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Walmart and Target Have a Big Problem They Don't Want to Fix - TheStreet - 0 views

  • Retailers and restaurants love to push work off on consumers under the guise that it's somehow better for them. It's like when you order a bagel and a cup of coffee at Panera Bread and you get handled, a blank bagel, frozen butter or cream cheese packets, and an empty coffee cup.
  • Letting me customize my coffee in an app as Starbucks (SBUX) - Get Free Report does is customer service. Handing me an empty cup and pointing me toward a carafe with a milk and sugar station is the exact opposite.Self-checkout is the same principle. If Target (TGT) - Get Free Report or Walmart WMT offers a few stations where people in a hurry can opt to check themselves out, that's very different than replacing your cashiers with automated checkout stations. That's not about convenience, it's about saving money.
  • And, yes, self-checkout has increased shoplifting, but it has also gone from being a convenience offered to customers to a cost-saving method for stores. It's automating an area where people do a better job in a lot of ways.
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  • sacrificed a chance to connect with your customers.
  • Human interaction and connection building can't be automated. Some tools may aid in that relationship, but ultimately people matter.
  • Automate the things people can't see and put as many human beings into helping customers and building connections as possible
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    This article discusses the controversial self-checkout model in major chain stores such as Target and Walmart and the cause and effect of labor issues and how other scenarios appear to be encouraging a time when this model replaces human checkout entirely. It was reported that Walmart loses 3 billion every year to customer and employee theft. For the most part, retailers have been thinking about self-checkout through a financial-savings and customer-experience perspective. But inherently, that means there's going to be less eyes on a transaction, less human interaction and more opportunity for shrink.
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Understanding Digital Business Models: Virtual Restaurants And Ghost Kitchens - 0 views

  • a recent report by Statista predicted that worldwide online food delivery revenue will reach over $324 billion in 2022.
  • A virtual restaurant is a restaurant brand that only exists online.
  • This model helps existing restaurants get more out of their current business.
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  • One way to look at it is that ghost kitchens take more of a WeWork approach, offering flexible leases to operate a dedicated commercial kitchen.
  • For a restaurateur who is starting from scratch, a ghost kitchen can be an affordable option (like a food truck), rather than setting up a traditional brick-and-mortar operation.
  • The segment for both virtual restaurants and ghost kitchens is still young and wide open
  • A winning digital-only restaurant marketing plan should include leveraging national partnerships with the online ordering/delivery platforms, sophisticated digital marketing, search engine optimization and social media creation, as well as everything from professional food photography, menu design and much more.
  • Each app has their own customers, and if you are not listed on a certain app, you simply don’t exist to the people who use it. Each platform will bring incremental revenue.
  • Don’t just live on the third-party apps. And remember that photos are really important with digital storefronts.
  • There is a substantial amount of volume that must be hit just to break even; in my experience, this is typically $600K to $700K in annual sales.
  • First, both models are part of an emerging restaurant segment that primarily exists online, with no physical storefront and with a major focus on off-premise dining and delivery.
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    This article is about Virtual Restaurants, Ghost Kitchens, and the differences between the two. To be honest, I was not really familiar with either of these concepts before today, though I can see the appeal of both and why they are increasing in popularity. It's obvious that the pandemic played a large role in accelerating the popularity and significance of these kinds of services but I do not think things will slow down. It is evident that people like the ability to order a wide variety of food and get it in a timely manner while still retaining its quality. I think that ghost kitchens are a great opportunity for people to test out their restaurant concepts without committing to a long term lease, a large investment in equipment, etc. I think that it will lend to more diversity in delivery food and potentially even higher quality.
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    Ghost kitchens is such an interesting concept and the name just grabs you! I skimmed through this article and will definitely go back to properly read it once I have the brain capacity to do so haha. Judging from your review on it these are becoming popular and significant in our day in age.
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Employees' perception of robots and robot-induced unemployment in hospitality industry ... - 4 views

