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The travel industry is growing 23% faster than the world economy and will continue historical growth for the next 18 to 20 years.

Years ago, when you wanted to go on vacation, there was only one option. You had to hoof it down to your local travel agency and browse through some travel brochures.

Then, a few things happened. First, the airlines decided they didn’t need travel agents anymore and they pulled the plug on agent commissions

Going green is going Hi Tech. As hoteliers continue to embrace the necessary tools to be good environmental stewards, and of course reduce operating costs, leading hoteliers are forging new ground in how to utilize technology to significantly reduce energy consumption while also weaning themselves off fossil fuels. It’s a one-two punch that is just starting to catch on. And though these pioneers have some major challenges they’re forging the way for industry wide success.

“It is a tremendous opportunity not only because of where customers want us to be, but because there will be a cost now or later. We need to think about borrowing from the future,” said Daniel Connolly, an associate professor at the University of Denver, who noted that he expects energy costs to continue to rise so it’s best to invent in energy saving technologies presently.

At Hotel 1000 they went for a lighter shade of green approach by cutting energy costs by tying the energy management system through the PMS. That way, when a guest checks in a signal is sent to the room to start cooling or warming the guest room. However, they still have to preset the room by leaving lights and the television on (at least its Energy Star compliant, Incao said) to create the appropriate guest arrival experience. When the guest leaves sensors alert the system to allow the energy to go off to a predetermined set back level.

Call accounting has been around for decades to track, manage and bill or allocate phone calls. By the mid-1980s, call accounting was a necessary and very profitable tool for almost all hotels/motels. Some properties made thousands of dollars each month with call accounting

Call accounting products allow hotels/motels to bill guests for all phone calls that the property will have to pay for, recovering costs (plus fair mark-ups and/or surcharges for amortized equipment/service costs, profits, etc., too, if desired)

Managers can also detect phone misuse or abuse, optimize phone system performance, allocate telecom costs by department or extension, set special rates for VIP guests, and decrease billing errors

Twenty percent of respondents said they don't worry about eco-friendly options when traveling because they believe vacation is a time to indulge. Fifty-eight percent of travelers admit to being more eco-conscious at home, compared to when traveling. Of the environmentally-unfriendly actions committed during their travels, 41 percent of travelers own up to leaving on the heat or air-conditioning when not in their hotel room, 37 percent indulged in long showers, and 24 percent confessed to not recycling and/or re-using plastic bottles and cans.

It’s too soon to tell whether the system is a hit.

Robots may be more reliable than humans, in the sense that they can work around the clock without a break and achieve levels of precision and consistency that no Starbucks employee can match. But when something goes wrong, robotic systems tend to be less resilient than those that include humans, because humans are far better at reacting to novel circumstances—not to mention soothing the feelings of unsatisfied customers.

robots can also excel in controlled environments, like factory production lines, by performing rote tasks with higher levels of precision and consistency than humans could ever achieve.

 A 2012 and 2013 finalist for the San Francisco Hotel Council’s Hotel Hero Awards for Innovation  and recipient of AH&LA’s Innovation Technology award last year, Galleria Park Hotel is the latest Commune Hotels & Resorts property to introduce the StayNTouch Mobility Platform.

With today’s traveler looking for a more personal, convenient guest experience, Galleria Park Hotel is a step ahead of the curve by providing its guests with the ability to check in and out via their mobile devices (mobile phone or tablet) and receive their room keys via a key dispenser. These options allow the hotel’s guests to experience an expedited arrival process. Guests who choose to take advantage of the service can review reservation details prior to arrival, see available room upgrades and complete their check-in through the PMS-integrated experience.  Checkouts are similarly expedited.  A notification is pushed out to departing guests, allowing them to review bills, request folios via email and request late checkouts.

Overlay on top of PMS bringing the front office functionality onto a mobile/tablet in a touch/graphic user experience.

With futuristic systems like scent and iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, hotel security is being taken to the next level. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;}

The new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access.

But travelers worried they will constantly have to traipse back to reception every time they lose their card need not despair. Security systems in some hotels do away with cards altogether.

