As the road to recovery continues, hospitality vendors and service providers across the country are doing what they can to assist hoteliers by providing access to helpful services and resources. These companies—from providers of legal services to creators of software—are helping to get business owners back on their feet and regain confidence and clarity in the coming months. Editor’s Note: This is the second edition of LODGING’s roundup of COVID-19 tools and resources. Read the first edition, which published in May, here.
AXS LAW Group: Pro Bono Legal Services for Black-Owned Startups
The Miami-based law firm AXS LAW Group has begun taking applications from Black-owned hospitality businesses for pro bono legal services. After the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and many other Black Americans, AXS decided to offer pro bono legal services to support Black owners of hospitality startups, including business organizational structuring advice, entity formation and initial organizational documents, obtaining an EIN to set up a bank account, shareholder/partnership agreements, lease negotiation, and intellectual property structuring, among others.
Duetto: Access to Revenue Strategy Experts
Duetto, a software service provider that generates revenue strategy solutions, has created the Ask Duetto feature as a complementary revenue insights service, powered by Duetto’s team of hoteliers. This addition is built to help executive teams validate strategic revenue decisions as they navigate the “new normal” after the pandemic. The Ask Duetto team will answer inquiries from businesses all over the world, providing insightful guidance and recommendations on top trending issues impacting the global hospitality industry.
Expedia Group Media Solutions: $25 Million Destination Relief Program
Expedia Group Media Solutions launched a destination relief program to help travel partners rebound from the impact of COVID-19 and fuel industry-wide recovery efforts. Media Solutions is making $25 million of advertising relief available, which includes products, programs, and media value add from Expedia Group brands for display campaigns across Expedia Group sites. Several brands within the Media Solutions portfolio are offering customized brand recovery packages with advertising solutions to help generate and capture traveler demand for destinations.
Hemsworth: PR Stimulus Program
Hemsworth Communications, a public relations and social media agency, is offering three tiers of support to travel and tourism businesses. This includes hospitality and franchising sectors, with pro bono business reactivation PR planning, reduced PR retainers, and a new “Flex Contract” that grants deferred payment options to businesses who qualify, along with additional client-friendly terms. These plans are all tailored to both the short- and long-term needs of the client, taking a phased approach that considers sensitivities within the current landscape.
Knowland: Recovery Dashboard
Knowland, a hospitality analytics company, has created a Recovery Dashboard providing actionable insights on COVID-19 hotel recovery. Knowland is providing free unlimited access to the Dashboard, which uses advanced analytics and a proprietary algorithm to reveal a property’s Knowland Recovery Curve to help hoteliers visualize their recent occupancy trend, compare it to their local market, and determine where they fit against market recovery trends. The Dashboard also recommends 30-, 60-, and 90-day action plans based on the hotel’s recovery position.
NUVOLA: Complementary Health and Safety Tools
Based out of Miami, NUVOLA, developers of hotel optimization and guest engagement software, has introduced its StayClean initiative to assist hoteliers in reopening a safe environment for guests and employees. The first set of resources, Checklists and Checkpoints, are designed to help hotels streamline standard operating procedures and allow properties to schedule and track cleanings using a contactless QR code, respectively. Both modules are free to deploy through the end of 2020.
Oracle: Accelerating Hospitality Recovery
Oracle Hospitality, provider of technology solutions to independent hoteliers, is giving vendor partners an expedited path to integration through its open architecture, helping hoteliers prepare for the “new normal.” In addition, with support from HTNG, Oracle recently hosted Innovation Week, a collaborative event dedicated to accelerating the industry’s recovery and accommodating the rapidly evolving demand for low or contactless guest and employee interactions. Clips and webinars from this event can be accessed by hoteliers to not only foster dialogue about innovation, but make it a reality for the future.
ProfitSword: Best Practice Guide
Based in Orlando, Fla., ProfitSword is a developer of business intelligence and data integration software. The company has published a detailed guide demonstrating how hoteliers can leverage the latest business intelligence strategies in light of the pandemic to preserve hotel financial stability and implement success despite economic challenges. The guide, titled “Staying One Step Ahead of Economic Uncertainty With an Effective Business Intelligence Strategy,” is available to hoteliers across the industry.
