Group items tagged

Making packages and inclusions will help up-sell services.

The main focus is to make lasting connections that enhance guest satisfaction, boast an efficiency of staff and operational workers and grow revenue opportunities with automated engagement.

Restrictions can be set up to restrict users to perform critical actions like night audit.

On-premise or installed deployment feature is not available in the POS System.

You can easily promote your hotel through various channels with a variety of inclusive packages and rates.

This avoids the need to print multiple receipts and cause inconvenience to the guest.

This POS system caters to scheduling activities, food and beverage and more.

It also expedites the traditional check-in and out experience which mostly causes dissatisfaction.

It protects the guest’s payment data and reduces the risks, costs, and compliance by tokenizing each transaction with point-to-point encryption (P2PE).

The customer service staff is not always able to solve your issue at once, but their team can submit a ticket and get any errors fixed within a reasonable timeframe.

Allow customers to pay their entire bill and room costs at checkoutVerify that the billing is accurate by putting all charges on one billCombine bar, restaurant, and room service charges for any roomMatch specific menus to any display device to any area in your hotel

You can connect and share data in real-time with this POS system.

Assign special permissions to managers or cashiers, giving them the ability to view sales numbers or simply manage inventory.

The interface also allows for seamless billing for any and all room service requests.

You can track products easily and see if they are near the minimum or maximum level.

If you own multiple businesses, you can use Bepoz to keep track of all of your businesses.

Bepoz does not provide installation or an on-premise option.

LS Retail provides a holistic solution to all your worries by giving you a transparent and enhanced view of your hotel’s entire business operations.

With LS intelligent analytics tools, businesses can track and study their customer’s past interactions and preferences to make their guest profiles more meaningful.

LS Central for hotels gives an option where it can be deployed solely in the cloud, on the hotel premises, or both at the same time – whichever way suits your business profile in the best way.

It gives a complete overview of your hotel’s current occupancy, its housekeeping, along with all the extensive analysis required by the management to make necessary decisions.

It is a single platform that minimizes costs because it reduces the number of vendors and other systems that are otherwise needed for resolving all hotel-related business issues.

There is nothing more important than booking guests. Using a hotel POS system can help this process become quick and easy.

The average consumer is more likely to go for a package deal, given that they are getting good value for their money.

If the client makes an online reservation, the information will be distributed in real-time.

You can print these reports and give a detailed review such as payment balancing totals, customers served, average customer and much more.

Rewards deals can often increase sales.

Our recommendation is to consider Hotelogix or Agilysys, as they are user-friendly and have effective loyalty and sales tools.

The features are very comprehensive and fit for both large and small hotels.

Planners will try to book events further in advance. This leaves hotels and venues in a pickle: Taking early bookings could mean missing out on higher-value events later.To avoid missing out on revenue, hotels and venues need to segment business intelligently. That way, you can avoid the pitfalls of traditional lead-scoring biases that hurt RFP management.

In 2020, brands will invest in events as a marketing channel. In fact, in a recent event marketing survey, 52% of respondents said that event marketing drove more business value than other marketing channels. (Only 8% said it drove less business.)

Planners should create ample private meeting spaces and “collision spaces.” Some events do this by providing fewer chairs than attendees. With fewer empty seats, they’re encouraging movement and interaction.

Large, minimalist spaces with easily accessible bars are the perfect recipe for a networking event. Venues like this can use the networking angle to promote event space to corporate clients.

These attendees blend the worlds of business and leisure. It’s given rise to a new, multi-generational segment that drives destination decisions. (See: our Hotel Market Segmentation Guide for more on this.)

Attendees want more control over the event agenda. In fact, 96% of the Social Tables audience believe events are expected to be more personalized than ever.

16. Sustainability will be center stage at events.

For proposals, try showcasing multiple event-specific variations. This adds value for the planner by helping them better meet their event objectives, while adding value for the hotel or venue as an upselling technique.

According to Billboard, there over 800 annual music festivals in the U.S. alone, and they attract 32 million attendees in total. 14 million of those attendees are (surprise, surprise) millennials.

At smaller levels, adding performances to the agenda can go a long way in engaging attendees. However, for larger events, creating a festival-like atmosphere requires access to a variety of spaces that are exclusive to one group.

A bigger focus on wellness could revolutionize F&B — replacing beef with the proverbial Brussels sprout.