  • As service paradigm and customer expectations shift from conventional customized and personalized services towards a digitalized service environment, such customer orientation may favor using service robots at scales that could render service employees redundant.
  • Beyond digitalization, other service concepts, such as contactless services with highly reduced human interaction, are becoming more prioritized by hoteliers and consumers
  • The notable exception, Ivanov et al. (2018) denoted that employees might resist working with the service robot as they might see them as a threat, while Lu et al. (2019) believed that collaborating with a service robot can have adverse effects like frustration, discomfort, and confusion for service employees.
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  • However, researchers and practitioners have emphasized the essential role of robots in the service industry have a positive impact on productivity and customer satisfaction (Lu et al., 2019), which directly affect the organization’s structure, culture, decision-making processes, and employment (Xu et al., 2020).
  • Hospitality 5.0 may influence the hotel industry’s high-tech adoption, and during COVID-19 technological use was increased dramatically in hospitality service (Zeng et al., 2020) due to contactless services and safety in customer journey touchpoints (Pillai et al., 2021). Specifically, COVID-19 enhances the use of service robots as a helping hand to provide necessary services to consumers and employees
  • On the other hand, the existence of robots in restaurants may induce some risks (privacy, financial, time, performance, psychological) that can negatively affect the attitudes and intentions of customers (Hwang et al., 2021). Furthermore, robots are perceived as a threat that may lead to unemployment (Vatan and Dogan, 2021) and adverse outcomes due to job insecurity (Koo et al., 2021, Lu et al., 2020).
  • They also showed that employees prefer to work with human colleagues because they should be replaced by human communication and colleagues. However, employees select robots as a replacement when it approaches their employment.
  • According to former studies, robotic advancement directly impacts unemployment; directness’s negative and substantial influence on unemployment is comparatively more significant, specifically during and post-pandemic periods (Du and Wei, 2021). According to Keynes : p-325) (1930), “We are being affected with a new disease of which some readers may not have heard the name, but of which they will hear a great deal in the years to come – namely, technological unemployment.” COVID-19 is one of the main reasons for decreasing employment, whereas increasing the use of robots (Parvez et al., 2021). Therefore, the robot that induces unemployment is a challenging concept.
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    Good Morning Emily, Thank you very much for sharing this article! It is a rather interesting one which will certainly generate varying opinions. Me, from a management standpoint, I believe that robotics does have a place in the workplace (a greater presence in manufacturing and less in customer service). Dealing with humans on a luxury vacation tends to enhance my experience. Honestly, I cannot possibly imagine going on a vacation and not having the opportunity to converse with an employee!
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    This article comes in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic and originally stems from keeping people safe by having contactless service. With service robots being so popular during the pandemic they started to take the place of actual humans. This can cause issues in customer service where people would prefer human to human interaction. This article also discusses how humans feel about having jobs replaced by robots and their perception on how they feel about working WITH robots.
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What will ChatGPT mean for the travel industry? | PhocusWire - 1 views

