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corrie242

Top Luxury Eco-Friendly Sustainable Hotels and Why Travelers Love Them | By Alan Young ... - 0 views

  • This puts the travel and hospitality industry, specifically, in an exciting position to maximize influence and guest connections. It's not necessarily about B2B or B2C anymore, or even the best 'deal' on paper — it's about the creation of value, and a company's ability to demonstrate that they share values and beliefs with their target consumer.
  • This past year, it found that 84% of Canadian travelers have a desire to go green on future vacations and then two-thirds (64%) said they intend to stay in an eco-accommodation in 2018, which is an increase from both 2017 and 2016. Even further, 58% of Canadians said they would pay at least five per cent more on their travel to ensure it had a lighter environmental footprint. This allows them to feel good about the accommodation they've selected, while also engaging in locally relevant experiences.
  • With this in mind, popular destinations around the globe are looking for ways to limit the environmental footprint/impact that tourists may have on the surrounding environment, heritage sites and local populations.
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  • Each aspect of the QO has been designed to significantly reduce environmental impact, including intelligent windows, a rooftop greenhouse and so much more. From an aesthetic perspective, every element of the property has been deliberately chosen to celebrate and respect the planet's resources and every space has been designed to bring the outside in.
  • Each hotel property (located in NYC, Brooklyn, and Miami) is thoughtfully designed with reclaimed wood, natural light, hemp mattresses and live green moments.
  • With this in mind, 1 Hotels aspires to be a platform to spark conversations, between innovators and guests, that transform the industry and our lives.
  • Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina takes sustainability seriously, with more than 70 sustainable practices in place throughout its 146-room property.
  • Their LEED platinum-rated location has 100 solar panels on the roof, an elevator that re-generates power and geothermal energy for the refrigerators — just to name a few eco-friendly features. Rooms and suites are described as loft-style with floor-to-ceiling windows, soaking tubs, in-room dining, filtered air systems and artwork from a local artist. They even include free bike rentals to inspire eco-friendly transport during guests' stay.
  • The 4,004-room Aria Resort and Casino is the largest building in the world to have a LEED gold status, while also offering the first fleet of natural-gas-powered stretch limos.
  • he Accor Hotel family recently launched its Accor's Planet 21 program, which demonstrates the group's ambitious goals for 2020, based around four strategic priorities: work with its employees, involve its customers, innovate with its partners and work with local communities. Each Accor property prides itself in the implementation of eco-certified products and design, sustainably sourced food and programs in place to combat food waste.
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    This article outlines how hotels are trying to become eco-friendly sustainable and still able to paramount guest needs. With this initiative, modern consumers are showing a definitive preference for experiential purchasing over material goods.
Olivier

Amadeus, Travelport and Sabre GDS Systems helping travel agencies grow using OTA model - 0 views

  • GDS is and will remain as the most important channel of distribution for airlines, hotels, and car rental companies alike.
  • Travel agents require the assistance of GDS and it is for the sake of their own profits.GDS serves as direct sellers of the Air Fares travel agents get into an agreement to the GDS and get access to a list of fares what he/she can again sell to the customers.
  • For Years, GDS has been serving the travel industry with reliability, security, speed and accuracy to airlines, hospitality, car rentals and many more. As per IATA study, the future of GDS is very huge and it will create a robust e-commerce platform for the travel industry
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    This is an article about the 3 main GDS in the world and how GDS helps Travel agencies to grow more using an OTA model. It explains the importance of the GDS in the travel industry as well as the possible future for it.
mfont039

Unattended POS Terminals - Technology That's All Around Us | DIGITAL EDGE - 0 views

  • The time has come for great growth and changes in this segment, leading the existing cashless payment industry in a new direction.
  • Taking today’s technological capabilities into account, such situations should be a thing of the past; old machines are being replaced by new, sophisticated machines which offer a service that is always available and fast, making their use and our everyday lives easier in the process.
  • Unattended POS Terminals are also experiencing strong growth because they meet users’ demands and priorities.
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  • Unattended POS Terminals and vending machines with the possibility of cashless and contactless payment are increasingly common, for example in launderettes for the payment of laundry services and purchase of cleaning supplies. Next are automatic carwashes which, along with cashless payment, also offer the possibility of purchasing other supplies such as window cleaning products, air fresheners or paper towels. Let us not forget about vending machines for food and drinks and those that offer other products such as earphones, cables or school supplies. Cashless payments are also unavoidable on highways.
  • their use is simple and speeds up the payment process, and adding to this the fast-growing trend of contactless payments, Unattended POS Terminals are finding their users and their purpose very quickly and easily
  • As the main driving forces of this industry, banks issue clients with contactless cards which enable fast and simple payments of smaller amounts by touching the card against the terminal without entering a PIN. Such micropayments are the key benefit of Unattended POS Terminals on vending machines.
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    This article relates on the growth and efficiency of cashless & contact-less payment systems which are now part of the unattended POS systems. Their use allows for a fast & easy service and prevent people form worrying about whether they have enough change to pay for the parking meter or for the candy bar form the vending machine. The best part is the fact that the payment card can be placed nearby the device and the transaction can be processed; no need to put in a pin number and risk getting any financial information stolen.
dlcrawford

