Embracing Technology Without Losing the Human Touch in Hospitality
Alan Young | February 8, 2024
Amadeus Data Reveals Los Cabos, Mexico to Be Top Hotel Destination for Christmas and New Year’s Travel
Amadeus’ Demand360+ | December 7, 2023
Technology
AccorHotels Appoints Thibault Viort as Chief Disruption and Growth Officer
SiteMinder | May 9, 2016
Paris, May 9, 2016 - Global Hospitality Leader, AccorHotels, has announced the appointment of Thibault Viort as the Group's first Chief Disruption and Growth Officer, effective immediately. With the main goal to keep up with the fast-moving consumer market, the new C-level position will complement AccorHotels' agility in acquiring new business. In this role, Viort's main objectives will be: Track down new growth opportunities both internally and externally, in order to foster the emergence of new entrepreneurs Oversee investments and/or acquisitions in emerging activities Emphasize interactions with start-ups that re-inv...
Hotel AG Announces Recent Closings & Hotel AG Charities
Hotel AG | May 9, 2016
ATLANTA, May 9, 2016 – Hotel AG announced today the firm has closed 9 hotel transactions in the last 8 weeks. The transactions were located across five regions of the U.S. including West Coast, South Central, North Central, Northeast and Southeast. The transactions comprised of several brands including Marriott and also included two ultra-high end independent hotels located on each coast. Hotel AG brokers involved in these transactions included Brad Sinclair, Andy Broad, Michael Bernath, Eric Gunderson, Tom Huegel, Collin Foran and Thierry Roch. Additionally, Hotel AG directly supports Hotel AG Charities which was launched in Janu...
FCS Partners with Neorcha to Offer Integrated Solution for Rotana Hotels
FCS | May 9, 2016
Integrated online solution connects back-of-house operations to front-of-house guest services to enable efficient management of guest requests. Dubai, UAE — 9 May, 2016 — FCS Computer Systems (FCS) and Neorcha, both leading service providers in the hospitality sector, have partnered to deliver an integrated back-of-house and front-of-house solution for Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe. FCS' e-Connect system is a back-of-house application that enables automated dispatch of guest requests and inter-department work orders. Functioning via a centrali...
Travel Tripper Expands Global Presence with New Office in Hyderabad, India
Travel Tripper | May 9, 2016
Fast-growing hotel technology company establishes new global delivery center in HITEC City NEW YORK – May 9, 2016 - Travel Tripper, the industry's most innovative provider of hotel reservation and e-commerce solutions, today announced the opening of a new global delivery center in Hyderabad, India. This new office will capitalize on Hyderabad's rich pool of technology talent and serve as a development and client service center for Travel Tripper's expanding worldwide operations. The Hyderabad office will be spearheaded by Sathish Nuggu, who will serve as Managing Director of the Global Delivery Centre. Prior to his new role, Nuggu...
Inbound Sales for Your Hotel: Be the Hero
Cory Falter | May 5, 2016
by Cory Falter Best practices reap best rewards. When it comes to sales, this is exponentially true. Except, for a hotel these days, what are the "best practices" in sales? With the constant evolution of technology and the overwhelming onslaught of tools, it can be challenging to discern what to use, when, where, why, and even how. We have uncovered a sales technique that both uses best practices and can position you as a superhero. It's called inbound sales and we are here to tell you more about it. The Plot More often that not so many of our sales tools are founded on the same principle – a vague assumption that the people we're...
Summit Hotel Properties Reports First Quarter 2016 Net Income of $44.3 million Compared to $6.4 million in the Year Ago Quarter
Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. | May 4, 2016
Same-Store RevPAR increases 4.5 percent Adjusted FFO per share climbs 21.2 percent to $0.32 per share Common Dividend Increase of 12.8 percent AUSTIN, Texas, May 3, 2016 -- Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. (NYSE: INN) (the "Company") today announced results for the first quarter 2016. "We are extremely pleased with the results that our diverse portfolio of premium select-service hotels delivered in the first quarter," said Dan Hansen, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The strength of our portfolio is evidenced by same-store RevPAR growth of 4.5 percent, more than double that of the Smith Tra...
