operations Brett Puffenberger, about the challenge’s hotel-based call centers are facing today and in the coming months and maybe years. Can you talk about the challenges’ hotel-based call centers are facing today? John: A major issue for hotels that are starting to reopen is having enough on-property staff to field incoming calls. A lot of hotels still have employe...
McLaren Technologies Leads Forward-Thinking, Tech-Driven Strategy at the Iconic Byron at Byron
McLaren Technologies | September 2, 2020
Is this Australia’s most luxurious contactless check-in experience? Three reasons why Byron at Byron, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort, will reopen as Australia’s most luxe post-pandemic hotel haven this spring AUSTRALIA, 02 September 2020 – As Australia moves into post-pandemic travel territory, several progressive hotels and resorts are adapting quickly to meet the changing demands of travelers in 2020. One property leading the charge (and change) is the iconic Byron at Byron, set to reopen its doors to the world (well, perhaps just Australia for the short term) as a Crystalbrook Collection Resort on 1 September 2020. Fresh ...
Hotel Operations Have Changed, But the Importance of Communication Has Not
Andrada Paraschiv | September 1, 2020
Conversations become digitalized and streamlined as hotel operators continue to find new ways to communicate with employees while working around COVID-19 By Andrada Paraschiv There is a radical change in the way the hospitality industry is operating compared to the last decade. From shifting guests away from the front desk and favoring mobile check-in to new sanitization regulations that call for constant vigilance, it can be a lot for any organization to process and maintain consistency ― particularly right now as guidelines and state regulations are subject to abrupt changes. The need for communications is increasing tenfold between...
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