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Yueyu Peng

Global Distribution Systems Retool for the Next Digital Revolution - Skift - 2 views

  • In an always-on, mobile-first world, travel companies need near-instantaneous digital tools to help market and sell their products.
  • We need to build a system that caters to the needs of the travelers while catering to the needs of the providers
  • Not everyone is sold on the value of the global distribution systems,
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  • You are not doing local distribution, you are doing global distribution
  • Integrated rich content is only part of the emerging value proposition, though. Automated mobile tools to service travelers are the next step as the travel experience evolves.
  • It’s the tech providers that are going to make this happen, but we also have to walk [travel providers] forward through the things that are going to make [this evolution] happen,” said Menke. “If people are going to stay in their corner and not engage in the marketplace, it’s not going to happen. If you don’t, you’re going to find yourself in between. You need to have those conversations. Let’s stop fighting over the pie that’s out there. Let’s grow the pie
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    This article is about upgrading and renovation for upcoming evolution. It uses some industry example to point out people pursue the personalization, mobile-first experience. More and more companies need to use digital tool or upgrade their distribution systems to cater to people needs. Local distribution, global distribution, technology innovation are the sensitive topic related to the business development.
msant228

Hotel Security: How to Optimise It | By Lillian Connors - Hospitality Net - 0 views

  • Invest in surveillance software It's not easy operating in the dark, so the first thing you want to do is to obtain a pair of eyes that will allow you to monitor the activity in your hotel, and catch any illegal activity should it occur.
  • This will not only help your guests feel safer, but it will also discourage anyone who's up to no good to proceed with their plan. Likewise, it will give you a clear overview and allow you to keep a tight ship the guests will want to board.
  • Hold regular security meetings Security meetings should be the staple of your customer safety efforts.
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  • you want to use these meetings to familiarize yourself with any potential weak points you might have in your security system, and improve where needed. You will also get the opportunity to strategize your next move should a situation arise.
  • Upgrade the locks One of the most important aspects of hotel security is lock quality, durability, and upkeep. The hotel room lock is the last line of defence against assailants and thieves.
  • Likewise, make sure you keep a reliable 24-hour locksmith on speed dial to address any problems as soon as they arise. From lock malfunctions to replacements and upgrades, and even fixing the locks after a break-in, having a locksmith who can come at a moment's notice is imperative.
  • Improve constantly Trial and error breed success, but only if you work hard to improve on your past mistakes.
  • So make sure you always think of new ways you can improve your customer's safety.
  • Meet your customers One of the most effective ways to keep a close eye on what's going around in your hotel is to meet your guests.
  • This is not only a chance for you to check out the type of people staying at your hotel, but it's also a chance to ask them if there is anything you can do to improve their overall experience.
  • Prevent cyber attacks Nowadays, cyber-attacks are becoming more frequent than ever, and you want to ensure your guests' data is protected from malicious activity. To this end, you want to form an IT department that will work on improving the hotels cyber security, and be on call to help your guests with any IT related issues. This will help you provide a better service, and increase your brand's reputation.
  • Do background checks of your staff Finally, you need a reliable staff by your side to make all of the aforementioned tactics work.
  • This way, you will be able to prevent any criminals from infiltrating your business and elevate the overall security of your hotel.
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    No matter how much hotels invest in security, there are still vulnerable areas where hotels should improve to prevent thefts, break-ins, fraud, hacking, and numerous other crimes from happening. In this article, the author has introduced certain ways to optimize hotel security, including increasing the invests in surveillance software, holding regular security meetings, upgrading the locks, meeting your customers, paying attention to cyber-attacks, and carrying on background checks of staff.
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    This article is about hotel security and different ways to optimise it to meet your needs. Some of the topics discussed were the integration of surveillance software, the importance of regularly scheduled security meetings, lock upgrades, and customer interaction. The article touches upon each of the topics mentioned and explains how the integration of all of these practices helps create a safer and more cohesive security system. I liked how it focuses on the need to interact with customers as they are the ones you are protecting the most. I think that interaction really makes a difference.
rderonville

The Point-Of-Sale Problem - 0 views

  • To properly manage risk, start by applying the same security practices to the POS system that you use with other sensitive IT systems.
  • look for POS systems that have clear security design improvements over legacy ones.
  • Any system that's part of a payment process is a target of data thieves. Wise companies will assume that the devices, applications, and networks that house sensitive cardholder data are under siege and act accordingly.
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    The POS is a great system that is used by many industries. It helps businesses run efficiently and transactions be done effectively. However, it comes with its problems. This article is in two parts so I will post the both on Diigo. This article states that POS systems are the most frequently used computing system and it is targeted by criminals. According to the article, "Today, attackers have only become more sophisticated, using advanced software techniques to avoid detection by antivirus. The attackers are attaching devices that are to collect information from the patrons who use the POS system. The solution to this issue from the article, is that managers apply the same security practices to the POS systems that are used for other sensitive IT systems. These systems should not be the same system used for internet browsing or email. Using a third party security is system is fine however, they should ensure that security controls are part of regular maintenance. The article states that businesses should look for POS systems that have design improvements rather than those who have been in the industry for a long time. There needs to be upgraded design, security, and software to minimize the threats that are posed on the POS system. This article highlights the issues that POS systems attract and also gives solutions. It is up to the businesses to give as much attention as possible to this system the same way they do for systems with sensitive information. Ultimately credit card transactions do hold sensitive information so the upgraded POS systems should be the number one choice for a business. Along with what is stated in the articles, this minimizes the risk of customer loss and a damaged reputation. This also helps minimize the possibility of revenue loss due to lawsuits because of breaches.
marble_bird

