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CRM Case Study: Hotel Granduca Austin
Cendyn | December 27, 2017
Cendyn success story Hotel Granduca Austin, one of the "Leading Hotels of the World," is just minutes from downtown Austin's vibrant entertainment and cultural district. Competition for hotel guests is red hot as the city expands with new properties across the metropolitan area. "With Cendyn, we see direct, bottom line improvement to our CRM efforts and ability to nurture a repeat client base," said Ray DeJohn, Director of Sales & Marketing at Hotel Granduca Austin. "Because we're able to curate specific lists through the database, we're able to specifically target who and what we want to go after." ...
How to Encourage Guests to Write Hotel Reviews on TripAdvisor, Yelp, Google and Facebook
Nancy Huang | December 22, 2017
by Nancy Huang Online guest reviews are more important than ever. In researching hotels, potential customers are proactively seeking information about the experiences of previous guests. Reviews and star ratings on websites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, Google, and Facebook all play an extremely important role in getting new customers to book. The more reviews available, the more trustworthy a hotel will appear. Today's traveler arrives well-informed, with a huge 95% reading online reviews before they book their accommodation. Furthermore, younger generations are more communicative than their predecessors, so building a strong online reputati...
Fornova Ends 2017 with Rapid Growth, Highlights Three Trends in Hotel Distribution to Watch in 2018
Fornova | December 21, 2017
Direct Bookings Will Move to Target Ownership and "Lifetime Value," as OTAs and Big Hotel Players Continue to Dance and Spar NEW YORK and LONDON, December 21, 2017 – Fornova closed 2017 with year over year revenue growth in excess of 50%, raised a Series B financing to spur accelerated expansion in the year ahead, and was recognized as one the year's most innovative companies by industry authority Lodging magazine in the U.S. Capping the success, CEO Dori Stein anticipates a year of even faster growth in 2018, and pointed to three trends in distribution that all hotels should pay attention to, in the coming year: 1. In a bid to cr...
Wharf Hotels and Duetto Announce Revenue Strategy Partnership
Wharf Hotels | December 21, 2017
Hotelier Adopts Scalable Technology Powered by Open Pricing Hong Kong, 21 December, 2017 — Wharf Hotels, a leading hotel management company based in Hong Kong comprised of 16 properties operating as Niccolo Hotels and Marco Polo Hotels, has partnered with Duetto, hospitality's only Revenue Strategy Platform, expanding its presence in Asia-Pacific. Wharf Hotels will implement Duetto's Open Pricing application, GameChanger, at several of its owned and managed hotels in Hong Kong, China and the Philippines. "As a high-growth company that recognizes the importance of innovation in Revenue Strategy and hotel technology, Wharf Hotels is...
Osage Casinos to Deliver a Superior Customer Experience and Optimize Operational Efficiency with Agilysys Solutions at New Hotel
Agilysys | December 21, 2017
Solutions for New Property Include InfoGenesis, Visual One, rGuest Pay and rGuest Seat ALPHARETTA, GA. — December 21, 2017 — Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that Osage Casinos have selected Agilysys solutions for their new hotel property opening in Tulsa, Oklahoma to deliver a superior guest experience across the property, as well as to help drive operational excellence from check-in to check-out. Osage Casinos has seven casino locations in the state of Oklahoma, with hotel accommodations currently available at two of the...
Implementations Director Rafael Lozada Joins ALICE to Help Lead Next Stage of Company Growth
ALICE | December 20, 2017
New York, NY -- ALICE, the hospitality industry's leading operations technology, welcomes Rafael Lozada, as Director of Customer Implementations. Rafael joins ALICE at a time of rapid growth for the company, following its $26M Series B funding in August, and the company's acquisition of concierge technology rival GoConcierge in September. A versatile leader with 15+ years of service delivery experience in technology-based companies, Rafael will help ALICE scale customer activation and ensure excellent service. Rafael's fluency in both English and Spanish will also allow ALICE to accelerate product implementation in Mexico and the greate...