The Impact of Technology on Hotel Sales and Marketing | By Court Williams & Rachel H Le... - 0 views

  • Sales and marketing is also exceptionally challenging because of the potential dilution of established brands, the complexity of building overall brand loyalty, and the risk of management forfeiting their focus on less "cool" brands in the stable in favor of the latest shiny thing.
  • In their efforts to achieve visibility, hotels compete to incorporate inviting, "Instagrammable" backdrops into their design. Research from Travolution shows 40% of millennial travelers chose a destination based on how Instagrammable it was, bypassing the cost and availability of alcohol (24%) and the opportunities to explore local cuisine (9.4%).
  • Good reviews strengthen the brand's reputation, regular postings (either by marketers or guests) generate SEO content, and instant chat mechanisms support the decision-making and booking processes.
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  • If the industry can't keep up with the opportunities presented by technology, it risks (like Survivor) being outplayed and outlasted.
  • the ability to gather first-party data from those systems, map it against second and third-party business intelligence, and generate results that can bring every property exponentially closer to fulfilling the needs of its target audience
  • Content management systems provide them with the ability to hyper-personalize their marketing communications
  • many vacancies now carry new qualification requirements for candidates to be knowledgeable in social media and content marketing.
  • Near-field communication(NFC) technology works with smart devices to provide customized, location-based suggestions for activities and excursions
  • Voice-activated assistants do more than turn on lights, TV and air-conditioning. They wear a marketing hat, too, by enabling the easy use of peripheral services such as in-room dining, restaurant reservations, and bookings for spa sessions
  • The ability to track guests and their preferences translates into predictive analytics, which make it possible to be proactive rather than reactive
  • video ads are significantly more popular than their text counterparts, with 80% of all web traffic expected to be directed to video content by the end of 2019.
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    This is an awesome article describing the growth of technology in marketing strategies. It lists some of the many ways that eMarketing is evolving, and how these changes are affecting the hospitality industry.
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    Wow that was a good article! Thank you for sharing!
lavendersheshe

Smart Hospitality: 7 ways technologies are reshaping your business - 0 views

  • The personalisation is a key. Exploit solutions, smart applications to build individualized rooms that adapt to the needs of the customers. Thanks to artificial intelligence technology plus databases, you can do that easily. Not only can you create guests’ profiles to remember their likes/dislikes and preferences, but also you can improve your service by providing a better experience
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      Personalisation has become the most important trend in hospitality in the modern times. E business strategies like Smart Apps have been able to meet the requirements of customers and fulfill individuality as well as uniqueness to there experiences.
  • Digital keys ensure hassle-free and more secure entry and exit for your guests – every digital key generated is unique and completely non-reusable
    • lavendersheshe
       
      Digital keys is not only an E business strategy but also a sustainable one. Sustainability is another trend that is very significant to consumers.
  • Using the special hotel applications, AR/VR technologies, your guests can discover their options before even booking.
    • lavendersheshe
       
      This kind of E business strategy makes it more easier for a future customer to make a fast decision in purchasing your services.
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  • That makes virtual concierge a must-have for modern hotels. The AI-powered application allows hoteliers to offer conversational assistance and give prompt replies to the queries all day and night
  • Smart devices like occupancy sensors, smart ventilation, air conditioning systems, thermostats, other suchlike technologies can increase the resale value by reducing costs.
    • lavendersheshe
       
      E business strategies also help in making large scale operations especially in big hotels more efficient.
  • The energy savings from IoT technology also include smart lighting solutions to utilize for a better understanding of your energy needs, automation of consumption, adaptation to current occupancy.
  • Thanks to the IoT solutions, you can forecast your maintenance needs according to the system usage and eliminate failures resulted in reducing costs.
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    E business strategies like Smart Apps, digital keys, virtual concierge services, smart energy management systems, IoT technology etc. have shown to fulfill effectiveness and efficiency in business operations and achieve customer satisfaction. The hospitality industry is being transformed in this digital era and it is important that hospitality businesses implement E business strategies or solutions to achieve better results in doing business.
alexsolano36

How Biophilic Design Can Boost Productivity in Hospitality Meeting Spaces - 0 views