Online and Mobile Bookings Continue to Strengthen Hotel Performance
TravelClick, Inc. | May 4, 2016
North American Hotels Capitalize on Digital Trend Continuing into 2016 NEW YORK – May 4, 2016 – Hotel industry performance is strengthening, with Q1 2016 revenue per available room (RevPAR) increasing 1.0 percent year-over-year, fueled by online and mobile bookings. According to data from TravelClick's North American Distribution Review (NADR; Q2 2016), bookings through online travel agents (OTAs), hotel company websites (Brand.com) and in-person travel agents (global distribution systems / GDS) experienced the most growth in bookings in the first quarter, continuing the online / mobile trend from 2015. TravelClick's NADR re...
5 Essential Steps to Compose Award-Winning Emails
GCommerce | May 4, 2016
Step 1: Make it Mean Something "UGH, another email?" Do you ever feel like that? Well sometimes, so do your subscribers. According to a 2015 study by a marketing research firm the average number of business emails sent and received by a person was 122 a day, so how does yours differ? Are you just sending an email to send an email and remind your subscribers that you're there? If your email doesn't have a good, engaging purpose then the user may need more clarity as to why they even signed up in the first place. For example: if you are trying to entice viewers to book during summer months, paint a mental picture for them. Let them imagin...
Webinar on Q2 2016 Hospitality Technology and Marketing Strategy Forecast & Action Plan
HeBS Digital | May 4, 2016
New York, NY – May 4, 2016 – With the constant influx of news in our industry, along with the hundreds of other daily duties of the hotelier, it can be hard to stay up to date. To help save hoteliers time and present them with innovative, actionable ideas to increase direct bookings this summer season, HeBS Digital will host a complimentary "Webinar on Q2 2016 Hospitality Digital Technology and Marketing Strategy Forecast & Action Plan" on Wednesday, May 11th at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT). The webinar will focus on the most notable hospitality technology & digital marketing trends to watch this quarter and an action plan...
Go Moment Announces Guest Texting Integration with RoomKeyPMS
RoomKeyPMS | May 4, 2016
RoomKeyPMS selects Go Moment's Ivy Platform as its Preferred Guest Engagement Texting Service for Hotels May 4, 2016 – Santa Monica, CA – Go Moment announced today that its Ivy Platform has been selected by RoomKeyPMS as its Preferred Guest Engagement Texting Service for its Hotel Customers. As part of this designation, RoomKeyPMS is providing an exclusive API integration for the Ivy Platform, allowing automatic population of relevant guest data from participating RoomKeyPMS hotels into the Ivy Platform – saving hotel labor while dramatically increasing guest engagement. Ivy is the world's first smart texting guest eng...
Vimana Franchise Systems Celebrates Fifth Anniversary with Free Entry Offer
Vimana Franchise Systems, LLC | May 3, 2016
Windermere, FL – May 3, 2016 –Vimana Franchise Systems, home of Centerstone Inns, Hotels & Plaza Hotels and Key West Inns, Hotels & Resorts, is celebrating its 5th Anniversary in a big way: By offering up their franchises for free! This offer is one of the most advantageous offerings the industry has seen in a very long time. The normal application fee of $3,000 and the initial fee of $14,000 will both be free. Not only that, but the franchise fees (royalty and marketing) for the first three months will be free with franchisees only having to pay a combined royalty and marketing fee of 3% after those three months. St...
Hotel Technology 2020: What Will the Hotel of the Future Look Like?
SiteMinder | May 3, 2016
By David Chestler, EVP, Global Enterprise Sales & Business Development, SiteMinder After a long flight, a weary traveler strolls off the plane. The beacon nearby detects him and signals he has arrived with his Uber waiting to take him to his hotel. His TripIt has his itinerary and details from multiple locations all sorted onto his device. The Uber whisks him traffic-free using Waze into his hotel. He checks his assigned room number on his smartphone, goes to the elevator, opens the hotel's mobile app, and orders a drink and a bite to eat. Arriving on his floor, he opens the room door with his phone, he checks his emails on the tele...
