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I guess not everything has to do with the bottom line. Best Western Hotel chain is trying to become the cleanest hotel on the market. I say " good for them and better for the customer who stays at Best Western Hotels". This attention to detail is where the energy should be focused in the housekeeping department and not just how many rooms a room attendant can clean in a 8 hour shift.Hopefully this attitude towards cleanness becomes a standard in the industry. Technology sometimes is a blessing.

Arthur & Alex Beach were onboard the Costa Concordia when it began to sink. They were taken from one place to another on bus and train, until they go to an airport outside of Rome where they were able to call their son to call their Travel Agent, Jackie Berube, where she helped them book a flight out the next day. Many people these days have access to the internet where they can look at the information themselves. There are also many people that would like to save the trouble and call a Travel Agency to help them find specific information. Although when the Economy isnt doing so well, they begin to drop Financially because people are traveling less. Travel agents used to rely heavily on a percentage of the price of an airline ticket, now they often charge flat fees for airline ticket purchases or creating a custom trip package.

Some travel agents has made a shift in the way they do business. Since most agencies have went out of business after airlines took away their commissions and consumers started to shop online, they had to start offering more service than the internet can provide.

More and more retail stores are converting to iPad tablets as their POS software. Some stores are using them only for customer internet searches and product display capabilities but many are starting to use them for bigger tasks such as checking inventory and entering product orders. This takes away the need to run back and forth between the stock room and sales floor with pen and paper. As a result, customer service is increased because sales floor presence is greater. Some benefits of order management using the tablets as their POS software are increased employee productivity, reduced out-of-stocks, and more payment flexibility. Now you can use tablets as payment devices with credit cards.  DecisionPoint Systems, a leading provider of mobile and wireless systems for retailers, is now offering an application to help retailers personalize their customers' shopping experience. Aruba Networks has recently presented a new tablet-based software that allows customers to check out from anywhere in the store. Having worked in the retail industry for many years, I think this technology for back-office purposes is very useful. One of my employers had started using tablet technology during my time there and I can attest that it does increase employee productivity. It makes doing inventories, size checks, and ordering management so much easier and faster. Employees are able to stay on the sales floor longer which is especially beneficial in the case of being short-staffed or during shift changes. However, I am a bit skeptical about using these tablets as a form of check out from anywhere in the store. Unless the store has security measures in place for this, it does not seem very theft resistant. Especially in a clothing retailer in which sensors need to be removed. The cashier would have to be carrying around a sensor remover at the time of check-out to make this system really time-saving. 

This article from Trip Advisor is a simple research about green hotel alternatives available for travelers. The very interesting part is that there is a great percentage of travelers who questions the hotels green practives. Another important part of the article is the difficulty that hotels face due to travelers resisiting to shift paradigms. Many travelers believe that vacation is time to indulge instead of worring about green practices and initiatives. For that reason, they will do things that they wouldnt do at home. For example, not use the linen reuse program, leave the ac on when not in the room, TV and etc. The article also mentions the three least green cities.

This article introduce a software called SDD(Jazz Fusion), which is dealing services with customers and all the functions and benefits of this system. SDD provides internet and VIOP services, shifts voice technology integration, consolidate cloud to allow hotels maintain voice-switching system and magnify with TeleManager services. Voice and internet billing, telecommunication management, and ongoing profitability support. 

In this article, Christine Negroni discusses the future of airline booking and travel. Over the last ten years, there has been a shift from telephone reservations to computer reservations with the birth of the World Wide Web. With new mobile devices and smart phones, customers are now trying to find the newest, easiest way to work a plane ticket or a vacation. Companies have to strategically plan how they will market to thei customers. FOr leisure, companies will want to reach them through Facebook and Twitter. With the internet, airlines today need to focus on their image. The image is just as important as the product you sell, or the plane ticket the customer purchases. With Youtube, anyone can post whatever they'd like, so hospitality companies and airlines especially, need to be weary. Because the aviation industry is so large, the internet give customers and companies a way to interact on a deeper, more personal level.

I found this article of the rise of e-commerce in Kenya very interesting. We have been discussing GDS and e-commerce from an American point of view and it is great to note that African countries are also taking note of the importance of catering to customers through e-commerce.  Kenya's hospitality industry understands that more people travel nowadays than ever before, and the industry also understand that most customers prefer to book online on their own. The author of the article suggests and predicts that hospitality companies in Kenya will be capitalizing on the growth of Internet and mobile penetration in Africa. 

The article talks about a new integration between three platforms already used in restaurants and other independent businesses; Lightspeed, Intuit QuickBooks Online, and Planday. This collaboration allows for the three components to communicate and report on inventory, sales information, ledger accounts, employee shifts, payroll and more. Having these tools combined will allow operators to save time, increase accuracy, but also to have insight into their business performance to make better decisions. The integrated solution is only available on iOS at roll out. I think a series of tools like this could greatly simplify the accounting process for restaurants and allow them to be more accurate with their accounting. This integration will allow even very small companies to make strategic decisions regarding pricing, staffing, inventory and other expense centers improving the overall business.

