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"While the online marketplace is gaining ground in channel mix for hotels, especially for established hotel companies, the Global Distribution System (GDS) still contributes significantly to hotel distribution revenue-approximately 27 percent, according to TRAVELCLICK's latest eTRAK report. Also, GDS hotel promotions-appearing when agents search the air, car and hotel availability screens within their GDS-continue to have a growing influence on bookings, particularly in today's unsettled economy." The above paragraph is from the very beginning of the linked article. I believe it is a good summary of the topic that follows throughout the article. Global Distribution Systems have always been a must in the industry and have continuously provided hotels with direct revenues. One of the major and most important benefits to using GDS is that it builds reservations through influence. This influence, with the help of marketing, ads, promotions, and special packages, can differentiate your specific hotel and pull customers away from competing markets.

This article is about a decision made by Texas Western, Hotel Management Company, to introduce Cloud-Based Business Intelligent system. According to the interviews with the company executives, this investment is really paying off. This system has taken system responsibility off their hands and allowed them to cut labor costs which were used to prepare daily revenue reports or spread sheets. Mobile access to all the information also appears to be a useful feature offered by Cloud-based system. 

According to the article, different customers, business models and selling strategies require different sizes of CRM system. Over the years, vendors only added more and more features to original CRM systems. They've focused more on functionality at the system level, taking an everything-that-everyone-needs approach that rarely took into consideration the user's interaction with the CRM system. So businesses are demanding a much more flexible, much more nuanced interaction with the information in (and around) a CRM system, an interaction focused on the needs of the individual accessing the information and the needs of the customer engagement taking place. So clearly one size of CRM cannot fit all. Such as how iPhone changes the appearance & function of keyboards and screens. As CRM system focuses more on personal view, "smart" and "flexibility" may be what CRM should achieve in the future.

This article is a series of several blog contributions for successful emarketing on Hotels magazine's website. "Will the Hospitality Industry Tango with Tingo" discusses the introduction of Tingo.com, a new Online Travel Agent (OTA) website affiliated with Expedia.com that guarantees its' customers to refund the difference if the price booked for the room drops after booking. This sounds great right? While of great value to customers, especially those who are money conscious, the article explains that Tingo.com is another industry basher that ultimately makes hotels appear to be ripping their customers off. This type of marketing tool should be two fold- both industry and advertiser friendly and an OTA website such as Tingo.com will potentially strain its relationship with business in the hospitality industry sooner than later. Tripadvisor is pointed out as an example of a major hospitality industry resource that has damaged its reputation with hotels and is continuing to do so. An analysis of Tingo.com is presented including the evaluation of several factors Tingo.com does not consider under its business model. The article deems both Tripadvisor and Tingo.com as "confused and misguided." In conclusion, this article presents valid points that I have never considered prior to reading about the challenges and perception some hospitality industry leaders have. From the customer perspective, both Tripadvisor and Tingo are highly favored for obvious reasons but not consistently for hotels and restaurants.

My article this week is about how GDS (Global Distribution Systems) can be compared to a seatbelt. The author opens the article discussing the main reasons we still continue to use seatbelts; even though they aren't the most comfortable or fashionable items to use, they still do their jobs in saving our lives when it comes to a collision of some sort. The author is in favor of GDS and makes the claim that like seatbelts, the GDS may not be the most up-to-date or may not appear to be as nice as other local systems to each individual airline, but they get the job done and there are no other systems out there like it that we know of (no other systems that do everything he GDS system does that is). The main topic of discussion that the article is concerned with is the recent decision made by the company Lufthansa to start charging its customers an additional surcharge for using GDS systems instead of going through its own system. The author clearly makes it know that she doesn't believe Lufthansa when they say they are charging this additional surcharge because GDS is the most expensive channel to go through. "Because there's no reason to think that an airline should expect to distribute its products without any cost, Lufthansa's recent gambit seems more of a tactic for increasing lagging direct distribution... Its strategy seems to rest in shifting distribution costs to corporate buyers" claims Rose, the author of the article. The author also points out some of the draw backs of using agency portals, the main reason being that a customer cannot compare rates of other competitors and that agency portals cannot handle high volume transactions like the GDS can. It is also made known that there are costs that come with other channels as well, like the prices you pay for building airline websites and keeping them updated. The author concludes that "Given the history of negotiations between airlines and GDSs, it's impossible to know whether Lufthansa is using DCC as

This article is about the green initiative of installing electric vehicle charging stations in hotels. Hotels have always considered their concern for the environment as a way to stand out in the market and meet client needs and expectations. Charging stations are not considered just another amenity, they are something the customer is looking for. Drive in business is extremely important to the lodging industry and this technology is what guests are looking for as hybrid and electric vehicles become more affordable and practical.