While you don’t need to offer 11 choices for every hour, you can empower attendees to mold the event to meet their individual needs.

Sustainability initiatives are your chance to make a positive impact while painting your brand in an equally positive light.

Meetings are growing and evolving rapidly, and each is an experiment in applying new methods to find a perfect formula.

Industry Performance TrendsAttendee Experience TrendsMeeting Destination TrendsEvent Technology TrendsMeeting Design Trends

Demand will continue to outpace supply

be dynamic, you have to be flexible, and–above all–you have to be in tune with attendee desires.

Meetings are growing and evolving rapidly, and each is an experiment in applying new methods to find a perfect formula.

predicts 5-10% growth in demand. At the same time, the development pipeline is slowing.

It’s also the spontaneous conversations that come with serendipitous networking.

nticipate higher rates, and book event space as early as possible.

At the same time, face-to-face time takes a hit — making it a more treasured commodity in our modern world.

redict it’ll grow about 2.41% in North America. CWT expects an even higher hike of 3.7%.

Planners should create ample private meeting spaces and “collision spaces.” Some events do this by providing fewer chairs than attendees. With fewer empty seats, they’re encouraging movement and interaction.

Why? Well, take the speed of your current 4G LTE smartphone internet and multiply it by 1,000. (Think: putting the Millenium Falcon into hyperdrive.)

For events — especially large-scale events — sustainable initiatives are now the expectation.

Fast, reliable WiFi will soon become the norm, opening up new engagement opportunities and nontraditional venues for events.

“I think many hoteliers will be unhappy with the significant investments they are making now into cabling that will become obsolete just as soon as 5G launches.”

Apps present an opportunity for personalization and engagement at each stage of the event lifecycle.

Hotels and venues are developing sophisticated apps that enhance the in-venue experience. Whether it’s Wembley Stadium’s virtual tour guide or Marriott’s sophisticated in-app chatbot functionality, branded apps are adding value in multiple ways:

everage lobbies, rooftops, and other communal areas for networking events.

Because today, 86% of consumers expect companies to act on social and environmental issues — and they’re more than ready to vote with their dollars.

0% of event planners reported that their jobs require more experience creation than just 2-5 years ago

Content:

Destination

Technology:

90% of respondents stated that event security should still be a top priority for the industry.

That could mean avoiding coastal destinations during hurricane season or avoiding certain areas of the city to ensure safety outside of event hours.

. Event diagramming software can help in this regard by allowing venues and planners to collaborate on a single source of truth

Security is a significant value add and a key selling point in initial communications.

you’re providing any personnel, such as security, custodians, and administrators.

ess furniture, fewer seats, smaller portions, less irrelevant decor… you get the picture. A

reate a step-by-step safety checklist for execution during on-site setup, and another safety checklist for the day of the event.

Less is more when it comes to the material.

It’s a movement that stands in direct opposition to the gaudy ballrooms of old

Have evacuation plan

c, open floor plans that make minimalism a possibility.

lassic combinations of whites and greys

ewer seats means more mingling.

lutter-free to promote a clean, open feel that keeps the focus on content.

Hotels, however, may find themselves scrambling to reinvent their event spaces. It could be time to rethink these spaces — along with lobbies and other communal spaces that set the aesthetic tone for the hotel at large

Larger chains should look to boutique hotels, which create visual identities that are often more closely aligned with the appeal that nontraditional venues offer.

As American businesses begin to reopen, informed consumers will be reluctant to touch shared devices like pinpads and payment terminals, and they won't be enthusiastic about handling cash. Contactless mobile payments will become a necessity for public health. 

69% of restaurant goers find waiting for the check the most frustrating part of the dining experience; on average, it takes 12 minutes to pay from the time a guest requests the bill.  Pay at Table allows guests to pay for their meal when they're ready, on their own time schedule without that waiting period. They do it all from their mobile device. 

And when guests have money stored with a brand, visits among these guests increase because they've already made a commitment to keep coming back.

NFC payment is likely to increase in popularity, especially in this time when everyone is looking for ways to minimize physical contact throughout the shopping experience.

Most hotels are seeing a major percentage of their bookings come from smartphone and internet users, and the usage of integrated pricing and distribution systems has become even more important to maximize revenues and minimize efforts.

