Skip to main content

Home/ Hospitality Technology/ Group items matching ""new york"" in title, tags, annotations or url

Group items matching
in title, tags, annotations or url

Sort By: Relevance | Date Filter: All | Bookmarks | Topics Simple Middle
damanigoode

Reopening Las Vegas: Casinos, businesses open amid protests, COVID-19 - 0 views

www.rgj.com/...3157398001

Las Vegas casinos protests covid reopening

shared by damanigoode on 08 Jun 20 - No Cached
  • It was set for launch on Tuesday morning, two days before casinos planned to end the coronavirus shutdown and open doors to visitors for the first time in almost 80 days.
  • demonstrations resulted in hundreds of arrests
  • things changed again when another violent night of unrest left a police officer shot in the head and a man dead outside a courthouse. The commercial was shelved
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Because of the passion and sensitivity and pain our community was feeling as well as every community in the country, we thought it would be more appropriate to show restraint."  
  • With intel from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Vassiliadis monitors room occupancy rates, bookings and visitor numbers at McCarran International Airport. The data, he said, has been promising – but nowhere near pre-pandemic levels.
  • MGM Resorts International is only booking 30 to 35 percent of available rooms at the reopened Bellagio, New York-New York and MGM Grand.
  • “While it was different, it was safe, it was fun, and it’s still the Vegas I know.’
  • damanigoode on 08 Jun 20
     
    Las Vegas casinos delayed their anticipated reopening by several days due to civil unrest and protesting. Digital marketing including a new ad campaign was ultimately pulled due to the heightened sensitivity surrounding recent events. Once the strip was eventually allowed to reopen, preliminary data was promising, but nowhere near pre-covid numbers, and capacity at resorts like MGM was being kept under 35% for the time being.
gulsevim

SiteMinder Brings GDS Representation In-House as Hotel Customers More Than Triple in One Year | Hotel Online - 1 views

www.hotel-online.com/...e-as-hotel-customers-more-than

GDS siteminder

shared by gulsevim on 27 Jan 18 - No Cached
  • Almost 900 hotels located in the world’s top destinations are poised to receive personalized GDS sales and marketing representation from the global hotel industry’s leading cloud platform.
  • GDS by SiteMinder’, gain its own chain code and more than triple in hotel users.
  • Through sales and marketing representation, those hotels can now access a network of GDS experts based in New York, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, Paris, Munich and Sydney that will work with travel buyers on their behalf to increase hotel brand exposure and revenue.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Over the past year, GDS by SiteMinder powered nearly 200,000 reservations worth over $60 million in hotel revenue, showing how effective global distribution systems are in bringing guests hotels wouldn’t otherwise attract, especially from Monday to Friday when properties need business most.
  • Mr Lewis-Purcell has spearheaded SiteMinder’s dedicated GDS function over the last 12 months, growing the total number of GDS by SiteMinder hotel users from 250 to almost nine hundred.
  • GDS by SiteMinder uniquely brings cloud-based technology together with legacy GDSs that are as relevant today as they were thirty years ago, to provide hotels an incomparable total distribution platform. It’s now used by about sixty percent more hotels than our industry’s most renowned soft brands.
  • GDS by SiteMinder provides hotels a single point of entry to the world’s major global distribution system providers – Sabre, Amadeus and Travelport – and travel agent network. In addition to sales and marketing representation, hotel users of the GDS connection receive free consortia advice, account management and local customer support.
  • gulsevim on 27 Jan 18
     
    Site Minder by GDS experience, serves as good example to better understand the impact of a GDS's impact on the hotel industry. GDS by SiteMinder provides a single point of entry to over 500 000 travel agents across the globe, which means that hotels can target many type of travelers in multiple geographic regions. By connecting hotels directly to the world's major GDS providers - Sabre, Amadeus, and Travelport - and travel agent network, GDS by SiteMinder offers a major convenience to participating hotels. Through this service, hotels don't have to worry about signing up with each one of these providers. Another advantage of SiteMinder is its affordability; there are no commission fees, rather, just one flat transaction fee per reservation. The company offers free services from GDS experts and free technical account management advice which are other benefits. For instance, in another article, in mid-2013, South Beach Group who has boutique hotels in the heart of Miami Beach, decided to switch its 12 hotels to GDS by SiteMinder. After moving to GDS by SiteMinder, South Beach Group representative highlights the significant increase in bookings leading to a growth in annual revenues by17% in 2013. In essence, GDS by SiteMinder advertises participating hotels to more customers globally within an incomparable distribution platform, with real-time and two-way GDS connectivity. As we can see in the article, in 2016, just within 12 months the total number of users of GDS by SiteMinder increased from 250 to almost 900. This article underlines the importance of GDS for the growth of travel industry. With Site Minder by GDS, one can realize how GDS helps increase hotel bookings by placing hotels on more virtual channels (an analogue of supermarket shelves) globally.  
kakaboshi

Those Tiny Hotel Toiletry Bottles Are on Their Way Out - The New York Times - 1 views

www.nytimes.com/...plastic-bottles-hotels.html

hotel sustainability shampoobottles ban roomamenity plasticban green

shared by kakaboshi on 03 Sep 19 - No Cached
  • In what might become the first such state law of its kind, a bill, A.B. 1162, is making its way through the California Legislature that aims to scrap the tiny single-use plastic bottles at hotels and other hospitality establishments. It was passed in the Assembly last week, and has moved to the Senate for committee examination.
  • “The goal is really to start to phase out single-use plastics in our state in general,”
  • “This is really low-hanging fruit because the industry is already moving in that direction.”
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • The city council of Orlando, Fla., on Monday approved a partial ban on straws and bags, and last month, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, banned plastic bags starting from next year.
  • In March, lawmakers in New York agreed on a statewide ban on most types of single-use plastic bags from retail sales, making it the second state to do so after California, which has been at the national forefront of legislative action to ban plastics clogging shorelines.
  • In 2016, the world generated 242 million tons of plastic waste, according to the World Bank. North America, which it defines as Bermuda, Canada and the United States, is the third largest producer of plastic waste, totaling more than 35 million tons.
  • The California bill says that from the start of 2023, lodging establishments with more than 50 rooms would be prohibited from providing a small plastic bottle containing a personal care product in a bathroom or sleeping room. Establishments with 50 rooms or fewer would have until Jan. 1, 2024.
  • The California Hotel & Lodging Association had pushed for an extension of the deadline to make it easier for hotels to comply.
  • He estimated it could cost about $70 for each of the 500,000 hotel rooms in California to be transformed to accommodate multi-use dispensers.
  • Generally, hotels and hospitality organizations assume guests will nick toiletries. But if they don’t disappear from rooms, bottles left behind are often repurposed.
  • Some donate extras to homeless shelters or other organizations helping people in need.
  • “In one month alone, this can amount to over 380 pounds of toiletries diverted from the landfill and sent to those in need,” the hotel says.
  • InterContinental Hotels Group said last year that it would remove plastic straws from more than 5,400 hotels in nearly 100 countries by the end of 2019 and introduce bulk bathroom amenities at some of its brands.
  • Some hotels work with Clean the World, an organization in Orlando, Fla., that recycles soaps and leftover plastic bottles collected through its partnerships with 8,000 establishments.
  • Like grocery bags and straws, the miniature bottles of toiletries and cosmetics that many guests swipe from hotels are in the sights of legislators and hotel establishments who are trying to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste.
  • dskomorowsky on 04 Sep 19
     
