High Standards: Why Independent Hoteliers Need a PMS Tech Partner That Matches Their Service Culture
Warren Dehan | May 17, 2022
How High Labor Costs Are Taking a Toll on the Hospitality Industry
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | May 4, 2022
Operations
Cendyn Announces the Launch of the Cendyn Hospitality Cloud for Hoteliers Looking to Drive Direct Bookings
Cendyn | April 5, 2022
The first applications available on the Cendyn Hospitality Cloud are Starling customer data platform (CDP) and Cendyn’s website content management system (CMS) Tuesday, April 5, 2022 – Boca Raton, FL – 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. At a time when hoteliers must do more with less, hotels are embracing rapid digitization and automation of...
Salter Brothers’ Recent Travelodge Portfolio Acquisition to Join Accor in 2023
SALTER BROTHERS | April 1, 2022
In one of Australia’s largest hotel management portfolio agreement deals for over a decade, Salter Brothers has announced that its portfolio of hotels, acquired as part of the recent Travelodge acquisition, will be joining the global hotel giant Accor at the start of the 2023 financial year. The management agreement, which includes an industry-leading link to ESG outcomes, will see its hotels (2000+ rooms) rebranded to ibis Styles, Mercure and Novotel hotels when they join the 340+ Accor network of hotels, apartments and resorts across Australia. Paul Salter, Managing Director of Salter Brothers confirmed that the signing was an excitin...
Serviced Apartment Operators Demonstrate Versatility and Innovation Which Is Driving Success
HVS | March 31, 2022
London - March 31, 2022 - The versatility of serviced apartments and the willingness of operators to embrace new concepts are two of the key factors driving the sector’s on-going success, with new brands emerging that focus on co-living and the combination of work and home. Launching its annual Service Apartment Sector in Europe report this week, global hotel consultancy HVS highlights the fact the sector is still very much in a period of expansion, with over 13,000 units expected to open in Europe over the next four years. In addition, operators have been quick to respond to changes in the way people travel and the blending of hom...
The Automation Generation
Bella™, The Virtual Hotel Agent | March 29, 2022
Why today’s travelers place efficiency ahead of personal connection The hospitality industry has always been a people-centric line of work. Face-to-face conversations with real humans have been the cornerstone of service industries since its inception. A smiling face behind the front desk of a hotel cannot be replaced. Technology, on the other hand, has continually shifted the way guest service representatives interact with travelers and hotel guests. Each generation brings a new disruptive technology that shakes up the way the world does business. With each change, there is resistance, but progress always wins out. In a recent story...
Bella The Virtual Hotel Agent Offers a 100% Accurate Understanding of Guest Needs Through Its New Feature, Precise Guest Insight
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center | March 24, 2022
Hotel managers constantly strive to anticipate their guest’s needs and concerns as they work to make their hotels more accommodating and inviting. This task was just made easier by the introduction of a new tool provided by Bella™, The Virtual Hotel Agent™. Bella is an advanced AI-powered voice bot that can answer up to 60% of the calls now being handled by front desk staff, simultaneously improving hotel profitability while providing enhanced guest service. Bella represents a creative and effective way for hotels to address post-pandemic staffing challenges, and to reduce fixed payroll expense. Bella’s new tool is called Pr...
SimplyAnnounce, an Electronic Bulletin Board Application, Advances Cloud Communication Platform
Think Simplicity | March 23, 2022
Think Simplicity Adds New Functionality to Provide Hoteliers with the Ability to Post Important Information for Staff Quickly and Easily BONITA SPRINGS, Fla., March 23, 2022 — 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. Internal hotel communication is fractured by t...
Stayntouch Expands Partnership With Real Hospitality Group to Deliver a Streamlined and Enhanced Guest Experience
Stayntouch | March 23, 2022
Artel Hotel and Park Place Benefit from PMS’ Ease-of-Use, Superior Functionality and Mobile Check-in 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. RHG is one of the top 15 hotel management companies in the United States, managing a portfolio of 109 properties in gateway and re...
Language Barriers in the Hospitality Industry
Travel Outlook | March 8, 2022
How to translate the labor shortage The hospitality industry is obviously a global industry. Hotels connect people from all over the world and bring them together under one roof. Industry insiders understand the importance of having a multilingual staff at all hours. Given recent labor shortages, it is becoming increasingly difficult for hotels to find adequate staffing. Finding a bi or multi-lingual staff member can seem next to impossible. Even before the complications of the last two years, language barriers have plagued hotels for the duration of their existence. For customers, nothing is more frustrating than trying to reserve a r...