  • And in hospitality, where the trend is to create a more unique space for each venue, bringing the outside in is becoming more common.
  • “Simply putting a potted plant or a simple patch of moss on the wall is not enough to provide the lifting experience that many are seeking from this design philosophy,
  • Air, lighting, greenery, and floor and furniture design that mimic natural landscapes all combine to improve the indoor experience.
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  • “Recent scientific discoveries have pointed to the effects lighting has not just on our vision, but on our health, mood and performance,
  • Meeting rooms with patterned carpets or with floors and furniture that mimic natural elements like water and trees, such as wood or wood laminate meeting tables, can help enhance attention and task performance.
  • MGM Resorts partnered with Delos to create Stay Well meeting rooms in its MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Park MGM and The Mirage Hotel & Casino properties, and chief sales officer Stephanie Glanzer said her team has received tremendous feedback.
  • We find it can enhance the creative process, and when you’re attending a meeting or event, that is a very positive experience.”
  • Stay Well meeting rooms feature decorative glass with nature patterns such as leaves or grass.
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    This article speaks about physical plant systems and how the new trend in hospitality is to create unique spaces and bring the outside in. MGM Resorts has partnered with Delos which is a group that has done extensive research in collaboration with Mayo Clinic to study biophilia or the idea that humans have an innate connection to the natural world. MGM Hotels have found that post-conference survey results show that attendees felt more connected and engaged in meetings where there was biophilic elements incorporated such as meeting rooms with patterned carpets and active green walls constructed from plants or moss. The Delos group also works with Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and Marriot Resorts International to add live plants and other innovative biophilic elements in their spaces. Science shows that biophilic design does add satisfaction to occupants and keeps us happier, focused and engaged.
uhey77

Accor talks up loyalty deals, seeks new partners for some business elements | PhocusWire - 0 views

  • Accor says it expects to see a doubling of revenue derived from partnerships every year between now and 2022, as it works towards a target in that area of €100 million.
  • Visa agreement is just a first step and brings the company into “a world where we were not.
  • urther travel partnerships, such its agreement with Air France for miles and points, and ride-hailing brand Grab, will go live in 2020.
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  • the company is thinking about the businesses in terms of three buckets and deciding what is s
  • rategic, where investment is needed and who will make the investment.
  • D-Edge will require investment, likely from private equity, with Accor letting go of about 40% but remaining as its “big industrial strategic partner.”
  • bringing forces together
  • minimum viable product is expected within 18 months, with Accor providing the capital expenditure needed to fund the project over the next four years.
  • minimal impact of “macro events” such as the Iraq war, SARS and the financial crisis on 2008 on the travel and tourism industry.
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    Accor S.A. is a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages and franchises hotels, resorts and vacation properties. It is the single largest hospitality company in Europe, and the sixth largest worldwide. Accor operates in 100 countries, with more than 4,800 hotels and 280,000 employees worldwide.
uhey77

COVID-19 and the global hotel industry: A roadmap to recovery, part 1 | PhocusWire - 0 views

  • the sudden COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak hit the “pause button” hard -full stop
  • The Chinese Center for Recreation and Tourism Research has estimated the total loss of Chinese tourism this year could reach three trillion RMB yuan.
  • the size of the hotel industry has also changed dramatically, with the number of Chinese hotels in 2019 being 50 times that of 2003
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  • With the Chinese hotel industry currently on indefinite hiatus and many hotel employees already on mandatory leave, hoteliers across the mainland - as well as surrounding Asian markets and even the wider global industry to a growing extent - may find themselves in a state of confusion and panic. What’s important now is to remain calm and maintain rational thinking with a focus on long-term strategies that account for multiple possible outcomes.
  • Revenue management, sales and marketing
  • Keep a close eye on your hotel’s revenue budget and forecast and make appropriate adjustments.
  • Right price: Focus on your competitive set and market trends to make appropriate adjustments to your pricing strategy, and keep an eye on your competitors’ reactions, such as whether they remain open or not.
  • Right customer: Focus on consumer behavior patterns.
  • Currently, hotels analyze their competition intensely. In the future, hoteliers should supplement competitive analysis with deeper study, insight and research into the needs, expectation and satisfaction of their guests.
  • Right product: After the recovery period, the market segmentation will have seen significant change, and hotel management needs to make adjustments accordingly.
  • Self-services with artificial intelligence technologies to avoid facing other people. Room control via mobile app to avoid touching in-room buttons. Room cleaning by specifically trained/screened housekeepers. External-circulation fresh air system and floor drain to prevent aerosol infection. Individual body temperature checks.
  • Channels, communication and confidence: Maintain channel promotions and sales during the epidemic.
  • Based on many client-success stories, the automatic data analysis-based pricing approach will meet customer needs while helping maximize hotel revenue.
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    As we prepare for the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus, there are some precautions hotel managers and staff can take to improve guest and employee health and safety. Early evidence suggests that the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread more easily than the virus that causes seasonal influenza, and it appears that the COVID-19 disease is more deadly than seasonal influenza.
anonymous

How hotels are becoming smarter about waste | Hotel Management - 0 views

  • Resorts, hotels and restaurants generate a lot of waste—from food, packaging, amenity containers, waste water from toilets, kitchens and laundries.
  • Food waste accounts for more than 50 percent of waste in the hospitality industry. In the U.S., more than $218 billion is spent on growing, processing, transporting and disposing of food that is never eaten. This is mostly from homes and the foodservice industry, which includes hotels, with a whopping 70 billion pounds of food wasted every year.
  • The city of San Francisco has taken some of the most significant waste management steps in the country. After adopting a zero-waste policy in 2002, the city partnered with Recology, its long-term materials management service provider, to implement a five-pronged strategy, which is aiming for zero waste by 2020: Create convenient programs Conduct extensive public outreach Provide generator and service provider incentives Process trash to recover materials Adopt waste-reduction policies
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  • Recology provides similar economic incentives through its “pay-as-you-throw” program  in which the less trash a business discards and the more it recycles and composts, the less it pays for pick-up services.
  • “Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.”
  • For business, especially hotels and restaurants, Stephanie Barger director of market development, zero waste programs at the U.S. Green Building Council, emphasized that “zero waste businesses are better businesses—better for themselves, better for customers and the communities in which they operate.”
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    This article goes over the idea of zero waste. It continues on to explain what it means and how hotels are adapting to it.
yujushelly