The use of AI and ML in determining optimum rates for hotel rooms that are then pushed to all marketing channels, can increase the potential to maximize revenues and ARRs (Average Room Rates)  for the hotel, and reduce operational inefficiencies and manual costs.

In terms of guest experience and operations, hotels have seen a fast adoption of cloud-based and integrated technology in Property Management Systems and hotel ERPs.

with smartphone and tablet usage in in-room guest services and basic services like checkin, checkout, and usage of hotel facilities with further enhancements like augmented reality.

The use of kiosk for self-service checkins using biometric authentications and facial recognition can make the entire checkin and checkout experience fast and seamless.

The back of the house services like housekeeping, room cleaning, and food preparation are also digitally tracked using cloud-based integrated technology which can reduce delivery time and wastages, while increasing efficiency and guest satisfaction.

In terms of guest relationships and CRM, hotels have started storing the digital profiles of guests which can increase the personalization of service and guest preferences.

Every interaction of the guest in the hotel is stored and advanced systems use AI to predict and deliver ‘wow’ experiences to the guest.

increasing competition makes it even more important for hotels to differentiate themselves, and technology is turning out to be a big USP for hotels. Those who are quick to embrace the modern trends of technology and automation can stay ahead of their competition in terms of both superior service and higher profitability.

Investment required in technology has in-fact reduced as technology has evolved.

Offer them a self-check-in and check-out experience that minimizes waiting time at the reception. Face recognition, check-in via apps, smartphone keys or check-in wearable technology are some ideas that you can implement.

The trend of customers using smartphones to book hotel rooms through online travel agencies will continue.

The agencies take a reasonable percentage of commission from the hotels if the rooms are booked through them.

At the same time, they offer great deals to the customers. This helps in increased hotel bookings.

Technology has become critical in attracting guests

Use chatbots to handle customer inquiries and to give quick responses

Allow direct bookings through apps or even chatbots

Use hotel booking platforms and search engines to increase hotel exposure and bookings Analyze big data to understand the customer better and identify their preferences, which you can then offer as an add-on. This will encourage more customers to book with you instead of your competitors.

major fraction of travelers comprises of millennials – who are those between the ages of 18 and 34

hotels must target millennials and strive to offer them a better experience.

ou provide them

they will promote your hotel on social media. This will boost your business.

. More

over, it

will also help you stand apart from the crowd.

Whether the needs are short-term or necessitate a longer plan, hotel-specific accountants can scale on demand to offer the needed expertise and ramp up quickly.

oteliers are turning to robust accounting tools and hotel-specific accounting partners to balance these challenges. Below are three ways that smart accounting solutions can address unique needs of hotels.

Most hoteliers have access to an array of data sets, including STR reports, PMS data, guest satisfaction surveys, comments, and financial data from multiple properties.

fastest growing sectors in the world

to threats from multiple fronts

ncreased importance on price, quality, and the level of services

can help increase revenue, minimize costs, and maximize profits without affecting service quality.

. One hotel can have part-time, full-time, and tipped employees

Hoteliers may have a difficult time deciphering what story the data is telling and which levers to pull to remedy an issue or to replicate success.

Adopting an operations management platform that allows hoteliers to import data into one centralized dashboard combines critical accounting and performance data to aid hoteliers in identifying trends and making more informed decisions.

It is a fully customizable interactive menu with actual photos of the dishes displayed on a networked LCD screen located on each table or bar to offer customers a full range of ordering and interactive entertainment services.

With this modernized restaurant menu system, a customers waiting time will be minimized and waiter efficiency will increase.

which has proven to increase the revenue by at least 10%.

digitalization of hotels also includes introduction of advanced solutions for analytics and security.

Digital security systems can not only track the slightest disturbance of the public peace, but also provide additional information.

At present day, it is too early to assess the effectiveness of some recent innovations, that are related mostly to the hotel's image and attract customers.

The main trends in the use of modern technologies in hospitality industry in the conditions of digitalization of the economy are presented in figure 1.

The main disadvantages of traditional technologies include the following: local server requires regular maintenance from the system administrator; access to database is restricted by local network facilities; connection speed is limited by the speed of a local provider and divided among all who are drawn to the sever database

Artificial intelligence plays an equally important role in improving the efficiency of public catering enterprises.

