Percipia Collaborates With Amazon’s Alexa Smart Properties Hospitality to Launch VIVA+
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Technology
Are You Honestly Willing To Hire Out-Of-The-Box?
Ken Greger | December 27, 2016
By Ken Greger One of our clients, which owns and operates prestigious luxury resorts, recently defied 'gravity.' The company was seeking a top human resources executive and considered a number of well-qualified, 'obvious' candidates. In the end, the C-suite decided to promote from within, and tapped the head of security for the top HR job! Yes, you read that correctly – the head of security was promoted to oversee the entire human resources function! No, his resume didn't make sense for that job. However, he – the person – made total sense. The thinking was quite simple – the human resources team consisted of str...
StayNTouch Partners with Hotel on Rivington
StayNTouch Inc. | December 22, 2016
Innovation-driven hotel to provide guests a new mobile experience with StayNTouch's Cloud-Based PMS Solutions Bethesda, MD – DECEMBER 22, 2016 – StayNTouch, an innovator in mobile technology and Property Management Systems (PMS) for hotels, announced the deployment of its Rover PMS™ and Zest™ solutions at Hotel on Rivington, a 108-room luxury hotel in New York City, New York. "Once we saw the Rover PMS interface, we knew right away that we would select StayNTouch," said Daniel Tennant, General Manager at Hotel on Rivington. "Our former PMS was very challenging to use. When checking guests in, the staff could neve...
BookingSuite Customers Only Have 10 Days Left Until They Lose Their Search Engine Marketing Solutions Provider
December 22, 2016
On January 1, thousands of BookingSuite customers will be left out in the cold as they will lose their current SEM provider. BookingSuite announced in October that they will no longer provide search engine marketing(SEM/PPC) or campaign management, (see BookingSuite Letter posted on hotel-online) Vizergy, a leading provider of digital marketing services, announces a new Search Engine Marketing (SEM) program developed specifically for BookingSuite customers - as many are left without online marketing support. "Search Engine Marketing is a tough business that takes smart people, using smart tools, doing smart things to make a website perf...
New Hotel ZaZa Website Showcases Artful Ambiance of Two Iconic Properties
HeBS Digital | December 21, 2016
Hotel ZaZa partnered with HeBS Digital to redesign an artistic, user-friendly, responsive website that highlights the brand's two iconic properties in Dallas and Houston. The two properties combine the luxurious ambiance of a full-service resort with the comfort and style of boutique properties and a playful ambiance. Featuring elegant accommodations for even the most discerning travelers, Hotel ZaZa pairs extraordinary design with unrivaled functionality – something that is now mirrored in their new website design. The new site is a testament to Hotel ZaZa's prominent web presence and allows prospective guests to easily digest in...
dormakaba to Acquire Mechanical Security Businesses from Stanley Black & Decker
dormakaba | December 21, 2016
Transaction builds on successful dormakaba merger and recent Mesker acquisition, in line with stated strategy – adding substantial scale in North America Scope of transaction: Consolidated 2016E net sales of USD 276 million and EBITDA of USD 52 million Encompasses North America-focused Stanley Commercial Hardware as well as GMT in China Well-recognized industry brand "BEST" to considerably strengthen market position Large installed base to provide attractive and stable repeat business Established spec-writing capabilities to enhance opportunities in new construction Strong position in growing verticals such as education an...
An Insider’s Irreverent Guide to Travel in 2017
Alan E. Young | December 21, 2016
By Alan E. Young, Co-Founder and President of Puzzle Partner It's been a heck of a year, hasn't it? Most of us are ready to say a big Sayonara! to the hangover that 2016 has become. But really, on the whole, the travel industry had a pretty solid year. While next year doesn't register signs of dramatic growth in the number of travelers, it does appear that travelers will spend more when they do travel.[1] Capturing that revenue will be more important than ever with the uncertain political and economic landscapes. Here's where the opportunities are in 2017 to grab some of that market share: "Get the heck out of dodge" takes on a new mean...
