Only Doug Rice can start his Definitely Doug column that follows with - do you remember the emergence of the World Wide Web? Then, he goes to the introduction of the iPhone. Before you know it, he is comparing how hotel rooms are booked to how we buy groceries. Then before he is done, he comments that when planning a trip you’re going to be dealing with a group called LAMs. Historically hotels haven’t embraced new technologies which is a big mistake, but if you want to know why you shouldn’t make that mistake again, beyond the fact that it costs the industry way too much money, take a few minutes and read this edition of Definitely Doug. My friend ChatGPT will be glad you did!
Here at Hospitality Upgrade much of our focus this week is on our upcoming 19th Executive Vendor Summit (EVS). Last year we had more than 50 CEOs from a wide range of companies — from very big to just out of the startup phase — join us amongst the near 100 in attendance that included many other senior executives and the industry’s top consultants. Many of the hotel technology leaders at our CIO Summit in Austin last year requested attending EVS so there will be quite a few CIOs joining this year including Andrew Arthurs of Aimbridge Hospitality, Scott Strickland with Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Gustaaf Schrils with Omni Hotels and McLean Xavier with INNVest Hotels participating on our annual CIO panel. If you’re a technology vendor and work closely with others in the hotel industry, you, too, should be in Denver on March 26-28. Registration closes soon so, reach out to [email protected] quickly since there are requirements to attend.
I hope you saw the release about Hospitality Upgrade being the Platinum Sponsor of the new HITEC IC Investment Conference which the industry has needed for the technology folks. As EVS is a much smaller and intimate setting than HITEC, we have quite a few from the investment community also joining us this year. I love the many conversations that I have with those in the money world, and hearing how they look at the industry often differs greatly from how I do. If you’re a technology vendor and want to experience the industry’s most unique conference, then please join us at EVS 2024. If you have any questions about an invitation, please reach out to [email protected].
Here now is Definitely Doug along with the latest happenings in the tech world for the hospitality industry. I will see you at the end with this week’s you-know-what. Go Niners! Give the points!
Rich
Definitely Doug 2/9/24: The Path to Personalization
The Path to Personalization
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, businesses often find themselves prioritizing functional changes and component upgrades over experimenting with new technologies, even critical ones.
Consider some pivotal moments in recent technology history, such as the emergence of the worldwide web or the introduction of the iPhone. Brick-and-mortar businesses like hotels were slow to realize that fundamental and ultimately threatening changes were afoot. This is understandable, since applications of new technologies are often not obvious, and the technologies themselves can be time-consuming to learn. Moreover, it is impossible to anticipate all the changes they will ultimately bring about. With the web and mobile web, third parties—notably online travel agents (OTAs)—invested sooner and more heavily than hotels. In doing so, they gained a foothold that hotels have never completely taken back. The same is true in many other industries.
If a hotel company could go back in time and be an early (or at least not lagging) adopter of web or mobile technologies, I suspect many would. These were missed opportunities that proved very costly to hotel operators. To be sure, early adoption of new technologies carries risks, and many early initiatives fail. But even failures provide important learnings for the organizations that have tried them, positioning them to succeed sooner than rivals. And early failures are usually small ones.
The technology environment today is at an inflection point as important as those represented by the worldwide web and the iPhone. But this time, instead of being an issue to understand for the future, key emerging technologies hold the potential, or even the promise, of solving some critical and immediate business priorities for hotels and other travel providers. The question is, will the hotels take the opportunity and act on it, or will intermediaries or alternative accommodation providers once again lead the way?
Douglas Rice
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ricedouglas
CORPORATE NEWS
Mews Acquires US-based Frontdesk Anywhere
The acquisition, which was managed by Mews Ventures to accelerate transformation in the hospitality industry, is the third acquisition in North America in just under a year. It represents further investment into the region as Mews continues to grow its presence. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Amadeus appoints Maria Taylor to lead Marketing, Partnerships & Commercial Operations for the Hospitality Business Unit
Amadeus today announces the appointment of Maria Taylor as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Partnerships, and Commercial Operations, for Hospitality. Based in Madrid, Maria succeeds Paul Barron who held the role for the last three years.
Ben Jared Joins VENZA as Vice President of Sales
VENZA, a leading provider of data protection and regulatory compliance solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced that it has hired Ben Jared as Vice President of Sales, U.S. In this role, he will play a central role in VENZA’s ambitious growth plans in its home market of the United States.
