Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2, 2024
Debunking Common Myths About AI: Why Human Hotel Staff Are Still Irreplaceable
John Smallwood, President of Travel Outlook | September 17, 2024
Operations
Five Ways Hotel PMS Technology Is Saving Independent Hotelier Operations
Warren Dehan | August 29, 2023
Modern PMS technology provides invaluable support to independent hotel operations from training to disaster recovery By: Warren Dehan Independent hoteliers rely on technology to operate today in a way that has never been necessary. Still, many often need help understanding how to approach gaining access to the tools they need within their allotted budget. Without support from a brand, these operators need access to reliable, centralized tools capable of simplifying operations and improving revenue amid an indefatigable labor crisis. Technology providers have stepped up to the plate across the industry to assist in every way possible, bu...
PwC Report: Hospitality Tech Investment Pays Off
PWC HOSPITALITY DIRECTIONS | August 23, 2023
The hotel business ecosystem is exceptionally complex: Brands, owners and operators all strive to maintain profitability in an inherently low-margin, highly competitive sector. The goal? To satisfy investors while also meeting — ideally, exceeding — guest expectations. Hotels also need to attract and maintain skilled talent in the constrained late-pandemic labor market. Facing rising wages and a diminished worker pool, more than 70% of hotel executives are turning to technology tools to automate a portion of their operations and boost employee efficiency.1 PwC experience corroborates the benefits of technology investments. One bran...
Independent Hoteliers: Centralize Your Data
Warren Dehan | August 16, 2023
To gain a competitive advantage, hotel operators must embrace centralized data practices to help them level the playing field against established brands By Warren Dehan It may not seem important, but is your hotel’s data centralized? Hospitality has parted ways with many traditions over the years, from physical room keys to guest books, but one thing that is never to return is guests’ and operators’ patience. No one likes to wait, whether checking into a room, requesting more amenities, or reacting to a guest’s needs at a moment’s notice. This goes for all operators, and as independent hoteliers continue to compete against ...
It’s Possible To Do More With Less During a Labor Shortage: Here’s How
Amadeus | August 9, 2023
As travel continues to recover, some airlines, hotels, restaurants, and event venues worldwide are struggling to keep up with demand due to labor shortages. And while labor shortages are nothing new, the pandemic brought about some fresh challenges, including the phenomenon of “revenge travel,” or the concept of consumers making up for lost time by booking more and longer travel experiences. The overall impact that this increase in consumer demand has had on labor within the hospitality industry has been enormous. The State of Labor Shortages Labor shortages are impacting businesses’ productivity, efficiency, and profitability a...
Meyer Jabara Hotels’ Journey Culture Reaping a 75% Employee Retention Rate
Meyer Jabara Hotels | August 8, 2023
Implementing principles of continuous cultural improvement is slashing the management company’s turnover rate through empowerment and accountability [Danbury, Conn., August 8, 2023] — Meyer Jabara Hotels is reporting a 24.20% turnover rate through the first half of 2023. With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics citing 70% to 80% turnover annually as the industry norm, this 46-year-old hotel ownership and management group is obviously doing something right. With hotel operators still feeling the sting of the “Great Resignation,” MJH is revealing its secret to employee retention success. “Our biggest competitive advantage is wha...
Controlling Hotel Labor Costs With New Integrations to Business Intelligence Platforms
Adam and Larry Mogelonsky | August 2, 2023
By Adam and Larry Mogelonsky HITEC in June 2023 came and went with lots of incredible outings from vendors. While AI was perhaps foremost on the mind, what really stood out for us was the ability for integrated platforms to offer actionable insights to guide incremental profitability for hotels. Speaking from experience, the two of us have worked extensively on helping hotels increase their net operating incomes (NOI), which then has positive second-order effects elsewhere, including the flexibility to innovate in other areas or even to seek more favorable terms from the bank. Driving NOI as well as topline revenues is the name of the g...