HeBS Digital Celebrates 2016: A Year of Global Expansion, Technology Innovation & Industry Recognition
HeBS Digital | December 20, 2016
New York, NY – December 20, 2016 – In a season of making resolutions, it's important to reflect on the year's achievements and celebrate the people who made it all possible. In 2016, HeBS Digital continued its journey of helping hoteliers across the globe increase direct bookings and lower distribution costs, celebrated its 15-year anniversary, published over 70 whitepapers, articles and releases, added to its product line of reservation-driving technology and expanded operations by opening offices in APAC and the UK. Company Highlights from 2016 Include: Global Expansion: HeBS Digital expanded its teams in the NYC, Las V...
Hospitality Tech Leader NAVIS Appoints Industry Veteran as New Vice President of Engineering
NAVIS | December 20, 2016
Former Evisions and Webtrends Executive to Oversee Software Delivery and Drive Client Success BEND, Ore. (Dec. 20, 2016) – NAVIS, the #1 reservation sales and marketing technology provider for the hospitality industry, has welcomed Vince Kenkel, seasoned technology executive, as their new vice president of engineering. Kenkel comes to NAVIS with more than two decades of software experience, starting out as a software engineer but spending most of his career leading technical teams. Most recently, he was vice president of engineering at Evisions, Inc. and before that vice president of engineering at Webtrends, Inc. In both roles, h...
Rixos Seagate Sharm Completes Triple Play with TeleMatrix 3300 Series Phones
Cetis | December 20, 2016
TeleMatrix 3300 Series telephones feature a standard PassThrough RJ45 Ethernet port, and patented OneTouch voice mail retrieval technology. Cetis, Inc., manufacturer of Teledex®, TeleMatrix®, and Scitec® brand analogue and VoIP telephones, has announced the installation of 1,000 TeleMatrix 3300 Series analogue guestroom phones and an equal number bathroom phones at Rixos Seagate Hotel Sharm El Shiekh Egypt, operated by Rixos Hotels, and owned by Radamis Group. According to Dvise Telecom Solutions partner, Summit Technology's Sales Manager, Bassem Fayez, "Rixos Seagate Sharm El Shiekh had a need to implement a complete triple...
AETHOS Consulting Group Shares 2017 Predictions, US
Keith Kefgen | December 15, 2016
New York, New York (December 15, 2016) – With just weeks left in the 2016 calendar year, AETHOS Consulting Group in New York, Los Angeles, London and Melbourne have gathered their thoughts and will boldly share their predictions, concerns and issues for the coming year. And while AETHOS executives focus on issues relative to their respective parts of the globe, issues naturally transcend and impact our industry worldwide. AETHOS CEO and Managing Director Keith Kefgen, who is based in New York, shares some commentary regarding labour costs and potential new hotel market segments, while AETHOS Managing Director Dave Mansbach shares ...
Where the OTAs are Going Next: The Evolution of Voice Search for Hotels
Natasha Prats | December 15, 2016
By Natasha Prats At the recent Skift Global Forum 2016, the major OTAs discussed the future of online travel. Most of them are pretty convinced that the current era of automation is coming to an end, and that voice search will soon redefine the way consumers browse and book hotels. Artificially intelligent chatbots are already being used by travel brands to offer quicker, streamlined interaction. This year, Booking.com launched its own chatbot to help customers more easily communicate with the hotel they've made reservations with. But current forms of SMS-based chat could soon be transformed by a new era of voice assistants. The likes o...
HSMAI to Honor GCommerce Solutions With Bronze Adrian Award for Travel Marketing Excellence
HSMAI | December 15, 2016
NEW YORK, N.Y. (DECEMBER 15, 2017) – The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will honor GCommerce Solutions with a Bronze Adrian Award for digital marketing excellence for its winning entry in the 60th annual Adrian Awards, the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition. Built on the belief that one-size-fits-none, GCommerce Solutions strives to eliminate the cookie-cutter approach to digital marketing. Catering to a wide variety of clients in the hospitality and tourism industry, GCommerce Solutions provides a customized, strategic, and client-focused approach to digital marke...