This article deals with the implementation of electric vehicle charging stations in many hotel properties. These charging stations appear to be a big trend and an item that can set a hotel apart from it's competitors. Taking the initiative to be more conscience of their carbon footprint allows properties to relate with guests who feel the same about protecting the planet. Properties such as the Loews Vanderbilt hotel, and the Fontainebleau Miami have installed charging stations and are receive very positive feedback from ,both, guest, who own electric cars and those who do not. Although electric cars are not prevalent in the auto industry there has been an increase in sales and when Auberge Resorts held a study asking guests about electric cars they were surprised to find out that "many had already had them" and that twenty percent said that an electric car would be a future purchase. "Going green" is a huge trend within the hospitality industry and hotels will continue to implement advances in "green" technology in order to be set apart from the rest.

Hotel industries have been under attack from excessive hacking, as seen with Hilton being targeted for private financial information from guests. In 2014, it was noticed that hackers had been targeting Hilton throughout the course of 17 weeks. They state that the industry itself has not really focused budgeting on cyber security. It seems that the process is done by integrating a virus into these hotels POS system. The virus was actively attacking the Micros program, which was being used in more than 300,000 hotels and resorts. An ultimate treasure chest for information, some of which was not even encrypted. In addition, the virus appears in the system as a legitimate software, and then it obtains over 90 percent of stored information. This hacking is being conducted by organized groups, who moved from the retail industry because it had indeed improved its cyber security. With hotels it seems that the concept has not been taken as seriously. There are many hotels susceptible to such an attack. As long as there is a sales software, then someone is looking to get into it. A person could be sitting inside of your location, and infiltrating a guests' wireless internet, and they would not even know. In order to engage this threat, locations must be proactive in attempting to stop what is occurring. The only question is, how much are they willing to invest in cyber security?

Although it is a kind of advertisement article about electronic accounting system, it concludes the detailed features of computerized accounting software. This specific accounting software is designed for small and medium business. With all-sided package, it offers a number of different facilities, which include every aspect of basic accounting function. The main advantages is that each transaction needs only to be inputed once, so it would appear on every needed sheet. Thus, it would have following advantages: speed, automatic document production, accuracy, up-to date information, availability of information, management information, GST/VAT return, legibility, efficiency, staff motivation, cost savings, reduce frustration, and the ability to deal in multiple currencies easily.

This article caught my attention because it was not just the Waste Management service offering a new sustainable option for hotels, but an actual electronics provider as well, LG. It appears that since 2009, LG has been partnering with Waste Management, and helping hotels dispose of their old electronics, such as older LG tv models, in a much safer and environment friendly way. This gives hotels no excuse to not dispose, or recycle, electronics in a safer manner. I believe a partnership like this is a perfect demonstration of a social responsible company, who is aware and active of the damages their products can make toward the world. I hope more electronic companies start partnering up like this; as it brings awareness, and convenience to not just hotels, but many industries that use, and frequently update, electronic devices. 

This article explains the benefits of Global distributions channels in the hotel industry, The benefits listed are strong continuous annual growth, more corporate bookings, worldwide exposure. and significant revenue stream for any hotel. The most significant point was the topic of an increase in corporate bookings. Large companies use GDS to track their employees travel expenses. This is efficient because companies are able to use this system to manage costs and expenses of travel. Although some hoteliers may say this "dying", it appears GDS is still generating business and revenue for many companies.

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.