    This is a smart move, both from a environmental and a cost cutting perspective as refillable containers will likely reduce costs over the long run. Marriott has been looking at replacing this process for years (Marriott Banning Little Shampoo Bottles By 2020 Associated Press - https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/marriott-banning-little-shampoo-bottles-2020-n1047116) However, even Marriott admits that it doesn't have the process right yet. There will be a significant impact to smaller operators whom 1) Will be challenged with an additional increase in cost for new dispensary options 2) Have less access to big brand economy of scale purchasing which specialized dispensary products will require. Though this is as a policy almost a foregone conclusion, there seems little doubt that extensive thought has to be put into the impact on operators as a whole, and the customer made cognizant of the fact that costs will rise due to this change.
ovila009

Proximity Marketing Examples: 28 Retail Companies Nailing it with their Campaigns | Beaconstac - 0 views

blog.beaconstac.com/...-proximity-marketing-campaigns

shared by ovila009 on 16 Nov 20 - No Cached
  • Unacast’s latest Q4 Proxbook report confirms that beacon deployments are on track and the numbers align with ABI Research’s forecast of 400 million beacons to be deployed by 2020
  • we bring you a comprehensive list of 28 retail companies that are making a mark with their proximity marketing campaigns via beacons.
  • Eat touted this move as a “strategic pillar” in its communications because it allowed the company to access more information about customer behaviour and drive business intelligence to make precise decisions about how consumer behaviour can be influenced.
  • ...35 more annotations...
  • As a part of this program, the chain tapped a popular Turkish loyalty app called Shopping Genie, to target customers while they were around the premises of a local McD Café.  Customers got mobile coupons, via the app, which prompted them to purchase a coffee and receive a beverage from the new drink line for free. This proximity marketing campaign via beacons helped McDonald’s achieve 20% conversion rate with 30% of users who received the promotion!
  • Bluetooth beacons were deployed at the point of purchase, where customers were waiting in line to pay or just moving around.
  • These beacon notifications offered two Red Bull cans for $4! Apart from making a profit out of campaigns, Red Bull also monitored the entire campaign in real-time and captured customer behaviour.
  • The retail giant used GE light bulbs to house beacons and send push notifications of specials and discount coupons to in-store customers. These beacon-equipped LED bulbs can track shoppers within a store by using the beacons hidden inside them
  • Carrefour has extensive iBeacon networks in all 28 of its hypermarkets in Romania through which the retail chain offers its consumers a simple, intuitive, and fun app for orientation inside hypermarkets from area to area
  • The retailer’s beacon-enabled app automates the commercial content delivery and collects essential data about in-store consumer behaviour. Its proximity marketing campaign keeps consumers informed about the products, services, and actual special offers from each of the store departments.
  • Popular convenience store group Nisa piloted iBeacon technology to track its shoppers by attaching Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to trolleys and baskets
  • These sensors picked up the signals emitted by beacons and collected location data which was then fed to a cloud-based server for analysis.
  • used iBeacon technology to gamify the Ladies’ Night event with brands providing offers, discounts, freebies, and prize giveaways. Many retailers such as Hotel Chocolat, Krispy Kreme, Cath Kidston, and House of Fraser, participated in the event
  • The event was highly successful as it saw more than 500 app downloads within the first three hours, with over 500 offers redeemed. All 120 hotspot offers were redeemed within the first 52 minutes of the event.
  • Best Buy implemented a beacon strategy to help boost sales and improve personalisation of experience. The retail giant chose to use their own application as well as Shopkick retailing app to offer rewards to shoppers, simply for stepping foot in the door.
  • Hammerson rolled out beacons across their shopping centres to improve personalisation of consumers’ shopping experience. Their beacon-enabled Plus app was initially trialled at Les Terrasses du Port in Marseille and it ranked among the top 10 lifestyle apps in France.
  • The app also allows a consumer to call for assistance. A member of the staff receives the request informing them that a customer is waiting for help
  • UK supermarket Waitrose started using iBeacon technology at its relatively new experimental Swindon store to deliver price promotions to consumers when they were near a particular aisle or food counter
  • UK supermarket giant Tesco launched its “biggest trial” of iBeacon technology, in partnership with consumer goods company Unilever, by deploying beacons in 270 stores across London. They launched the ‘Mpulse app’ as a part of the Pink and Black marketing campaign
  • using beacons to target passers-by based on their interest. They change campaigns based on distinct seasons including prom season at colleges
  • Oscar Mayer worked out an interesting deal with the supermarkets which would allow them to place beacons at the deli counter. This location helps them convince shoppers to buy the specials of the week while waiting at the counter.
  • Amazon, the retail giant started a new convenience store in Seattle, U.S. in Jan 2018. Amazon Go is an 1800 sq feet mini market filled with food and technology. They have deployed an array of cameras, beacons and other proximity sensors to make the store one-of-a-kind
  • World-famous brands such as Hamleys, Armani, Longchamp, and Hackett form the 80% of the retail companies that have deployed beacons in their Regent Street stores with the aim of pushing exclusive and personalised marketing messages to customers via iBeacon technology. Shoppers receive alerts and tailored content about everything, from new in-store promotions to exclusive offers only available for visitors to Regent Street, as they pass
  • Neiman Marcus, the high-end retail chain, piloted beacons at three stores—Austin, TX, Walnut Creek, CA, and San Antonio.
  • Rite Aid has installed beacons in over 4,500 US stores for retargeting and personalization of user experience. This large-scale beacon deployment by the Pharmacy chain is the largest beacon installation program in a retail setting till date. In fact, it has even surpassed the one undertaken by the famous Macy’s
  • a collection of beacon-level proximity data to strategize their retargeting plan and achieve personalization capabilities similar to those that have been used in e-commerce
  • Walgreens has innovated considerably in the mobile retail space by using iBeacon and other technologies at over 7000 locations.
  • leveraged iBeacon technology at ten of its stores to boost its loyalty program.
  • Target, the second largest general merchandise retailer in the US, announced that it will start testing beacon technology in 50 of its stores nationwide.
  • The recommendations may appear both as push alerts and in-app updates on the Target app’s “Target Run” page, which is designed like a social media news feed offering deals, top-pinned items on Pinterest, and more
  • beacons to bridge the gap between online shopping and in-store experience. Their beacon-enabled app notifies consumers if any item in their mobile shopping bag is in stock,
  • The store has deployed beacons with individualized campaigns for each department, which makes the customer experience interesting and focussed
  • Macy’s expanded its beacon program to all stores nationwide, by installing more than 4,000 beacons. This step was a part of the retailer’s efforts to make bigger investments in omnichannel retail technologies. This Thanksgiving, Macy’s also used a beacon-triggered mobile app game at its 700 stores, to engage shoppers
  • Urban Outfitters announced that they will be rolling out beacons at 15 of their stores located in Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Delaware, more than a year ago. The US multichannel fashion and homewares retailer decided to take a different route unlike the conventional route of using aggressive promotions.
  • Kenneth Cole is using beacons to create more compelling, personalized customer experiences with an aim to “provide value and offer at the time of need when customers are in the store
  • launched beacon networks in more than 100 of its top-performing stores located in states such as Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, and San Francisco. The idea was to implement iBeacon technology at the stores with the highest traffic levels and best traction with Shopkick.
  • Supermarket giant Woolworths successfully completed a beacon trial with one store using iBeacon technology to improve customer service around click-and-collect. Thereafter, the chain announced that they are looking to roll out beacons across all of its 254 click-and-collect stores with the aim of allowing consumers to place their order online and pick them up in-store
  • it has decided to distribute free BLE beacons to about 150,000 gas-station convenience stores in the United States and Canada
  • Alex and Ani used beacons in all of its 40 stores to optimize store layouts and product placement. Contrary to popular belief that beacons are only for ‘pushing’ ads, the popular Rhode Island-based jewellery brand used beacons differently in its trial period without using them to promote flash sales and other discount promotions.
  • khadija2050 on 16 Nov 20
     