CloudBasedvsDesktopBased_PMSHotels.pdf - 0 views

shared by marble_bird on 09 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • Even though keeping up with the modern developments in IT sector is crucial for the success and competitiveness of a hotel, it is usually very hard for new technologies to be accepted and implemented.
  • On the example of hotel property management system (PMS) and comparison between features of its older desktop-version and new web-based programs, this research aims at finding out at which stage and how effective is usage of cloud technology in hotels.
  • Constant innovation in hardware, software, and network developments and applications means that only dynamic organizations that can respond efficiently and effectively to these innovations, will be able to outperform their competitors and maintain their long-term prosperity.
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  • It is crucial for tourism and hospitality practitioners to proactively incorporate new technologies into their businesses as these will improve service quality and differentiate their products and services.
  • In order to be able to follow the increasing guests' requests for qualitative services, it is mandatory for hotel management to constantly work on improving its functions and operations. For this it is necessary to keep track of innovations in sectors outside the hospitality, like IT sector that works on creating, developing and introducing new technologies
  • Hospitality is one of targeted sector that is considered appropriate for application of cloud technologies and services. Hotel Management System or widely known as Property Management System (PMS) is one of the system where IT practitioners saw the chance for improvement by ''moving it to the cloud''.
  • Hotels will be forced to upgrade their current systems so that they can respond to various and changeable guests' habits and requirements. However, until today, there was not enough academic papers related to usage of cloud technology in hospitality industry even though this sector is under continuous changes caused by usage of new technologies which made search, evaluation and payment of the hotel rooms easier than ever.
  • After comparing the two groups of hotels, from which one was using desktop PMS and other group cloud- based PMS, the results of the research were derived and presented. In conclusion of the paper, challenges with which the hotels are facing and which affect their decision of starting to use cloud- based technology as well as recommendation for future work will be discussed.
  • As stated by the Sharif (2010), cloud computing is the latest technology that is being introduced by the IT industry as the next (potential) revolution to change how the internet and information systems operate. The term “cloud” was probably inspired by IT text books’ illustrations which depicted remote environments (the Internet) as cloud images in order to conceal the complexity that lies behind them (Sultan,2010).
  • The goal of a new computing world is to develop software for millions to consume by easily accessing it over a network. Cloud service providers are making profit by charging consumers for accessing these services.
  • Products offered via this mode include the remote delivery (through the Internet) of a full computer infrastructure (e.g., virtual computers, servers, storage devices, etc.); the building blocks of an IT enterprise.
  • Services provided in this category include CPU processing on demand, virtual Web hosting, and storage on demand. The most notable vendors are Amazon’s EC2, GoGrid’s Cloud Servers, and Joyent.
  • With cloud computing, services and applications that were managed locally in the past requiring hardware, operating systems, web servers, as well as teams of network, database and system management experts are now provided remotely by cloud providers under this layer.
  • Cloud computing services can be adopted by firms in three different forms (Goscinski and Brock, 2010):
  • Public clouds - online applications that are open to everyone for free, such as Google
  • Private clouds - involves firms deploying key enabling technologies, such as virtualization and multi-tenant applications, to create their own private cloud database
  • Hybrid clouds - mix of the previous two types that are emerging with the intention of providing clients with a level of “control” over their resources
  • The cloud offers enterprises the option of scalability without the financial commitments required for infrastructure purchase and maintenance.
  • Reallocating information management operational activities to the cloud offers businesses a unique opportunity to focus efforts on innovation and research and development. This allows for business and product growth and may be even more beneficial than the financial advantages offered by the cloud.
  • These investments and efforts for a new technology to be presented open a new progress circle of technology advancements and it continues in the same way.
  • When creating software or an application for a hotel, IT personnel have to possess a certain level of flexibility, openness and creativity. On the other hand, hotel employees are expected to have more insightful and openminded approach towards new ways of performing business operations, sometimes take risks and have experiences with using different programs and applications.
  • A hotel's PMS can gather and keep valuable information about hotel guests by incorporating business intelligence tools which help hoteliers organize and make sense of the gathered data. Regardless of whether room reservations come from Online Travel Agency, Global Distribution Systems or by telephone, all of them are gathered, stored and managed in the PMS.
  • Simplicity of the cloud based property management system allows it to be productive. Cloud based PMS's can operate on any advice that has a web browser and the companies are putting their efforts to make it even more friendly on smaller devices like tablets and smart phones.
  • Business intelligence options provide hoteliers with a threedimensional view of guest data, which allows easily statistical reporting and increased hotel management efficiency.
  • The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in practical usage of the two types of PMS systems – cloud based and classical (desktop) ones.
