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Module 3: Networking (Rebecca Noble)

The following Press Release describes the Marriott La Jolla was showcased by a tour by the Department of Energy of its Better Building Challenge participants. The three-day tour took place in California and highlights the energy-efficient and energy savings practices and technologies in which the hotel offers.  The Marriott La Jolla-is owned by HEI Hotels & Resorts and recently was selected by President Obama to the Dept. of Energy Better Building Challenge as a part of the initiative to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent. HEI's commitment has led to enhancing its properties by energy efficiency upgrades and renovations-HEI has installed Energy Looking Glass (ELG), as well as the Energy Set-Point (ESP) program which defines optimum settings for key systems (domestic hot water, chilled water, etc.). Additionally, the hotel's BUZZ Committee gets all hotel associates engaged in conservation efforts. Core energy upgrades such as lighting and HVAC are proven technologies that were adopted and implemented years ago by the Marriott La Jolla and other properties in the HEI portfolio.

This article primarily discusses HEI Hotels & Resorts' Marriott La Jolla and their past showcase during "Tour of Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge Participant Facilities". Fundamentally, this hotel is using and produced an energy efficiently program which will allow the hotel to annually save $200,000 each year. That is an incredible savings that will keep the hotel tremendously environmentally friendly, while hopefully starting a trend for other hotels to do the same. This hotel is now facing great benefits with their energy saving initiatives and great operational systems such as HVAC, ELG, and ESP which will overall save water, the consumption of energy, and reduce waste.

San Diego, CA - August 30, 2012 -The Marriott La Jolla, owned and operated by HEI Hotels & Resorts, was showcased on Tuesday by the Department of Energy during a tour of the facilities of its Better Buildings Challenge participants. The visit was part of a three-day tour in California to highlight the energy-efficient and energy saving practices and technologies implemented by the participants.

This article focuses on six trends that are redefining the hospitality industry. These trends are; gamification of travel planning, virtual reality tours, going contactless, chatbot as digital concierge, IoT for room control, and location-based services. Companies must evolve in the world of technology in order to meet customer demands. In effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, travelers now prefer self-service such as contactless check in. The incorporation of this technology, minimizes huma error and maximizes efficiency. Gamification of travel planning: By using game like templates in their websites, travel companies are able to capitalize on human motivation. When customers able to get rewards, brand awareness, customer loyalty, and revenue are improved. Virtual Reality Tours: Virtual reality tours help travelers to enjoy their future destination before they arrive. They also help with brand experience as they create mental imagery and presence. Going Contactless: Contactless check in, mobile keys, and digital payments all increased by 66 percent due to the pandemic. This however, is here to stay as this decreases staff dependency. Chatbot as a Digital Concierge: Chatbot is a simple way to meet guest demands 24/7. With FAQ, guests can get an answer to their question in a matter of seconds at any time of the day without needing to leave their room. IoT for Room Control and Customization: IoT allows guests to have a home away from home by personalizing their rooms by changing the color of the lights, temperature, etc. Location-Based Services: With location based services, travelers are able to find activities and amenities wherever they are staying. This can offer more intuitive local recommendations without needing staff assistance.

Hello Alejandra. I really enjoyed reading this article, thank you for sharing! Although I am a germaphobe, and number three (Going contactless) appealed to me on a certain level, the points that stood out to me the most were; number two (Virtual reality tours) and number four (Chatbot as a digital concierge). I am one of the individuals who check reviews of places before I make a reservation but taking the virtual reality tour would give me more assurance of the property because individuals have different expectations and standards so what may be appropriate for them, may not be for me. The Chatbot as a digital concierge is quite convenient for both guests and hotels, hence it will ensure a more comfortable and relaxing stay.

The article discuss different usages of virtual reality in hotels, and how it has benefited hotels by increasing the number of hotel bookings and level of satisfaction.

In Today's Society digital is the new engineer and operational tasks in regard to how we book flights before touring, interactive experiences through the media, and memorable expressions. The hospitality and travel industry has realized the potential of Virtual Reality to attracts incoming guests and increase bookings rates.