Odawa Casino Resort Boosts Efficiency and Guest Service With Comprehensive Agilysys Suite
Agilysys | May 3, 2016
Agilysys Technology Strengthens Operations Across the Entire Property ALPHARETTA, GA. — May 3, 2016 — Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that Odawa Casino Resort in Petoskey, Mich., has selected an industry-leading solution suite — including Visual One® PMS, InfoGenesis® POS and rGuest® Pay — to streamline efficiency and optimize guest service at the 137-room property. The resort, which recently underwent extensive renovations, caters to both business and leisure travelers, with a Las Vegas style casi...
StayNTouch Achieves Gold Membership in the Oracle Partner Network
StayNTouch | May 3, 2016
Bethesda, MD – May 3, 2016. StayNTouch, an innovator in mobile technology for hotel operations, today announced that it has achieved Gold Membership status in the Oracle Partner Network, joining more than 25,000 partners worldwide who collaborate on common models for software, hardware and cloud technologies, and work together to exchange best practices and resell products and services. StayNTouch's solutions are gaining rapid adoption among branded as well as boutique hotels and are now in place at dozens of properties. "We are happy to join the Oracle Partner Network as a Gold Member," said Jos Schaap, CEO and Founder of StayNTo...
Couples Resorts Chooses Intelity to Develop Brand-Wide Enterprise Mobile Guest Service Hotel App
Couples Resorts | May 2, 2016
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – May 2, 2016 – Couples Resorts has selected leading hospitality technology provider Intelity to develop a brand mobile app for use on guests' iOS and Android devices. The app, available for download on Friday, will focus on amplifying the on-property experience to delight guests and provide additional support once they have booked a reservation with one of the brand's resorts. Intelity's award-winning ICE (Interactive Customer Experience™) guest engagement platform will serve as the foundation for the new app, combining guest service and engagement features with enterprise management tools through...
Hotelskanner.com Partners with DHISCO to Power New Booking Site
DHISCO Inc. | May 2, 2016
DALLAS (May 2, 2016) – Hotelskanner.com, a new website offering travelers in-depth tools and content for making better-informed booking decisions, has selected DHISCO to connect its customers with the best rates and real-time availability information. Launched by the Dubai-based media company ExMarketplace, Hotelskanner.com targets a global audience with a range of online tools and resources, including photos, traveler reviews and property overviews for select hotels around the world as well as rate information and booking capabilities. Alessandro Lenzi, managing director of Hotelskanner.com, said the site's unique tools are desig...
Content Marketing for Hotels: How to Get Started Telling Your Hotel’s Story
SiteMinder | May 2, 2016
Content marketing is more than a buzzword. It's an important part of your hotel's marketing strategy. Simply put, it's the creation and distribution of valuable assets, such as videos, blog posts and e-newsletters, as marketing tools to attract and retain customers. For hotels and other accommodation providers, these assets showcase your property's unique story and brand, and complement your room distribution and sales efforts. HOW DOES CONTENT MARKETING WORK? The Content Marketing Institute (CMI), based in the US, defines content marketing as "…a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevan...
SiteMinder Named Among Top 20 Technology Pioneers in Australia and New Zealand
SiteMinder | May 2, 2016
Sydney, Australia – The global hotel industry's leading cloud platform, SiteMinder, has ranked 17th in the inaugural Tech Pioneers Report by venture capital firm H2 Ventures and specialist lending provider Investec. The report showcases the 50 greatest pioneering technology companies to come out of Australia and New Zealand, to be at the leading edge of the 'ideas boom' and drivers of the economy of the future. "The Tech Pioneers 50 are those companies using technology to the best advantage and driving disruption within a variety of industries and sectors. These companies have a commitment to excellence, superior customer experien...