Cloudbeds Announces Partnership With Vrbo
Cloudbeds | July 27, 2023
Full API integration will grant Cloudbeds customers access and visibility to a worldwide market of vacation rental-focused travelers San Diego, July 27, 2023 — Cloudbeds, the hospitality management platform powering more reservations and happier guests for lodging businesses around the globe, today announced its integration with Vrbo. Through a full API connection, owners and operators can manage all aspects of their Vrbo listing through the Cloudbeds platform. The integration creates a superior user experience with automation in onboarding, managing rates and availability, reconciliation, and more. As one of the world’s premier ...
Hospitality Industry’s New Tipping System: What You Need to Know
EHL Insights | July 26, 2023
By Michael Gyger, Sébastien Fernandez How tips are distributed can quickly become a hot topic in restaurants and hotels. Employees care about justice and want to be rewarded according to their efforts. Is it fair that a server who is capable to deliver a better service than his or her colleagues (and gets more tips) has to put all the money earned in a pot that will be equally shared with other employees? Or, is it fair that a server keeps all the tips received when part of the excellent customer experience is also shaped by fellow colleagues (chefs, runners, bartenders)? None of these systems is totally fair, but they are used in many re...
LasoExperience Empowers Hotels With Seamless Integration of Maestro PMS for Enhanced Guest Interactions
Maestro | July 25, 2023
Rollout of the joint technology is underway at three iconic East Coast properties [CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 25, 2023] — LasoExperience, a guest-experience SaaS platform that builds meaningful relationships with guests, and Maestro PMS, a web browser based cloud and on-premises all-in-one property-management system for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups, announces an integration partnership that will empower hotels to deliver exceptional guest experiences through personalized and relevant interactions, such as booking their stay, mobile check-in/out, mobile keys, purchasing ...
Stay Hospitality Selects Mews to Automate Operations and Enhance the Overall Guest Journey
Mews | July 20, 2023
The American short-term vacation rental and hotel management group leverage Mews and its vast hospitality marketplace to upgrade their hotel operations. [NEW YORK– 20th of July 2023] Mews, the innovative hospitality cloud, has been chosen by Stay Hospitality to automate and enhance their growing hotel operations. As a hotel and short-term vacation rental management team, Stay Hospitality handles all aspects of the guest experience for visitors traveling to South Florida. “We love how Mews enables our guests to check in online, ahead of their arrival, saving us a lot of time and labor. Their incredible tech stack supports our visi...
MDO Names New CEO and Strengthens Leadership Team
MDO | July 18, 2023
C-suite in place to continue to build upon and deliver purpose-built solutions for the hospitality industry, spanning Digital Document Management, Budgeting and Forecasting, and enhanced Business Intelligence BETHESDA, MD., JULY 18, 2023 – MDO, a hotel data platform that centralizes and operationalizes critical performance and financial data for hotel companies, is excited to announce the bolstering of its leadership team and the continued evolution of its product suite, debuting refined tools that will help hoteliers make more data-driven decisions to drive profitability. Over the past few months, MDO has strengthened its senior lead...
Fantasyland Hotel Partners With INTELITY for Mobile Guest Experience
INTELITY | July 13, 2023
The exceptionally unique, experience-forward property puts guest convenience first with mobile check-in, mobile key and more Los Angeles, CA (July 13, 2023) - INTELITY®, provider of hospitality’s leading guest experience and staff management platform, has announced today a new partnership with Fantasyland Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta. The fun-seeking hotel has deployed INTELITY’s mobile offerings providing guests with mobile check-in, mobile check-out, and mobile key, while streamlining the day-to-day operations for staff through GEMS® — INTELITY’s suite of staff-facing tools. Located in West Edmonton Mall, the most comprehens...