Visual Matrix Continues Global Expansion Through Partnership With Data Express Latinoamérica Across Central and South America
Visual Matrix | March 8, 2022
The electronic invoicing company will serve as the exclusive reseller of Visual Matrix PMS solutions throughout both regions. Richardson, TX – March 8, 2022 – Visual Matrix, an industry-leading provider of advanced hotel property management technology, today announced it has partnered with Data Express Latinoamérica across Central and South America. The pairing will provide local hoteliers access to a world-class property management system (PMS) with the necessary local tax and invoicing features for their business operations. More than 2,000 hotel properties across 30+ countries use the Visual Matrix Property Management Syste...
Above and Beyond Standard Hotel FAQ Chatbots
Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center | March 2, 2022
How Bella™, The Virtual Hotel Agent™, Solves the Hospitality Industry’s FAQ Chatbot Problems No one enjoys speaking to IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems, but we do so when it’s necessary. In today's digital world, interacting with IVR systems seems to be an increasingly necessary evil. But what if there was a next-generation voice bot that did away with the common frustrations associated with IVR systems? What if a voice bot could be as functional as an FAQ chatbot? That’s where Bella comes in. Bella is a virtual call center agent powered by artificial intelligence that is designed specifically for the hospitality industr...
A Warm Reception From the Hospitality Industry for Bella, the Virtual Hotel Agent
Travel Outlook | February 24, 2022
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (February 24, 2022): Travel Outlook Premium Hotel Call Center® continues its introduction of BellaTM, the hotel industry’s first AI-powered voice assistant. The difference between Bella and other voice bots such as Siri or Alexa lies in her power to more accurately understand the question being asked by a hotel guest. Bella has been programmed with a new model of Natural Language Understanding software based on human conversations, resulting in a powerful new way for her to understand what guests are requesting, and for her to provide the correct answer. “We are encouraged by the reception Bella has receive...
AKA Extending Digital Conveniences to Hotel Guests and Residents With Maestro PMS Online Payment Portal
Maestro | February 23, 2022
Award-winning portfolio of hotels and hotel residences elevates the digital guest journey with strategic innovations from the Maestro suite of property-management software solutions Markham, Ontario, February 23, 2022 — Today’s travelers are seeking contactless, efficient tools to help them better engage with their accommodations host before, during, and after their stays. Award-winning AKA, operating luxury hotels and extended-stay hotel residences, is delivering on these expectations by leveraging technology and software that touches all parts of the guest journey. That includes implementing a Payment Portal from Maestro PMS that ena...
Carver and Carter Named to 2022 Georgia Titan 100
The Carver Companies | February 22, 2022
Titan CEO and headline sponsor Wipfli LLP are pleased to announce The Carver Companies’ Chief Executive Officer, Joel Carver and Chief Development Officer, Charlene Carter as 2022 Georgia Titan 100’s. The Titan 100 program recognizes Georgia’s Top 100 CEO’s & C-level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that includes demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. Collectively the 2022 Georgia Titan 100 and their companies employ upwards of 240,000 individuals and generate over $66 billion dollars in annual revenues. This year’s honorees will be publishe...
Purdue’s Union Club Hotel Joins Autograph Collection Hotels
Autograph Collection® Hotels | February 17, 2022
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – February 17, 2022 – Showcasing its meticulous transformation, The Union Club Hotel at Purdue University, Autograph Collection inspires guests to celebrate Purdue University’s legacy through contemporary design celebrating the evolution, pioneering spirit, and excellence of the 153-year-old public institution. As part of Autograph Collection Hotels, The Union Club Hotel joins a collection of more than 200 independent hotels around the world hand-selected for their inherent craft and distinct perspectives on design and hospitality. Around every corner, guests can explore the imaginative use of Purdue’s classic...
Historic Pickwick Hotel Selects Stayntouch PMS to Help Elevate the Guest Experience Through a Fully Connected, End-to-End Platform
Stayntouch | February 16, 2022
Historic San Francisco landmark partners with Stayntouch to improve operational efficiency and enhance the guest welcome experience. BETHESDA, Md., February 16, 2022 – 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. Pickwick Hotel’s selection of Stayntouch reinforces its PMS platform’s standing as the industry’s most intuitive and easy-to-onboard solution. Powered by advanced automation, the Stayntouch PMS empowers Pickwick’s ...
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&#...
Belmond | February 15, 2022
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. Markham, Ontario — February 15, 2022 — Belmond, part of the world’s leading luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has selected Silverware as the full-service point-of-sale solution for its hotels and restaurants. Today nine of the global brand’s properties, including the iconic Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons a Belmond Hotel in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England, and its two Mich...