The Maintenance of Hospitality Facilities - 0 views

  • nsufficient maintenance will render a lower profit for owners and investors even if they have no intention of selling the hotel.
  • “If you don’t have [a preventative maintenance program], you don’t have control of your maintenance budget,”
  • Facility managers should estimate the cost of larger improvement projects—or capital expenditures—as best as they can for the next five years. Planning for these long-term jobs usually requires some kind of reserve fund, although owners and investors tend to set aside less than they should.
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  • We’ll get into very detailed discussions [about this year], and then it’s a more general projection for the next five years in terms of how we think we’re going to need to spend the capital,” Taylor says. “We like to prioritize emergency and ROI projects.
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    This article was very interesting because it shows how the maintenance of the hospitality facilities can really impact a business. We learned in this article that insufficient maintenance can render a lower profit for an investor or the owner regardless whether they want to sell the hotel or not later. We learned that proper upkeep reduces the expense of improvement projects. What can help run a sustained well-run hospitality operation is a preventative program. The only thing that can help you control your maintenance budget is a preventative maintenance program that can help you calculate when to replace carpeting, air conditioner, etc. Meeting up with the hotel supervisors repeatedly allows facility managers to really have a good evaluation on maintenance issues.
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    Its from the company Lowe's perspective of the maintenance of hospitality facilities
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    Great article! A preventive maintenance plan or program is definitely a must in order to reduce costs in the long run. It is important that the staff be trained to properly implement the plan and make sure that things are being done properly.
vmorr026

Technology in the hospitality industry - exploring the very latest trends - 3 views