Use of artificial intelligence also allows to analyze the work of the restaurant, and to detect violations of rules by the staff via control of bills, number of the discount card uses, as well as the number of cancellations and deletions of checks.

The issue of privacy that characterizes traditional tourism industry is also addressed through blockchain technology, minimizing exposure to sensitive data in the face of existing problems with cyber attacks and fraud in traditional financial services.

if the concept of hospitality industry enterprise changes, it is possible to change the composition of paid licenses.

Almost all companies in hospitality industry have started to think about using chatbots to solve specific business problems [9].

One of the ways to get competitive advantages for accommodation facilities is to invest and use new technologies. In this regard, augmented reality is the most promising technology for the modern tourism industry. its development and application can increase the competitiveness of destinations.

Augmented reality can be used to interact with guests before, during, and after their stay.

Augmented reality technologies can be used to stimulate travel purchases (the effect of being present in a hotel room, as well as demonstrating the environment and local services using a virtual reality headset). Also, virtual and augmented reality, including those with tactile sensations, can be implemented by digital concierges to issue recommendations to the client on various issues and types of recreation

The API allows one hotel technology system to automatically (i.e., without the participation of hotel employees) interact with another technology system and gain access to its functionality.

The largest companies develop APIs for clients or internal use at some stage.

The main point of switching to outsourcing is to optimize the company's costs while significantly improving the quality of services provided. The main criteria for outsourcing are the lack of competitive advantages and not the strategic position of this operation or function for the company

With the help of speech Analytics tools, specialists can work with 100% of requests. To do this, all dialogues are translated into text and analyzed using a special system.

Based on this analysis, you can develop a change program for existing procedures and processes and optimize self-service systems (personal account, website).

The result of the introduction of innovative speech analytics technologies will be an increase in sales efficiency, an increase in loyalty and customer satisfaction, a reduction in service costs without loss of quality, and behavioral analytics.

Currently, biometrics can already be used to identify and confirm the client's identity. Face scanning technologies when registering with the service.

Analysts predict that the international market for biometric solutions for the hotel sector will grow exponentially in the coming years. Biometrics, as the most reliable and accurate authentication system, can provide real-time information about employees and their use of their working time.

The result of using this technology is payment without wallets and Bank cards, increasing the speed of customer service, and a high level of security.

In 2018, Amazon presented a special version of the voice assistant for hotels — Alexa for Hospitality, which is currently being tested in Marriott hotels.

At the same time, the use of Echo speakers in hotels raises concerns about the privacy of personal data. Amazon claims that audio recordings of the guest's voice commands will be deleted every day, and the hotel administration will not have access to both request records and response records.

IT outsourcing is the transfer to a third-party contractor (outsourcer) of all or part of the functions for servicing the organization's information needs. Currently, this technology is becoming increasingly common in the hospitality industry.

The result of the analysis of cash transactions is a regular analysis and detailing of violations, categorization of violations, development of measures to counter violations, training of personnel [13].

The main problems of implementing information technologies in the hospitality and tourism industry include the high cost of these developments, the duration of staff training processes, and the adaptation of the built system of business processes of enterprises.

The problem is also the difficulty of attracting investment in the hotel business

Another problem with the introduction of information technology in the hotel business is the lack of relevance of regulatory documents and legal barriers to the introduction of innovations

In addition, the introduction of modern information technologies in the hospitality industry is complicated by the level of technical and technological complexity of implementation projects.

nformation technologies are improving at a rapid pace

In the leading Russian hotels that are part of the global hotel chains, the work is fully automated, technological, and has its own computer and Internet services. Such hotels already have a successful experience in implementing modern information technologies.

Customers of the hospitality industry already have a lot of experience in using mobile devices.

Digital marketing is becoming a key channel of communication between the hotel and the network. At the same time, only the implementation of continuous data collection, processing, analysis and aggregation tasks will allow the management of hospitality enterprises to achieve one of their main goals - to better understand their customers and interact with them.

Minimizing water usage beyond the hotel room

Eliminating plastic

Conserving energy

Creating a paperless hotel

Integrating sustainability into the hotel architecture

Eco-friendliness is evolving from a nice-to-have, on-trend hotel commodity to a must-have priority for a growing number of environmentally and socially conscious travelers.