  • On the question about the reasons for using the current PMS type in hotels, answers of Group A were based on usage of their current PMS for years and on the fact that employees in all hotel departments were used to work on it. As time passed by, hotels upgraded their system to new versions for several times and additional customization was implemented with regard to hotel preferences.
  • Hotels from Group B were consisted of relatively new boutique hotels that operate for more than a year and from those that were not using any kind of PMS solution (they were using Excel tables and creating reservation records manually). The reason why hotels from this group wanted to use cloud PMS was a desire to try the latest technology used in hospitality industry.
  • Other reasons for using it were: PMS could be reached from any place where Internet connection is available, simple but effective design with lots of visual solutions, more options to enter the important information and the fact that it is working not only on any PC but also on any mobile device due to its mobile applications.
  • low investment costs were main reason for hotels from Group B to decide in favor of cloud based version.
  • The similar amount of initial investments were confirmed by the Group A. Being considered as great amount of money for newly opened and small sized hotels to invest, management decided to try out the cloud version which allows access to this system based on monthly subscription with very little or no investment cost, depending on the solution provider.
  • After initial investments in the system implementation, hardware, software and training of employees, every year hotel makes a one-year-based contract for additional support services and, if needed, extra training. Support is provided any time a hotel reports an issue or malfunction by directly connecting to hotel's computer through remote programs.
  • Changes are made either for each hotel at a time, or after releasing new version, when provider try to convince all the current users to upgrade to it. Upgrade is provided by the extra charge, so these costs should be also considered during planning investments in classical PMS.
  • Regardless of which type of system they used, all participants were very careful about and interested in the matter of data security.
  • However, it is totally different situation with cloud based system, which is mainly open system where all authorized users and providers from outside have access to. Of course, it is up to hotel management to whom the authorization rights will be given and being an open system it makes support, development and innovation activities much easier. Cloud based PMS are hosted on some of the world's best known servers so there is no need for additional computers to be used as servers.
  • Although there are some great differences in functions and way of managing regarding classical and cloud based system, both have their advantages from which hotels do not want to give up.
  • One of the biggest advantages of cloud based PMS for the Group B is the fact that this system can be directly integrated with hotel online booking engine. This is considered as a great advantage for the hotels that besides having functional web site, wish to maximize use of its online booking engine, receive more online reservations directly from the guests and gain more profit.
  • Such a functional connection between hotel’s PMS and online reservation system allow hotels to have a social media integration as well. This means that hotels are able to receive online reservation through their Facebook page as well as receive direct links to its page from the biggest review sites such as TripAdvior.com.
  • In this paper two different approaches and perspectives on usage of cloud based and classical hotel management systems were exposed. Hotels from Group B have shown a tendency for usage of new technologies and readiness to adopt and continuously learn about them.
  • Among factors, affecting why hotel prefers one system over another, are type and size of hotel, through which channels are guest reservations coming, previous experience with IT stuff and different programs, etc.
  • Cloud based program can help them in order to update prices and room availability information to hotel's booking engine. This prevents overbooking, provides easily management of CRM functions and information, with no first investment costs or extra expenses which results in revenue increase.
  • Hotels that use classical PMS pay a great attention to the security issue because they do not want to risk opening their hotel for external intervention. In recent years we can find in media lots of evidence of information linkage from system that had much higher security measures than an average hotel.
  • Measuring the performance of cloud-provided services is another challenge for the hotel management, primarily due to the lack of measurement standards.
  • While investigating the previous knowledge about the other system solutions, hotels in Group A have claimed lack of information about the cloud technology and its solutions.
  • Even though IT stuff in these hotels has some basic knowledge about it, it is still not enough to convince the other managers about its benefits. Therefore it may be concluded that, besides trying to overcome the above mentioned challenges, developers of cloud based solutions to hotels should also work hard on training the potential clients about the positive aspects and correct usage of cloud technologies.
  • Lack of measurement standards for cloud-provided services in general as well as for hotels is another important limitation due to which qualitative research was conducted. Authors’ recommendation is that academicians should focus more on topics of cloud computing, cloud solutions for other business operations and on defining measurements standards for cloud services.
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    This article, published in 2015, covers a study performed in Turkey to analyze factors in hotels that lead management to prefer desktop-based PMS over cloud-based PMS or vice versa. The study uses qualitative research to determine the reasons for the usage of PMS and the advantages and disadvantage of either system. The study found that, among others, significant factors that contribute to the form of PMS implemented by mangement may include the size of the property, reservation channels, and prior level of IT experience.
Cecilia Lucas