Liz Chidiac Promoted to Senior Director of Client Services at Springer-Miller Systems
Springer-Miller Systems (SMS) is proud to announce the promotion of Liz Chidiac to Senior Director of Client Services. In her new role, Liz will oversee all of client services at SMS, including the Account Management, Professional Services, and Customer Support functions. Liz has a diverse background in almost every operational area at SMS. Her broad operational experience and strong leadership skills have driven her success.
springermiller.com
Olga Brunnerová Named Customer Success Manager at VENZA
VENZA, a leading provider of data protection and regulatory compliance solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced that Olga Brunnerová has been promoted to Customer Success Manager. In that role, she will lead a core component of VENZA’s delivery process, overseeing a team of expert Customer Success Coaches who guide its clients to better visibility and better defense.
IDeaS Appoints Ibrahim Saba as Principal Sales Director in the Middle East, Expands Regional Presence
IDeaS Revenue Solutions, the world’s leading provider of automated revenue management software and services, announced today the appointment of Ibrahim Saba as principal sales director. Based in Dubai, Saba will oversee the strategic growth of IDeaS in a region with one of the fastest-growing hospitality sectors in the world, the Middle East and North Africa.
Jonas Hospitality Appoints Davis Howatt-Lambert as Director of Marketing, Property Systems
Jonas Hospitality is excited to announce the recent promotion of Davis Howatt-Lambert to Director of Marketing, Property Systems. Davis will oversee the marketing efforts of Jonas Chorum, Springer-Miller Systems, SpaSoft, as well as Leonardo Worldwide. To this role, he brings his experience as a valued Marketing leader within the Jonas Hospitality organization for the last seven years.
Tom Hempel Joins VENZA as Vice President of Sales
VENZA, a leading provider of data protection and regulatory compliance solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced that it has hired Tom Hempel as Vice President of Sales, United States. In this role, Hempel will play a key role in extending VENZA’s strong positioning and sales efforts throughout North America.
GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Pivot Selects Stayntouch PMS to Power Seven Properties
Stayntouch, a global leader in cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and guest-centric technology, announced a new partnership with Pivot, the lifestyle operating vertical of Davidson Hospitality Group. Stayntouch will implement its flexible, modern cloud PMS across seven Pivot hotels in the United States.
Oracle Cloud to Help Elevate Property Management for Marriott International
Oracle today announced that Marriott International has selected Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud Property Management System (PMS) and Sales and Event Management as a hospitality cloud platform for Luxury, Premium, Select Service, and Midscale Properties.
Oracle OPERA Cloud Central All-in-One Hospitality Solution Now Available
Oracle today announced the general availability of Oracle OPERA Cloud Central. The all-in-one hospitality platform unites data and functionality from OPERA Cloud’s modules under a common user interface and experience. With it, customers can get a comprehensive view of their hotel business, including distribution, sales, service interactions, loyalty programs, and more to make faster decisions that can benefit staff and guests.
RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION
Paramount Hospitality Management Partners with Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center to Boost Conversions
In a search for a trustworthy technology partner that’s experience and reputation in the hospitality industry match the high standards at Paramount Hospitality Management™, the company has partnered with Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ to combat labor shortages and increase conversion rates.
GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY
Five Star Functionality for Affordable Hospitality Settings: PPDS Debuts Philips Hospitality Tv 4500 Series with Chromecast Built-In and Google Play Store
PPDS, an exclusive global provider of Philips Professional Displays and complementary solutions, is delighted to announce the launch of a brand new line of Philips Hospitality TVs with Chromecast built in™, delivering the features and functionality expected from a premium TV, at a lower price tag.
DAZN selects PPDS – teaming up to bring the world’s largest sports streaming platform to hotel rooms exclusively on Philips MediaSuite TVs
PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips Professional Displays and complementary solutions, is delighted to announce a new partnership with DAZN – the world’s leading sports entertainment platform and Europe’s largest football broadcaster – to bring its live and on-demand content streaming services into hotel guest rooms for the first time, exclusively via Philips MediaSuite hospitality TVs.
InnSpire Partnership with RealTime Reservation Empowers Hotel Guests with Seamless Control of Their Property-wide Stay Experience
InnSpire, a leading provider of innovative hospitality technology solutions that help drive seamless, world-class guest experiences for some of the world’s most iconic hotels and brands, has announced a strategic partnership with RealTime Reservation (RTR), a centralized inventory control and management platform that assists hotels in maximizing ancillary revenue from services and amenities.
North America Hotels Leveraging Maestro PMS’s Revolutionary GuestXMS Features to Improve Communication and Boost Guest Engagement
Maestro PMS, a leader in cloud hosted, All In One, private cloud and on-premise property-management systems for independent hotels and luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups, continues to help elevate hotel operations through expanded communications provided by its Guest Experience Management solution, or GuestXMS.