    the article gives examples of retail stores and how they use proximity marketing to promote their products
elena zhebrun

No pictures of food in NYC restaurants due to online food-porn??? Is it possible? - 0 views

abcnews.go.com/...story

technology hospitality NYC Food Pictures online

shared by elena zhebrun on 30 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • elena zhebrun on 30 Jan 13
     
    This growing trend is commonly known as foodstagram, a photo taken on a cellphone and quickly posted online. So far, the informal ban has not made its way to the New York State Restaurant Association, which includes 5,000 restaurants in the New York metro area. Andrew Moesel, spokesman for the NYSRA, says the issue is not something that's on the organization's radar. In an email to ABCNews.com, Jacki Spillane of SoHo House said, "SoHo House New York does have a no photography policy within the Club. SoHo House is a private members club, we have this policy to respect and maintain our members' privacy."
ysuarez123

Want to Relax in a Nice Hotel for 15 Minutes? An App Can Make That Happen - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...hotel-rooms-by-the-minute.html

shared by ysuarez123 on 02 Feb 18 - No Cached
  • By-the-hour hotel rooms aren’t a novel concept.
  • But while these brief rentals are traditionally found at budget hotels, the enterprises today involve higher-end properties and are targeting middle-class to affluent customers for considerably different purposes
  • The guests who might book these rooms, he said, include travelers with layovers, corporate travelers who need a quiet place to work and don’t have an office in town, and locals who are seeking some downtime during the day and find it more convenient to check into a hotel near where they are rather than go back home
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Dayuse.com, available for 4,000 hotels in 22 countries, also partners with three- to five-star properties, with a three-hour minimum on reservations.And now, with the app Recharge, users can book rooms by the minute at luxury properties in New York City and San Francisco
  • Recharge’s customers — more than 30,000 as of November — are mostly locals and include mothers who want a clean place to nurse their babies or pump their breast milk, people seeking a quiet space to take a phone call and those seeking a midday reprieve. “We’ve even had fathers who need to change their child’s diaper and would rather do it in a hotel room than in a coffee shop bathroom,
  • According to the company’s research, a 250-room property can get almost 275-rooms’ worth of revenue in one day from these short stays
  • Every hotel listed on Recharge’s app has a service fee, ranging from $30 to $50. The more luxurious the hotel, the higher the fee. After the service fee, per minute prices for the stays range from 50 cents to $2.
  • Recharge is easy to use and has an appealing list of hotels. In a market in which companies sell stays at properties for small chunks of time, the brand’s by-the-minute feature helps it stand out
  • ysuarez123 on 02 Feb 18
     
    This article focuses on new hotel apps, focusing on Recharge, that let you rent upscale hotel rooms by the minute/hour. As the article states, this is not a new concept and has been offered in the pass usually at motels. This app looks to change the demographic of those looking to rent hotels for a small amount of time. The app is already active in popular cities around the world, they aim to only work with 3-5 star hotels. I downloaded the app and thought the pricing was a little concerning, but it goes back to the demographic the app is targeting. Recharge aims to appeal to travelers with long layovers, business people looking for a quiet spot in between meeting, sight seers that may need a nap, and even mothers looking for a safe place t publicly breastfeed. Their pricing is right in line with their target demographic as the cheapest price is usually around $30 per hour, and there is always a service fee; the author of the article talks about staying in a hotel for 15 minutes and paying $65 dollars. Personally the pricing is a huge setback, but business wise it makes sense. You are covering the cost of housekeeping having to go in and reset the room, and front desk reprogramming the keys/ handling check in and check out. While I think the system could create a bit of a challenge for hotels in terms of making if something is ready and clean or not, it is another opportunity to increase revenues. This app especially during the slow season for hotels, could help them fill their less desired rooms, if only for an hour. It is similar to a restaurant way of thinking "How many times can we flip this table (room) in peak hours". I may not use the app, but if I was traveling with friends and splitting the cost, I would definitely take the opportunity to pay a few bucks to nap in a 5 star resort.
blevi022

