COVID-19 isn’t disappearing, but many people are more willing to travel as vaccines become more readily available and COVID case numbers decline. In fact, industry surveys are predicting a travel surge in the coming months, and recent occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR numbers are as high as February and early March 2020. This is great news for the hospitality industry, but many hotels are struggling to prepare for this surge and ramp up after a year of layoffs, furloughs, and closures. Adopting the right technology may help hoteliers fill in the gaps, empowering their teams to work more efficiently and effectively and replacing outdated systems that don’t support the needs of guests and employees in today’s environment. Here is some of the latest hospitality technology news:
Maestro Two-Way CRS Integration
Property-management system provider Maestro has enhanced its offerings to a two-way integration onto Pegasus CRS and other central reservation systems providers. The two-way integration system makes guestroom and booking changes to existing reservations quicker, regardless of where the booking originated. The Maestro booking engine pushes reservations data onto the CRS and creates a record of the transaction with full details transparent to the reservation’s agent. Thus, all of a property’s renovations—despite where the customer booked—are all linked to one property management system, allowing hotels to make changes as needed.
PPDS MediaSuite
PPDS is returning to the North American hospitality market with a range of Philips MediaSuite pro Android TVs. The solution meets the needs of the modern consumer, extends product lifetime for fewer replacements, and addresses sustainability. Certain TV models can be upgraded to support the latest version of Android TV OS and can continue upgrading when updates are available at no additional cost. TVs can be controlled by the hotel on a secure network, so customization to brand standards and personalized messaging are available without having to interact with guests. MediaSuite TVs can even perform customer satisfaction surveys for instant feedback so hotels can quickly address customer issues.
ProfitSword Mobile App
Business intelligence and data integration developer ProfitSword launched a mobile app that gives hoteliers insights into key performance analytics from any location. New and existing ProfitSword customers can access its full suite of solutions through the mobile app. In a time when hoteliers are experiencing labor shortages, the app provides value to overall performance metrics. The app’s dashboard is mobile-compatible and user-friendly, offering the ability to customize filters and share visuals. In addition, it also has a wide range of features and functionality that include analyses of current business environments and upcoming opportunities or risks; it can also automatically send push notifications for key performance indicators.
Virdee Strategic Financing Round
Offering digital check-in and concierge service to the hospitality industry, Virdee recently added a strategic financing round to accelerate its growth across hospitality, multifamily, student housing, and medical verticals. Of the financing provided, investors included Silverton Partners, LiveOak Venture Partners, and DJR Advisors. With financing, Virdee can grow its software in contactless, customer-centric solutions that elevate guest experience while reducing cost margins for operators. Virdee’s first solutions demonstrated savings in the check-in and check-out processes. And Virdee’s products can integrate with door locking capacities and property management systems.
CLC Lodging CLC Trip Card
The new CLC Trip Card by CLC Lodging is a virtual credit card that allows customers to pay for business-related expenses while traveling. Virtual credit cards can be issued on the CLC website, and employers can issue individual or multiple cards for their employees at one, which can be activated and linked to specific dates and set with spending limits or project codes to track expenses. Once activated, travelers will receive a notification to their device with the option to add the card to their phone’s Mobile Wallet. And employers can recapture any unused per diem, control where employees spend, and track their expenses with assigned project codes. With the CLC Trip Card, employees no longer have to use their personal credit cards for business travel-related expenses.