  • ChatGPT (which stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a free artificial intelligence chatbot that has incredibly human-like communication skills (and a fee-based premium version in development)
  • Microsoft is reportedly considering a $10 billion investment in ChatGPT owner Open AI according to multiple media outlets.
  • Because of this, tech companies are seeing value in data-driven personalization solutions and ChatGPT fills that need. It can help save companies time and money to allocate resources to solve more complex and specific problems.  
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  • With a large dataset already in place, integrating this technology into our platform could hyper-personalize search results for travelers and supports our vision of offering open-ended, flexible search options. 
  • saved more than eight million hours in agent time, allowing travelers to resolve issues faster with self-service. 
  • but the technology is still in a relative state of infancy
  • ChatGPT really captured everyone's attention when it launched,
  • - it's already dividing opinion with responses that can range from entertaining and creative to glaringly inaccurate
  • It's too early to say whether the likes of ChatGPT can truly emulate those very human instincts.
  • First, people need to recognize that it's not generating anything new as much as scraping and regurgitating the internet
  • Every single tour operator, even single hotel, every transport company now has the same opportunity to be as productive as a company much bigger than themselves. I see that as a commodity – everyone has access to it therefore, in some ways, where’s the value. But it’s the most productivity-enhancing thing I’ve ever seen. 
  • However I don’t think that’s the real impact. I think that’s just the start of the game. Once AI starts to get into the actual experiences – not just tour experiences but hotels, airports… the ability to speed up and enhance the actual experience, especially in something that is not a good experience at the moment like an airport, is going to be quite dramatic.And the real game changer... is once the general public has it, it changes everything. You are a tour operator, and you create itineraries. The consumer can now do exactly the same thing as you and do it in real time. And 1,000 people can create 1,000 different experiences tailored to what they like. So the creation of a travel experience on the ground, which tour operators have dominated, is going to be disrupted by travelers being able to do it themselves. 
  • it’s not the live data, it’s not up to date, the facts may not be 100% and it doesn’t have geolocation.
  • The weakness at the moment is it’s only scraping data through 2021. So
  • This could make entirely new businesses or it can destroy businesses.
  • will save hundreds of thousands of dollars on freelance costs, so there's big disruption to come.
  • For basic service copy – simple product descriptions, basic articles, email campaigns, that sort of thing, it's going to be very useful for brands and very painful for content creators.
  • There’s some interesting use cases that we hope to explore such as improving automation and responses for common customer service requests through chat (and eventually even speech and video), as well as concierge-like services to recommend travel destinations, create personalized itineraries and the like.
  • . So there are issues with accuracy and truthfulness, and it needs human expertise to fact-check the output.
  • ChatGPT might herald a revolution in automated content creation, but I also think it could create a new premium for genuine human expertise too.
  • ChatGPT has been trained with information existing until end of 2021. Travel is a super dynamic category where this morning’s information is no longer relevant a few hours even minutes later. Inventory availability, prices, category of rooms/seats/cars change by the minute. You need good old-fashioned technology like CRS, WBE, RMS, etc. to handle these dynamics, not ChatGPT.
  • Google can provide a much better AI-powered chatbot than ChatGPT that spews much better answers in milliseconds, but how are they going to make money?
  • Specific to ChatGPT, I believe that this technology will eventually be used in conjunction with a brand’s own content, in addition to the internet as a whole, so that it can be trained and customized by the brand to answer questions.
  • What’s also really interesting is how this once again demonstrates that the most disruptive innovations often come from outside the travel industry.
  • ChatGPT is gaining that trust in its ubiquity and daily usage, so I think travelers could be much more likely to accept its itinerary recommendations without nearly as much research and shopping around. This has implications for human agents too.
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    ChatGPT is a new technology that is hoping to take over the travel industry. It is an AI product, similar to google, which will generate answers to questions that travelers may have via a chat service. It is meant to replace tour guides, travel agents, and concierge experts and can either save business time and money, or create chaos and the need to speak to an expert human instead. Like all technology products, there is always room to improve and grow in the initial stages, and not all roles are better off being completed by a computer, rather than a human. Although AI may have access to more information at a quicker pace, and may even be able to write better than most people, some companies believe that the possible errors and inaccuracy provided by ChatGPT will make content creators and human expertise way more valuable. ChatGPT accesses data from 2021 and prior, which means it is not current and up to date. This is a major flaw that will need to be improved.
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What role cloud computing is playing in the evolution of the hotel industry? - 2 views

  • What role cloud computing is playing in the evolution of the hotel industry?
  • Preparation starts when guests interact
  • Cloud services collect data from the moment a customer interacts with a company or service. For example, the hotel can keep track of which services or rooms the customer viewed and make recommendations for upgrades.
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  • information provides insight into customer preferences
  • Personalization continues with upsell offers that appear as the customer interacts with the company.
  • The cloud not only enables a frictionless checkout experience with no surprises, but it can also follow up afterward to nurture relationships and reward loyalty.
  • Benefits of Cloud Computing
  • Cloud computing provides several advantages over traditional computing:
  • Avoids costly and painful installationsRequires minimal upfront investmentAllows software companies to focus resources on R&D/innovationEliminates negative depreciation (in fact, the software gets better with age, since updates can be made at any time) Offers the ability to cancel at any time. Apart from that, it has lower switching costs for buyers.Pushes software companies to consistently earn customer loyalty with innovation and great service.Eliminates the chances of tasks being derailed because operating the job is possible from anywhere at any time.Relive the risk of unsecured information.
  • Build responsive infrastructure
  • Disruption can have far-reaching consequences. Suppose organizations need to work remotely, shut down or open up certain operations, change supply lines or alter operations in any way. In that case, cloud services allow a smooth transition with a central line of communication.
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    This post helped me better understand cloud computing and the benefits associated with doing so through an industry-focused lens.
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    Cloud computing continues to transform the hotel industry by providing the opportunity to reduce cost, improve experiences, build responsive infrastructure and personalize guest offers. Cloud-based software can save the industry money and seamlessly implement a new system without the lengthy installation process. A great way to meet hotel objectives and increase guest experience.
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    Cloud computing contributes to many different factors in hospitality. From the moment the guests arrive cloud computing is already playing a role in providing a better experience. By saving guest information and make it readily available to all members of staff, personalization is provided form the start. Cloud computing will also keep previous stay information which allows employees to see customer preferences. "Predictive maintenance can handle by cloud computing to reduce downtime, especially during peak seasons.The cloud offers a true end-to-end solution for hospitality, restoring the thrill of travel."
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7 Reasons Why You Should Move from On-Premise to Cloud Computing - IBIS Technology - 1 views