New Hotel Technology Likely to Bring Sticker Shock - 3 views

  • The need for a new generation of computers, data centers and security equipment for the nation’s hotels is driving up the expense of technology in the hospitality industry,
  • The average [technology] cost for a 400-room hotel has been about $50,000 a year. That   cost is going to go up as the brands start implementing new technology to take the place of systems that have been in place for quite some time,” says Shah.   “That cost could be significant. It could be several hundred thousand dollars in additional costs over the next three, four or five years.“
  • “The average [technology] cost for a 400-room hotel has been about $50,000 a year. That   cost is going to go up as the brands start implementing new technology to take the place of systems that have been in place for quite some time,” says Shah.   “That cost could be significant. It could be several hundred thousand dollars in additional costs over the next three, four or five years.“
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  • cost is going to go up as the brands start implementing new technology to take the place of systems that have been in place for quite some time,” says Shah. 
  • significant. It could be several hundred thousand dollars in additional costs over the next three, four or five years.“
  • The need for a new generation of computers, data centers and security equipment for the nation’s hotels is driving up the expense of technology in the hospitality industry, says Mitesh Shah, chief executive officer at
  •  The average [technology] cost for a 400-room hotel has been about $50,000 a year. That  cost is going to go up as the brands start implementing new technology to take the place of systems that have been in place for quite some time,” says Shah.   “That cost could be  significant. It could be several hundred thousand dollars in additional costs over the next three, four or five years.“
  • The upgrades involve both communications that make life more convenient for travelers, and the unseen hardware that makes hotels function more smoothly.
  • Hackers are more aggressive than ever, and the cost of protecting hotel systems has risen accordingly
  • The hotel industry hasn’t kept up with the state of the art to the degree other industries have, says Shah, particularly with regard to pricing and customer convenience.
  • Traditionally, too many hotel managers focus on the condition of the carpets and walls  — whether they need painting or new pictures, or fresh plants in the lobby, rather than scrutinizing their technological infrastructure.
  • Examining how people buy and use media shows that bandwidths are growing more sophisticated, and the trend in a hotel experience is to become more connected,
  • And too many hotels are unable to provide that level of technical response.
  • Costly upgrades don’t always translate into higher rates, however. “The question really is, can you charge more for it? Or is it part of the experience?”
  • high-speed Internet, for instance, it’s an amenity that customers demand, but they’re not necessarily willing to pay extra for it.
  • Another expense involves business intelligence technology — the detailed analysis and tracking of a hotel’s daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance.
  • Operating teams then analyze the results and plan their financial strategy on a day-to-day basis, says Shah.
  • When it comes to creature comforts, travelers don’t want to compromise, says Shah. They want the same comforts on the road that are available at home
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    The Hotel Industry has not kept up with the state of the art technology to the degree other industries have. It's at a point where a great investment is needed to upgrade technology they use both in communications as well as the unseen hardware that make hotels function on a day to day basis. The cost of replacement and and expansion of business data centers and security is very large. But who bears the cost?, since guests have come to expect ammenities such as high speed internet, but aren't necessarily willing to pay for it. This is an inevitable cost hotel corporations are going to have work in to their budgets in order to stay relevant and competitive
ldevaul

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Selects AWS as Its Preferred Cloud Provider to Enhance Guest E... - 0 views

  • Today, Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com, Inc. company, announced a global collaboration with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a hotel franchising company, to upgrade its technology infrastructure and develop and deliver new guest services across its 21 hotel brands — including Days Inn, La Quinta, Microtel, Ramada, Super 8, and Wyndham.
  • Today, Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com, Inc. company, announced a global collaboration with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a hotel franchising company, to upgrade its technology infrastructure and develop and deliver new guest services across its 21 hotel brands — including Days Inn, La Quinta, Microtel, Ramada, Super 8, and Wyndham.
    • ldevaul
       
      This is HUGE!
  • putting it on track to achieve its goal of running 90% of its infrastructure in the cloud.
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  • xpanding its presence in the cloud will enable Wyndham to focus on growing its core hotel franchise business—seamlessly integrating new properties into its network—while leveraging AWS’s proven global infrastructure to help meet demand where it arises post-pandemic during the peak summer travel season. 
  • For example, Wyndham will use AWS machine learning to help optimize over 90,000 daily rate changes across its approximately 9,000 hotels to help maximize occupancy rates that vary according to factors such as location, weather, and time of year.
  • In addition, Wyndham will use AWS to develop new digital services for guests to automate check-in and leverage AWS partners to deliver customized offers during hotel stays, such as recommendations on local attractions, restaurants, and entertainment. 
  • Looking ahead, Wyndham will use AWS to remain agile and adapt to rapidly changing guest and market needs with plans to use AWS machine learning to drive demand with greater personalization and more timely and relevant guest offers.
  • “By moving the majority of our workloads to the cloud, Wyndham was able to rapidly respond to the changing business conditions brought on by COVID-19, and now we’re positioned to scale our operations as different parts of the world begin to reopen.
  • “The hotel industry has faced a series of rapid changes recently, yet by running on AWS Wyndham gains the insights and agility it needs to support its franchisees, transform its customer engagement, service, and business models, and remain an industry leader,”
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    This article announces the global collaboration between Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc. This collaboration is going to allow the Wyndham to upgrade their infrastructure tech and deliver an entirely new way to experience customer service. What I found to be very interesting, besides Wyndham being 90% cloud based, was that AWS is going to help the hotelier develop a new way for guest to automate check-in and leverage AWS partner to deliver customized offers. It will be able to recommend local attractions, restaurants, and entertainment.
fischerc014

