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A digital solutions named Beyond Digital Solutions based in the United Kingdom provided a technology for an airport hotel to enable guests to check their flight status. The technology is being used at the Hampton by Hilton near the Luton Airport just north of London. The hotel "installed a digital screen in its reception area to provide live flight arrival and departure details." This system also allows guests of the hotel to check-in for flights and print boarding passes. The company Beyond Digital Solutions has provided other hospitality technology for the industry such as digital signing that helps to provide information for guests regarding the local area or activity schedules.  I personally believe this is a smart idea for an airport hotel. Having the ability to check a flight status before you leave the hotel can help guests decide if they need to leave or wait if their flight is delayed. When traveling abroad not all the time do I have access to an internet device or my smartphone, so I feel this would be convenient. If my flight is delayed for a longer period of time, I could have the ability to stay at the hotel longer if I did not want to wait at the airport for an extended period of time. Even when traveling in the United States not all the time do I think to check my flight status ahead of time. If I saw this screen I would have the option to check my flight status because it is right there in front of me. I hope to see a system like this added to more airport hotels in the future. I see this as a huge benefit to airport hotels. 

Technology is changing our lives and experience. This article is a detailed description of how your lodging experience will be if you stay in a hotel with flashy iPad tablet.You can talk to the staff about your needs in basically all the services including room service, consulting and housekeeping. It will save your time on checkout by providing iPad POS to the tablet.People will get an unforgettable experience because they do not need to wait in line which may take a long time.

The article introduces a new approach to experience a technologilized hotel stay. Having a iPad in hand with the app designed for the hotel, guest is able to check-in/out, order room service, order cab, change the room status, call housekeeping, find surrounding spots, and more. There is not need to wait in lone line or be hold on a phone call.

This article comments on the perceived effectiveness of daily "flash" deals distributed through the internet to provoke the usage of services of a hospitality enterprise. It also addresses current industry challenges hotels face with regards to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The first Cornell study surveyed approximately two hundred international hotels. The results showed half of the hotels have used the e-Marketing "flash" deals technique while the other half abstain siting concerns of brand reputation. However the issue of dissatisfaction from those hotels who use daily deals is also prevalent. The conductors of the study recommend those who use the deals to "start small," clearly define the reason for the deal and examine every aspect of the deal, including limitations, to increase ROI and satisfaction. If the deals are tailored to fit both the hotel and guests' needs they should attract and retain customers. The roundtable discussion then dives into an important branding issue of CSR. It highlights common misconceptions related to sustainability such as going "green" being being costly, guests not appreciating sustainable efforts, and the "wait and see" approach being smart for implementation. With education and communication the hospitality industry can inform their internal and external customers of their sustainable business practices and increase customer acquisition. Rather than being reactive, businesses should be proactive and concentrate on their "long-term brand focus."

Buffalo Wild Wings added QSR's automated kitchen display hardware and software to over 40 of their locations. These locations are currently using a ticket-less automated system in the kitchen and have found there are faster "ticket" times, they are better able to determine problem areas in the kitchen, and are able to evaluate employee performance during busy times in the restaurant.When using a "ticket-less" system it is easier to track orders and/or mistakes that may happen because you do not lose the ticket (which is a common occurrence) I currently work at a restaurant that was looking into QSR's automated kitchen system, but we have not done that at this point, but we will move to that eventually. However we do have QSR's newest seating and wait list management technology and it does make a world of difference when managing seating and a waiting list in a large restaurant.

When Room Key entered the pantheon of metasearch engines, initial reactions varied. While big chains were seemingly excited for this alternative to third-party search engines, independent hoteliers maintained a reserved skepticism, wondering what place, if any, there will be for them on the site. These independent owners are taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to Room Key's potential influence on independents and hotel search-engine landscape.

Good example of the wait and see method as discussed last week. Be interesting to see how this one plays out for Room-Key as well as the smaller independent chains...

This new technology is very interesting to see for many travelers. When you arrive at a hotel in the late night, the least thing you want to do is standing in line to wait for check in. Or when there is a flight to catch, you don't want to wait in line to check out either. With this phone/ mobilized app, it's possible to do all the front desk work by yourself, save time and energy, and be more controllable of your own free time. 