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    Cloud computing allows you to store and access files via the internet rather than the computer's hard drive. Switching to this system saves on costs, extra security measures, and connection and access issues you may be experiencing when working remotely. Data loss is always a risk when your files are stored in a place with only one access point, with cloud computing the files are stored on the internet making it more secure. Cloud computing also allows you to easily work with others in different departments or offices altogether since the files can be shared and accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.
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    There is a lot more to the cloud than I thought. As an owner of a macbook i do store lots of things on the "cloud" but I can't help to feel like not being able to physically touch something that has my files, like a hard drive..is real. I know it is but maybe I'm just real old school. I think I need to start trusting the cloud more, especially this day in age.
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How AI is changing Hospitality Industry, Hospitality News, ET HospitalityWorld - 0 views

  • In 2020 despite the adversities of coronavirus and following lockdowns, the global hospitality market reached USD 3489.77 billion and was set to reach USD 4132.5 billion in 2021 at a CAGR of 18.5 percent. India emerged as the third largest in terms of investment in travel & tourism, injecting USD 45.7 billion in 2018 alone.
  • 1. Operational Efficiency
  • 2. Customer Experience
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  • 3. Revenue Improvement
  • 4. Sustainable Growth
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    This article discusses how AI paved the way for some new hospitality innovations in India, one of the world's leading economies in hospitality services. It talked about how although the coronavirus was set to be a huge setback for the industry, India's ability to innovate helped it stay on track with profits similar to what it had seen in previous years. It went on to talk about 4 significant changes that really influenced profits and sustainability and concluded by summarizing the huge potential of AI to positively impact the industry.
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    I really enjoy reading about how the rest of the world is also adapting to AI/AR. I wonder if this will make people feel more comfortable traveling to other places around the world that they never thought they would travel. Im wondering if that AI/AR experience will change peoples minds.
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8 Examples of Robots Being Used in the Hospitality Industry - 3 views

  • The use of artificial intelligence within the field of robotics is one of the most exciting and promising applications for individuals and businesses operating within hospitality management.
  • Below, you will find a list of eight current uses of robots within the hospitality industry.
  • robots are deployed to provide information, front desk services, storage services, as well as check in and check out services
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  • , with technology including voice and facial recognitio
  • robot concierge,
  • robotics being used for luggage purposes.
  • robots can improve automation and perform tasks without tiring, it is important to acknowledge limitations as well, including an inability to quickly adapt to circumstances.
  • travel agents are also looking into the use of robots, especially as a means of pre-qualifying customers.
  • chatbots
  • Airport security
  • hotel robot butlers and robot luggage porters,
  • ability for robots to offer support for a variety of different languages.
  • Amadeus have experimented with a robot called 1A-TA, which is powered by artificial intelligence. Rather than forcing customers to wait during busy periods, the robot is able to immediately get to work, finding out about their needs and preferences and passing the information on when they actually speak to a human travel agent.
  • chatbots have been one of the most common uses of robots within the hospitality sector and these can be used to deliver basic customer service, or for more complex tasks, like hotel or flight bookings.
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    This article introduces the concept of robots and analysis the advantage and disadvantages of it combined with AI when boosting individual and businesses operating in the hospitality industry. It shows 8 examples of robots application in the hospitality industry, which including the front desk and storage service, chat, concierge, luggage purposes, translation, help travel agencies, and airplane security, and as butlers, and so on. Conclude that it improves the performance of task while lacking the ability to quickly adapt to circumstances and costs of investment and maintenance may be high.
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    Great article and summary. I too read this article, I found it interesting the many uses of AI technology in our industry. The future of AI seems to be positive, I've also read an article that AI's are being used to convey human emotions.
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    This article goes into depth about some of the ways that robotics are transforming the way the hospitality industry operates. These examples will only increase as time goes on.
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    This article deals with the advances that are being made in the travel industry through the use of intelligent robotics. It provides several videos showcasing what each of the robots can do, from delivering toiletries, to checking for concealed weapons at the airport.
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What Is a Retail POS (Point of Sale) System - 1 views