Get Ready for The Next Intelligent AI-Powered Voice Bot
Travel Outlook | February 15, 2022
An Advanced Technology System Providing Instant Guest Service While Reducing Fixed Labor Expense In 2022, industries across the country are facing critical staff shortages that threaten to cripple their day-to-day operations. Despite the hospitality industry recovering from the disastrous events of the past two years, staff shortages still plague many hotels. Staffing shortages can negatively impact guests’ experiences, deter future reservations, and lead to a significant loss in business. If you’re looking for a way to reduce your fixed labor expenses without falling victim to typical problems associated with staff shortages, conside...
The Three Staple Traits of a Great PMS Partner: Service, Service, Service
Warren Dehan | February 8, 2022
The devil is in the details; When choosing a property-management system provider, hoteliers should research the system’s depth of feature set, upgrade frequency and inclusions, APIs and integration partnerships, support communication channels, and versatility of education offerings By Warren Dehan Hoteliers can recognize high-quality service a mile away — they spend all day delivering it to guests, after all. With technology playing a greater role in hotel operations, finding a reliable partner for your hotel’s property-management system is crucial. With so many features and offerings in play these days, from the way data is handled...
Onyx CenterSource Announces Launch of Tax Services Solution
Onyx CenterSource | February 2, 2022
DALLAS (Feb. 1, 2022) — 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. The solution, powered by Onyx’s CommPay service, helps U.S. hotels overcome the challenge of manually collecting, registering and maintaining travel agency demographic data necessary for tax preparation related to 1099 IRS reporting. "Onyx has been and continues to be a leader in streamlining the hotel commission process, so the creatio...
MOB HOTEL Selects IDeaS for Pricing, Forecasting and Reporting Across Its Growing Portfolio
IDeaS | February 2, 2022
Paris-based hotel group set to drive greater operational efficiency and more competitive rates with IDeaS Pricing System LONDON — February 2, 2022 — IDeaS, a SAS company, the world’s 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. As MOB HOTEL expands, its manual, spreadsheet-based pricing process could no longer be sustained. The hotel’s revenue team selected IDeaS to achieve: • Scalable automation – IDeaS Pricing System automatica...
Leisure Hotels & Resorts Selects Stayntouch to Deploy Its Flexible Cloud-Native PMS Across 4 Upscale Independent Properties
Stayntouch | February 1, 2022
As its Digital Welcome and Operations Solutions Continue to Gain Traction Across the Industry, Stayntouch Partners with Leading Management Company February 2nd, 2022 [Bethesda, Maryland] 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. Stayntouch will now deliver their flexible PMS solution to four of Leisure Hotels’ Midwest and Mountain properties, totaling 469 rooms. ...
EB Hotel Miami Airport Leveraging GuestHub to Track Shuttle Service
GuestHub | January 25, 2022
Web-based guest services app is enabling the airport hotel to reduce costs associated with the transportation service and simultaneously boost guest satisfaction and loyalty Miami Springs, FL — January 25, 2022 — Providing shuttle service between a hotel and the local airport is a costly guest service, but it is a necessary convenience that today’s travelers expect. Not only does the amenity create a positive first impression of the hotel, saving travelers considerable time and money in finding alternative transportation, but it helps eliminate friction along the guest journey. Leveraging its web-based guest services app, GuestHub, ...
Cendyn and Pegasus Complete Merger
Cendyn | January 24, 2022
Boca Raton, FL – January 24, 2022 –Today, 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. The two companies merged under the Cendyn brand, with Tim Sullivan continuing to lead Cendyn as CEO & President of the newly combined company. In addition to Sullivan’s role as the company’s CEO, Cendyn appointed Gautam Lulla as Chief Innovation Officer and Joanna Genser as Chief Enterprise Officer. At the heart of the ...
Raines Co. Dramatically Improves Owner Reporting Using Business Intelligence
Raines | January 18, 2022
Business intelligence solution is enabling the hotel management, development, and investment group to streamline operational reporting and make smarter business decisions on the fly PITTSBURGH, PA — January 18, 2022 — A year ago, 19 properties in the Raines Co. portfolio went LIVE with PVNG, a browser-based enterprise accounting tool from Aptech. Extremely pleased with the finance software and the company’s customer service, the hospitality management, development, and investment group operating the world’s leading hotel brands and boutique properties recently added Aptech’s newest version business intelligence tool, Execuvue®...
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