What Can We Do About the Growing E-waste Problem? - 0 views

  • Why the upsurge in e-waste? Technology is becoming more and more integrated into every aspect of our lives.
  • Companies intentionally plan the obsolescence of their goods by updating the design or software and discontinuing support for older models, so that now it is usually cheaper and easier to buy a new product than to repair an old one.
  • The U.S., the second largest producer of e-waste after China, produced 10 million tons of e-waste in 2012
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  • only 29 percent of this was recycled—the rest is usually landfilled, incinerated or stuck in a closet.
  • 40 percent of the e-waste supposedly recycled in the U.S. was actually exported. Most of it ended up in developing countries—usually in Asia
  • With the flood of e-waste growing around the world, recycling alone will not be enough.
  • A circular economy is one that aims to keep products and all their materials in circulation at their highest value at all times or for as long as possible.
  • imagine a system where the provider or manufacturer retained ownership of the device through the contract so customers would pay a lower monthly fee and be expected to return the device for an upgrade. The value could be recaptured in the form of parts for remanufacture or materials for recycling, and customers would still get their upgrades.”
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    E-waste (electronic waste) has continually risen due to technology being part of our everyday lives. Upgrades for technology happen e very year and so the life span of devices becomes shorter due to new technology being available. Only 29% of e-waste is recycled in the U.S. There has to be better solutions to combat e-waste. The concept of circular economy can help with the e-waste problem.
mandalysha

CBRE: How hoteliers are controlling communications costs | Hotel Management - 0 views

  • A new report from CBRE analyzed the costs of phone and internet service within the information and telecommunications systems department of nearly 3,000 hotels
  • The report, which examines data from 2015 through 2019, found a significant upward trend in telecom-related expenditures.
  • the data also revealed a steep decline in revenue generation from charges for phone calls and internet access
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  • From 2015 through 2019, total operating expenses increased at a compound average annual growth rate of 2.2 percent at the properties in the study
  • During this same period, the hotels’ cost for telecom service increased at a CAGR of 9.7 percent
  • As part of efficient cost control, organizations within the industry are undergoing IT audits
  • the cost of internet service increased at an average annual pace of 16.1 percent
  • The 9.7 percent combined CAGR for telecommunications cost is more than three times the CAGR for any other individual hotel department cost during the same five-year period
  • Telecom costs increased the most in the upper-midscale (CAGR 21.5 percent) and upscale (CAGR 13.9 percent) chain scales
  • Individually, the cost of phone service rose by a CAGR of 5.7 percent
  • organizations are upgrading certain technologies
  • consolidating telecom vendors across portfolios
  • Owners may be able to upgrade a Dedicated Internet Access to current market pricing—saving 20 percent in the process—while improving the speed capabilities by 200 to 300 percent
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    A report from CBRE analyzed the costs of phone and internet services within the information and telecommunications systems department of nearly 3000 hotels. There is an upward trend in telecom-related expenditures with a decline in revenue generation from phone call charges and internet access. Three ways to control these costs are undergoing IT audits, consolidating vendors across portfolios, and upgrading technologies.
sydneywolfson

Hilton unveils new tech enhancements for guests - hotelbusiness.com - 0 views

  • Digital Key Share will allow more than one guest to have access to their room’s Digital Key, which turns the free Hilton Honors app on their smartphones into a room key.
  • Hilton also unveiled an enhancement to a highly valued Hilton Honors benefit, providing members with early confirmation of a favorite perk—complimentary room upgrades.
  • hese two enhancements join the recently launched Confirmed Connecting Rooms, another industry first that allows individuals to easily and instantly confirm at least two connecting rooms at the time of booking.
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  • Since its 2015 launch, Hilton’s Digital Key has expanded rapidly. The technology is now available at more than 80% of Hilton’s portfolio, or close to 5,400 of the company’s more than 6,600 properties worldwide.
  • This will enable the member to choose their upgraded room directly via the Hilton Honors app.
  • Earlier this year, Hilton launched a solve for a long-time travel planning frustration and was the first major hotel company to introduce a booking experience that allows individuals to easily book and instantly confirm at least two connecting rooms.
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    This article talks about three new technological advancements Hilton is providing to their guests. One is the Digital key share where guest can download the Hilton app and have their key on their phone. Another is, when highly valued guest confirm early, they can have free room upgrades. Lastly, guests can confirm at least two existing rooms when they are booking.
YIZHE YANG

HEI Hotels & Resorts' Marriott La Jolla Showcased During Tour of Department of Energy's... - 0 views

  • CA – Au
  • three-day tour in California to highlight the energy-efficient and energy saving practices and technologies implemented by the participants
  • Department
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  • of Energy during a tour of the facilities of its Better Buildings Challenge participants.
  • HEI Hotels & Resorts Vice President of Facilities, Bob Holesko was on hand to give a tour of the hotel's energy-saving initiatives. "By investing in energy conservation at the Marriott La Jolla, HEI is utilizing the conservation perfect storm that we have developed over the years – which is a rare combination of the hotels' physical plant needs teamed with the effective deployment of capital funding and expertise to make it all happen quickly," he said. "At this hotel, we are investing $800,000 on the energy conservation upgrades that will deliver an annual savings of $200,000."
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
anonymous

Kana Hotel Group Shores Up Guest Security with RFID Locks at 30 Properties | News | Hos... - 0 views

  • Kana is upgrading its magnetic stripe locks to new ILCO 790 RFID units.
  • The ILCO brand is known worldwide for electronic locks that offer exceptional quality and technology innovation at competitive prices. 
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    The Kana Hotel Group operates over 30 properties from Hilton, IHG, and Marriott. The Kana group is updating security at its 30 properties to ILCO 790 RFID locks. The 790 RFID locks are going to be more reliable for guests to use because the new system eliminates the problem of guests having to return to the front desk to have their keys recoded, due to deactivating the back of the strip. This new system will eliminate the key card from losing its information from other magnetic objects and cell phones. I think upgrading their locks to the ILCO 790 RFID units is a great move. Not only will this bring better security to properties but also this makes a guests experience so much better. More often lately I've had keys deactivate themselves for no reason at all or they were next to something magnetic. It is a hassle sometimes to go all the way back to the front desk after a long day to deal with a key that no longer works. This is a great move since ILCO locks are high quality and this brings additional security to a hotel property.
Amy Sena

