INTELITY Named Official Mobile and In-Room Technology Provider by Forbes Travel Guide
INTELITY | February 27, 2020
Voice Is Here to Stay: Embrace It
Darren Clark | February 11, 2020
Technology
Live Webinar: Knowland to Host Webinar on How to Optimize Group Revenue for Small Hotels
JIM VANDEVENDER. EXECUTIVE ADVISOR, KNOWLAND | February 13, 2020
Washington, DC (February 13, 2020) Knowland, the leader in revenue-generating hospitality meetings data and analytics, today announced a live webinar on how smaller hotels can maximize group bookings and meeting space revenue. The webinar, "The Secret to Winning More Group Business for Your Small Hotel” is designed for hotels with less than 6,000 square feet of total meeting space. Hotels will learn how to boost revenue by booking more of the 65,000+ small meetings that occur each year. Tired of all the inbound RFPs hitting your inbox from groups needing more space than you can offer? There are thousands of small groups looking for the r...
IDeaS and Silverbyte Partner to Provide Two-Way Data Integration
Joseph Martino | February 13, 2020
Global hospitality technology leaders deliver accessible revenue and market data to support automated forecasting, room-type pricing and inventory controls MINNEAPOLIS—Feb. 13, 2020—IDeaS announced today a new technology partnership with Silverbyte, Ltd. The two-way data integration between IDeaS’ sophisticated revenue management solutions and Silverbyte’s leading property management software, Optima PMS, will provide enhanced performance, productivity and profitability for the global hotel industry. Regardless of the size or operational complexity of a property, the integration provides accessible revenue and market data to em...
Maestro Cloud Provides Management Companies With A Solid PMS Platform That Supports Multiple Leading Partner Integration Options
Maestro PMS | February 12, 2020
Property Groups Leverage Maestro PMS’ Sophistication at Award Winning Luxury and Full-Service Independents February 12, 2020 – Most management companies see the advantages of using one system platform across all their independent properties. The same property management software (PMS) and the same central reservations and other systems let operators have one central reservations office, standardized data formats, and a consistent staff training program. Maestro works well for multi-property management companies that have independents in their portfolio. Portland, Maine-based Olympia Companies has 26 hotels open, including six indepe...
ROW nyc Hotel Caters to Latest Guest Connectivity Needs by Implementing Advanced Wi-Fi and BeyondTV GuestCast™ From Hotel Internet Services
Hotel Internet Services | February 12, 2020
NEW YORK — February 12, 2020 — Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions, has announced the successful implementation of BeyondTV GuestCast™ and an advanced Wi-Fi upgrade at the 1,300 room ROW nyc Hotel. A modern and trendy property located a block away from Times Square, ROW nyc frequently caters to a diverse international guest demographic, yet can now ensure that the universal demand for access to personalized in-room entertainment and high-quality internet is available throughout the hotel. Recognizing that each of its guests have distinct television viewing preferences, ROW nyc lea...
Voice Is Here to Stay: Embrace It
Darren Clark | February 11, 2020
Why Viceroy Hotels & Resorts is ‘All In’ with Volara By Darren Clark It’s a new decade — a time when hoteliers are looking at artificial intelligence and voice technologies not as disruptors, but as innovations that will connect them to guests in more meaningful and lasting ways. It’s an era of convenience, when frictionless voice command is replacing friction-filled app downloads, germ-infested tablets, and antiquated telephones to connect guests to information and services and control the room environment. It’s an ever-evolving digital world where speed, efficiency, and immediacy are constantly being optimized. It’s...
Shiji Group’s Decade of Transformation and Growth
Shiji | February 10, 2020
By Kevin King In the past ten years, Shiji Group has undergone a period of significant growth and expansion, transitioning from a China-based network system supply company, to a truly global conglomerate pushing the boundaries of hospitality technology. Shiji began as the brainchild of Li Zhongchu. Like many innovative tech brands, Li founded Shiji in his Beijing apartment in 1998, impressing his initial customers with his dedication to service and the letter quality of his new fax machine. Almost immediately, Shiji began to expand rapidly, quickly becoming the leading hotel tech provider in China. By 2014, we captured almost 70% of...