Branded Strategic Hospitality Created by NYC Restaurant Owners to Connect Technology and Innovation and Deploy Capital in the Time of Tech - 0 views

www.prnewswire.com/...he-time-of-tech-301086799.html

shared by blevi022 on 12 Jul 20 - No Cached
  • New York City restaurant owners join forces to create a platform, Branded Strategic Hospitality "Branded" to capitalize on the opportunities to invest and partner with early and growth-stage Hospitality Technology companies
  • The COVID crisis has accelerated the "Time of Tech" for the Hospitality Industry, and the Branded team believes that deploying additional capital as well as making new investments is the right course of action for this investment and advisory platform
  • Branded, a hospitality technology investment & advisory platform (https://www.brandedstrategic.com), has positioned itself to continue to be at the intersection of technology and capital
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • This is particularly important and timely as the hospitality industry has been forced to quickly adopt and embrace technology to survive the "new normal". The global pandemic has only increased the significance and importance of hospitality-centric technology companies for the industry and has put a spotlight on Branded's investment thesis that the hospitality industry must embrace
  • Branded believes that continuing to identify, vet and make new investments as well as deploy additional capital to several of its current Partner Companies is the right course of action for this investment and advisory platform
  • When the restaurant shutdown was embraced by most states, Branded's off-premise and mobile/touchless HI-Tech Partner Companies immediately demonstrated an ability and desire to be allies to the industry.
  • Branded team is in a unique position to "test before they invest" and deploy capital in companies after successful in-store trials. The team is able to offer real insights to on the most pressing and important problems, challenges and opportunities that restaurant owners face
  • We've found that our boots on the ground experience and our ability to use our network of restaurants to test and vet emerging technology has proven to be beneficial in not only accelerating the growth of our partner companies, but also making smarter strategic capital introductions,
  • In terms of the Coronavirus crisis, it has challenged the industry in ways that we have never seen before, and technology is more important than ever. The adoption of HI-Tech will be crucial for restaurants to continue to earn revenue in a socially distancing society."
  • blevi022 on 12 Jul 20
     
    This articles discussed a synergistic partnership for technology investment by New York City restaurant owners. This is intended to encourage investment in technology in ways attuned to the needs of avidly Actual restaurants in practical ways.
Xu Wang

Americans Want to Fly Wireless - 2 views

www.hospitality-industry.com/...americans_want_to_fly_wireless

shared by Xu Wang on 08 Sep 12 - Cached
  • Americans don’t want to unplug from their portable communication devices when flying.
  • 80 percent of respondents want the option to connect to the Internet during their flight.  An additional 66 percent would like to be allowed to talk on their cell phone. 
  • This is good news for airlines that already offer wireless services to their passengers.  However,
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Americans are reticent to pay for Wi-Fi,
  • In addition, while flyers would also like the option to use mobile phones mid-flight,
  • 55 percent of respondents were concerned that such usage could put the safety of their plane at risk. 
  • “Not only do American travelers want to stay ‘plugged in’ during their flights, but there is also a much higher tolerance for in-flight mobile phone use than we expected,”
  • “It is good to see that the FAA is looking at ways to satisfy this demand through possible new allowances.” 
  • Xu Wang on 08 Sep 12
     
    Wireless networking is a important application of computer networks. And this news is very interesting. Because with my own experiences during traveling, I found out that a lot of passengers do not want to turn-off their phones during their flying time, some may choose to turn to the fight mode. And when I took Qatar airline, I found out that they install the wireless services for people to send message or make phone calls. That was the first time I experience this kind of service, I was very excited but calmed down when I saw the expensive fees I need to pay if I want to use. So I think it is time for FAA to look ways which can satisfy travelers' demand through possible new allowances.
  • Nelson Placa on 09 Sep 12
     
    I am one of those Americans that have a hard time disconnecting from technology when boarding an aircraft. I usually fly American Airlines and a majority of their airplane offer Wi-Fi available for purchase, I don't mind paying $12.95 so that I can stay entertain, I can't wait to hear the chime at 10,000 feet followed with the message from the flight crew telling me that "it is now safe to use electronic devices." On May 16th, 2012, Virgin Atlantic announced that passengers would be able use cell phones onboard the airplane utilizing VoIP. Can you imagine this technology aboard a plane from Los Angeles to New York? http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Virgin-Atlantic-Cell-Phones-Planes-In-Flight-Cost,15642.html
Jennifer Mesa

The New York Palace Goes Bedside High-Tech || HotelChatter - 0 views

www.hotelchatter.com/..._Palace_Goes_Bedside_High-Tech

new york hotel bedside technology palace

shared by Jennifer Mesa on 10 Apr 13 - No Cached
  • Jennifer Mesa on 10 Apr 13
     
    This new bedside technology controls lights, media, bedroom setting and also lets you know if someone is at your door waiting for you
  • Jennifer Mesa on 10 Apr 13
     
    This new bedside technology controls lights, media, bedroom setting and also lets you know if someone is at your door waiting for you
natashacastro

Fyre Festival, a Luxury Music Weekend, Crumbles in the Bahamas - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...-festival-ja-rule-bahamas.html

shared by natashacastro on 08 Nov 17 - No Cached
  • Promoted by Instagram influencers including Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski as a never-before-seen V.I.P. event, the gathering — with weekend ticket packages starting around $1,200 and topping six-figures with extras
  • On social media, where Fyre Festival had been sold as a selfie-taker’s paradise, accounts showed none of the aspirational A-lister excesses, with only sad sandwiches and free alcohol to placate the restless crowds. General disappointment soon turned to near-panic as the festival was canceled and attendees attempted to flee back to the mainland of Florida.
  • “Not one thing that was promised on the website was delivered,” said Shivi Kumar, 33, who works in technology sales in New York, and came with a handful of friends expecting the deluxe “lodge” package for which they had paid $3,500: four king size beds and a chic living room lounge. Instead Ms. Kumar and her crew were directed to a tent encampment. Some tents had beds, but some were still unfurnished. Directed by a festival employee to “grab a tent,” attendees started running, she said.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • By Friday morning, the festival, founded by the rapper Ja Rule and the tech entrepreneur Billy McFarland, was in damage-control mode. “Fyre Festival set out to provide a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience,” the organizers said in a statement. “Due to circumstances out of our control, the physical infrastructure was not in place on time and we are unable to fulfill on that vision safely and enjoyably for our guests.” (A second weekend, planned to start May 5, was also scrapped.)
  • internet programming, the ocean and rap music.
  • But the pair soon discovered logistical hurdles, including a lack of proper water systems and transportation. “There wasn’t the infrastructure we needed. We attempted to build a city out of nothing,” Mr. McFarland said. “Neither of us had developed an island or a festival before.”
  • Still, after a few months of planning — including adding sewage piping and buying an ambulance in New Jersey and shipping it to the island — the organizers thought they were ready for the crowds until the storm on Thursday morning washed away some of what they had built.“Our mistake was trying to own all of it in-house,” said Mr. McFarland, who is also the founder of Magnises, an exclusive members-only benefits card for upwardly mobile millennials. “We were in over our heads.”
  • The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism expressed its dismay in a statement on Friday, citing the festival’s “disorganization and chaos.” It continued: “ We offer a heartfelt apology to all who traveled to our country for this event.”
  • natashacastro on 08 Nov 17
     