Hotel Booking Trends for 2016 Holiday Travel
Tourico Holidays | December 14, 2016
ORLANDO, Fla.---Tourico Holidays, the world's fastest growing wholesale travel brokerage company, today shared its inaugural Holiday Hotel Report – offering data and trends in hotel booking behavior during the holiday season. 1. Inbound USA - Hotel bookings made weeks 1-47 to the United States for hotel check-ins between weeks 51-52 (December 19 to January 1) [2015 vs 2016 year-over-year] Source Markets: USA = +15% China = +84% United Kingdom = +7% Canada = +113% Brazil = +5% Mexico = +28% Australia = +77% UAE = +120% Spain = +42% 2. Outbound USA - Hotel bookings made weeks 1-47 from the United States for hotel check-in...
Agilysys Appoints Ramesh Srinivasan President and CEO
Agilysys | December 14, 2016
ALPHARETTA, GA. — Dec. 14, 2016 — Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, has announced the appointment of Ramesh Srinivasan as the company's new president and chief executive officer, effective January 3, 2017. Srinivasan, who most recently served as CEO of Ooyala, a leading provider of video publishing, analytics and monetization services and a Telstra Corporation subsidiary, will also serve as a member of the Agilysys Board of Directors. Srinivasan brings to Agilysys more than 30 years of hands-on enterprise software execution and senior tech...
Lodging Interactive Launches Human Powered Conversational Hotel Websites
Lodging Interactive | December 14, 2016
PARSIPPANY, NJ - December 14, 2016 Lodging Interactive, an award winning digital marketing and social media engagement agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today announced the launch of its next generation hotel micro-websites for branded and independent hotels. The newly developed micro-websites are supported by real-time human sales and customer service agents and have been developed to capture qualified event business leads for hotel sales teams. "Conversational commerce is moving very fast and in 2017 consumers will increasingly expect hotels to provide real-time engagement through their websites," stated DJ Vallauri...
Maestro PMS Social Media Tools Give Independents Increased Bookings, Top TripAdvisor Ratings
Maestro | December 14, 2016
Social-Media Savvy Maestro Connects Guests with Channels for Positive Property Reviews; Facebook Direct Booking Widget Delivers Instant Direct Reservations December 14, 2016 – The most effective and low cost form of property marketing is personal recommendations between friends, family, and colleagues. Personal recommendations drive new bookings and repeat business because they are freely given and credible. Today these recommendations are online. Social media channels like Facebook and TripAdvisor are where travelers exchange travel tips and recommendations on where to stay. With Maestro's depth of social and guest engagement too...
Driving Ancillary Revenues With Your Hotel Property Management System
December 13, 2016
By Jos Schaap CEO, StayNTouch In the travel industry, 48% of airline passengers and 59% of hotel guests said they were interested in upgrades or additional services. The airline industry has found a model that enables more revenues by compelling the traveler to pay for luggage, food and a growing list of other items. The problem with this scenario is the fact that they are not letting the traveler to choose, they are forcing added purchases upon him or her, thus creating an environment of angst. The hotel industry has an opportunity to not only drive ancillary sales on-property, but also to develop long lasting relationships with their ...
Dual-Branded Aloft and Element Dallas Love Field Properties to Open with FlyteBoard in Both Lobbies
the Aloft and Element Dallas Love Field Hotels | December 13, 2016
FlyteBoards Provide Airport-Bound Guests with A Smoother Journey CHICAGO, IL – December 13, 2016 – Flyte Systems® announced the new Aloft and Element Dallas Love Field hotels will provide guests with FlyteBoard digital signage airline departure schedule displays when they open in January 2017. The dual-branded properties are minutes from Dallas Love Field and will have a combined total of 224 rooms. The FlyteBoard digital signage displays will show airline departures with real-time updates, gate numbers and additional information in each hotel's lobby. Click here to request information on Flyte Systems' travel and gu...