This article explores the a new partnership between the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the International Border Management & Technologies Association (IBMATA) to provide a new, faster traveling experience using biometric technology worldwide. This process would potentially eliminate wait times by eliminating frequent use of passports at multiple check points. I believe it could be epic for TSA wait times. The article failed to mention any possible flaws in the security measures for the system. We should expect to hear more after the first pilot program.

This is already happening in Singapore and China. Face recognition is all part of how I entered and left South Korea too. Even expats living there could register. Cameras are everywhere in that country and it shows it when you lose a wallet and the next day someone is knocking at your door. The USA could benefit from the "eye in the sky" as it is a better and more efficient way than threatening with the death penalty that hasn't worked ever.

This article is about why tabletop tablets will not replace waiters. It discusses how waiters will still be needed even with the increased use of technology. It shows how a tablet can benefit not only the customer but the server and restaurant as well.

This article makes some great points about how the serving position will always be necessary and to what extent with table tops. Tabletops will be beneficial in specific environments but not all- although servers will always be needed to help in ways a tabletop cannot. Singing Happy Birthday, verifying legal drinking ages, assisting with complicated modifiers. There is a time and place for a table top, but there is also a necessity of a human.

I enjoyed reading this article as it points out how the tablet can be a tool for the wait staff and not a threat to their jobs. "Tabletop tablets can help servers capitalize on the "magic moments" of the dining experience." This quote really capitalizes on the role of the server and how having wait staff in the restaurant can allow each customer to have a personalized dining experience.

Sam Colt wrote an article for Business Insider titled Tablets Are Making Waiters Obsolete - An Chilli's Is Leading The Way. This article bothered me a bit, because knowing what I know about Hospitality we build our brand around customer service and customer satisfaction and how can we do that if we are eliminating the person to person interaction. In his article Colt mentioned Chili's "has recently introduced tablets in dining rooms nationwide that customers can use to place orders, browse the menu, and entertain otherwise noisy children". I understand the thought behind keeping your guests entertain while they wait for service; however, I believe it should be just that, entertainment not self-service. Dine in restaurants should not be treated like a fast food restaurant and guests should expect a reasonable wait time. Having that person to person interaction makes a dining experience more enjoyable. E la Carte co-founder and CEO Rajat Suri argued "if someone does not want to spend time with a server, they're going to ignore the server anyways." My thoughts are why would you dine in a restaurant if you do not want to be severed, why not go to a fast food restaurant. Chili's states the tablets are solely for increasing customer satisfaction and increase revenue and suggests the tablets are making the life of waiters better.

This article is a result of qualitative research that was conducted in the hospitality industry properties in Ghana. The authors interviewed several hotel HR managers to analyze how HRIS influenced the manpower activities in the company. Among the rationales of using HRIS in the hotels, the following were mentioned: HRIS gives general and holistic knowledge about operations (this information could be shared with other departments); gathers data to improve decision-making process; provides a variety of reports to boost organizational and administrative functions. One of the opportunities that were mentioned was identifying strategically important key staff and preparing successors for them. HRIS also finds the unfilled positions and selects the most appropriate candidacy who is later trained and waits his turn to succeed. Talent management within the company was named the most important part of the system. The advantages of the HRIS include a possibility to fill a position fast with promoting the right trained person to the team. The research identified the challenges of the HRIS in the hospitality field such as forecasting demand and supply of labor, access to information, cost of recruitment and workforce shortage. However, HRIS is extremely important for maintaining the functional waiting list for training programs so that the pipeline of new employees could be implemented and appropriate training for the right persons in the right time would be made. The holistic nature of the HRIS was outlined in the article making it crucial for management and no-management personnel to understand the new working realities.