MARKETING
Jonas Hospitality Introduces its Latest Brand, Jonas Unify
Jonas Hospitality is a family of technology brands serving the hospitality industry that utilize cutting-edge technology solutions to meet critical business needs. Jonas Unify solves the industry’s customer data problem by creating a master record accessible across your entire tech stack, removing silos from disparate systems while ensuring data accuracy and security.
How Centralized Data Powers Sonesta’s Award-Winning Loyalty Program
After growing through acquisition, Sonesta turned to Hapi to centralize and normalize guest data from multiple Property Management Systems across its various brands in real-time, which will power a new Customer Data Platform.
HSMAI to Honor GCommerce Solutions with Three Adrian Awards for Outstanding Travel Marketing
GCommerce Solutions will be honored for travel marketing excellence by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) at the annual Adrian Awards Celebration Award winners to be celebrated at an in-person event at the New York Marriott Marquis, on February 13, 2024.
BACK OFFICE
North America Hoteliers Say PVNG Accounting Software from Aptech Is ‘Grrreat!’
Bigger does not mean better. But better is how companies thrive. Such is the case for Aptech. PVNG by Aptech was recently named a finalist in the Hotel Tech Report “Best Finance & Accounting Software” 2024 popularity index for the second consecutive year.
COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE
Nomadix Earns Patent for Enhancing Passpoint (Hotspot 2.0) with Loyalty Program Integrations
Nomadix Inc ., bringing connected experiences to life, was issued U.S. Patent No. 11,855,986 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on December 26, 2023. The patent, titled “Management of network intercept portals for network devices with durable and non-durable identifiers,” represents Nomadix’s ongoing innovations in networking technology and adds to its growing patent portfolio.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Toast Restaurant Technology Selected by Choice Hotels as Brand Standard for Two Upscale Brands
Toast, a digital technology platform built for restaurants, today announced an innovative collaboration with Choice Hotels International to make its Toast for Hotel Restaurants technology a brand standard for two of Choice’s upscale brands, Cambria Hotels and Radisson. Toast is also a Qualified Vendor for Choice’s other brands.
Silverware POS Partners With UK-Based Intuitas Technologies to Drive Sales and Strengthen Customer Relationships
Silverware POS has partnered with Intuitas Technologies to serve as a local sales and customer success resource for all new and existing clients in the UK. Silverware’s current UK client portfolio includes world renowned properties The Ritz London, The Savoy, The Goring, Belmond L’Manoir, Galgorm, Rudding Park, Historic Sussex Hotels, and Crieff Hydro hotels.
HUMAN RESOURCES
VENZA Expands Human Resources Compliance Training Offerings with Mitratech
VENZA, a leading provider of data protection and regulatory compliance solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced a partnership with Mitratech, through newly acquired Syntrio, to offer new human resource and compliance training courses in the VENZA Learning™ Content Library. By expanding its content to include a range of new topics, VENZA continues to establish itself as the premier provider of comprehensive training courses for hoteliers.
Beekeeper Study Finds Nearly 50% of Frontline Workers Changed Jobs in 2023
Beekeeper, provider of the leading frontline success system, today released its 2024 Frontline Workforce Pulse Report. The report surveyed 8,000 individuals to explore trends for frontline industries and details several ways frontline businesses can improve the employee experience amid high inflation and increased rates of attrition.
SECURITY
The SALTO WECOSYSTEM: A new brand DNA for the future of advanced access
Salto Systems is proud to unveil the SALTO WECOSYSTEM, a new brand platform that brings together its core brands – Salto Gantner, and the newly introduced Vintia – to lead the digital transformation of access and identity management. This strategic move synergises a diverse range of innovation expertise under one brand platform ecosystem and signals a significant leap forward in the access control industry.
VENZA Expands Risk/Compliance Team Focusing on Pen Testing
VENZA, the leading provider of data protection and regulatory compliance solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced the significant expansion of its leading Risk/Compliance Team with a major focus on expanding its capabilities for quick, effective delivery of Pen Testing as a Service (PTaaS).
VENZA Completes Vision ’24; Announces Updates Roadmap Updates for Q4 2023
VENZA, the leading provider of data protection and regulatory compliance solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced the completion of its Vision ’24 strategic planning agenda and released significant updates to its Product Roadmap for Q4 2023. By completing Vision ’24, the company has again delivered on its promise to generate new, captivating, and innovative tools for better visibility and better defense.
HOSPITALITY EVENTS AND ASSOCIATION NEWS
HFTP Announces Inaugural Technology Investment Conference: HITEC-IC, Co-Located with HITEC 2024
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) announced the HITEC Investment Conference (HITEC-IC), a new event designed to connect hospitality technology company executives with the investment community. Scheduled for June 27–28, the conference will be co-located with the 2024 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®).