HSMAI Names Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, & Revenue Optimization for 2016
HSMAI | December 13, 2016
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is proud to announce its 2016 honorees for The HSMAI Top 25: Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales, Marketing, Revenue Optimization. The hospitality and travel industry requires creative thinkers and innovators. The HSMAI Top 25 honors these top achievers in sales, marketing, and revenue optimization of hospitality, travel and tourism organizations for their accomplishments in the preceding 18 months. HSMAI will honor The HSMAI Top 25 in conjunction with the Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala on February 21, 2017, at the New York Marriott Marquis, and in a p...
Empire Hotel Group Revolutionizes their Free Usage Business Centers and Increases ADR
TTI Technologies | December 12, 2016
December 12, 2016 – New York, NY – TTI Technologies, best known for their beautiful customized Hospitality Business Center Kiosks that are safe and secure for guests, received high accolades from the Empire Hotel Group as a result of multiple years of service of its TTI Business Center Solutions. Glenn Isaacs, Vice President of The Empire Hotel Group remarked "We have used TTI as our exclusive business center solution provider for years. We recently upgraded to their new software module; TTI Access Portal which prompts our guests for their e-mail addresses. This is powerful as we now have the information needed to send them ...
Intelity Installs Tablets in Hotel Rooms, Lobby at The Collector Luxury Inn & Gardens
Intelity | December 12, 2016
ORLANDO, Fla. – Dec. 12, 2016 – Leader in hotel guest technology Intelity will introduce hotel tablets installed with the ICE guest engagement SaaS platform into guest rooms and the lobby of The Collector Luxury Inn & Gardens. General Manager Howard Letts said, "Our goal is to blend the feel offered by a bed and breakfast with the luxury service of a four-diamond hotel. Intelity's advanced hotel technology provides traditional, high-quality service with modern convenience, so it's a perfect fit toward that goal." The Intelity ICE platform offers both guest-facing and operational benefits that can be leverag...
American Liberty Hospitality Makes Owner Profitability Job One
American Liberty Hospitality | December 12, 2016
Family Owned Operator Puts Leading Edge Financial Management Tools to Work for Stronger Property Performance PITTSBURGH – December 12, 2016 – Nick Massad, Jr. and his wife Vicki purchased American Liberty Hospitality 26 years ago on a foundation of service to its owners and investors. They worked hard, hired good people and treated every penny as if it were their own. Today American Liberty Hospitality (ALH) operates 20 properties with Hilton, IHG and other flags in Texas and Louisiana. The company is a real American success story. Nick Massad, Jr. started in the hotel business as a bellboy to help put himself through colleg...
Cutting a Bald Man’s Hair
Georges Panayotis | December 8, 2016
by Georges Panayotis Franchise contracts are based on a reciprocal commitment between the investor-operator and the brand. Since investment funds set their sights on the hotel industry, such contracts have run into serious pitfalls. More concerned about seeing share prices climb on the stock exchange, financial shareholders have driven corporate communication to the detriment of brand marketing, thereby weakening awareness, the image and the attributes that make up the essential capital of any consumer brand. The marketing budget is already desperately tight in the hotel world and any slowing down is felt rapidly. Groups have contented ...
New Radisson RED Hotel Employs ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access as Key Part of Dedicated Hotel App
ASSA ABLOY Hospitality | December 7, 2016
Millennial-facing hotel brand gives mobile-oriented travelers seamless control over hotel stay with keyless technologies on hotel app Stockholm – December 7, 2016 – Radisson RED, a new hotel concept focused on the millennial mind-set through art, music and fashion, is maximizing efficiency and boosting guest experiences at its Brussels and Minneapolis properties with the implementation of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access into the brand's hotel app for keyless guestroom entry. Along with the installation of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality's VingCard RFID door locks, ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access, via Radisson RED's hotel ap...