  • Nowadays, hotel guests who travel with devices such as phones, tablets and computers no longer see Wi-Fi as a perk, but as a must-have when they check in at a hotel. Hotel guests expect to be able to connect to the internet seamlessly and without too many interruptions, leading hotels to invest in better, faster Wi-Fi infrastructure so that people can do business and use their technology devices with ease when they book their stay. Hotels are also starting to move away from user pay models. In the past, hotels could charge exorbitant rates and guests knew they would have to pay if they wanted to go online. Installing and maintaining a hotel-wide wireless network may be coupled with costs, but many leading hotel groups have started to install high density Wi-Fi and started to offer in-building mobile phone coverage as guests have come to expect these services during their stay (not only for themselves, but also for their guests if they are hosting a conference or function at the hotel). It might not yet be financially feasible for hotels to completely abandon the user pay model, but many of them are re-thinking their current infrastructure and pricing models.
  • Technology is advancing at a faster pace than ever before, and this is changing both the expectations of patrons as well as the way in which the hospitality industry conducts its business. Some of the trends in industry are leading to great improvements and savings for hospitality industry companies; while some are changing how hotel developers plan their buildings, infrastructure, management structure and staffing requirements.
  • Near field communication (NFC) technology is the next-generation short-range high frequency wireless communication technology that gives users the ability to exchange data between devices.
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  • This technology is also ideal for self check-ins by guests at hotels as well as the next trend in this article: smart room keys.
  • Hotels will increasingly install smart room access systems that allow guests to unlock their doors by simply swiping their phones across a keyless pad on the door. Starwood (owner of the Sheraton, Weston and “W” hotel chains) has already upgraded 30,000 room locks across 150 hotels with this system and Hilton will be implementing a similar system at 10 of their US properties this year. In 2016, they will be deploying the smart room key technology globally. This technology will mean that guests don’t have to worry about picking up keys and front desk staff won’t have to issue new keys in the event that a guest loses their room key. Another innovative way to offer a keyless experience is through fingerprint-activated room entry systems and retina scanning devices. Retina scanning is even more accurate and secure than fingerprint scans and hotels like the Nine Zero Hotel in Boston have already installed an iris scan system in place of key cards to control access to the hotel’s presidential suite.
  • Some hotels are already offering more futuristic experiences, with robots delivering any items ordered through room service to a guest’s door. A boutique hotel that is nestled between Apple’s headquarters and other tech companies, called Aloft Cupertino, has a robot butler called Botlr that is able to move between the various floors of the hotel in order to take items such as toothbrushes, chargers and snacks to guests. These types of digital systems not only make it easy for hotel staff to deliver items to guests, but it also offers a forward-facing digital experience to people who stay at the hotel. Infrared scanners are now also used to minimise disruptions relating to housekeeping (which is a common complaint from customers). Instead of hanging a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on doors or having cleaning staff wake up traveling guests with knocks and phone calls, hotel staff can take a more innovative approach by using infrared scanners that will detect body heat within a room and tell cleaning staff that they should rather come back later if the room is currently occupied.
  • Digital conference facilities Besides being able to offer high density Wi-Fi for conferences and meetings, hotels also need to be able to offer access to audio-visual (AV) and digital facilities for conferences. While the amount of AV and digital equipment that goes into a typical conference room is fairly minimal, staging companies are often hired for various projects in order to equip the facility as required.
  • Mobile communication and automation In many airports, it’s no longer necessary to stand in a queue to check in and people are expecting the same kind of easy, technology-driven check-ins at hotels. Guests want to be able to do everything from checking in at a venue’s automated kiosk to ordering room service with a digital device instead of standing in queues and moving around the hotel premises to order food.
  • Cloud services Being able to provide entertainment on tap and mobile content has led to the trend of hotels investing in cloud services. While hotels want to be able to offer digital content, they don’t necessarily want to invest in IT infrastructure and IT staff, making cloud computing the ideal solution.
  • Feedback on social media Technology has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives and hotel developers need to realise that almost any person checking in at a hotel, resort, spa or lodge, will have a smartphone in their pockets.
  • Converged LANs to support multiple services Converged local area networks (LANs) will also help hotels to create more intelligent buildings. A variety of computer-based building services can be automated in order to control lighting, refrigeration, air-conditioning and heating. Besides reducing energy consumption, converged LANs can also be set up to provide a smarter, more personal experience. If a guest is known to prefer his or her room temperature at 18°C with the lights dimmed to 65%, for example, this can be programmed before the guest checks in at the hotel.
  • Integrated, seamless experiences Technology doesn’t mean that customer experience can only happen online and through devices, check-ins and online comments. All of these experiences need to be part of an integrated, dynamic system so that the guests’ experiences are at the forefront of the marketing and  operational team’s mind.
  • Marketing, management and hotel developers can no longer work in silos and these technology trends are giving them the opportunities, tools and solutions they need to create memorable experiences that can lead to positive change and growth in the industry.
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    With technology evolving and changing at a fast pace it is changing both what consumers expect and how the Hospitality industry responds to these expectations as well as how they do business themselves. The article highlights the many trends in the Hospitality industry. These trends include the improving and overhauling of a Wi-Fi network, conference rooms that offer Audio visual equipment, Smart room keys and many other different trends.
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    In today's world we are surrounded by technology; however, sometimes we do not realize the extreme of which we are surrounded by until we stop and look around. The Hospitality industry is quickly adapting to the technologically world we live it. I read an article written by Jeff Robinson, Technical Director for Aurecon titled "Technology in the hospitality industry - exploring the very latest trends". This article was beyond interesting because it touched on some on the way technology has already changed the hospitality industry and ways it will be changing it for the future. Robinson tells us in his article that "some of the trends in industry are leading to great improvements and savings for hospitality industry companies; while some are changing how hotel developers plan their buildings, infrastructure, management structure and staffing requirements". This means its not only about the bottom dollar, but the experience of each guest when they stay at the hotel. Robinson also states the obvious fact that travelers these days do not see Wi-Fi as a perk, but more of a must have. Full access to audio-visual is also on the must have list especially for business meetings and conferences. What I found most interesting from Robinson's article was the introduction of the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. This technology give you the ability to share information from a short-range frequency wireless communication. This technology is also ideal for self check-ins by guests at hotels as well as smart room keys.(Robinson) Hotel room keys have come a long way. From an actual key, key card in which you insert, to a key card you simply pass close to the reader and now the birth of the smart key. "Smart room access system allow guests to unlock their doors by simply swiping their phones across a keyless pad on the door.". (Robinson) Now how awesome is that. Robinson also talks about other new technology just as the future of hotel in room entertainment, hotels offering
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    It has been well described and defined that technology impacted the hospitality industry in which it has advantage and disadvantages. The update and development of software creates a change in the business. This justifies that better software leads to better customer service. For this development has given most business opportunity to grow as they give them better tools.
danakissane01

How contactless technology is defining the customer experience post-COVID-19 - 0 views