    This article is a perfect example of how event planning can go terribly wrong with social media usage. The Bahama music festival hosted by Ja-Rule and his company left hundreds stranded on the Island of Great Exuma. The event started off by being promoted through instagram, mainly by famous celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner. Tickets were sold at $1,200 for the utmost luxurious experience. Come the weekend of the festival, music go-ers arrived into full chaos. Everything that had been promised to the guests such as deluxe lodges, yoga tents and food courts were missing. People showed up to an empty island with no food, water or basic shelter. Clearly the festival was poorly executed and planned and it was canceled. There was a lack of infrastructure on the island to provide safety for the guests along with a lack of proper water systems and transportation. The event planners had not had a proper back up plan for storms that could potentially hit the island (which happened) which completely set back everything. Many viewed this Fryre Festival as a major scam and were extremely upset, but what it turned out to be was a poorly planned and executed music event.
laura kaczkowski

Green and Eco-Friendly Hotel Amenities - 0 views

www.cntraveler.com/...n-eco-friendly-hotel-amenities

shared by laura kaczkowski on 21 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Mayakoba, Riviera Maya
  • uses no motorized vehicles throughout the entire property. Instead, guests can ride electric golf carts, bicycles, or electric boats on more than nine miles of canals.
  • Palmer House Hilton in Chicago
  • ...18 more annotations...
  • rooftop garden last summer to provide fresh herbs and vegetables to the hotel’s Lockwood restaurant.
  • “barefoot beekeeping” system, which is a chemical-free, low-impact, sustainable and natural approach to producing honey.
  • the greenhouses El Dorado Royale Resort in Rivera Maya, Mexico hope to produce 211,699 pounds of fresh produce this year
  • can tour the 100,000-square-foot growing space
  • plans his menu around greenhouse ingredient
  • oga Ranch in Napa Valley
  • the sheep make ideal groundskeepers because they are only 24 inches tall at full size, so they can’t reach tree branches or trellised grapes.
  • their manure helps fertilize the soil,
  • Habana Outpost, where diners can ride a bicycle that powers the eatery’s blender
  • If they hop on the hotel’s exercise bike and generate up 100 watt hours of energy, they’ll earn a free meal
  • and 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.
  • 2010, the resort has been collecting its compostable food products for the Upper Valley Disposal and Recycling Program, which then processes and shares the rich compost with area vineyards, farms, and resorts
  • At the Treehotel in Sweden, rooms are constructed without harming the forest, plus they have eco outdoor wood floors and use green hydroelectric power.
  • restaurant lights are powered by wind and solar energy; the staff provide glass flasks instead of bottled water;
  • The Hawaii Island Retreat on the Big Island’s north coast produces its own electricity through solar cells in photovoltaic panels on the roof of the property’s energy building.
  • Lake Nicaragua's Jicaro Island Ecolodge is operated by 2010 World Savers Award winner Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality
  • All of the wood used for construction or furniture came from trees downed by Hurricane Felix, which hit Nicaragua in 2007, and most of the wastewater is recycled to irrigate the trees and plants.
  • guests are given oxo-biodegradable bottles to use during their stay;
  • laura kaczkowski on 21 Sep 12
     
    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!
Jianyi Wang

4 Problems with E-Commerce - and How to Solve Them - CRM Magazine - 0 views

www.destinationcrm.com/...d-How-to-Solve-Them-70253.aspx

shared by Jianyi Wang on 13 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • According to Kim, the data that's wrapped up in e-commerce processes can not only drive sales, but also create a personalized experience for each and every shopper. Sophisticated analytics, however, are required to unlock the power of that data.
  • A lot of bad behaviors in offline commerce translate to online." Identifying those problems, he asserted, is the first step toward developing solutions.
  • The problems:Pushy Sales
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • No-Service Sales
  • No Data
  • Wrong Data
  • The solutions
  • Segmentation
  • Listen and Serve
  • Jianyi Wang on 13 Sep 12
     
    This article is a comprehensive analysis of the problems existing in E-Commerce from the perspective of a CEO in New York. According to Kim, a lot of bad behaviors in offline commerce translate to online. Identifying those problems, he asserted, is the first step toward developing solutions. There are mainly four problems in E-commerce including pushy sales, No-service Sales, No Data, Wrong Data. He suggests four solutions to solve these problem. At first, they remind that not all consumers should be treated the same. The simplest ,most effective way is segementation, dividing customers into several groups. Moreover,he mentioned that merchant should offer different product to people of their own targeted values. The other two solutions are listen and serve, one chance.That means the merchant should be patient enough to let customer tells them what they want and provide updated activities to the customers on time.
Krystal Jost

Four Hotel Companies Select Aptech Business Intelligence, Accounting and Budgeting Solutions - 0 views

www.hospitalitynet.org/...4053658.html

technology accounting budgeting intelligence hospitality solutions

shared by Krystal Jost on 02 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • Hotels across Country Implement Aptech Systems to Grow Portfolios, Assess Acquisition Profitability, and Simplify Back Office Operations
  • Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., the leading provider of hospitality software for business intelligence and enterprise financial accounting, today announced four new hotel companies have selected its hospitality solutions to improve their business intelligence, budgeting and forecasting, and accounting.
  • "The four new Aptech clients are a great example of how hotel companies are leveraging financial solutions to better manage their companies and increase profitability,"
  • Dhaval Khakhar on 02 Mar 12
     
    Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., the leading provider of hospitality software for business intelligence and enterprise financial accounting, announced about four new hotel companies who have selected their hospitality solutions to improve their business intelligence, budgeting and forecasting, and accounting. M&R Hospitality Management in New York and San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, CA, are among the companies implementing Aptech's financial solutions. Excuvue is a web based hospitality Business Intelligence application which gathers and coordinates data from different hotel systems, including the Smith Travel Research report. This system can convert written online ratings, comments, and the guest satisfaction ratings into metrics. This basically helps in optimizing the revenues as they can match up with the customer's idea and with their current daily performance and also with their competitors. It is very essential to bring about changes in the department where your competitor is excelling at. This sort of information can help them make quick changes for profitability and customer satisfaction. The interesting part is that companies are looking outside to leverage financial solutions in order to better manage their standards and keep up the pace. and many more hotel companies are implementing this to streamline their back office processes.
  • Krystal Jost on 07 Feb 13
     