This article covers the research behind and design of software implemented in the Czech Republic to monitor visitor activity in protected areas. The software is designed to act as a "tour guide" and keeps track of visitors through satellite positioning. The article discusses the process by which this software would be developed, rationale for its implementation, and consumer data that may be collected through this process that would benefit National Parks and other protected areas. Theoretical questions in regard to human interaction, privacy concerns, and effectiveness of the application in low-service areas are discussed. Though the application requires more research and strict attention to variables, its implementation worldwide could change how sustainable tourism is managed and would provide important information on consumer habits in protected areas.

ChatGPT is a new technology that is hoping to take over the travel industry. It is an AI product, similar to google, which will generate answers to questions that travelers may have via a chat service. It is meant to replace tour guides, travel agents, and concierge experts and can either save business time and money, or create chaos and the need to speak to an expert human instead. Like all technology products, there is always room to improve and grow in the initial stages, and not all roles are better off being completed by a computer, rather than a human. Although AI may have access to more information at a quicker pace, and may even be able to write better than most people, some companies believe that the possible errors and inaccuracy provided by ChatGPT will make content creators and human expertise way more valuable. ChatGPT accesses data from 2021 and prior, which means it is not current and up to date. This is a major flaw that will need to be improved.

This article talks about the agreement made between Double Tree Hilton hotel and Google in creating a new You Tube channel that will let travelers share their travel pictures, experiences and other details of their trip. The DTour will allow travelers to upload and post videos from any social network. They can locate the area the website map and then they can add comments, photos and videos. John Greenleaf, global head of DoubleTree by Hilton says "We're really giving people the opportunity not to talk about a specific hotel or airline but about the destinations themselves." D Tour will show all different locations of Double Tree Hotels. According to Megan Danielson, head of the industry travel at Google, hotels should be taking advantage of the increasingly numbers of users of You Tube to advertise their brand. "A Google/Ipsos study last year found that 61% of business travelers used video to help them pick hotels, and 41% of leisure travelers used video to plan or book a trip." The Double Tree hotels can use this tool to build a relationship with customers and people can use this tool to share their travel experiences with other travelers.

This article introduces the hospitality industry's first Mobile Management device solution. MVI, an Asia-focused hotel technology provider, partnered with IBM to develop the new enterprise class MDM solution. The MDM solution provides effective management of smart mobile devices to support interactive, live and on-demand video services in hotels. The usage of this new device was recently incorporated at the L'Hotel`elan in Hong Kong. An iPad is provided for guest use in all the hotel's rooms, and it serves as an entertainment device, offering eGuest services such as TV channels and interactive guest services including in-room dining. The MDM solution is fully integrated with hotel PMS and POS systems, which allows the device to become a part of a hotel's overall management ecosystem. This device not only provides the features of an entertainment device for guests, but it also offers hotels unique management features. A few of the features include customized workflow to streamline the installation of hotels' managed apps on mobile device, comprehensive push-based notification management, availability for all Apple mobile devices, and effective protection of guests' own data and personal information for apps that required login. I recently went on a site visit at Turnberry Isles Resort with one of my classes. While on the tour, the lady conducting the tour mentioned that with the rate technology is advancing in the near future many of the hotel procedures will be completed via Ipad (such as checking in and out of the hotel). After reading this article, it seems as if the near future has already arrived!!!

I really liked this article. Personally, I do not have a good experience dealing with people at the front desk. Many people do not want to deal with employees and would find this method a lot easier and stress free. Now you can check in and out from both your TV in your room and also the iPad device. Great article Nicole!

As we all know, GDS is an online system known as global distribution system, which delivers worldwide data, rates, inventory, offers, real-time availability of airlines, hotel rooms, car rental, bus tickets to bridge the gap between tour operators and travel bookers. The article has introduced the most popular GDS systems in the industry and their strong advantages. In addition, it also reveals the reasons why the industry still uses GDS and the importance of it. In one word, GDS is highly effective in alluring the international travelers with the development of information and technology. It enables the travel agents to make their travel services available to consumers globally where they might not be able to achieve efficient worldwide market penetration through direct marketing efforts.( The article has also given a future prediction about GDS. According to the statistics, GDS will rule the travel industry if it keeps continuing the ever changing needs of airlines and hotel industry.