In fact, 66% of global respondents (up 11% from the previous year) would “pay more for products and services from companies committed to positive social and environmental impact” (Nielsen, 2015).

a TUI global survey found that two-thirds of holidaymakers are willing “to make lifestyle trade-offs to benefit the environment” (TUI, 2017).

In the hospitality and tourism business, effective use of Internet technologies can improve revenue. Websites, blogs, online advertising, social media, online ordering and information repositories all help convince customers to choose a location or business.

Travel websites that allow travelers to find the best deals, self-guided tour audio apps and real-time updates on flight times and arrivals are now standard travel tools

Research

Booking:

Travel updates:

updated flight information via text or automated calls.

Loyalty points:

Boarding passes:

Airbnb connect travelers directly with homeowners

Peer-to-peer systems

interactive maps:

an app

provides expert commentary

travel agents use apps

who may need to reschedule a missed flight or book a new hotel.

Camera-based technology can recognize a customer's face as they enter your hotel,

A Roomba in your room?

The BHS FiberPure process features screen, air, optical and artificial intelligence-powered robotic sorters to automate the production of clean fiber. Plastics and metals are also separated without manual sorting. In total, the system contains seven NRT optical sorters and nine Max-AI AQCs.

The plant also makes use of nonrecyclable papers and plastics by producing ReEngineered Feedstock (ReEF), a clean, low-carbon renewable fuel sold to industry, cement and utility customers to replace coal in production processes. ReEF undergoes several quality control steps, including two NRT optical sorters, which remove plastic and metal contamination. The product has been designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a nonwaste fuel. 

“RePower South is showing that it is possible, today, to help communities increase recycling of the existing waste stream while also providing the flexibility to adjust to any market condition or opportunity,” says BHS CEO Steve Miller.

The PCI Security Standards Council claims that since March, malicious virus-related reports are up 475%. The reason for the uptick is that cybercriminals are trying to take advantage of rapid changes to the payment-card data environment. In addition, 41% of small businesses have said they’ve suffered breaches costing more than $50,000 to fix.

Contactless payment is one of the big changes within the payment data environment. Several restaurant companies – from chains to independents – are offering it because it reduces customers' physical interaction with the restaurant's POS system. As part of this move, some businesses have eliminated credit-card PIN numbers.

Eliot says malicious email is usually the easiest way for cybercriminals to access your networks. The emails typically show up as urgent requests for sensitive information, often pretending to be from the Small Business Administration or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When the intended victim types in his or her credentials and clicks on a specific link or downloads an attachment, criminals are in.

Anyone looking for easy-to-implement security tips can try these six to start. Reduce areas where payment-card data is stored. The best way to protect against a data breach is to avoid storing any card information at all. With many small operators offering curbside pickup and accepting payment over the phone instead of through face-to-face transactions, it’s important they train employees not to write down payment card details. Instead, have them enter numbers directly into a secure terminal. Use strong passwords. Using weak and default passwords is one of the leading causes of payment data breaches among businesses. Effective passwords must be strong and updated regularly. The most recent guidance is: the longer, the better. Think of it almost as a “passphrase” rather than a password. Use it in the form of a sentence, but mix in different characters within the phrase. It’s much harder to break a long passphrase than it is a short, complex password. Weak and vendor default passwords often result in small business data breaches. Also, don’t repeat your passwords. Update your software often. Criminals look for outdated software to exploit flaws in unpatched systems. Timely installations of security patches are crucial to minimizing the risk of a breach. Whenever updates are available, use them. They will improve performance and close out some of the vulnerabilities cybercriminals are searching for. Enable two-factor authentication. It's so important for restaurateurs, especially where their POS systems or any of their sensitive databases are concerned, to have two-factor or multi-factor authentication enabled. If an instance where credentials are stolen occurs, there will be a second layer of verification the operator can rely on to potentially reduce the chances that information will be breached. Segment your networks. If you are going to store payment data, make sure your POS system has its own separate, secure network. Do not store sensitive documents on public cloud services such as Google Docs or DropBox. If you’re going to store sensitive documents, house them in an encrypted, locked down location.   Be hyper-vigilant. Criminals are going to try to take advantage of this pandemic situation as much as possible. You can protect yourself by not giving out sensitive information, especially within unsolicited emails. Don’t click on links you’re not expecting and do everything in your power to protect all sensitive information.