  • Contactless technologies have proven to be a game-changer for the air transport industry and beyond in recent months.
  • touchless technology remains a high investment priority between now and 2023.
  • Amazon and Disney have implemented in order to minimise the spread of viruses and reduce the interaction between passengers and staff – ranging from contactless check-in and security processes, to ‘Zero-Touch’ IFE and contactless food & beverage pre-ordering.
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  • in April Etihad became the first airline to trial new contactless self-service technologies, which can estimate a passenger’s vital signs, to allow for touchless health screenings at airport kiosks and bag drops.
  • AirAsia also quickly followed suit and in May the airline introduced several contactless procedures for essential travel including contactless kiosks, Passenger Reconciliation System (PRS), contactless payments at the airport, as well as enhanced features on its mobile app to help ensure a smooth and safe travel experience.
  • Biometrics technology also has a major part to play in creating a touchless travel experience. The implementation of the technology in the aviation industry has been well underway in the past few years, but its potential to facilitate a more contactless travel experience has accelerated the adoption even further in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  •  Southwest Airlines, for instance, launched a series of improvements across its Inflight Entertainment Portal, which allows customers to stream inflight content without having to download an app before they board.
  • Qatar Airways announced plans to offer passengers touchless technology for its Oryx One inflight entertainment system (IFE) across its A350 fleet. The Zero-Touch technology, introduced in partnership with the Thales AVANT IFE system, will enable passengers to pair their personal electronic devices (PEDs) with their seat-back IFE screen by connecting to ‘Oryxcomms’ Wi-Fi and simply scanning a QR code displayed on the screen. They can then use their PEDs to navigate and enjoy more than 4,000 options on offer through the airline’s Oryx One IFE system.
  • in Europe, Schiphol Airport launched a pilot which allows passengers to pre-order food and drinks at Schiphol’s food & beverage outlets after security control. Passengers can now scan a QR code from one of the physical banners or media screens located at and after the airport security check. The QR code will allow them to place their order, pay online and choose a time to pick up their order after going through security.
  • The MagicBands let customers do everything seamlessly – from unlocking their Disney Resort hotel room doors and entering the theme parks, to making food and merchandise purchases. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Disney has brought even more contactless engagement, by using signage with QR codes throughout the park to encourage guests to use features on the park’s mobile app.
  • Disney has also highlighted that last year food and mobile order utilisation skyrocketed from 9% to 84%, and nearly 90% of all payments are now cashless. The company is also implementing contactless security screening using artificial intelligence at its theme parks and Disney Springs centre.
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    This article explains how due to Covid-19 more and more companies for developing and investing in contactless technology for customer experience.
lianettfernandez

https://www.travel-industry-blog.com/travel-industry/ndc/ - 0 views

  • The other aspect of NDC is that airlines want to take control of the distribution, such as provide offers based on ‘who is asking’, price ancillaries etc. – in order to differentiate from each other.
  • In this example, what used to be a closed environment of a few handful of CRS provider hooking into one handful of GDSs, who open themselves only to a limited number of authorized developers, now appear to open up APIs to everybody. This may be an ultimate risk that needs to be managed.
  • there is absolutely no way that every TMC or even every corporation can integrate with all airlines, which means we need a direct connect aggregator.
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  • However, not all airlines will migrate to NDC at the same time which would mean a transition period and among the challenges, there is also the unresolved problem who does the ticketing:
  • It takes a number of agreements for each direct connect.
  • Source agnostic Agent Desktops are not easy to develop
  • While I’m sure there are trips which can be better maintained by NDC, there are also trips which will be a nightmare when they have segments of different sources
  • Another issue is the business model. All this new technology will have to be developed and such development costs. While the airlines say they want to inject the same amount of money, just the industry shall distribute it differently as needed, this may be a challenge: It seems like there are more players (such as the aggregators, but also the technology provider of the airline API), which means less money for more entities.
  • And finally, it all comes down to what airlines and GDSs agree upon.
  • NDC is a standard to which airlines can build their API (Application Programming Interface). It is based on XML (I think, the 1st version was actually our XML), which is a language becoming widely successful around the year 2000, to replace an earlier communication language between airlines and providers called EDIFACT (from the 1980s). So, essentially a very old technology is replaced by an aged technology and that is considered “New Distribution Capabilities”. However, an API needs to have a robust schema and XML brings that to the table. Along with NDC, airlines are also changing the shopping process: previously an offer was created by the GDS based on fare, schedule and availability, in NDC, the airline creates the offer and with that can also provide add-ons such as WiFi, lounge access, pre-boarding and other things. In other words, it also allows to personalize offer. It can also mean that a company negotiates with an airlines special business class seats which may only be available to the executives. Consequently, it may help with data collection as well.
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    It sounds so easy to use NDC, but the reality is: Not too many bookings are being made. Why? GDSs won't just give up the battlefield of simple bookings (call it 'easily earned money') and only deal with the complicated PNRs. While I am critical of the global distribution system "oligopoly", the sustainability of the redrawn commercial and technological landscape that NDC could produce has to be questioned. The proposition of NDC means that a "formerly relatively lean distribution chain will become a complicated commercial landscape with numerous airlines, numerous TMCs (or corporations) and several technology providers - all being connected to each other on a technological, as well as commercial, level."
garz14