Cloud-Hosted Hotel PMS Data: Who Holds the Keys and Why It Matters
Warren Dehan | July 11, 2023
By Warren Dehan Answering questions about data stored in the cloud and how hotel & resort operators can curtail uncertainty What’s in the cloud — and who owns it — anyway? Despite the industry’s reliance on cloud computing, security myths and other concerns swirl among discussions about the technology, sometimes leading operators to mistrust potential technology partners. These rumblings can lead to a storm of operational disruptions, leaving hoteliers feeling rudderless in a marketplace that requires constant adjustment and reaction. Hoteliers must be able to trust their technology partners, particularly those hosting an...
KTN President Doug Kennedy Addresses Questions About His Monthly Training Webcast Series
Doug Kennedy | July 11, 2023
Each month, Doug Kennedy presents a live webcast from the KTN headquarters office in Florida, reaching hotel and lodging professionals of all levels around the globe. The rotating menu of topics includes content for all disciplines within the industry, including rooms operations, sales, and even F&B. Some topics have a broad-based theme, such as hospitality & guest service excellence, while others are very specific such as training tips, transient reservations sales, and hotel group and event sales. Everyone who registers receives a link to a live recording which they can view later if they missed the live event, or select segments...
Strawberry Leverages Seamless Mobile App Compatibility of ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions and Zaplox to Deploy Room Keys in Apple Wallet
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions | June 26, 2023
Strawberry hotels become one of the first outside North America to experience the ease and enhanced efficiency of adopting room keys in Apple Wallet through cooperation with ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions Mobile Access and Zaplox mobile key lifecycle management solutions Stockholm –June 26, 2023 – ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, a leading provider of advanced security technology for the hospitality industry, together with Zaplox AB publ) (“Zaplox”), a trusted provider of digital guest solutions for the hospitality industry, have announced the deployment of room key in Apple Wallet by Clarion Hotel Post. The first Strawberry property...
Great Wolf Resorts Partners With APS to Modernize Reservations Technology
Above Property Services (APS™) | June 22, 2023
The family-friendly indoor waterpark resort brand upgrades to world's fastest, most advanced solutions for reservations, distribution, call center, packaging, analytics, and continuous pricing NAPLES, FL – (June 22, 2023) – Great Wolf Resorts, North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, has selected Above Property Services (APS®) to modernize its technology across their 19 properties across the country. Great Wolf Resorts’ strategic decision to partner with APS was part of an ongoing effort to enhance capabilities and the overall guest experience. Great Wolf Resorts has always been focused on providing the b...
Maestro PMS Enables Secure Online Payments With Integration to TransForm by b4
Maestro | June 22, 2023
Joint solution helping hotel operators to prevent fraud and mitigate losses; Visit Maestro PMS in Booth 1225 and b4 at Booth 1232 at HITEC Toronto June 26 to 29 MARKHAM, Ontario, and HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, June 22, 2023 — Maestro PMS is making hotel payments easier than ever, thanks to the recent integration with b4’s online payment platform, TransForm. TransForm helps hotels fight fraud and win more chargebacks by ensuring raw credit card data stays hidden from everyone except the cardholder. By passing encrypted credit card data directly into the correct Maestro PMS ledger, hoteliers and their customers benefit from a process that...
P3 Places the Booking Engine at the Heart of Hotel E-Commerce Experience at HITEC 2023
P3 Hotel Software | June 21, 2023
Dublin & Denver — June 21, 2023: Hotel operators at HITEC Toronto will have an opportunity to learn how they can automate tasks, enhance the guest experience, and boost direct revenue by placing their booking engine at the heart of their e-commerce experience. Hotel technology company P3 will demonstrate how features such as content customization, booking interconnected rooms, mobile payments, upselling, online check-in/checkout, and self-service kiosk systems can be integrated seamlessly into the online guest journey. P3 Chief Executive Phelim Pekaar said that cloud-based property management systems with APIs and integration plat...