Fresh off its acquisitions of Buuteeq, Hotel Ninjas, and OpenTable this year, the Priceline Group is in the process of integrating Hotel Ninjas’ property management system with hotel digital marketing company Buuteeq, according to a report,  Google’s Travel Plans in a Post-Atomic Era [embedded below], written by Ken Sena of Evercore. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1390432568424-0"); }); With the integration of the two cloud-based systems for hotels, the Priceline Group “has the ability to handle property management, channel and rate management, and CRM, all of key consideration to hotelier,” the Evercore report states. “In return, Priceline receives subscription revenues on some of the services provided in addition to keeping these hoteliers’ semi-tethered to its Priceline traffic channel from the standpoint of ease an efficiency, given Priceline’s leading scale as an OTA.”

Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers?

Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue Tuesday, July 10, 2012 by Sarah Vining Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers? Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs At Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc., guests are able make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system, improving the venue’s departmental efficiency. All of these virtual functions are hoped to appeal to new markets and drive group business. More efficient billing In the article, “Insert IACC blog post title URL” we learn that in 2012, meeting and group planners are prioritizing finance as very important during in their planning process (which made the top 10 list for the first time). Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. Virtual business centers Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for TRYP by Wyndham in the NYC Times Square South property. Google TVs and access to Google Chrome laptops near the Gastro Bar in the hotel’s lobby offers guests an opportunity to enjoy a dining experience with the comfort of complimentary technology use. On-staff IT team When planners were surveyed, reliability was listed as a top concern of IT services in the white paper “What Do Planners and Trainers Really Want in Their Meeting Service?” All IACC-certified conference centers are required to have an on-site IT team to ensure technology functions properly. Now, the need for a knowledgeable IT team that really understands technology and can cater to individuals and group business is spreading to other hotel markets.   These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests. Want to learn about other ways hotels are using technology to build relationships? Check out Enhancing Your Social Networking Site with a Social Concierge! to maximize social media and connect with guests, attendees and planners!

Hotels are going “green” and one of the more unique ways is by installing electric vehicle charging stations.

As we all know concern for the environment is a way for hotels to stand out in a crowded marketplace, meet client needs and expectations, and “do the right thing” for the planet.  And

charging stations can make a statement and drive business to a property that is way beyond the customer’s current expectations.

So a good starting point is to quantify how many calls are actually being handled on the front desk and more importantly how many are being lost due to under-staffing, poor training and/or non-existent technology.

What then are the guiding principles when establishing a successful reservations function?

Technology which supports – rather than prevents – sales may seem an obvious starter for 10 but the reality is that again most hotels are at best challenged by IT due to under-investment.

Starwood’s Aloft Hotels announced earlier this month the introduction of a robot “Boltr” to aid check-ins and deliver items to guest rooms. Royal Caribbean followed suit with the announcement of robot bartenders on its newest ship Quantum of the Seas.

Despite the many changes that are being brought on by these technologies, the truth is that they are there to enhance, not to replace, the core offerings of a hospitality business.

Uber and Foursquare Co-Founders Lead $15M Investment in Dining App Reserve

Expa, the startup accelerator founded by Uber co-founder Garrett Camp and Foursquare co-founder Naveen Selvadurai, has led a $15 million venture investment in Reserve, a startup that wants to combine reservations and payment into a seamless end-to-end dining experience.

The company, which currently operates in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, equips merchants with an iPad pre-loaded with the company’s application. Restaurants use the application to accept or decline reservations, and then process the check when a diner who made a reservation with Reserve finishes a meal.

close to half (46 percent) of retailers in the U.S. launched proximity marketing programs or pilots in 2015

An effective strategy depends on marketers simultaneously addressing three important considerations: defining their business goals; designing an effective customer experience; and understanding the technology needed to enable their strategy and realize their goals

its content is often more relevant than most display advertising, because it's sent to those consumers who are most likely to respond at a time when they are close to the point of purchase

The constantly developing technology in this area means that the online shopping experience will continue to improve, and many current challenges will be solved.

One of the most pressing reasons why people like to shop offline is the issue with delivery.

The accelerating growth in the number of parcels that need to be delivered will force various couriers to invest in new technologies to meet the ever-growing demand.