6 Tips to Fly Away with Direct Hotel Bookings in 2018
Lure Agency | December 20, 2017
While online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Travelocity and Hotels.com are an important marketing component to a hotel, it's crucial for property owners and managers to also utilize internal sources for revenue generation and to increase hotel bookings. Digital marketing offers amazing opportunities for properties of all sizes and shapes – from boutique hotels to all-suite resorts – to stabilize the booking field using leading marketing tools and tactics. We have a few ideas to help out. Get Smart with Web Design It's not unusual for travelers shopping on OTA's to visit the hotel's website directly in order to learn more abo...
5 Ways Hotels Can Use Behavioral Economics to Improve Conversion Rates
Gautam Lulla | December 20, 2017
By Gautam Lulla Understanding the rationale behind consumer decision-making has long been an obsession for marketers. Popularized today as behavioral economics, brands such as Amazon and Netflix invest millions into understanding the psychology of their consumers shopping habits in order to drive purchases. In the travel industry, OTAs also build their platforms around principles of buying psychology to boost conversion rates. Yet far from being a secret or expensive investment, many of these same principles can be applied by hotels. In the following post, we'll look at 5 ways hotels can use behavioral economics with actionable examples...
It’s Time for Hotel Brands to Wake Up and Re-Evaluate Their Voice Channel
Robert Post | December 19, 2017
By Robert Post The voice channel delivers from 20 to 50% of bookings for hotel brands. So why has the Contact Center become such an overlooked hospitality distribution channel? In my opinion, our industry has forgotten the impact of this valuable asset, its power to generate revenue, and the customer service it can provide to satisfy the demands of today's busy traveler. In a recent survey, we discovered a startling fact - Contact Centers are an increasingly poorly managed channel. In fact, we learned that a surprising number of organizations did not have a handle on their voice revenue conversion. And even when they had these numbers, ...
Kerry Hirschy to Retire from dormakaba After a Successful 31 Year Career
dormakaba | December 19, 2017
Hirschy Led dormakaba Electronic Locks to Unprecedented N. American Market Share MONTREAL, December 19, 2017 – dormakaba, one of the top three companies in the global market for access and security solutions, announced its Vice President of Sales Kerry Hirschy will retire on December 31, 2017. Hirschy is completing a stellar 31 year career in the electronic door lock industry. His leadership as a hotel lock sales executive resulted in dormakaba's strong market share position in N. America. Hirschy's successor will be Dale Mathias. dormakaba manufactures the Saflok™ and Ilco™ electronic door locks and provides installat...
Palladium Hotel Group Implements Duetto to Drive Revenue Strategy in Spain
Duetto | December 19, 2017
Palladium Hotel Group Adopts Duetto's Open Pricing and Group Optimization Applications to Grow Business in Ibiza and Tenerife Ibiza, Spain, 19 December, 2017 — Duetto, hospitality's only Revenue Strategy Platform, has partnered with Palladium Hotel Group in Ibiza, Spain, and implemented its GameChanger application to eight Palladium properties on the island, including its Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza and Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, as well as the Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Palladium properties are now also using Duetto's BlockBuster application for optimizing contracted and group business. The Spain-based hotel c...
New Guide Details How Hotels Can Use the Latest Technology to Revitalize Operations, Profits, and Service
December 19, 2017
StayNTouch reveals five ways hotels can make smart technology decisions and avoid wasting time and money on outdated systems Bethesda, MD (December 19, 2017) – The difference between the winners and losers in the hospitality industry increasingly comes down to one factor: technology. StayNTouch®, the leading innovator in mobile PMS technology for hotels and resorts, today announced the release of a new guide titled, The Hi-Tech Revolution is Changing Hospitality: 5 Ways Tech Can Revitalize Your Hotel in 2018, designed to help hoteliers win in 2018. The guide suggests that in today's climate, guests are more demanding and that ...