Cloud5 Communications Earns Two Marriott Property Internet Awards of Excellence
Cloud5 Communications | February 10, 2020
Cloud5 Named Industry Trailblazer for Driving Innovation CHICAGO (February 10, 2020) – Top-rated hospitality technology provider Cloud5 Communications has been awarded two certificates of excellence by Marriott International recognizing its technology innovation and high level of performance. Cloud5 is a Marriott GPNS Full Certified High-Speed Internet Access partner approved for the United States and the Caribbean and Latin American (CALA) region, serving hundreds of Marriott full service and select brand (MSB) properties. Cloud5 shines with two partner awards for excellence: • Certificate of Excellence 2019 - Industry Trailblazer...
Luxury Brand Kempinski Hotels Selects Shiji’s IcePortal for Global Content Management and Distribution
Ice Portal, a Shiji Group Brand | February 5, 2020
Hollywood, FL –Shiji Group, a global leader in providing secure and scalable technology solutions for the hospitality, food service, retail and entertainment industry, announced today its’ IcePortal content distribution system has been selected by Kempinski Hotels to provide complete visual content management and distribution for its full portfolio of 76 luxury hotels across 34 countries. Shiji’s Iceportal will enable Kempinski to curate, score and track their visual content across a wide distribution network which includes all major distribution channels and global distribution systems (GDS). In addition, Kempinski Hotels will be ab...
Cloud5 Communications Appoints Reed Majors as Executive Director of Business Development for the Western U.S.
Cloud5 Communications | February 5, 2020
CHICAGO (February 5, 2020) – Top-rated hospitality technology provider Cloud5 Communications expands its sales team with the appointment of Reed Majors as Executive Director of Business Development. Based in Palo Alto, California, Majors will support the growing demand for Cloud5 High-Speed Internet Access (HSIA) and communications solutions from leading hotel brands and management companies in the Western U.S. Majors draws upon 25 years of technology experience and a deep knowledge of guest WiFi, converged networks, telephony, mobile and video solutions. Prior to joining Cloud5, he headed up the Internet business at SONIFI Solutions whe...
Twenty Four Seven Hotels Updates Accounting to Aptech’s PVNG for 23 Properties
Twenty Four Seven Hotels | February 5, 2020
Cloud-based PVNG Enterprise Back Office Puts Financial Management in The Palm of Your Hand PITTSBURGH, February 5, 2020 – Aptech Computer Systems, the industry standard for hospitality financial systems, announced Twenty Four Seven Hotels updated its Enterprise Accounting for 23 properties to the PVNG Cloud Back Office system. Twenty Four Seven Hotels is headquartered in Newport Beach, California, with a portfolio that includes Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt brands. Aptech is an IBM Premier Solution Provider as well as a Prophix Premier Business Partner offering web-enabled business intelligence, budgeting, and hotel accounting software sys...
Smartphones and Their Effect on Guest Behavior
Binu Mathews | February 4, 2020
By Binu Mathews Smartphones are everywhere. Walk into any coffee shop, restaurant, or hotel lobby, and a high percentage of people engaged with their smartphone will be directly affected by the application they are reviewing. As consumers, we now look to our smartphones to converse with friends, purchase items online, look at a myriad of pictures, and yes, sometimes, to talk to another person. The impact of smartphones on our everyday life is undisputed, but how has the smartphone impacted the hotel guest? When it comes to searching for a hotel, regardless of whether it is for a business or leisure trip, the bulk of the search process is ...
Think Small: Rethinking Hotel Technology for a New Era
Margaret Ady | February 4, 2020
By Margaret Ady When Volkswagen introduced the Beetle to the United States in the 1950s, it did it with a revolutionary and wildly successful ad campaign: “Think Small.” Original “Think Small” VW Ad Given it was a decade of giant, gas-guzzling American cars from the likes of GM and Chrysler, the campaign needed to entice consumers to go against the grain. They would have to see the value in a small, simple, and inexpensive European car. The Agency notes, “The ad tapped into a sense of disconnect that the public was feeling as a result of being pressured to buy and consumer for so many years. This was especially felt by youn...