Hunter Hotel Investment Conference Marks Its 35th Year by Honoring Bob Hunter, Founder, with the 2024 Hunter Conference Award for Excellence and Inspiration
The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference (“HUNTER” or “Hunter Conference”) is pleased to present Bob Hunter, Founder of Hunter Hotel Advisors and Hunter Conference, with the 2024 Hunter Conference Award for Excellence and Inspiration. Each year, the award recognizes a hotelier who exemplifies exceptional leadership, citizenship, and innovation.
HSMAI Americas Announces 2024 Executive Committee and Board of Directors, Lead by Chair Andrew Rubinacci
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is proud to announce the members of its 2024 Americas Board of Directors and Executive Committee, led by new chair, Andrew Rubinacci, who begins a two-year term. HSMAI America’s leaders represent a cross section of the industry’s most respected hotel and hospitality brands, academics, and suppliers.
HSMAI Americas Honors Chapters with Frank W. Berkman Best of the Best Awards
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Americas announced the recipients of the Frank W. Berkman “Best of the Best” Awards on January 23, 2024, at the HSMAI Mike Leven Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, NV.
HFTP Announces Program, Entrepreneur 20X Participants for Digital Horizons 360
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has announced the planned roundtable discussion topics set to be considered at its inaugural Digital Horizons 360 (DH360) Symposium next month in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. An invitation-only, non-sales event, DH360 will bring together dozens of hospitality leaders for roundtable discussions on the technologies set to have the biggest industry impact in Europe.
Global Revenue Forum Announces Sommet Education as a Multi-City Sponsor for a Day of Unique Educational, Networking, and Commercial Opportunities at GRF 2024 - 30 January, Across Europe
Themed "Roadmap to Resilience", the forum will enable attendees to learn new strategies and solutions to help them adjust to today's evolving market conditions and adapt to the future of hospitality before it arrives.
AHLA Announces Global Technology 100 to Lead the Future of Hospitality Tech
Today, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced the launch of the Global Technology 100 (T100), a group of the world’s best and brightest hospitality technology leaders that will advise the hotel industry on leveraging the latest technology to better serve guests and maximize profitability.
MARKET REPORTS
Secondary Markets Beat the Top 25 in Meeting and Events Growth in January, Knowland Reports
Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, reported meetings and events in secondary markets outpaced the traditional Top 25 markets in January. Most notably, the highest growth Top 25 market, Nashville, was up 16.1 percent, while top growth secondary market city, Lexington, Ky., had a 76.4 percent uptick in meetings and events for the month.
Cloudbeds Reveals Highest Revenue-Generating OTAs for Independent Properties
Cloudbeds, the hospitality management platform powering more reservations and happier guests for independent lodging businesses around the globe, has today revealed rankings of the highest revenue-generating Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) worldwide, as well as by various countries and regions.
U.S. Group Revenue Recovery in Q4 Hits 110 Percent According to Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index by Knowland and Amadeus
The fourth quarter of 2023 demonstrated that group business in 10 of the top markets in the U.S. has recovered 110 percent compared to the same time in 2019. Group bookings are calculated using occupancy and average daily rate (ADR). The Index combines event data from Knowland with hotel booking data from Amadeus’ Demand360+ to provide individual and aggregate views of the key drivers of hotel performance and is updated quarterly.
Hotels Under Pressure to Respond as OTA Competition for Guests Lead Gen Explodes — SHR Group’s Hotel Industry Trends Report 2024
The battle for direct bookings has entered a new phase as online travel agents (OTAs) ramp up efforts to establish ownership of hotel guests and their booking journeys, a new report from hospitality technology specialist SHR Group reveals. While OTAs and hotels have a mutually beneficial relationship, the Hotel Industry Trends Report 2024 exposes for the first time the way a recent influx of marketing spend from OTAs is fast reducing hotels’ share of direct bookings.
Amadeus Report in Collaboration with UN Tourism Shows Confident Start to 2024 for Travel in the Americas
The report - Travel Insights 2024: Focus on the Americas - finds the industry is prepared for a strong start to the year, with air capacity in the region up by 20% over the first four months of the year when compared to the same period of 2023.
Mews Data Dive Reveals Online Check-ins and Revenue Beyond Overnight Stays Soar as Travel Tops Pre-Pandemic Levels in 2023
Mews, an industry-leading hospitality cloud, today released the Mews Data Dive, a real-time measure of hospitality’s performance in 2023. Based on data from more than 4,000 Mews partners in 85 countries, the Mews Data Dive unpacks hospitality’s performance across 12 key areas to pinpoint how the hospitality sector is changing.
And now for you-know-what...