The article highlights the crucial points of recent PMSs. The systems are developing constantly providing hotels with additional features and, thus, giving them more opportunities. About 48% of hoteliers are planning to upgrade their PMSs this year. Moving to the cloud is becoming a trend, mainly because of the high costs of the traditional PMSs and necessity of frequent server upgrades. This allows hotels shift costs from capital expenditures to operating expenses. Mobility gives more flexibility both to the guests and the hotels. Managing hotel becomes more hands-on experience than before. Modern PMSs significantly improve communication with guests as well as help hotels in gathering essential data to better understand and serve their customers.

This article is extremely important. I feel like everyone should read it because it goes hand in hand with what we have learned this week in class. The topic of cyber security is something that people need to shift paradigms. This article brings us great points about the digital era we live in. since everything we do in business now a days has to do with technology, it is important to have security and trust in this. With the increase reliance on this technology comes a higher risk. The article brings up that awareness levels of cyber security and data privacy issues are growing at a steady pace. It is extremely important that in the hospitality industry, Businesses think about trust, confidence and brand health and reputation. This highlights the fact that it doesn't matter if security systems are costly, in the long run if something goes wrong that will end up being the most costly. The article mentions that there will be a regulation established by the EU called General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The purpose of the GDPR is to put people back in control of their personal information and to improve how entities look after personal information while it is in their custody. In conclusion, this gives companies a competitive advantage.

This article touches upon why it is so imperative for sustainability practices to be taught in the hospitality industry. It talks about how the next generation to come will not be able to tolerate today's world's insensitivity to the environment. Sustainability has shifted from a want to a must. Many big name hotels, like Marriott, have set high goals to reduce their environmental impact. They have key performance indicators like reducing energy use and the level of CO2 emissions to help aid the Earth's environment. The goal should be to have zero CO2 emissions and zero landfill waste, but this is a goal that will take time to reach. Profits should not be the only thing businesses are interested in. Sustainability should be included in the training process of employees within the business whether they be in customer service, kitchen or marketing...everyone can help save somewhere. Sustainability has become the new management dimension, right along with providing memorable experiences and providing good service. It has been shown that companies who practice sustainability in the workplace have a lower turnover rate because the employees know they are working towards a greater good and are given a sense of purpose.

This page was created in January 2016, and focuses on trends in HRIS technology over the most recent years. While it is acknowledged that HRIS is by no means a "new" form of technology, there are still notable shifts that must be adapted to if an organization's HR department hopes to maintain viability in the face of ever-increasing competition.

This article talks about the growing need for customers to have certain in-technology. It also talks about what hotel industry is doing and investing keep it's ahead of the curve and what current are guest expectations when arriving at a Hotel in 21 century.

In this article, it explains that technology is the ruler of today's world. It creates an "easy life" and raises the expectations of customers by the minute, essentially making anything possible. To meet these expectations in the hospitality industry, hotels are incorporating more technological accommodations. This is a must to stay ahead of the competition and attract new customers. A report showed the hospitality industry as the 5th highest investor in sensors to ensure a positive customer experience. From simple technology such as online booking to things such as automated check in/ out are changing the game for the customers overall experience. These things have become normalized for a better guest experience along with keyless hotel room entrance making a shift to app's that act as the bedroom key. Another growing trend is having robots complete simple tasks such as room service as well as more sustainable practices such as adjustable lighting. In order to properly track the success rate of these new technologies, many hospitality related companies are hiring data scientists to assure they are meeting their guest's expectations. All of these advances make life easier for the company and the guests but none of these things can replace the art of human interaction. Although this art is dwindling away, it is something that most still yearn for, regardless of the technology involved in their experience.

This article discusses the increasing demand for e-commerce and third party delivery in the food and beverage industry, as well as the costs associated with it. Restaurants are currently facing a growth problem in the United States as foot traffic has declined due to a "millennial generation shift" that sees diners doing more in their homes, while third party companies like Grubhub have seen it's stock rise 141 percent from a year ago. For many restaurants, it is a matter of opportunity cost. As explained in this article by Warren Solocheck, a restaurant industry analyst at NPD, "We're going to see more and more quick-service chains begin to try out delivery," he said. "The margins associated with third-party delivery may be slimmed down. But, the question for restaurants is, 'If I don't do it and I'm not delivering my food, am I in the game anymore? Am I in people's consideration? It boils down to being an opportunity cost. The hope is that at some point people will like the food enough to come in and sit down." I found this article very interesting as a General Manager. We recently decided as a brand to begin offering delivery through third party services as we noticed a decline in covers leading to a decline in revenue. This new revenue stream, although at a higher cost, still brings in revenue that we would be missing out on either way. We also offer free appetizer cards for a consumer's next in house visit to help attract new guests.