    This article focuses on how hotel companies are implementing a new system that has been introduced to simplify financial accounting. Aptech Computer Systems claims to be a leading provider of such software, allowing companies to improve their budgeting, forecasting, and accounting. Many hotel companies utilize Quickbooks to effectively manage their budgeting and forecasting needs, along with their accounting needs, and as these companies grow, they need a better solution to effectively manage these aspects. Companies with multiple properties need a system that can manage data from all of their different sources, and combine them to strategically analyze their profits, revenues, and their losses, as well as to make budgeting decisions and forecasts. Execuvue, a web based business intelligence application created by Aptech, combines data from a large variety of hotel systems, such as STR data, which is extremely valuable in assessing where each hotel stands in its competitive set, and how much of its market share that it is currently obtaining. The system also provides insight to operators as to recommended actions for the hotel to take with the data that is collected. The system also measures online ratings, comment card details and other guest satisfaction measurements, enabling hotel operators to utilize guest satisfaction ratings along with their profit standpoints and their current financials. This system seems to be a valuable resource in today's economy, and with the evolving technology. It allows users to utilize data from all sorts of sources to make decisions and assessments. Any operator or manager knows that seeing data quickly and efficiently, where the answer is simply laid out in front of you so that you do not have to seek information from multiple sources and then compare it with the other sources, allows you to make informed decisions much more quickly and be much more assured with your choices. It also enables those operators to find ways to opt
anonymous

POS System Failure Mystery Solved With Power Protection - 1 views

www.bsminfo.com/...mystery-solved-with-power-0001

shared by anonymous on 28 Aug 15 - No Cached
  • POS System Failure Mystery Solved With Power Protection
  • The Wilderness Inn, formerly used as a tollhouse in the 1800s, is a restaurant and bar on the outskirts of Sparta, NJ.
  • New owner Al Paddock wanted to update his point of sale (POS) system to keep pace with the Wilderness Inn's growth. Blending the old with the new presented Paddock and POS VAR Business Data Systems with a problem.
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • Cold Call Lands Customer
  • Brian Coffelt of Business Data Systems made a cold call to Paddock, shortly after Paddock had taken over the Wilderness Inn. Much of Business Data Systems' business comes from cold calls and referrals. For the past 12 years, the company has installed hospitality POS systems for restaurants in several states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Jersey.
  • According to Coffelt, adding receipt printers at the bar and in the kitchen helped speed order processing. The printers also tracked food and drink coming out of the kitchen and the bar. This eliminated any chance of theft or, in the case of alcohol, overpouring. According to Coffelt, the installation of and training for the new system were uneventful. It wasn't until the system went live that the problems began.
  • "We expected less-than-perfect power because the restaurant was older," admits Coffelt. "But the POS system froze up and failed frequently, right from the start.
  • "After about two weeks of ongoing failures, we replaced every piece of hardware we had just installed, with all new PCs," says Coffelt.
  • Despite the new hardware and the UPS devices, the system continued to fail.
  • "The least-expensive piece of hardware - the kitchen printer - did not have a UPS attached to it," explains Coffelt. "That's how we learned how valuable power protection is to a POS system."
  • An additional SmartPower Systems UPS was added to the kitchen printer, and the system ran smoothly.
  • Looking back, Coffelt says that ignoring the kitchen printer was a mistake. "Restaurant kitchens have many electrical devices, making power disturbances common in those areas," he says. "We made no money on the Wilderness Inn installation." The experience, however, was priceless.
davidclark33

Predictions for Hospitality Tech in 2019 | Hospitality Technology - 1 views

hospitalitytech.com/dictions-hospitality-tech-2019

shared by davidclark33 on 21 Sep 20 - No Cached
  • Every new year presents us with an opportunity to start fresh and improve ourselves for the future. As we start to get our personal resolutions ready, we should also recognize the opportunity that 2019 presents us to find new ways to differentiate and improve our guest experience. Of course, one way to do this is to leverage technology that solves problems for not only your guests but for your teams as well.
  • Unleash The Data Floodgates Knowing your customer down to the smallest of details is essential to good customer service today. Data holds the key to unlocking these actionable details.
  • n other words, there’s no shortage of data that you can collect on your customers. From browsing history to customer service records, basic information forms, and surveys recording preferences, you can gather endless information to get to know and service your guests better.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • Trends tell us that a personalized experience isn’t enough anymore; guests today want a hyper-personalized guest experience. In order to provide one, hotels are going to have to think of new and innovative ways to collect data and then quickly and seamlessly use it to meet and exceed expectations. For example, Virgin Hotel Chicago adjusted its rewards program to be less of a rewards program and more of a preference program. In the program, appropriately called “The Know,” guests put in information about themselves in exchange for things like coupons to dine at the hotel’s restaurant. It gives them the chance to give dietary preferences, select what types of liquor they’d like in their mini bar, and what kind of cocktail they’d like waiting for them at check-in.
  • Smart Rooms & Self Service For The Win The “smart home” has left the bedroom and transitioned to the hotel room. Hotels of every shape and size are incorporating self-service capabilities that ‘smart’ technologies offer to meet the needs of their guests at every point of their stay.
  • Hotels like Hilton allow guests to check-in and set their room preferences -- from temperature to how dim or bright the lights should be -- before they arrive. By implementing self-service options, you help reduce wait times for guests trying to find information and request service.
  • Yotel is also embracing the digital revolution by allowing guests to check in via their airline-style kiosks. The kiosks, which are set up throughout the lobby, allow guests to avoid lines, select preferences, and set them up with their room quickly and easily. With studies showing that people estimate that they waste at least one hour a week waiting in lines, these self-service options not only alleviate waste times, but frustrations as well.
  • At the Godfrey Hotel in Boston, when you walk into a room, the television automatically syncs with your phone and loads your social media, Netflix, or Hulu account giving you easy access to all your favorite content. Meanwhile, in New York, the Renaissance is using its interactive digital concierge service to offer suggestions and information on restaurants and sights.
  • Real-time Communication Will Make Or Break You Of course, even with the introduction of new and exciting technologies that do some of the work for you, you still need to master the basics, such as communication. And today, this means real-time communication. Why, you ask? In December 2017, hotels on the Zingle platform received over 140,000 messages from guests. That’s roughly 4,500 messages a day that teams are fielding regarding everything from service needs, recommendations, complaints and general information inquiries. To handle this deluge of communication, savvy hotels leveraged 103,811 automated responses to answer some of the more common questions in a more efficient manner.
  • Prepare For A New Reality… That Includes Robots As time goes on, hotels are going to have to find ways to incorporate more immersive and interactive technology in order to provide better and more memorable experiences that differentiate themselves from their competitors. 2019 is poised to be a big year for virtual and augmented reality as hotels either find ways to incorporate it, or face the unhappy reality of losing guests.
  • From Hilton to Intercontinental, physical bots have joined their digital counterparts in entering the hospitality industry. However, hotel teams don’t need to panic about losing their jobs -- just yet. Nonetheless, they do provide real value for their ability to perform mundane, repeatable task that can free up staff to service guests elsewhere.
  • davidclark33 on 21 Sep 20
     