  • Making big, bold investments in point of sale systems means establishing a single view of the customer, inventory, and order so that retailers can deliver the end-to-end experience customers expect
  • Achieving a single, 360-degree view of the customer and inventory is no longer a competitive advantage, but a basic requirement to thrive
  • 71 percent of consumers say that the speed of service, checkout experience, and delivery options are important to stay loyal to a retail
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  • Today's retail POS systems must have the ability to:
  • Accept customers' growing range of preferred payment type
  • Make recommendations for customers based on their purchasing history
  • As studies show more than half (57 percent) of retailers said they are arming their store employees with mobile technology; and another 13 percent plan to
  • To drive customer engagement when and where appropriate, retailers need the flexibility to ensure whether docked or portable, they can choose the form that best suits their needs.
  • As part of a retail omnichannel strategy, POS software enables retailers to empower their store associates to better perform in-store clienteling, loyalty initiatives, and offer promotions
  • Speed to value: Quick deployment helps retailers innovate faster and provides the flexibility to implement change when the market requires it.
  • Cut your application costs: Significantly lower the percentage of your business unit's budget that's devoted to IT spending, which means you can invest in other areas while still using up-to-date, fully functional, secure business applications
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    POS systems play a large role within the hospitality sector and develop by being used within different company types and industries. One main place where a POS is used and is extremely important is in retail. Along with creating speedy checkouts for customers, it is now a basic need for most of these POS systems to be using an inventory calculating software.
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The Latest Technology Trends in the Hospitality Industry in 2022 - 4 views