This article discusses the hospitality industry's developing technology sector, claiming an age of interconnectivity. This industry has long been plagued by the stereotype of being behind technologically, largely due to long standing and set-in ways that utilize old systems. A few numbers worth mentioning include enterprise hospitality spending an average of 3.5 percent of revenue on IT versus 7.9 percent for financial services, 6.1 percent for public sector, and 5.9 for high tech. In a study done by Lodging Technology Study, 53 percent of hoteliers cited that the outdated tech architecture set-in and the effort it would take to change them is what keeps people from investing in new technologies. Fortunately since then, this sector has been gaining momentum, expecting to be the fastest growing IT sector between 2018 and 2021. The article continues on talking about the barrier of integration fees and how tech innovators today are forced to pay massive fees to be compatible with existing systems, which carry on to consumers of these technologies. For hoteliers to utilize these new technologies, large sums of money have to be paid upfront and there's a significant lag in actually getting to try the product. The rest of the article discusses a few points we do in this week's module: pros and cons to two-way interconnectivity in PMS systems and third party technology providers.

This article discusses the reason hotels are shifting their focus on energy management. Hotels are adopting green practices that not only saves money but benefits the environment. One method is by controlling energy output. New technology allows the hotel management to have wireless control of the heating and cooling systems. If rooms are unoccupied they can turn off the cooling system to save energy which in-turn reduces cost. The invention of the "Internet of Things" (IoT), management can control, diagnose and operate AC and other systems from their tablets or computers. This advantage gives the hotels the need for less service calls and disruptions to guests. Also, the trend of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) gives the guest the option to control their room settings from their own phone. Lastly, hotels are building towards LEED certifications from the U.S. Green Building council. The certification is internationally known. It saves the company money and aligns to a lot of guests eco-traveling preferences.

This article highlights the major shifts in the way hotels conducted business as a result of a technological advance. The first was the rise of Property Management Systems, followed after by the use of Web and OTAs. More recently, hotels have also had to pay attention to their "E-Reputation", and a result, the article predicts that customer relationship management tools will be used to enhance the client experience.

E-Marketing in the hospitality industry I found this article very informative and helpful. E-marketing could also be called Internet marketing, web marketing, online marketing and even digital marketing. In the hospitality industry, these marketing strategies are growing at a dramatic pace. Because this is making such a significantly impact behaviors by driving more revenues. The article explains the five main sections of e-marketing. 1) Search Engines Marketing * This is the largest majority of internet surfing allowing the hotel to drive targeted traffic to the company's website. 2) Sponsored Search * This type of marketing, is sponsored search corresponds to search ads through a bidding process on keywords. 3) Social Media Marketing * This allow companies to use websites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allowing to take advantage of spreading any information or updates posted repeatedly whenever they want. It also targets a wide audience. In other words, it's the new word of mouth. 4) Mobil Advertising * This is one of the fastest growing e-marketing advertising. With almost everyone nowadays carrying a smart phone, this type of advertising could be critical to bring in new business for the hotel. 5) Email Advertising. * This is the most powerful e-marketing tool for hoteliers to use. It gives you direct revenue opportunities for past, present and future guests. Nowadays, online marketing is the most powerful advertising methods. All companies in the Tourism and Hospitality industry are competing to lead the online marketing techniques to order to shift the market to increase their online traffic and generate more revenues.

Week 4 Article Summary 15 Benefits of Having Digital Menu Boards in Your Restaurant. This article discusses the positive ways in having a digital menus and explains the benefit it has on the restaurant. The focus of the restaurant should be more on the quality of food being served. Even though there are a lot of restaurant that give you an experience like no other but if the food is not top quality it will be hard to bring customers back. Having this type of digital menus could enhance the guest experience while helping the restaurant increase revenues. Here are ten of the top fifteen positives reasons of having a digital menu boards. 1) Digital menu displays will make communication easier. This starts form the customer directly to the kitchen. It will also allow the establishment to display videos and animations that will catch the eyes of the customers and could highlight specific menu items. 2) Saves time by easy updates on display. The software will allow the restaurant to update the menu very easy. You could add and take away dishes without having to print all new menus. It will also allow you 86 items that are sold out at any time during the shift. 3) Sound Investment of saving money. With the system allowing you to change menus, it will save money because you won't have to pay to print new menus every time you want revise it. 4) Digital displays create a more memorable experience. With having a digital screen, it will allow the customer to stay entertained by having a right mix of graphic videos and allowing them to keep them occupied during down times. 5) Better Visibility of menu. The display on the tablet will allow the guest to see a nice HD screen with colors that will make it easy to see and read. 6) 24/7 support. No matter what time of day, there will be support for mangers to trouble shoot any issues that might be happing at time. 7) Boost sales up to 21-23%. It has been said that having an emenu will increase revenues by allowing the establ

Easybar cocktail station costs about $30,000, or roughly half what a human union bartender costs to replace

This article discusses the addition of the Smart Tender at MGM Hotels in Las Vegas. It raised some questions that many people pointed out this week in our discussion posts. What will happen with bartending jobs? Is this the beginning of the shift to more jobs being removed for technology? The article does highlight that not all bartending jobs will be lost, for example, casino bartenders. While this could be a great step forward it could also have some issues. Guests may be upset by the change in experience since you are no longer speaking to a bartender.