GDS is very important in the tourism industry. Even if the company creates its own direct sales channels, the impact and benefits of GDS are considerable. Making good use of the advantages of GDS can create word of mouth and revenue for the company in the hospitality industry.

Brendan Ciecko is the founder of the Cuseum software. This software was created because Ciecko identified a problem with the technology that museums have or lack thereof. "I was working with a number of museums and was constantly hearing of the frustrations when it came to providing a certain level of experience to visitors on site" (Ciecko). The technology or procedures used in the museum were generally outdated. Now with this new software, guests can download the app on their phone and are able to navigate through different tools and options that the particular museum has for them. The guests will be able to select tours through exhibits that are available at the museum once they walk in. The article also mentions the new product that Ciecko has invented, digital membership, which makes the membership process for the museum more convenient. This makes the process of any application type service in the museum digital. It not only makes all of these processes faster but it also saves paper. In my opinion, I think this a great app. I currently work at a museum and I believe that creating an app that enhances customer experience right when they walk in is worth investing in. It provides guests with highlighted tours and exhibits that are available. Though people at the museum can simply tell the guests where to go and give information about the exhibit, they can easily find it on the app to locate what they are mostly interested in. The app also works as a great marketing tool for museums. It allows visitors to share their favorite items or exhibits on their social media sites and allows them to participate on interactive discussion boards. I think this will help promote specific exhibits, especially if there are tags on the post like #AviationExhbitit or #GizmoCity. Those "tags" are exhibits that I have in my current workplace. With adding a guest's location to the app, it prompts the guests to sign up for a membership. The guest will no longer have to go

This article talks about how ecommerce has impacted the way business is done online within the hospotality industry with enhanced customer service, automated marketing, customer-specific advertising.

As the hospitality industry continue to grow we should urge to monitor the current trends of consumer needs. Anticipation of what they may look for such as discount codes and personalized experiences are big pluses when it comes to satisfaction. An additional feature that customers are now being attached to is the virtual trend of placing furniture or items that you may purchase online in space of your home to see if it fits your look.

This article introduce four ways that E-commerce impact on hospitality industry. Ecommerce is opening up new avenues for businesses all over the world across a variety of industries. Hospitality has a lot to gain from adopting new technology and ecommerce innovations. In Hospitality and Tourism industry, hardware, software, information management, and telecommunications systems have allowed for the processing and information flow amongst organizations. We consider the importance of the trend of Information Technology by implementing an effective IT system for advertising, distribution, encouragement and co-ordination of the industry. It is important that Hotel Industry take the lead of the emerging technologies to improve management abilities and develop business plans focusing on the most efficient income of delivering value added products to clients.

This article provides a detailed account of the variety of ways that E-Commerce can be used within the hospitality industry. With the advent of the Internet and new and improved technology, it has become much more imperative for companies to remain competitive in this space. From VR to targeting, as well as online tracking, there are a variety of tools that hospitality firms can employ to attract customers via the Internet. As the Internet is the primary resource that people utilize to shop for hospitality products such as hotel rooms, airfare, etc... it is incredibly important for companies to remain on the cutting edge in regards to their marketing online and attracting and retaining customers.

The hospitality industry is faced with numerous responsibilities when it come to the satisfaction of guest. with the tremendous acts of growth within trends it is often difficult for vendors to keep up with the trends. some of the new trends that are being introduced include personalized features which is playing a major role today. Another major trend is now called virtual reality. I think this trend is a great addition to the industry because it allows customers to virtually place the item in their home to see if it fits their style. Also with the pandemic situations with can help with the idea of social distancing .

The innovations of e-commerce with application in hospitality is becoming a growth trend for this industry. Many more guests are interested in the experience of personalized attractions and the creativity of what brands has to offer. Many merchants are creating a tool that allows the software to remind shopper/guest about what left in the carts to reduce the number of missed sales.

