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Contents contributed and discussions participated by shoss003

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shoss003

Hilton Books Upgraded Technology - WSJ - 0 views

online.wsj.com/...upgraded-technology-1406503197

shared by shoss003 on 08 Oct 14 - No Cached
  • The company plans to announce this week new technology intended for its 4,200 properties world-wide. Targeting younger travelers, Hilton is aiming to leapfrog competitors that already have rolled out new services like turning mobile phones into room keys.
  • Guests already can check in and check out with a few punches on a smartphone or tablet-computer screen at all of Hilton's hotels in the U.S., the company said. By the end of summer, travelers will be able to see the location of and select their own rooms by mobile phone at six brands, from the midscale Hilton Garden Inn to the luxury Waldorf Astoria.
  • "We are giving customers unprecedented choice and control at scale, and in the palm of their hands," says Christopher Nassetta, Hilton's chief executive.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Hotel companies view being the dominant competitor in these mobile-phone services as crucial to winning over millennials, often defined as people born between 1980 and 2000. But there are potential risks, too, if money invested today is allocated to technology that goes out-of-date faster than expected.
  • In the long run, hotel companies are also betting that if their customers can use a phone for multiple functions that have been traditionally performed by front-desk staff, they can run a leaner operation that is likely to reap savings. "I think over time there is the opportunity to gain efficiencies," Mr. Nassetta says.
  • On a recent day in July, for example, a guest booking a standard room at the Hilton Miami Downtown on a mobile phone was offered the opportunity to upgrade to a junior suite for an additional $25 a night, saving $40 from the original website price, depending on availability.
  • "It's a race for loyalty," says Guy Langford, head of Deloitte LLP's U.S. hospitality and leisure practice.
  • Mr. Nassetta says that while Hilton is picking up the bulk of the costs for the mobile rollout, owners of Hilton-franchised hotels would be required to make a "modest" investment in their properties to upgrade them for the new mobile technology.
  • shoss003 on 08 Oct 14
     
    Great article! I might biased but I love Hilton Chain. In the article they go on to say how they are taking the mobile frenzy to the hotels! They will be implementing not only apps but allowing guests to checkin/out with their phones, and use their phone to open the door. 
shoss003

Destination World E-Newsletter - 0 views

www.destinationworld.info/...feature64.html

shared by shoss003 on 20 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Despite some of the optimistic talk of global economic recovery, the highest likelihood is that the tourism industry still has several challenging months or even years ahead of it.
  • t only takes one incident to destroy the sense of security that visitors demand.
  • Even before September 11, 2001 visitors wanted to know if a locale provides good tourism security.
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  • As people age, the issue of security and safety moves to the forefront. Presence is essential and the cost of a security professional is a lot less than the cost of additional advertising due to loss revenue. 
  • Promote safety and security programmes to people in this niche.
  • Machines, however, do not provide a sense of empathetic hospitality that is essential for a successful tourism industry. The best course of action is to blend human security with technology.
  • perception often governs a tourist's reality and if our visitors believe that an economic downturn will produce an increase in crime, then showing a tourism security presence becomes even more important.
  • These are the times to think out of the box. When people are scared then tourism security is part of economic security. 
  • shoss003 on 07 Oct 14
     
    Great read!! Explains how tourist need to feel safe in order to travel. The importance of safety is the most important thing tourist look for when traveling. Currently the world is in a disarray. 
shoss003

It Takes Two to Tango! Relationship Management Between Hotels & Planners - Social Table... - 1 views

blog.socialtables.com/...gement-between-hotels-planners

shared by shoss003 on 07 Oct 14 - No Cached
  • RFPs are submitted online into a nameless, faceless centralized database. As the planner, if you don’t have all the info then don’t source out your RFP to 100+ hotels and feel that each one should get back to you.
  • Menus, for example, are a great way to make accommodations on a tight budget. Menus can be adjusted to work with just about any budget.
  • Again, communication is key. Be open and willing to talk. Know what’s going on at the hotel and how/if it will affect your meeting or event
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  • Don’t leave this all up to the hotel – its up to the planner to keep track of their room block and the number of rooms that have yet to sell. Push this information out to attendees, get them to sign up under the room block.
  • Schedule a walk through. Walkthroughs are great, not only in the early stages of planning, but to meet with hotel staff to wrap up final details and setup. Ensuring that everyone is on the same page
  • shoss003 on 07 Oct 14
     
    Great article that links the management side with the planners point of view. It gives a planner some insight into where they should push and pull at the hotel and when to let the process work. Sometimes when you are planning an event you believe your event supersedes another other and you "deserve" the hotels undivided attention. Those are unrealistic expectations. They give tips how to utilizes the hotel properly, how to communicate effectively with the hotel so everyone walks away with a great event.
shoss003

Mobile Payment Systems Offer Multiple Solutions for Restaurants - QSR magazine - 1 views

www.qsrmagazine.com/...efining-mobile-payment-systems

shared by shoss003 on 18 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • shoss003 on 18 Sep 14
     
    In this article they talk about how vendors are using "mobile payment system." They explain there are two types of mobile wallets, open-loop and closed-loop. A Open loop is using apps like Google wallet that you keep major credit cards and closed-loop would using payment method for a certain restaurant or vender. They went on to explain how the Federal Reserve states that 17% of smartphone users have use a mobile device at the POS in the last 12 months. The article went on to say that restaurant should start to embrace this type of payment because it gives the customers more options to pay. They went on to say that many of the new POS systems offer the ability to use virtual wallets and other types of payments. They are calling this new POS systems, mPOS. They state they are a great tool for quick service restaurants. You can see how this is explaining with the commercials of Chase Mobile Banking. In the article they mention "mobile-to-mobile" transactions. In the commercial they show you how a mom forgot to pay for a field trip but she can instantly send a payment to the classroom mom and not have to worry later. To me, it is an interesting concept. I have tried mobile deposits and accepting moneys via email transfers.
shoss003

Speedy Check-In Lets Hotel Guests Bypass Front Desk - 1 views

www.nytimes.com/...-guests-bypass-front-desk.html

shared by shoss003 on 29 Aug 13 - No Cached
  • shoss003 on 02 Sep 14
     
    As we move into a technology focused society hotel needs to follow the trend of what travelers want and how to streamline using technology. This article describes how hotels are implimating kiosk in their lobbies to offer their guest a quick and easy way to check-in without having to make the line at the front desk. The hotels goal is to leave the "hotel embassador" and/or front desk for guests that have special requests or questions about their stay. They reference a hotel in Boston that has taken the electronic checkin a step further. They email the guests prior to arriving at the hotel two codes. The first code is to be used at the front door to enter the hotel, and the second code to enter into their hotel room keypad. They interviewed President and General Manager of NCR Corporation's travel business about these types of services. He stated that they offer travelers the same speed and quick services as ATM machines at banks or kiosks at the airport for quick checkin. He went on to say that they expect that type of service when traveling. Mr. Craig even touched on how a travelers feedback is even more important due to social media. One bad review can affect the hotel instantly after they tweet, post, etc. In the article they also interviewed Glenn Haussman, editor of the online trade magazine Hotel Interactive. He stated that with the use of the kiosk and express check-in the front desk staff can offer a more personal experience by doing other tasks. For example they mentioned a late check guest might want a snack or something to relax after a tough flight. By the staff not needing to check them in can go get the guest a coffee, or something to eat; this making the experience feeling more personal. The article states the Hyatt chain has implemented their kiosk in almost all their properties in major cities. They still offer a more traditional check-in as well. They went on to say some chains are using greeters with ipads to check guests in as they ente
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