This article basically talks about a front-desk bypass solution that allows guests to head straight to their room without standing in lines to obtain a plastic room key as long as a guest has a mobile phone.  To sum up the article, mobile key by Open ways is compatible with any cell phone, as all of the 6+ billion mobile devices in the world. It simplifies hotel Master Key management by harnessing mobile technologies to make all locks 'on line' without the costly infrastructure. It also enhances a hotel's sustainability program because the Mobile key is made only of data and not plastic. Moreover, hotels can eliminate costs originally spent on toxic plastic key cards. It is a creative way to move the technology of mobile keys forward, giving hotels an added dimension to guest satisfaction and a new means of attracting the ever-important business traveler. In my opinion, this solution could be beneficial to hotels' revenue since the system is compatible with not only smartphones but also all kinds of cell phone. It works with all major lock technologies and relies on a combination of text messages and its Crypto Acoustic Credential (CAC) technology. The only modification required to a lock for it to work is the addition of a decoding listening device. I think this is a great convenience for both the hotel management and consumers. Furthermore, there might be a good marketing opportunity here modifying the system to pop up a special offer on a phone once the rock has been deactivated. For example, a free dink at the hotel bar, or a half price meal at the hotel restaurant.

Mobile Key by OpenWays allows hotel guests to bypass the front desk and go straight to their room upon arrival by simply using their cell phone as a room key. Many people do not want to wait in line at the front desk merely to get a plastic key card for their room. As long as the guest has a cell phone and the hotel is equipped with OpenWays they can get secure access to their rooms. Mobile Key by OpenWays is also very beneficial to the hotel as well. Since Mobile Key is only made of data, it cuts the hotel's costs of making room keys out of toxic plastic for guests as well as master keys for employees. The hotel is now "greener," saving money, and improving customer service. With technology growing and customers relying more and more on mobile technology while travelling, Mobile Key creates an easier and more enjoyable way to travel.

In my personal opinion, I love this renovation on mobile key. I don't like to wait a long time for check-in. With the Mobile Key, guests don't have to carry their room key anywhere anytime and if they leave it in the room, they have to wait a long time in the line to the front desk to ask for another one. My favorite part of the Mobile key is that this technology is green. Even though current room keys that used by most hotels made of plastic are reused and recycling, the plastic itself is a material that would pollute the environment. But I still have a question about it that how about guests lose their cell phone during their stay. Does the hotel have a plan B for helping guests to open doors without the plastic key?

The Hospitality industry have been greatly impacted over the years by the advancements made in technology. Customers have everything assessable by the click of a button or utilization of an app. Various software is being created to provide for quick and easy service but in turn takes away from the personal experiences.

This article is about the new advances in technology and investing whether it has been taken too far. It analyzes the new advancements such as apps where reservations are made. These new technologies have been made to enhance experience but not replace the warm feeling that hospitality gives you. The article concludes that we haven't taken it too far, instead it has made guest experience better. Especially when it comes to checking in, and not having to wait a huge line when you just want to get to your room.

As we learned this week, technology is impacting the hospitality industry. As the article states- "improving a guest's experience depends on the ability to identify the individual guest's preferences." This reminded me of the Smart Bar video we watched this week. Technology can enhance the quality of experience. However, depending on the businness/ company- most people would be unwilling to put a an investment into tech unless they see a significant uptake from the technology. Even though technology plays a major role in the industry, it has not completely took over human interaction.

This article shows us some pros and cons of digital menus. The Pros includes captivating, saves time and resources, real-time capability, instant payment, and customer satisfaction. The cons includes waitstaff unhappy, added expenses and power problem.

This new bedside technology controls lights, media, bedroom setting and also lets you know if someone is at your door waiting for you

This new bedside technology controls lights, media, bedroom setting and also lets you know if someone is at your door waiting for you

Having a clear understand of what makes a great hotel, resort, or conference centre and how to run it profitably is an essential part for a successful management company. Benchmark Hospitality International win the market through its day-to-day management decisions on the numbers. They built a  centralized 'private cloud' technology hub and data gathering platform based on which the managers can make decisions every morning while not wait until month end or later to see property financials. The private cloud helps to reduce its ownership costs and to protect data. Benchmark also uses the Internet-enabled Profitvue enterprise back office system from Aptech Computer System to centralized property accounting.  This is technology plays an important part of hotel operations. The Profivue back office accounting system is internet-enabled, so a PC is the only back-office hardware. The same for the front office systems. It is a great saving for its owners. Since Profivue is flexible enough for Benchmark to have a standard chart of accounts and general ledger for all its properties, Benchmark can quickly integrate a new property into Benchmark's processes. It just bring financial team members from other properties, who are familiar with the system and chart and G/L. So a new property can be ran very quickly without the usual hardware and software installation and staff training. Another advantage of this system is that Benchmark's financial stockholders, management teams, and guests benefit a lot from it, so they always support these innovations, which can later stimulate the company's success. Applying new technology in operation management can help company win a larger market share and develop fast.