In the article, "Green and Eco-Friendly Hotel Amenities" it talks about how many different hotels are doing their part and keeping the planet green. The first place that the article talks about is the Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, it uses no motorized vehicles instead the guests can use electric golf carts or electric boats to ride around on the nine miles of canal. "Each resort also has an onsite biologist to lead educational boat tours through the lagoons." At the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago they built a rooftop garden to provide fresh vegetables and herbs for the hotel's restaurant, they are also considering making space to put several beehives, this will lead to a natural approach of producing honey. One of the most interesting and easy ways to stay green was at the Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley; they have sheep that eat the grass replacing all lawnmowers and on top on that, their manure helps fertilize the soil. It's a win, win solution! In New York they have a restaurant called Habana Outpost and you really have to work for your food, literally. At this restaurant you have ride a bike that powers the eatery blender and if they generate up to 100 watts of energy, they will earn a free meal, such an amazing and creative idea! This "is part of the hotel's larger commitment to eco-friendliness, which includes a CO2-neutral building, solar panels, and groundwater-based heating and cooling systems." At Jicaro Island lodge in Nicaragua, they used all of they wood from trees that were knocked down in Hurricane Felix and they also use a good majority of their wastewater that is recycled to irrigate the trees and plants. Before reading this article, I never knew that so many hotels were doing their part at staying green and I'm surprised by all the new and unique ways that they have come up with, it gives me hope for the future!

Hertz Corp. has just launched numerous travel apps for 11 major US cities. These apps let customers plan a trip by browsing content which is cutomized to that city and having it wirelessly sent to the GPS system in their rental car. The apps complement Hertz's NeverLost Gen 5 GPS route-guidance system. While in the car, this service will deliver certain information based on which city they are in and can be taken with them once they leave the car as well. Hertz is using this as an attempt to reach out to potential customers and expand their clientele. In an effort to remain unique, each app includes six categories: Explore, Top Must See, Events, Favorites, Tours, and Neighborhoods. There is also a feature that allows you to track the weather as well as see the nearest restaurants and attractions by simply pointing your iPhone at the horizon. The first app purchased is free and each subsequent app can be downloaded for only $0.99. Hertz already has an app for making reservations and confirmations so these apps are being used to build upon that and take it to the mobile level.  This is smart as people who are renting cars are more likely to be unfamiliar with their whereabouts than when driving their own vehicle. Being able to take GPS voice directions and find specific attractions while outside the car is a step in the right direction for m-commerce.

Good for Hertz! They seem to be differentiating themselves from other rental car brands with this unique service to their customers. Its also a good way to capitalize on the immediate needs of their customers who are the perfect target market for this app. I wonder if you can 'hands-free' your mobile device and sync it with the rental car while on that would be extremely helpful!

This article talks  the new application that Hertz is introducing on the iPhone to allow customers to plan their trip that can be wires sly  delivered to the GPS system in their Hertz rental car .  This apps have been lauchend for 11 cities so far. Each city app includes six categories: Explore, Top Must See, Events, Favorites, Tours and Neighborhoods. So far the map can be downloaded  for free on the app store. Those apps on the iPhone give herts a chance to advertize  their merchandise to the user of iPhone with age varies .

This article greatly described the importance and significance event management has for the tourism industry. Special events definitely draws individuals in to multiple destinations, which delivers a huge boost for the tourism industry.

This article talks about how different types of events are important for tourism. Events such as mega, hallmark, major and local events attract more tourists such as the olympic games or the Superbowl. Some destinations are visited only for special events, driving more tourism to that destination. As tourism has become very dependent on effective event management, small events such as arranging tours in a destination have led to an increase in tourism. The development of tourism and the introduction of new destinations reveals the huge perspectives for the growth of event management. The majority of most social activities, such as festivals, and other recreational events have become possible due to the successful event management and the travelers that they attract.

Event Management can be both local and global, it is the management of various activities including conventions, meeting and other major activities. Tourism is not considered a part of event management; it is classified as a set of tourism related activities. Tourism is thus divided into various niche activities. No matter what tourism type you choose, event management will always be a part of the activity. There are various types of classifications. Events may be condsidered Mega, Hallmark, Major or local. It is necessary to recognize the importance of events to the tourism product, and as such, you should never take for granted the need for proper and effective coordination. It is also important to note that events such as cultural activities also aid in destination development. A key factor in having these events is to promote the destination and attract more visitors, particularly at times in the season when things are slow. The introduction of events can serve to stimulate local economies and draw attention to unseen parts of the destination, as well as aid in the building of infrastructure in those communities. It is also important to note any event requires significant planning, the who, what, where and how allows a better understanding of how a proposed event may impact a destination's image and can help with building a stronger global brand. The significance of tourism in event management is centered around possible offshoot activities such as tours and entertainment or any other economic benefits that maybe be derived beyond the event itself. By creating such signature activities, it is likely that you broker relationships with visitors, which could likely create loyalty to your brand.