Guest Room Tech Tops Investment Priorities as Locking Hack Makes Headlines | Columns | ... - 4 views

  • Pressure to provide ample bandwidth is on, with high guest expectations for connectivity. But at the moment, it’s room locking technology that’s in the hot seat.
  • Hotel guest room technology — and door locks in particular — received national attention in recent months when Forbes broke the news about a potential room lock security flaw found in Onity locks by a 24-year old software developer and security researcher. In a highly-contested decision (criticized as poor judgment by some and applauded as necessary full disclosure by others), the researcher released specific details of how to perform the lock hack. Since then a handful of hotels have alleged that the method was used by thieves in a series of guest room break-ins.
  • While the threat is limited to one manufacturer’s locking technology, it still could impact as many as 4 million hotel rooms.
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  • Hotels, meanwhile, are putting a priority on upgrading locking technology.
  • But regardless of who is to blame, it’s the guest whose safety is compromised and the hotel whose name will be tarnished — much in the same way a payment security breach impacts consumers and merchants.
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    Technology projects will be the biggest investments among hotel executives in 2013. This article focuses on the recent attention room locking technology has received and the priority hotels have placed on upgrading their locking technology. Although the security flaw is limited to one manufacturer, the impact will be felt among the entire industry. Guest safety must always be the top priority among hotel managers and staff. A guest room break in can ruin a hotels reputation in their respective community. Regardless of how the situation occurred a common perception is that the hotel was somehow at fault and guest safety is not a priority. As an industry we must always strive to create a safe environment for our guests. Upgrading our hotel locks, training staff proper safety procedures when entering and exiting guest rooms and proper check in procedures are what our guests demand of us to ensure their continued safety.
diana morales

New Hotel Technology Likely to Bring Sticker Shock - 0 views

  • The need for a new generation of computers, data centers and security equipment for the nation’s hotels is driving up the expense of technology in the hospitality industry, says Mitesh Shah, chief executive officer at Atlanta-based Noble Investment Group, a privately-held company that invests in and manages hotels.
  • “The average [technology] cost for a 400-room hotel has been about $50,000 a year
  • The upgrades involve both communications that make life more convenient for travelers, and the unseen hardware that makes hotels function more smoothly
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  • When it comes to creature comforts, travelers don’t want to compromise, says Shah. They want the same comforts on the road that are available at home. “If you’re an Atlanta Hawks fan, can you watch that game when you get to your hotel?”
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    This article speaks about the technology in the hotel industry and what it takes to have the hotel equipped and up to date. The hotel gives examples of what owners have invested or will need to invest. What surprised me was the fact that TIVO should be one of the amenities included into the hotel room now and days. I found it interesting when the article asked who is paying for these upgrades? is the rate changing? or is it part of the experience as the article states?
Dalton Draper

Tech Trends: In-Room Telephones | Hotel Management - 2 views

  • Although much in-room telephone development has focused on the move to VoIP technology, there are still ways to upgrade the telephone hardware to continue to satisfy guests and protect the bottom line.
  • Bittel Americas is the integration of the phone, alarm and dock with USB port.
  • “I’d rather leave my iPhone on the nightstand than on the desk. We recognized this as a universal issue for all hotels and figured there’s something we can do to provide an integrated device that includes a phone, alarm, mp3 iPhone dock and so on.
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  • adding a desktop device, but it takes up too much space
  • very little revenue comes from phones. The less money hoteliers spend maintaining phones, the better.”
  • That’s people’s content on there, they have almost all their info at their fingertips on that device. … An in-room device probably makes more sense if we were to design our product in such a way that works well with these smartphones instead of trying to compete against them.”
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    This article talks about how hotels are trying to upgrade the in room phones to better serve the guest they receive. They have started to think of ways to integrate the phones to have USB ports for charging smart phones or thinking of ways to actually have a tablet available on the night stand. Some companies have even decided to downgrade their phones to save on maintaince cost since most people have smart phones or tablets with all their information on it.
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    I think this is a great article that you found. It is true that people do not really use the in-room telephones anymore unless it is to call down to the front desk and then still the hotel is not making money on it. If they had an all-in-one phone, alarm, USB port, mp3 people would get a lot more use and be happier with it. These devices should start to come to major hotels and see how they work and then go from there to be everywhere
Alejandra Kravets

How Windows 8 Could Change Your Life - Or Not | Upgrade Your Life - Yahoo! News - 0 views

  • At this year's International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a Chinese company called Compal unveiled a prototype laptop with a removable touchscreen — and that screen becomes a tablet.
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    Microsoft is releasing in October 2012 the new version of the most popular computer operating system Windows 8. This new feature is not only for laptops or desktops, it is mainly focusing on touch screen devices. Lenovo also unveiled their Lenovo Yoga hybrid. This computer allows you to tuck the keyboard flat behind the screen and transform the device into a tablet shape, it can rotate 360 degrees. Windows 8 allows you to put your favorite app such as Facebook or Twitter into the start screen, you can add more apps, customize them and it refreshes constantly so the information stays current.
anonymous