Firmdale Hotels Giving ‘Power to the People’ with Portable Mobile Device Charging from Kube Systems
Kube Systems | April 29, 2016
Ham Yard Hotel in London and Crosby Street Hotel in New York providing charging for all smartphones, tablets, fitness bands, cameras and headphones in public spaces and meeting rooms [Jericho, NY—April 29, 2016] — Firmdale Hotels operates with the philosophy that hotels should be living things, not stuffy institutions. Whatever guests want, Firmdale Hotels delivers. With mobile device charging on traveler's growing lists of demands, the U.K.-based ownership and management group comprised of nine luxury boutique hotels in London and New York now features the KS Portable™ from Kube Systems at the Crosby Street Hotel in ...
Weakening Spring New Reservation Demand Produces Cloudy Outlook for Hoteliers
TravelClick, Inc. | April 29, 2016
However, Group Booking Growth Continues to Provide Promise in Majority of North American Markets NEW YORK – April 29, 2016 – New reservation commitments added over the last month are down -7.1 percent, according to new data from TravelClick's April 2016 North American Hospitality Review (NAHR). These numbers highlight hotels' continued fragmented performance during this season. However, there remains some positive news, as 18 of the top 25 North American markets are still showing overall year-over-year increases in committed occupancy* growth. "New reservation growth has considerably weakened over the past month," said John ...
Combat Seasonal Lows with Interest-Based Paid Search Campaigns
Gcommerce | April 28, 2016
A friend and foe, seasonality is a familiarity amongst many hoteliers who enjoy high occupancy, elevated ADRs, and a surge in revenue when in-season. As the seasons change, occupancy dips, market share becomes sparse, and hotels are left with elevated cost-per-acquisitions; their marketing efforts must become proactive, efficient, and creative to ensure their continued success. Complete a search for hotels in a resort town: from South Lake Tahoe to Vail or Park City. What you will find is an abundance of properties offering discounted rates or outlandish specials to secure a large piece of a much smaller pie. Is this approach functional...
Global Market Advisors Releases: “Gaming in India: An Evaluation of the Market’s Potential”
Global Market Advisors, LLC | April 28, 2016
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (April 28, 2016) - Global Market Advisors (GMA), a leading hospitality research and consulting firm serving the casino gaming, lodging, and airline industries, today issued a white paper entitled, "Gaming in India: An Evaluation of the Market's Potential." The paper focuses on the gaming market in India today, the competitive environment, and the market's potential. The paper is authored by Kit Szybala, Director of Research and Analysis at Global Market Advisors. In Global Gaming Business Magazine's May 2016 issue, Kit Szybala's article entitled "Asia's Sleeping Tiger" provides a...
HeBS Digital’s New Brand Website for Tsogo Sun Receives “Official Honoree” Distinction in the 20th Annual Webby Awards
HeBS Digital | April 28, 2016
New York, NY – April 28, 2016 – HeBS Digital is proud to announce that the Tsogo Sun brand website has been selected as an Official Honoree in the 20th Annual Webby Awards in the Advertising: Tourism & Leisure category. HeBS Digital, the leading hotel digital technology, full-service digital marketing and website revenue optimization consulting firm conceptualized, designed and developed the new website for Tsogo Sun, Africa's premier gaming, hotel and entertainment group. Hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards program, honoring excellence on t...
Is the Front Desk a Dinosaur?
April 28, 2016
By Jos Schaap, Founder and CEO - StayNTouch Should a hotel's guest check in be more like the guest experience at an Apple Store? The concept is not as farfetched as it seems. There have been many ups and downs in the development of PMS software in recent years. But for almost all hotels, the fundamental process for interacting with guests through the PMS at check-in has remained fundamentally unchanged for decades: The guest arrives on property; waits in a line, sometimes for a very long time; and a front desk clerk buries his or head in a computer to check him in, produce room keys and try to take care of his other immediate needs. But...