    This article was written at the end of 2018 with discussion and predictions for Hospitality Technology in 2019. The majority of the new technology is centered around improving the guest experience with most of it related to the hotel industry. From self check-in kiosks like you see at the airport, to smart rooms in the hotel that sync with your phone and automatically show your netflix and other social media platforms on your tv.
Nelson Placa

Brazil's New Consumer Class Spending Time And Cash In The U.S. - 1 views

www.huffingtonpost.com/...ian-spending-us_n_1337354.html

shared by Nelson Placa on 13 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • According to the latest statistics, Brazilians spent $5.9 billion in the U.S. in 2010 in a tsunami of cash that's shifting American immigration practices and boosting economies in hard-hit parts of the U.S. that remain in the doldrums. President Barack Obama recently ordered the State Department to speed up the visa application process for tourists coming from Brazil, China and other nations with newly flush consumers. After suffering decades of hyperinflation, Brazil has ridden high commodity prices along with some of the world's biggest offshore oil discoveries to expand its economy, lift millions out of poverty and multiply the ranks of the country's deep-pocketed elite.
  • Nelson Placa on 13 Sep 12
     
    On January 2012, President Obama announced an executive order that would allow travelers from Brazil and China to receive travel VISA faster than before. A study from Huffington Post.com showed that on 2010 Brazilians spent $5,400 per visit, more than any other tourist. This executive order will help increase tourism travel across the nation that will help the economy. The order will help the travel industry, retail and housing. The property that I work at Walt Disney World hosts the majority of Brazilians that visit Walt Disney World. You can spend eight hours in our lobby in the afternoon, and you can experience the amount of money Brazilian guests spend on shopping inside and outside Walt Disney World. Stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart are the most popular; online shopping has also become very favorable for guests. During the summer season, the hotel processed over 6,000 packages received from Amazon.com and other online stores that were purchased prior to arrival. It is amazing to see the items received and how much luggage guests take with them. With this economic boost, more job creations will occur. The most popular US cities visited by Brazilians are New York City, Las Vegas and Orlando (http://www.traveltobrazil.org/post/20-most-visited-places-by-brazilians-in-brazil-and-abroad.html).
Kassandra Baumgardner

Sales and Event Management Web Application Boosts Sales and Productivity for Restaurants and Hotels - SFGate - 1 views

www.sfgate.com/...Application-Boosts-3691424.php

event web

shared by Kassandra Baumgardner on 23 Jul 12 - No Cached
  • Tripleseat, a cloud-based Sales and Event Management application for the Hospitality Industry, announced they have recently achieved the milestone of having over 400 restaurants, hotels and unique venues as customers.
  • delivered over $200M in leads
  • managed over $500M in events
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • result has been chaotic events, lost sales and not enough time to grow the business.
  • private parties and events represents over 30% of a restaurant’s revenue but it requires a coordinated sales effort to be successful
  • The event business is a $26 billion a year industry and it is being run on post it notes and ad hoc technology.
  • To fix the problem, I had to develop a easy-to-use, no hardware/software solution that was fast and intuitive."
  • stores all of the past client data
  • he web application can easily integrate with existing websites and social media channels
  • Tripleseat, a cloud-based Sales and Event Management application for the Hospitality Industry, announced they have recently achieved the milestone of having over 400 restaurants, hotels and unique venues as customers
  • Founded in 2008, Tripleseat has delivered over $200M in leads and managed over $500M in events in cities like New York, Boston, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Chicago. Jonathan Morse, a former Event Sales Manager, founded Tripleseat after he realized that restaurant Event Sales Manager were still using paper and pens to manage their banquet business.
  • Morse explained that private parties and events represents over 30% of a restaurant’s revenue but it requires a coordinated sales effort to be successful.
  • Tripleseat, a web based sales and event application that can deliver and capture leads while simplifying the booking and planning of events, ranging from conferences to banquets to private dining affairs.
  • Tripleseat has enhanced my ability to service customers fast and efficiently with all of the tools right at my fingertips. The integrated system stores all of the past client data and has helped me reduce paperwork and focus on sales."
  • Tripleseat is a Sales and Event Management web application that increases event sales and streamlines the planning process
  • Leann Taylor on 23 Jul 12
     
    Tripleseat offers a cloud-based system that keeps client information-even little details- and can be used to assist event planners. Private parties/events represent over 30% of a restaurants revenue and event managers lose time and money conducting their planning the way that they have before. Tripleseat streamlines the process and makes finding leads and simplifying the planning process. 
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Sherine Mattison on 10 Nov 12
     
    The event planning industry was seen by Morse as a billion dollar industry so he decided that the planning and booking process had to be streamlined. The result was a "web based sales and event application that can deliver and capture leads while simplifying the booking and planning of events." The application makes the business more efficient as it stores clients data, so that more emphasis can be placed on sales. "The web application can easily integrate with existing websites and social media channels," so that leads and proposal requests can be made easier.
  • rebecca Bonet on 10 Nov 12
     
    This article talks about a Tripleseat company a cloud base sales and event management application for the hospitality Industry, announced they have recently achieved the milestone of having over 400 restaurant hotel and unique venues as costume. Tripleseat has delivered over 200m in leads and managed over $500 million in event in cities around the country. THE EVENT BUSINESS IS a $26 billion a year industry and it is being run on past it notes. Tripleseat, a web base sale and event application that can deliver and capture leads while simplifying the book and planning of event
  • Kassandra Baumgardner on 22 Feb 13
     
    This article discusses a program called Tripleseat that was created in 2008 as a way to better organize sales and even planning within the hospitality industry. The program is a cloud-based software that provides a competitive edge that event managers need. The founders of the software said that the idea came when he realized that Event sales managers were still using paper and pens to organize their events. He said that event planners were losing sales by not having a simple organized system to track their events. The point of Tripleseat is to provide a fast yet simple to learn program that allows event sales managers to easily book and plan any sort of event no matter the size. It keeps track of little details as well as past client information, there is less paperwork, and managers are able to focus on sales. Since this is a web application it can easily be integrated with other websites as well as social media. It is a sophisticated event planning system, but is also offered at a manageable cost. This type of system sounds like a great system to use. I only wonder if it is able to interface with a property management system of a hotel? Especially one that isn't cloud-based.
sharlabrunsvold