What Can We Do About the Growing E-waste Problem? - 3 views

    • tcale003
       
      China recently banned other countries from sending e-waste to them. E-Waste is comprised of many toxic materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium which are very harmful to people and the environment. Many new technologies for biodegradable electronics are being looked at and there is even an EcoAtm in some U.S. states for people to recycle their small electronic devices.
  • When China banned 24 kinds of solid waste last September, countries such as the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan realized they had a big problem. Until last year, China accepted 70 percent of the world’s electronic waste—discarded computers, cell phones, printers, televisions, microwaves, smoke alarms, and other electronic equipment and parts.
  • After China stopped accepting this e-waste out of concern for its environment, Europe and North America began shipping more of it to Southeast Asia—but now Vietnam and Thailand, whose ports have been overwhelmed, are curbing imported e-waste as well.
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  • In 2016, the world’s population discarded 49 million tons of e-waste
  • It’s estimated that by 2021, that number will grow to more than 60 million tons.
  • Electronic devices are made of a complex mix of materials that include gold, silver, copper, platinum, palladium, lithium, cobalt and other valuable elements.
  • But electronic devices also comprise toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium, polluting PVC plastic, and hazardous chemicals, such as brominated flame retardants, which can harm human health and the environment.
  • A recent study in China found that mining copper, gold and aluminum from ore costs 13 times more than recovering the metals through the urban mining of e-waste. The state of e-waste recycling Recycling e-waste is practiced both formally and informally.
  • onmental hazards, however, many people in developing countries earn a living by dismantling, refurbishing, repairing and reselling used electronic devices.
  • As a result, many companies and countries illegally export their e-waste to developing countries where recycling is cheap
  • Research has found that inhaling toxic chemicals and direct contact with hazardous e-waste materials (even in some formal e-waste recycling settings) result in increases in spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, premature births, reduced birth weights, mutations, congenital malformations, abnormal thyroid function, increased lead levels in blood, decreased lung function, and neurobehavioral disturbances. Moreover, e-waste toxins contaminate the air, soil and groundwater. In the face of these health and envir
  • n the face of these health and en
  • mally.
  • In addition to its health hazards, informal recycling can pose security risks, because while formal recyclers in the U.S. usually require wiping devices clean of data, informal recycling does not.
  • Criminals search e-waste for credit card numbers and other financial information.
  • In order to reduce e-waste, manufacturers need to design electronics that are safer, and more durable, repairable and recyclable. Most importantly, this means using less toxic materials.
  •  
    This article introduces what is e-waste and the main reason for the surge in e-waste. It also introduced the current recycling status of e-waste and the harm caused by the informal recycling of e-waste, such as heavy metal poisoning and financial information leakage. In addition, measures to address the proliferation of e-waste were also discussed.
  •  
    It has become necessary for more proper and formal recycling of e-waste as it is economical and environmentally beneficial for companies. China decided to accept less e-waste from other counties and as a result there is more e waste going to other countries in south east Asia damaging their environments.
sigomezsh

How restaurants are bringing tech to the table in 2021 | Restaurant Dive - 1 views

  • Sit-down restaurants have traditionally abstained from digital innovations and other kinds of consumer-facing technology out of fear that these changes could cheapen the diner’s experience and undercut their value proposition
  • One-hundred percent of foodservice operators reported in a December Panasonic survey that the pandemic has intensified their sense of urgency to adopt transformational technology, and respondents are implementing tech that prioritizes safety and self-service in response.
  • This prioritization seems to directly reflect diner sentiment, with 21% of consumers planning to dine inside a restaurant reporting that contactless payment options would factor into their restaurant choice. This is especially true for younger consumers: 29% of Gen Z diners said contactless payment solutions would influence where they eat compared to 24% of millennials and 18% of Gen X consumers. 
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  • Fifty percent of full-service restaurant operators said they have added digital menu access via QR codes since March 2020, according to NRA’s 2021 State of the Industry Report. But it hasn’t become a point of differentiation in the mind of the consumer — only 1 in 5 diners said the option of accessing a restaurant’s menu through their phone or a QR code would make them more likely to choose one restaurant over another in the next few months. 
  • "People were less inclined to look up drinks, cocktails and wine through the QR code, so more often than not we would drop the beverage menu with each guest [that featured] a QR code for the food menu, and if they wanted a [physical] food menu it was available upon request."
  • The functionality of an NFC tag or a QR code on a table brings so much digital transformation opportunity that maybe the aesthetic that used to be a primary concern is now a secondary concern."
  • among diners who plan to eat inside a dining room or fast food concept in the next few months, 64% say they would sit in the section that offers traditional table service
  • Allowing diners to order and pay at their tables without a waiter, however, could have a material impact on sales and diner satisfaction, he said, because it takes pressure off restaurant employees and diners when the dining room is very busy.
  • There was a stat we were able to generate that paying on your own device rather than waiting for a server to drop off the check actually saves 21 minutes of table time on average across our network… and that’s great for a restaurant because they have the ability to increase their revenue per hour per seat,
  • Digital integration at the table also primes diners to become more loyal customers and gives restaurants greater customer ownership in and outside of the restaurant
  • I can automatically redeem my offers and my coupons from a loyalty program. And from a digital transformation transformation perspective, I'm now a user within that restaurant's ecosystem," May said. "So that means online I can be provided offers that are tailored and personalized to what I had [during] the meal at the restaurant."
  • Some experts believe that air technology within restaurants could eventually become featured design elements as well.
  • According to NRA data, 85% of adults believe going out to a restaurant with family or friends is a better use for down time than cooking at home, and 67% of consumers surveyed between Dec. 4-6 reported they aren’t using restaurants as much as they’d like. 
  •  
    This article talks about how we have seen technology in restaurants change in the past year as well as what to expect moving forward. Restaurants have begun to see how new technologies like contactless pay are allowing them to expedite services and benefiting their businesses. It also discusses how even though things like QRs have become more common they won't replace aspects of service experience that are crucial to hospitality.
yoevelyn