Maestro All-In-One PMS to Showcase Two Way Engagement Tool GuestXMS’s Newest Features at HITEC Toronto
Maestro | June 20, 2023
Independent hoteliers say the new check-in/-out via SMS feature is a big hit and messaging over SMS is enabling them to compete more effectively with the big brands; Visit Maestro PMS in Booth 1225 at HITEC Toronto June 27 to 29 MARKHAM, Ontario, June 20, 2023 — Next week at HITEC® Toronto, Maestro PMS will showcase a NEW suite of features to its innovative mobile engagement and feedback tool, GuestXMS. The enhancements are enabling operators to gain enhanced insight into guests’ needs and expectations. Powered in collaboration with Fetch, GuestXMS gives independent hoteliers access to two-way SMS, case-management capabilities, an...
Introducing: Optimized Hotel Revenue Management From Anywhere With Daily Rate Manager in Chorum Mobile
Jonas Chorum | June 15, 2023
Jonas Chorum is excited to announce that our staff-facing mobile app has a brand-new module. Chorum Mobile gives hoteliers key hotel management functionality, right from your phone. This new module introduces revenue management on the go. The ChorumPMS app can be downloaded for iOS and Android, allowing you to oversee hotel operations and housekeeping from any mobile device. With this new module, you can see real-time data on key performance indicators in an intuitive dashboard to inform on-the-go revenue management. Alongside those KPIs you can easily update rates based on rate codes and room types. Rates updated in the mobile app are aut...
Above Property Services (APS) Debuts the Latest Advances in Hotel Technology at HITEC in Toronto
Above Property (APS) | June 13, 2023
APS® will be exhibiting innovations that help hotels cut costs, streamline operations, elevate service, and maximize profits at booth #1009 NAPLES, FL – (June 13, 2023) – Attendees at this year's HITEC®, the world’s largest hospitality technology conference, will get an exclusive preview of the latest advances in hotel technology from Above Property Services (APS®). The company is a long-time featured exhibitor at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference, hosted by HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals), which takes place in Toronto, Canada, June 26-29, 2023. Event participants and media...
Maestro All-In-One PMS to Showcase an Array of NEW Solutions & Enhancements at HITEC Toronto
Maestro | June 13, 2023
A proud platinum sponsor of the hospitality industry’s premier technology tradeshow, the preferred provider of cloud and on-premises property-management solutions for independent hotels will unveil Maestro Touch and Maestro SGI; Visit Booth 1225 June 27 to 29 at HITEC Markham, Ontario, June 13, 2023 — This month at HITEC® Toronto, Maestro PMS will showcase the latest enhancements to its popular Web Browser based cloud and on-premises all-in-one PMS solution for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups. From mobile apps and mobile guest messaging to itinerary building and kiosk...
Re:Thynking Technology’s Role in Today’s Hospitality Industry
Thynk | June 8, 2023
The world is changing at an unprecedented pace, and so is our industry. Old ways of thinking and legacy technologies no longer produce the exceptional results needed and expected by today’s dynamic hotel organizations. Whether dealing with unexpected demand shifts, ongoing staff shortages or increased competition, today’s hoteliers need to build a high level of agility into their operations to be able to adapt as quickly as possible to rapidly changing conditions. This means having the relevant data and tools necessary to make informed decisions at a moment’s notice—before the chance to respond to evolving market conditions is lost...
Amadeus and Pattern Announce Travel Protection Integration to Help Travelers Book With Confidence
Amadeus | June 6, 2023
The pandemic raised awareness to the criticality of trip insurance – giving travelers peace of mind to leave home knowing they would not be expensively stranded if the unthinkable were to happen. Travel protection was a must have during the height of COVID-19 and remains important now as traveler confidence returns. This is why Amadeus, a global provider of hospitality technology, and Pattern Insurance, a global InsurTech MGA are expanding on their partnership to bring travel protection options directly to the traveler. Building on the intuitive shop and book experience available in Amadeus’ iHotelier® Booking Engine, guests will n...