Residence Inn Panama City Selects ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions to Ensure Highest Standards in Security, Operational Efficiency and Guest Convenience
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions | February 4, 2020
Newly opened long-term stay hotel implements VingCard RFID Mobile Access-ready locks alongside Elsafe Zenith safes. Stockholm – February 4, 2019 – ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions has announced the successful implementation of its advanced security access platforms at Residence Inn Panama City. A recently opened extended stay hotel that offers homelike surroundings and a relaxing community atmosphere, Residence Inn Panama City recognized the need to implement advanced security solutions in order to provide each guest with total peace of mind throughout their stay. To achieve this goal, hotel leadership opted to implement Elsafe Zenith safes a...
Residence Inn Panama City Selects ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions to Ensure Highest Standards in Security, Operational Efficiency and Guest Convenience
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions | February 4, 2020
Newly opened long-term stay hotel implements VingCard RFID Mobile Access-ready locks alongside Elsafe Zenith safes. Stockholm – February 4, 2019 – ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions has announced the successful implementation of its advanced security access platforms at Residence Inn Panama City. A recently opened extended stay hotel that offers homelike surroundings and a relaxing community atmosphere, Residence Inn Panama City recognized the need to implement advanced security solutions in order to provide each guest with total peace of mind throughout their stay. To achieve this goal, hotel leadership opted to implement Elsafe Zenith safes a...
The Facebook Algorithm in 2020: What Hotels & Resorts Need to Know
Lodging Interactive & commingle:engage | February 3, 2020
It’s no secret that organic Facebook marketing can be a little fickle for anyone with a business account on the platform. We’ve been seeing organic reach decline for more than five years, making it increasingly difficult to reach potential guests without paying, even if they’re already following you. This all comes down to the Facebook algorithm, which decides which content will gain the most visibility in users’ newsfeeds. And there is a silver lining here: Facebook marketing is still a good investment for businesses, and knowing how to work with the algorithm can help you gain more visibility and connect with potential, current, ...
To Serve Guests You Need to Understand Them
David Berger | January 30, 2020
By Dave Berger “Service with a smile” has always been a common hospitality practice in the United States. Welcoming some international guests with this non-verbal cue, however, can be problematic. In Japan, a smile often conveys anger, sadness, or embarrassment rather than joy or friendliness. In Russia, smiling at a stranger is considered insincere and impolite. In the U.S., people nod their heads in agreement or acknowledgement; in Greece, Turkey, and other nearby nations, a single nod of the head upward actually means “no.” And forget offering international visitors a thumbs up. For many cultures, this gesture is vulgar and rude...
Fuel’s Stuart Butler Selected to Host Session on Google’s Impact on Hospitality at the Navigate Hospitality Leaders Conference
Fuel | January 29, 2020
Fuel COO to share insight on how data giant Google is changing the hospitality landscape worldwide by altering the booking journey Myrtle Beach, SC - January 29, 2020 – Fuel, the premier provider of hotel marketing software and digital agency services for the hospitality sector, has announced that Stuart Butler, the company’s COO, will present an expert session at the Navigate Hospitality Leaders Conference, taking place March 2-4 at the La Cantera Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas. Fuel is a corporate sponsor of the three-day industry event, which connects marketers, reservation sales leaders, revenue management professionals, an...
Skift Research Reports How Vendors Like RoomKeyPMS Are “Shaking Up” the PMS Space
RoomKeyPMS | January 28, 2020
January 28, 2020 – Vancouver, BC – Skift Research has recently published a new report about the PMS landscape, and how cloud-computing vendors like RoomKeyPMS are “shaking up [the] stale corner of hotel tech, and it’s crazy exciting.” Along with the history of the PMS and technology provided by legacy PMS vendors, the report investigates how cloud computing, open APIs, marketplaces and middleware layers are changing and improving the traditional PMS space. Within the report, Skift Research ranks RoomKeyPMS as having an increased focus on integrations, thereby significantly contributing to the evolving industry and the future of ...