The Future of IoT Is at the Edge | By Ian Millar - Hospitality Net - 0 views

  • This will significantly increase the quantity of data available to us as well as levels of automation.
    • yoevelyn
       
      Cloud computing facilitates the implementation and application of IoT technologies. Businesses in the hospitality industry can now offer a more streamlined, personalized experience to guests by way of "smart environments." Devices that before weren't considered part of the information revolution are now becoming data gathering points thanks to the advancement in computing capabilities, accessibility and wide adoption of the internet.
  • By connecting everyday devices to a centralised database, hotel staff will receive real-time data on whether any device is posing any trouble, all before the client realises and before it brings dissatisfaction, shifting from preventative to predictive maintenance.
    • yoevelyn
       
      Along generating highly personalized experiences to guests, the internet of things can help management predict maintenance issues with amenities and tools like air conditioning units, refrigerators and the like. This ability to predict if and when an appliance breaks down can help curve dissatisfaction by allowing maintenance to be performed before guests even have a chance to realize there is any issue.
  • According to PwC's Customer Experience Survey, customers do not want to choose between human interactions and machine: they want automation to be embedded in their experiences but to still maintain a human element
    • yoevelyn
       
      Even though guests love the experience of smart environments enhancing their hotel stays, it is clear they don't see it as a substitute to human interaction. Instead, they see the implementation of these technologies as an enhancement, or a tool that complements the hospitality service while still maintaining the human element.
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  • A proposed solution is to introduce fog and edge computing versus the already wide-spread cloud computing.
    • yoevelyn
       
      With all this "smartification" of appliances, there is also the risk of security and privacy being breached. Experts in the field are proposing the use of "fog and edge" computing, which is a decentralized way of storing and processing the data, as opposed to the centralized cloud computing alternative. This means that the computers storing and analyzing the data would function as a "could" of sorts that's managed at a local level because these computers would exist in the hotel property itself rather than in a central data warehouse. This mean, more hospitality businesses would need to invest on their own computing and storage infrastructures.
jspivak001

How Will Your Hotel Property Use Machine Learning in 2020 and Beyond? | - 2 views

  • The LightStay program at Hilton predicts energy, water, and waste usage and costs
  • Further, some hotel brands can link in-room energy to the PMS so that when a room is empty, the air conditioner automatically turns off
  • To create brand personas and algorithms, IHG assessed its top customer-facing senior managers across brands using cognitive, emotional, and personality assessments.
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  • Accor Hotels offers guests personalized upgrades based on previous guest behavior at a price that the guest has shown a demonstrated “willingness to pay” at booking and during the pre-arrival period, up to 24 hours before check-in.
  • The algorithms are used to create assessments to test candidates for hire against the personas using gamification-based tools, according to The People Space.
  • ML technology can create offers at any point during the guest pathway, including the front desk. Rather than replacing agents as some hotels fear, it helps them make better, quicker decisions about what to offer guests.
  •  
    The machine learning for hotel properties is dynamic and constantly evolving. Beyond the common uses of Artificial Intelligence such as robotic housekeepers and facial recognition, hotels can deploy machine plearning in different areas such as systems that optimize the use of energy, water and other resources; human resource management such as the one used by IHG; and customer service.
  •  
    This article discusses different ways that Machine Learning (ML) is affecting the Hospitality industry. Hiltons Energy Efficiency IHGs HR Screenings Accors Personalized Upgrades
jorgeegutivav

Make the Skies Friendly Again With Chartered Event Flights | Corporate Event News - 0 views

  •  
    This article discusses the new trend of booking entire planes for private events in order to increase comfort and ease of travel for the attendees of the specific event. In the article, the author discusses a specific company called Freespeed that plans the entirety of the trip from the plane and pilot to meal and beverages been offered. This allows for complete customization of the air transportation experience.
aguar024

5 sustainable design ideas to take your hotel into the future - Insights - 0 views

  • Roof gardens
  • reduce energy use by absorbing heat and acting as insulators for buildings, which also, in turn, helps to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.”
  • Sustainable furniture, fixtures and accessories
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  • carpet and bathroom tiles made from recyclable materials
  • using low or zero VOC paint in the walls
  • Using sustainable materials
  • Using LED lighting can not only help drive down energy costs but also reduce maintenance and cooling costs as well.
  • LED lighting fixtures
  • Water conservation solutions
  • otels can therefore benefit from utilizing water-efficient practices by upgrading equipment and improving operations.
  • Solar installation
  • 24/7 in the premises so a lot of energy is being consumed for power generation
  • It is not only cost-effective but also low maintenance, reliable and flexible.
  • Because sustainability is now a big factor in the success of a hotel, hotel operators must then take extra measures to delight their customers with their sustainable efforts.
  •  
    And check out this 5 sustainable design ideas for hotels.
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