This articles refers to the restaurant industry and how technology has helped it enhance the customer experience moving forward. For example, it touches on topics such as mobile and online ordering, in-house experience, and internet connectivity. The most interesting point was the topic of self-service as part of the in-restaurant experience. It refers to data of how a customer would prefer to use a self-ordering kiosk if it were offered. More fast food restaurants like McDonalds and Taco Bell seem to be embracing the unattended POS, which per the article appears to be a growing trend.

This article shows a different end of an RFP process - the one where the hotel is the vendor. Typically, a hotel that offers meeting spaces can integrate an RFP request into their sites allowing easy access to event planners interested in the hotel. When an event planner submits for an RFP, the hotel has a responsibility to answer in a timely, personalized manner in order to attract the planner. If a hotel has meeting space they would like to sell for business, they should definitely consider a software that allows them to answer RFP's in real time. As the article stated, "By leveraging your CRM, automation, and personalization during the RFP process you will ensure a high-quality sales pipeline and more qualified leads."

E-marketing is also known as Internet marketing, web marketing, online marketing or digital marketing. As we know, digital marketing gots lots of advantages. The first one is content marketing. The issue in this strategy is The key issue in this to get the content right. This strategy needs to be engaging and captivating so as to draw an audience. The second strategy is SEO (search engine optimization). This strategy aims to improve the rankings of the company. The third strategy is the SEA. (Search engine advertising) This can achieve this almost instantly. The fourth one is expanding your social media presence. The social media marketing strategy will aim users for social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. The fifth one is email marketing. Email marketing requires creativity. The sixth one is e-reputation. A good e-reputation marketing strategy is multi-disciplinary that often requires input from digital marketing and public image consultants. The last one is user experience. Good user experience is determined by several factors.

In all sectors of economy the hospitality industry is affected the most by digital trends. Content marketing should be a big focus for hospitality like the photos, videos and articles you post about your business. SEO or search engine optimization should be used to improve rankings on search engine results page. Expand your social media presence but post 3-4 times a day with content that is relatable to the current trends going on.

This article goes over how in todays world technology is how everyone one is communicating and because of this digital marketing is the way in. They go over seven reasons why its so beneficial to utilize.

This article focuses on the implementation of the Uniform Systems software, developed by InvoTech Systems Inc., the Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa in the Cayman Islands. The Uniform Systems software is designed to streamline the management of employee uniforms, which are an extremely necessary commodity at any property, especially luxury products which strive for exceptional appearances. The system both monitors and maintains employee uniform assignments while simultaneously easing uniform purchasing. All of this is achievable by the grand opening of the property, which requires mass assignment and disbursement of employee uniforms. InvoTech prides itself on the expertise, professionalism, and courtesy with which its Installation and Training Team operates. Uniform Systems also follows the trend of environmental consciousness in hospitality by being paperless. Aside from the Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa, InvoTech's clients include some of the largest names in hospitality, including but not limited to MGM, Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott.

This article describes how many restaurants are now adding tablets to their POS systems. Major chains, such as Applebee's, TGI Friday's, and Outback Steakhouse, are now using these tablets at many of their tables. The article suggests that the servers' tips are either staying the same or increasing due to the ability of the customer to merely tap a 20% tip. Also, the article suggests that sales for the restaurant have increased and labor costs have decreased. It appears that this trend will continue to increase in restaurants.

The article is more of a study that was conducted to determine where there may be a gap between the understandings of security for the managers of a hotel and the actual guests. For example, guests believed that the physical appearances of the hotel of where they stayed determined whether the hotel was an actually safe place to stay and managers are more capable of understanding the things needed behind the scenes that guests do not normally see that truly determines whether their hotel establishment is safe or not.

This article references the hidden costs of cloud computing. It advises how retail companies such as Home Depot have been successful in their transition to cloud computing however the hospitality industry falls behind. Businesses such as Expedia try to educate their engineers of the cost of cloud services and advises them to use it wisely. It appears to be that the hospitality industry still lags on the technology wave, as it continues to "remain a hybrid of newer and older technology".

This was an interesting read! I didn't realize that the data from servers had to be moved in shifts. So maybe it's not as cost effective as thought to be. Hopefully the travel industry makes progress in becoming more "cloud friendly" as it can be very beneficial.

the article highlights how companies can benefit from sustainable design and gives tips on preventive maintenance