New Hotel Booking Sites Take Advantage of Industry Loopholes
Nancy Huang | December 18, 2017
By Nancy Huang Almost seven years since HotelTonight launched its tonight-only hotel booking app, the industry has been flooded with a host of ambitious startups looking to find similar success. At the recent PhocusWright Summit, almost half of the 24 startups presenting their ideas were related to hotel booking apps. However, during a rapid 3-minute question round, potential investor Chris Hemmeter questioned the sustainability of one of the startup's business models, raising concerns that it merely took advantage of industry loopholes. In the following post, we'll look at how some newer hotel booking apps are striving to find their ow...
UniFocus’s Tip Pool Feature Provides Simple Solutions to Changing Federal Tip Regulations
UniFocus | December 18, 2017
DALLAS – Dec. 18, 2017 – UniFocus, the service industry's leading and most comprehensive provider of workforce management systems, offers a simple solution to the challenges that employees and employers could face due to the U.S. Department of Labor's newly proposed tip law. Tip Pool, a seamlessly integrated feature within the Dallas-based organization's robust Time & Attendance system, streamlines tip management and distribution, minimizes workload, and ultimately reduces labor costs while maximizing productivity. "Splitting gratuities between tipped and traditionally non-tipped workers stirs up a lot of questions: How ...
HEBS Digital Celebrates 2017: A Year of Broadening the Global Footprint, Technology Innovations and Industry Recognition
HEBS Digital | December 14, 2017
Summary: HEBS Digital celebrates the firm's many accomplishments of 2017—including the launch of the hospitality industry's first Fully-Integrated Past/Future Guest Engagement and Acquisition Technology and Marketing Platform and many technology and digital marketing innovations—while looking forward to exciting developments in 2018. New York, NY (December 14, 2017) – As the year comes to a close, HEBS Digital is proud to reflect on the firm's many accomplishments of 2017, as well as recognize our clients and team members who made it all possible. Over the last 12 months, HEBS Digital continued to its industry leadersh...
TravelClick and IDeaS Expand Partnership with Advanced Integration for Hotels
TravelClick | December 14, 2017
TravelClick's iHotelier Central Reservations System Integrates with IDeaS' G3 Revenue Management System, Providing Speed and Power to Hotels' Distribution and Revenue Strategies NEW YORK, N.Y. December 14, 2017 – TravelClick, a leading global provider of data and revenue-generating solutions for hoteliers, and IDeaS Revenue Solutions, the leading provider of revenue management software solutions and advisory services, have announced a powerful, seamless integration between TravelClick's iHotelier Central Reservations System (CRS), as well as Demand360, and the IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System (IDeaS G3 RMS). For the first time, ...
Say Hello to Intelity’s New ‘Voice Request’
Intelity | December 14, 2017
Amazon's Alexa enhances the guest experience by giving guests immediate access to room controls, hotel services, restaurant information and more. [Orlando, Fla. – December 14, 2017] — Intelity is unveiling yet another tool designed to enhance guest experiences. Intelity Voice Request is a product that leverages Amazon's Alexa to give guests immediate access to room controls, hotel services, restaurant information and more. The hands-free device, powered by the cloud-based digital assistant, enables guests to speak to their room with voice-activated commands. "Voice Request acts as a personal butler for each guest," s...
VR or AR? Will the Hotel Industry Really Cozy Up to Either One?
Andrew Sanders | December 14, 2017
By Andrew Sanders Virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR)? This is the question. The hotel and travel industry is at a pivotal time regarding technological innovation and how it may impact the future. Do travelers want an immersive experience that they can enjoy from their living room? Alternatively, do they want to be educated and informed while on vacation? While AR and VR have a lot in common, they could also lead us down totally different paths. Augmented reality is a synthetic, computer simulated reality or recreation of a real-time environment where a user can interact with the replicated real environments, whereas virtual ...