This article talks about the Global Distribution System (GDS) and how important this is for the travel agents. This systems enables transactions between the travel services that are provided and allows travel agents to see and sell those services. For example, the GDS will allow travel agents to see available hotel rooms & airline ticket rates in live feeds. But the big questions is why is the GDS important to the travel industry? When managed property with a channel manager, the booking system will give the property an opportunity to customize and adjust availability based on inventory and allow to block out dates. Travel agents and online booking systems use the GDS to search for availability and best available rates in real time. If not managed correctly, this could cause issues and over bookings. The GDS systems also support high traffic to the travel sites. The future of the GDS system might in obsolete in the near future and may be a corporate booking took rather than the system used exclusively by travel management companies.

Interesting read! This article touches on the importance of GDS for travel agents. It is essential for travel agents to use these systems to effectively sell travel services and updated inventory to consumers in real time. The article concludes that although travel agents use this as their method of booking travel, some hoteliers believe this way of booking may become obsolete in the future. As of today, companies still continue to use GDS as their booking system and does not appear to be leaving anytime soon.

Capterra is a webiste that offers the proper research for businesses to look for a software that works best for them. The article discusses the most popular software solutions that works best for small hotels. The list of the software's discussed already included what reviewers loved, their advice for improvement, and cost. This is a great article for small hotels to look at because it is an easier way for them to select a software that suits them best.

These are the most popular software that are used by small hotels specifically

Smaller hotels run with tighter profit margins. This article discusses the 7 top softwares that are available to a small hotel that have many features i.e. front desk, bookings, food and beverage - all in one software application.

Event planning and in-person meetings have been affected by COVID-19. Event planners and venues are taking major efforts to begin hosting in-person group functions again. To begin safe meetings again, industries have implemented increased levels of safety precautions. One of these steps industries are taking is thermal scanning. Thermal scanning is a product that gives an indication of COVID-19 symptoms. Venues are industries are expected to provide this service to stay ahead of the game. Hotels such as Wynn Las Vegas have implemented thermal cameras at entry points throughout the hotel. At my office, we have also added thermal cameras at entrances to the building. Majority of events have shifted virtually until there is a vaccine. Event diagramming tools can provide event planners with photo-realistic site tours in 3D. Event diagramming can also display to potential clients a diagram of thermal scanning stations, and social distancing floor signs. Event diagramming is a diagramming tool where you can update existing layouts. Overall, it can provide future clients with the satisfaction that events can deliver their vision while maintaining safety guidelines.

This article gives us an overview and shows you how solutions such as AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) will reshape the hotel industry and help you better attract your guests. The article mainly describes how AR and VR improve the guest experience from 7 dimensions, includingVirtual Booking Processes, Virtual Hotel Tours,Interactive Hotel Rooms, Virtual Travel Experiences,Beacon Technology, Gamification, Convenient Translation Capabilities.

The article discusses different aspects of how can augmented and virtual reality add value to the tourism and hospitality industry? it summarized into seven different aspects, Virtual Booking Processes, Virtual Hotel Tours, Interactive Hotel Rooms, Virtual Travel Experiences, Beacon Technology, Gamification & Convenient Translation Capabilities.

This is a great article to visualize and read about all the technologies that are changing the way we as consumers are able to enjoy hospitality and tourism. The large portion of this article encompasses all of the technologies being implemented around the world in a variety of tourism settings. Everything from allowing consumers to take a virtual tour of a hotel room before booking a stay to welcome robots that greet patrons after a long travel journey to their final destination. Technologies like these are a nice breath of fresh air within the industry and are being used to help elevate the guest experience without removing the personal touch the hospitality industry has become known for.