Travel Industry Trade Shows |Hospitality Upgrade | Videos - 0 views

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    This is a short but insightful interview with the CIO of Marriott International at the Hospitality Upgrade CIO Summit last year. When asked about how much the company expects to spend on technology, he essentially says that they will be spending more but spending wisely to be more efficient, and to ultimately keep their costs down. He goes on to say that attending a conference like the CIO Summit is beneficial to stay current on trends and new technologies, and to connect with peers in the industry. In a sense, one could say it's s a "wait and see" approach, networking and observing what others are doing and seeing what's already big in the industry.
Gerson Dias

MICROS OPERA integrates Nor1 | Hotel Management - 0 views

  • MICROS OPERA provides all the tools a hotel staff needs for doing their day-to-day jobs from fulfilling reservations, accommodating in-house guest needs, to handling accounting and billing.
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    Nor1 announced today the integration of its pricing and merchandising solutions with MICROS OPERA, aiming to enable nearly 22,000 hotel properties to quickly increase revenue and customer satisfaction. This agreement between Nor1 and MICROS is a partnership fueled by common customers such as Hilton, Hyatt, Fairmont, Carlson, and Joie de Vivre, and the desire to help their hotels maximize revenue opportunities at every turn. Furthermore, Nor1's eStandby Upgrade is a revenue enhancement solution that is providing hotels on six continents real bottom-line lift and overall guest satisfaction. It is to note that Nor1's eStandby Upgrade does this through PRiME, the pricing and merchandising engine, which dynamically analyzes over a million points of data to more accurately identify the right product selection, upsell pricing, and display ranking decisions for each individual guest. Now eStandby Upgrade hotels running MICROS OPERA will have access to deep insight into all their guests, ensuring more relevant and targeted offers.
Chris Cardoso

Hotel firm upgrades accounting system - 0 views

  • LBA Hospitality Partners with M3 Accounting + Analytics to Enhance Accounting Processes and Increase Efficiencies July, 31 2013 M3 Accounting + Analytics Seeking to update and streamline accounting processes for its 70-plus Southeast properties, Dothan, Ala.-based Larry Blumberg & Associates, Inc. (LBA Hospitality) recently announced an expanded partnership with M3 Accounting + Analytics, the national leader in hotel-specific accounting software, operations reporting, and business analytics. “If we are to continue to be an industry leader, we must have the ability to meet the requirements of our stakeholders and provide accurate, real-time and relevant information for our management team and owners,” said LBA President Beau Benton.  LBA sought the ability to swiftly handle budgets, forecasts, and reports, and to dissect business data, all while insuring that the back-office accounting platform functionality was state-of-the-art and industry-specific.  In choosing M3, Benton cited how the company integrates accounting, business intelligence, and reporting, while eliminating most redundancy, software investment and annual hardware/software maintenance. In addition, Benton and LBA were looking for continual and automatic upgrades, backup and disaster protection, and minimized downtime.  LBA is implementing the full suite of M3 products: accounting through the AccKnowledge platform, time, attendance and labor management through the newly released RightTime solution and LaborWatch, and payroll services through RightPay. The company will also continue to use M3 Link business intelligence reporting, as LBA will be expanding it to bring financial data, operating stats, Smith Travel feeds and guest satisfaction data (including verbatim responses) into one completely customizable dashboard. LBA, which launched its business by developing a Sheraton Inn in 1973, is rapidly growing its management business and securing more and more agreements from sophisticated owners and investors.   Scott Watson, M3 Vice President of Sales & Marketing, said, “While our core product remains our accounting solution, we’ve continued to evolve and offer new products and services that meet the current and future needs of the hospitality industry. It is truly exciting that our product platform will help Beau and LBA achieve the aggressive growth they are anticipating over the next five years.”  The implementation and training process for all LBA properties is expected to be complete by December 1.  About LBA Hospitality Based in Dothan, Ala., LBA Hospitality is a hospitality management company focused on maximizing return, safeguarding assets and enhancing value. Founded in 1973, the company now manages 70 properties throughout the Southeast, from Texas to Virginia. More information is available at http://www.LBAHospitality.com.  About M3 Accounting + Analytics M3 is the national leader in hotel-specific accounting software, operations reporting, business intelligence and analytics, processing more than $8 billion in financial transactions for more than 3,000 properties. M3’s integrated suite of hospitality accounting products includes: AccKnowledge, Link, payroll and labor management services, and document imaging and retrieval – all designed to help provide hotel operators, owners and managers unsurpassed access to the information they need in the most integrated and cost-effective manner. The company was founded in Gainesville, Ga. in 1998, and also has a base of operations in Tampa, Fla. More information is available at www.M3AS.com. 
  • “If we are to continue to be an industry leader, we must have the ability to meet the requirements of our stakeholders and provide accurate, real-time and relevant information for our management team and owners,” said LBA President Beau Benton.  
  • continue to be an industry leader, we must have the ability to meet the requirements of our stakeholders and provide accurate, real-time and relevant information for our management team and owners,” said LBA President Beau Benton.  
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  • “If we are to continue to be an industry leader, we must have the ability to meet the requirements of our stakeholders and provide accurate, real-time and relevant information for our management team and owners,” said LBA President Beau Benton
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    LBA Hospitality Partners with M3 Accounting plus Analytics to enhance accounting processes and increase efficiencies." As an industry leader LBA's Presidents feels they need to ability to meet requirements of their stakeholders and provide accurate real-time information for management and owners. When choosing M3 LBA's president noted how the company integrated accounting, business intelligence, and reporting while removing redundancy, software investment and annual hardware/software maintenance. Part of the requirements for choosing a company was continuous automatic upgrades, backup, disaster protection and limited downtime. LBA chose to implement a full suite of M3 products: Accounting through the AccKnowlege platform, time, attendance and labor management through RightTime solution and LaborWatch and payroll through RightPay. LBA will be expanding to bring financial data, operating costs, Smith Travel feeds and guest satisfaction data in one customized dashboard using M3 Link business intelligence reporting. LBA continues to grow after developing the Sheraton in 1973. Scott Watson of M3d is happy that M3 can meet the needs of their customers even though their core product is accounting solutions. They continues to help companies as they grow. Through this partnership they hope to continue to grow as meet the needs of their guest, investors and team. While it is important to have a core product to offer, I think it's also important to have additional products that meet the needs of your customer much like S. Watson said about M3 continuing to evolve and meet the needs of the hospitality industry. I feel this would make the company more marketing. It looks as if the President of LBA reviewed what the company's needs were and then chose to partner who leads the company in hotel specific accounting software. The president recognized the need to be able to report numbers accurately and forecast real data to its team, owners and investors. When I m
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    The Larry Blumberg & Associates hospitality firm (LBA Hospitality) partnered with a management company, M3 Accounting & Analytics, to integrate new software in it's 70 properties throughout the southwest, fro Texas to Virginia. The services that will be provided by M3 will range from Accounts Payable, to General Ledger, Daily Sales Report, Labor Cost, Check Writing, Cash Management, Forecast, Budget, etc. M3 provides products and services that will continue to evolve and improve to be cutting edge in hospitality. LBA is using M3 to streamline an aggressive five year growth plan. Other hospitality business will begin to incorporate a service provider that can encompass all accounting needs.
nadiatc