It appears that American Airline is about to remove itself from the tradition global distribution system and introduce its own distribution system. American Airlines is advocating for distribution companies to utilize AA direct connect which is a direct link into AA's host reservations system. Currently American Airlines fares are no longer available on Expedia or Orbitz sites. This is because no contractual agreement was reached for the distribution of AA products. Travel professionals are waiting to see the result of this bold move by American as this has great implication for the future of airline distribution systems. If American Airlines pulls away from the mainstream GDS, consumers and travel specialist alike will be faced with the inconvenience of going to a separate reservations system to compare fares. Although travel professionals are now urged to use direct connect on a trial basis, the general feeling is that eventually they will be charged to sell American Airline flights. To defend this move American Airline is only saying that direct connect will make it easier for them to tract ancillary fees like priority seating. It was noted in the article that Southwest Airline for the most part is a stand alone reservations system but they do not negotiate with the GDS companies to sell their flights. It is therefore quite evident that this move by American is really to reduce expenditure by eliminating the middle GDS companies while increasing revenue by charging travel partners for utilizing direct connect. American Airlines clearly wants to globally control their distribution system and maximize revenues. Contract renewal for both world span and sabre are due and the experts are waiting to see if American will renew with them. Sabre is owned by American Airlines so its a wait and see game to see how all this will be panned out. The real problem for the consumers and travel specialists are that if other airlines are to follow this move by American the tra

This article explains the distribution route American Airlines is taking to sell their flights. Due to not seeing eye to eye with the two most probably used websites for travel, Expedia and Orbitz, American has now taken their products away from both airline distribution sites. American suggest that all travel agencies and distribution companies begin using Direct Connect, which is a system for only American Airlines flights. If this would happen, travel agencies and companies will then begin having to pay for the system in order to sell Americans flights. At the moment you can still book flights through other distribution sites, but until when will that be? They already stopped Orbitz and Expedia, what's not to stop the others. The future of global distribution systems will be up in the air if all airlines choose to sell their own systems to be able to sell reservations. The only positive that was pointed out in this article was that if this system takes over, then more consumers will have to go back to using travel agents to secure the best reservations for flights and such.

With the contracts for major global systems, Worldspan and Sabre, being up for renewal in the near future, this article analyses the possible outcomes for airlines, and alternatives should they choose not to forgo continuing use of GDS

According to Meru Networks Inc, US wireless network provider, a wireless network market in the Asia Pacific region, especially Chinese, will be doubled in the next few years. The rapidly growing hospitality industry in China is part of the reason why the wireless network market has a need to grow. There are 651 five-star luxury hotels in the country as of now and 500 luxury hotels are waiting to be opened in the near future.  What we need to focus on are the customers who go to these luxury hotels. Nowadays, Wi-Fi is not just one of services that the guest enjoys. It is a part of life and a necessity. Providing high quality Wi-Fi service is a big portion of showing the quality of hotel. Therefore hotels strive to have a system that could offer the most reliable product with the lowest price. 

This article talks about how Walt Disney World park-goers are able to enjoy a new app designed for iPhones, iPads and iPods that gives them real-time updates on park information and other services. The application allows guests to better plan their day with the ability to view wait times for shows and attractions; guests are also able to track what are the fastpass return times and the ability to book dining reservation around the parks and resorts. The application enables the guests to move through the theme parks flawlessly and helps maintain a neat order. It gives the guests the ability to view the maps and view what's happening right now at each of the parks. It is a great application that will help everyone be more organize as they enjoy the parks.