At Disney Parks, a Bracelet Meant to Build Loyalty (and Sales) - The New York Times - 3 views

www.nytimes.com/...o-build-loyalty-and-sales.html

disney bracelet new york times

shared by sharlabrunsvold on 12 May 20 - No Cached
  • The initiative is part of a broader effort, estimated by analysts to cost between $800 million and $1 billion, to make visiting Disney parks less daunting and more amenable to modern consumer behavior. Disney is betting that happier guests will spend more money.
  • Disney is not the first vacation company to use wristbands equipped with radio frequency identification, or RFID, chips. Great Wolf Resorts, an operator of 11 water parks in North America, has been using them since 2006.
  • The logistical challenges involved in pulling this off are extensive. Disney has 60,000 employees here and many must be retrained to use new technology.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • At Disney
  • sharlabrunsvold on 12 May 20
     
    Since most of us no longer give Magic Bands at Walt Disney World a second thought, I thought it would be interesting to look into the past to see how they were interrupted before they were launched. This article discusses the risks, challenges, costs, and competitors at the time. It dives into the discussion many Disney fans had about their privacy and well-being, and it directly aligns with our material this week. We can now see the pay off of this specific management information system, showing their importance in a business's success.
Diya ZHAO

Resistant to the inevitable: How technology is changing the restaurant industry - The Next Web - 0 views

thenextweb.com/...y-changing-restaurant-industry

restaurant new technology

shared by Diya ZHAO on 28 Feb 13 - No Cached
  • Between the arrival of mobile devices on the table, online reservations, social media, and new payment methods, technology has infiltrated the food and restaurant industry like never before. Some of the advances will serve to improve the experience — both for the industry and for the patron.
  •  According to a recent article in the USA Today, restaurants in San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and in other parts of the United States are starting to allow patrons to use iPads to place their orders. While this may be a welcome sign for the industry as a whole (which, according to the piece, has been flat due to the economic downturn since 2007), it might not work out so well for the servers who are displaced by a tablet.
  • Payroll is one of the largest controllable expenses in the industry, and keeping it as low as possible can have a huge impact on a restaurant’s bottom line.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Besides replacing menus (and possibly those who take your order from them), tablets have the potential to help hosts deal with incoming patrons who may have reservations.
  • But the use of mobile devices isn’t limited to the serving side of things. They can be used to track inventory, regular checklists, and can go so far as to be used in a similar way we use in our own home kitchens – as a way to help out new kitchen workers get a handle on the restaurant’s menu items.
  • Social networking sites have played a huge role in shaping the views of society on a myriad of issues, and they are also playing a role in shaping people’s opinions of dining establishments. With Foursquare, customers can leave their thoughts on a restaurant
  • The transaction was seamless and didn’t seem at all out of place considering the environment I was in. I mean, I didn’t even think about the notion of having Square in a food and restaurant setting, and here it was.
  • danielle caskie on 28 Feb 13
     
    This article is about the new technology trends in restaurants around the US. The article shows how large cities like Chicago and New York are not only using tablets to have customers place orders, but are also using APPS. 
  • Diya ZHAO on 13 Apr 13
     
    Technology has never been more intuitive than it is today, and it's only getting better. It allows restaurant patrons to find restaurants, rate them, and decide where they want to spend their hard-earned money when they go out to eat. It allows restaurant owners to be more efficient and effective in the areas they feel can be streamlined by hardware and software. But if used in the wrong place and at the wrong time, it can do a restaurant great harm - as it can with any industry.
Matt Turner

Hoteliers see green in 'green' tuxedos, tablecloths - 2 views

travel.usatoday.com/...1

shared by Matt Turner on 19 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Kevin Character on 19 Jan 12
     
    In an effort to catch up with emerging technology and trends, it is expected more hotels will begin to "go green" this year with their linens and uniforms. I believe this is in part because hotels are being held to hirer expectations as we emerge from the recession. USA Today reports that American Laundry News surveyed several vendors about new products at the 2011 International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show in New York. Vendors including popular uniform maker, Cintas revealed more items like the washable tuxedo, made from recycled plastic bottles and the Eco-Cobra Jacket for front door staffers. Hospitality textile maker, Riegel is reportedly getting lots of attention from hoteliers for its recycled polyester tablecloths, also made from recycled bottles. The recycled fibers are expected to cut costs on hotel laundry bills. For example, Cintas estimates the washable tuxedos would save them nearly $1,000 each year. I had the opportunity to attend IHMRS this year, and visited the Cintas display. The recyclable material is no new idea. However, it is apparent that changes are being made to improve the durability of the products. I recall when the recycled fibers were initially used. The material seemed cheap and couldn't be ironed for risk of destroying it. Quality seems to be something hotels and restaurants are forgoing in order to "go green". To add, up front costs aren't necessarily saving companies much money. The USA Today article prompts reader responses by asking if hotel/ restaurant visitors even care whether or not a business has "green" products. I believe this is a fair question. Beyond attempts to save on long term costs, what other motivation do hotel operators have to "go green"?
  • Craig S. Wright on 19 Jan 12
     
    I think it is important to hotel visitors, especially group & corporate, for hotels to go green. Maybe companies and organizations require their employees to book rooms at hotels that meet certain "green" standards. If I am a business owner, and promote the company as "green", then our actions and choices have to be "green" too. The uniforms made of recycled material sound very interesting! I wonder if they are comfotable and liked by employees.
  • Matt Turner on 29 Aug 12
     
    While many U.S. hotels are moving from recession style cost cutting to updating their properties, it would appear that they have become interested in a more green approach, at least in one area, laundry. The American Laundry news explains that as many hotels seek to buy new tablecloths and uniforms for their staff, they are looking for green products that can help to trim their laundering costs. One of the things that caught the interest of hoteliers is the hotel industry's first look at machine washable tuxedos for the wait staff. Cintas partnered with Boardroom Eco Apparel to produce the tuxedo, which uses recycled plastic bottles transformed into polyester fibers. Cintas has stated that this green, machine washable tuxedo can save the hotel up to $1000 per employee annually. Cintas has also garnered interest in its recycled polyester bellman's jackets, as well. Another green product that hotels can use is the recycled polyester tablecloth. These tablecloths also come from recycled bottles and are also very eco-friendly. Riegel, the company behind these, has said that just using one of their table napkins can eliminate three plastic bottles from landfills. While these tablecloths may not save the hotel money in the short run, Riegel says that the hotel can save money in the long run by pitching itself as a "green" hotel. It is important to note that hotels have been slowly switching to greener products over the years, such as energy efficient light bulbs, to recycled plastic water bottles, and even sustainable organic ingredients in restaurant kitchens.
‹ Previous 21 - 40 of 138 Next › Last »
Showing 20▼ items per page