Hotel Operations in The Cloud: What Are Your Options?
Maestro PMS | January 28, 2020
Operators Discuss Their Decision Whether or Not to Move Their PMS to the Cloud and How it Benefited Their Business Markham, Ontario – January 28, 2020 – Independent operators in 2020 have a decision to make. Many have older property management systems (PMS) that are fully depreciated, but their hotel software does not leverage current technologies, such as mobile browser or self-hosted environments. In some cases, vendor upgrades may force operators into a vendor supplied cloud-hosted option. Often, legacy systems do not meet the newest mobile guest experience and communication technology requirements. Also, many legacy systems lack th...
Hotel Internet Services Becomes Choice Hotels Qualified Vendor
Hotel Internet Services, Inc. | January 28, 2020
Leading hospitality provider of internet-based solutions certified to provide Choice Hotels properties with advanced in-room entertainment and casting functionality PALM HARBOR, Fla. — January 28, 2020 — Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, is now a qualified vendor for Choice Hotels International, Inc., one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors. HIS will provide Choice properties with the latest guestroom entertainment and technology, including its industry-leading BeyondTV and BeyondTV GuestCast platforms. Serving as a comprehensive in-roo...
Real Hospitality Group Adopts Full Suite of ProfitSword Business Intelligence and Data Management Solutions
ProfitSword, LLC | January 28, 2020
Rapidly expanding hotel management company implements ProfitSage, ProfitPlan, ProfitPace and ProfitWizard to maximize business strategy efficiency and ability to achieve even greater organizational growth. OCEAN CITY, Md. (January 28, 2020) – ProfitSword, hospitality’s premier developer of business intelligence and data integration software, has been selected by Real Hospitality Group in order to obtain a real-time and fully comprehensive overview of its financial performance across the breadth of its organization. Recognized as one of the fastest growing hotel management companies in the U.S. and renowned for its corporate responsibil...
Hotel Apps Enter a New Decade
Margaret Ady | January 27, 2020
By Margaret Ady It’s time to explode the old notion of the app as we move into 2020 and look at the breadth of possibilities that a hotel app store offers. Here are a few that have gotten my attention as of late Two point five million! Well, nearly 2.5 million. That’s how many apps the Google Play store has. Apple’s store came in second at 1.8 million apps. For perspective, 1.69 million people live on the island of Manhattan. That’s more than one app for every person on the island. Apps have become the go-to for managing our lives, both the operations (budgets, exercise, bill paying) and outer lives (work, social, news apps). ...
Too Busy to Text? Beekeeper Rolls Out Voice Messaging for Chats at ALIS 2020
Beekeeper | January 27, 2020
Vying for the event’s ‘Hottest Technology’ title for a second consecutive year, Beekeeper will reveal the coolest new way to communicate effectively with a hotel’s non-desk workers Los Angeles, Jan. 27, 2020 —Today at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) here, Beekeeper is launching a new push-to-talk feature for chats designed for hoteliers who are too busy to spend time manually typing out messages to their teams. Rather than using less secure consumer platforms like WhatsApp to record, share and receive voice messages, the new feature will enable hotel management and staff to communicate more quickly and efficiently w...
7 Hotel Technology Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2020
Atul Gupta | January 23, 2020
By Atul Gupta INTRODUCTION With new technology trends such as the internet of things (IoT), many businesses have been able to improve their operations as well as make them more up to date. In the hotel and hospitality industry, technology has helped make many hotels and resorts more efficient as ones that are capable of providing better service for their guests. Technology in the hospitality industry has been able to capitalize on the internet of things (IoT) by providing a better user experience for guests. Today, guests can make reservations through an application and schedule their stay with their smartphones. Along with the inter...
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