Restaurant Saves Thousands in Overtime and Cuts Wait Times in Half with Mobile POS Upgr... - 0 views

  • wanted to upgrade the point-of-sale system (POS) as part of a larger renovation project.
  • In September 2013, Smokey John’s installed NCR Silver Pro Restaurant Edition, an affordable, iPad-based POS system that makes it simple to manage table assignments and server flow; access sales and other key metrics from a mobile dashboard; and route orders directly to the kitchen, bar or any other station.
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    Smokey John's Bar-B-Que is a family-owned and operated restaurant. Current owners Brent and Juan recently installed a POS system to aid in the processing of day-to-day operations and data-gathering, including but not limited to table assignments, sales, orders, and server flow and timekeeping. The result has been savings in overtime by being able to track it more accurately; ability to track revenue streams between catering and in-dining; calculation of taxes; implementation and tracking of a loyalty program; and wireless credit card processing that has improved the overall customer experience.
kpony001

Hilton launches meetings-focused Signia brand | Hotel Management - 0 views

  • At a launch event in New York City, Hilton President/CEO Christopher Nassetta noted
  • “There is a gap, we believe, in the upper end of the meetings and events space.
  • [They wanted] the type of technologies that will help them run their meetings much more efficiently and make it better [and] more customizable for their meeting attendees.”
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  • While luxury hotels may be popular for some events, all of the details and fixtures that separate an upper-upscale hotel from a five-star property can push the price point out of reach. 
  • With that input in mind, HIlton decided  a new brand was necessary to capture the shifting market.
  • They wanted more flexibility, much more daylight, modern architecture, an impressive space.”
  • The Hilton team talked with owners and developers of meeting-focused hotels for several years to get a handle on the brand.
  • an upgraded culinary experience—“not only in the banquet and catering spaces, but in the restaurants and the grab-and-goes and the destination bars,”
  • Over the years, the team talked to existing customers, members of its Honors loyalty program and even travelers who aren't part of the program, asking what it would take to get them into the ecosystem.
  • The more customers we talked to, the more they say that they think a premium meetings and events product would really be something that would resonate for them.”
  • Looking ahead, the team sees international potential for Signia Hilton, particularly in Asian countries that are looking to host large-scale events in upscale spaces
  • Most Signia Hilton properties, he added, will probably be new-build, and the team will work with both existing partners and new developers alike as each opportunity comes along.
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    At a recent even at NYC, the CEO of Hilton, Christopher Nassetta, announced that the Hilton team is developing meeting focused hotels as a means to get the upper hand on event management. These hotels are being built with events such as conventions and business meetings in mind while constructing a five-star property. Thus, a new brand, Signia, was created as a means to improve upon flexibility in its architecture, as well as more daylight, modern design, and more spacious volume, as well as an upgraded culinary experience, and technologies that help run meetings more efficiently, likely updates in their event management system. This premium quality is something that has been constantly asked by them from customers. In the future they are planning to stretch out internationally.
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