GuestCentric and Duetto Partner to Bring Personalization to Hotel Bookings
GuestCentric | December 14, 2017
Booking Engine Provider and Revenue Strategy Platform Pioneer Real-Time, Contextualized Pricing and Merchandising with Playmaker, Duetto's New Personalization Application New York, December 14, 2017 — Duetto, hospitality's only Revenue Strategy Platform, and GuestCentric have partnered to bring a new level of personalization to the hotel and casino industries that will increase conversion and direct bookings. The companies' strategic partnership will enable hotel companies using Duetto's recently launched personalization application, PlayMaker, and GuestCentric's global booking engine the breakthrough ability to customize merchand...
Record In-Room Dining Results at Crown Towers Perth Following Recent Telstra and McLaren Technologies Update
McLaren Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd | December 13, 2017
Western Australia's most luxurious and largest hotel, Crown Towers Perth, is recording unprecedented in-room food and beverage orders thanks to a recent technology update and new guest app, driving its in-room dining menu. Following McLaren and Telstra's technology install, the 500 room hotel has recorded more than 2,000 in-room dining orders per month through its new hotel guest app and devices. Increased dining figures are just one of the many benefits the hotel is experiencing following the conclusion of the guestroom tech update conducted by hospitality solution specialist, McLaren Technologies, in partnership with Telstra. "Crown T...
California Labor & Employment Law Update: Key Changes in 2017 and What’s Slated for 2018
Jim Butler | December 13, 2017
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com 12 December 2017 California has enacted a number of new regulations related to labor and employment that go into effect when 2018 begins. Hotels owners and developers with properties in California need to be aware of how these rules apply to their workforce so they can meet their legal obligations and remain in compliance with the law. A round-up of upcoming changes, written by the JMBM Labor & Employment group, is below. California Labor & Employment Law Update: Key Changes in 2017 and What's Slated For 2018 by The JMBM Labor &am...
Frontdesk Anywhere and Cendyn Announce Integration of Property Management and Guest Engagement Platforms
Frontdesk Anywhere | December 13, 2017
Collaboration provides hotels with integrated tools to enhance digital marketing results and seamlessly improve guest communications SAN FRANCISCO, December 13, 2017 – Frontdesk Anywhere (FDA), the award-winning, cloud-based hotel Property Management System (PMS) and Cendyn, a leader in the hotel Customer Relationship Management (CRM), sales and digital marketing fields, have announced a collaborative initiative that will provide FDA's hotel customers with a marketing automation and guest intelligence solution that seamlessly integrates property management and guest communications and feedback across the two platforms. With this c...
How A Single Hotel Technology Provides This Luxury Wine Country Resort With a “Window Into Every Spectrum of the Guest Experience”
ALICE | December 12, 2017
Renowned Wine Country getaway, Carneros Resort and Spa, has selected ALICE's concierge software, ALICE Concierge, and its guest text messaging technology, ALICE Guest, to improve front of house operations and elevate the guest experience. This implementation of ALICE leverages the company's integrations with both HotSOS and Springer Miller. ALICE is the hospitality industry's leading operations technology, connecting every department of the hotel with one platform for all staff communication and guest requests. ALICE recently acquired concierge software provider GoConcierge to augment its technology and customer service offering. Carner...
Beekeeper Crisis Communications White Paper to Help Hotels with Non-Desk Workers Establish Best Practices and Foster Preparedness
Beekeeper | December 12, 2017
A mobile internal communications and operations tool for employees should be considered an essential step towards crisis management SAN FRANCISCO, CA DECEMBER 12, 2017 In an ongoing effort to balance hospitality and security, the hotel and lodging industry is uniquely vulnerable to crisis, and notoriously difficult to regulate. The Las Vegas shooting that occurred on October 1, 2017, is a particularly formidable example of how a lighthearted vacation can quickly turn into a nightmare. Recent hurricanes experienced in Houston, Florida, and Puerto Rico also had a major impact on the hospitality industry. The same goes for the earthquake ...