  • In particular, biometrics is being used to usher in a new age of seamless authentications, and this could benefit hotel processes and customer purchases.
  • In the future, this technology is also likely to allow for completely seamless purchases, with payments being authenticated by touch.
  • the Hilton robot concierge ‘Connie’, which uses speech recognition and AI to respond to queries from customers and intelligently learn from interactions.
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  • Chatbots are able to understand simple questions and provide answers almost instantaneously, taking the burden away from customer service staff and improving the experience for customers. Meanwhile, AI’s uses extend into other important areas for hotels too, including data analysis.
  • The ‘Internet of Things’, or IoT, involves extending internet connectivity to everyday objects, devices and appliances. These devices can then collect data and communicate or interact over the internet, turning previously unintelligent devices into ‘smart’ devices, which are often semi or fully autonomous.
  • Within the hotel industry, big data allows businesses to identify trends, which can be used for revenue management purposes.
  • More and more, hotel websites are using 360 degrees imaging technology to allow virtual reality users to experience rooms in their hotel before they book.
  • Unlike VR, which places users in a digital environment, augmented reality is about enhancing the real-world environment through information overlays.
  • increase automation and ease the workload for staff
  • The use of this technology is typically intended to either make life easier for a business’s employees, or to improve the overall experience for hospitality customers.
  • payments are possible even if customers do not have their wallets with them
  • improve the accuracy of work
  • This means failing to keep up could provide rival companies with a significant competitive advantage
  • widespread adoption of voice search, augmented reality, artificial intelligence
  • Contactless payments
  • coronavirus pandemic has accelerated some behaviours
  • Voice Search & Voice Control
  • smart speakers in hotel rooms
  • Contactless Payments
  • save money as well as time
  • Robots in Hotels & Restaurants
  • cleaning purposes
  • Chatbots
  • as customers now demand swift answers to questions at all times of the day.
  • Virtual Reality
  • During the COVID pandemic, those working in hospitality marketing have a particularly good opportunity to capitalise on virtual reality technology and gain an edge on rivals, because it provides customers with the ability to experience elements of a hotel or to see the layout of a restaurant prior to booking.
  • Mobile Check-In
  • WiFi 6
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
  • collect data and communicate or interact over the internet, turning previously unintelligent devices into ‘smart’ devices
  • Augmented Reality
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data
  • Recognition Technology
  • 30 per cent faster,
  • NFT Marketing in Hospitality Industry
  • Technological advances have played a significant role
  • have become more popular in retail settings, while mobile check-ins have emerged in hotels, restaurants and airports.
  • Voice search is a growing technology trend within hospitality because a growing number of guests or customers are turning to voice search in order to find hotels, restaurants and cafes, so it is worth taking the time to properly capitalise on this
  • . Aside from speeding up payments and improving customer satisfaction, contactless tech is also easily compatible with loyalty programmes.
  • the rise of robotics and the use of robots to carry out tasks traditionally performed by humans.
  • d chatbot will answer the most common questions without the need for any human involvement.
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    This article is about the top emerging technology trends within the hospitality industry. It was actually pretty interesting to read about certain trends that I had never heard of before, such as augmented reality. My main takeaway from this article is that hotels are focusing more and more on incorporating bigger and better technology as we delve deeper into the technological era.
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    When hotels steer towards a sole focus on technology based functions and customer service, I feel that they are missing they mark entirely. The personalized, human experience becomes absent. Technology is great and it is fascinating to see how it is implemented. Technology was initially designed to be a tool help support people and their job functions, not takeover. Additionally, by having robots act as a concierge or chat bot it takes jobs away from hospitable people, who if given the opportunity, would have the ability of exceeding guest expectations.
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    great article, the latest technologies are interesting and a little exciting but worrisome. The idea or the overall meaning behind hospitality is the human touch. Humans are able to be host and be hospitable but a robotic machine that is able to check you in or give you information on locations to visit doesn't strike me as warm. But these new creations are being implemented and some people actually likes them. Since it is seen as advancement.
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    This article describes 7 technology trends that we will see soon. 1. Recognition technology - This technology can be used in hotels to scan one's face for room access, or to check-in or out. This technology is already being used in China where they walk up to a stand, scan their face, and they are instantly checked in. 2 . Robots - If you are not aware, Hilton has had a Robot that is named "Connie." Connie can respond to any questions and intelligently learns from human interaction. There is also the first hotel to have a robot-staff. This hotel is located in Japan which the robots act as "front desk, customer information tools and even luggage porters"(Revfine). 3. Chatbots &Artificial Intelligence - Chatbots are a bit like the previous robots I mentioned. They are known from providing answers quickly and effectively. 4. Internet of Things (IoT) - Similar idea to the previous chatbots and robots, the IoT extends internet connectivity to everyday objects and turns them into smart devices. An example of this is internet-enabled thermostats, which adjust room temperature based on check-in or out times, windows being opened, etc.The same concept is being used for lights. 5. Big Data - Big data recognizes trends and can allow travel agents to make recommendations based on the customers age, gender, etc.Big data can also predict hotel occupancy, so they rates can be adjusted accordingly. It can also take into account weather, holidays, etc. 6. Virtual Reality - Virtual Reality can allow one view and book (all in 3D) their next vacation. Starting from the seat on your flight, the exact car you will rent, etc. 7. Augmented Reality - This technology has limitless potential. The video demonstrates a female checking into a hotel where she is changing the environment around her with just a simple click. Her room transforms from a beach to a city within seconds.
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    This article covers the new technology trends hitting the hospitality world. I explains why these trends are becoming so popular and how they're changing the hospitality industry. Everything is now technology based.
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    This article went into depth about the recent technological innovations being seen within the hospitality industry and how these pieces of disruptive innovation are changing the way hotels operate forever. One of the main catalysts for an increase in the speed of change has been the COVID 19 pandemic. A move to touchless and more hygenic aspects of operations was essential to get businesses back up and running while investments in these innovations lead the way for more and more advancement. These changes are forcing the whole industry to evolve as the pressure to keep up with changes to food and beverage, guest services, and amenities are all being shaken by technological advancement.
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    This article talks about the different types of technology created based on the trends in the world of the hospitality industry. Hotels are not trying to continue to be a competitive with technology that appears to clientele. Not only it will entertain guests, but also assist with improving operations and accuracy.
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A GDS Primer: What is the GDS and Which Travel Agents Need It? - 0 views

  • The advantage to travel agents is that the GDS not only can show you many fares from multiple airlines, but it also offers a great depth of information about each flight in one place. The carrier, the times, the costs, the class of the seat, aircraft type and so much more. It’s a smorgasbord of options. So if you’re booking a high volume of tickets, it’s great to have access to every minutiae of information from multiple carriers in one go.
  • In today’s world, the GDSs have a bit of a split personality. There is the old school, traditional GDS commonly called “the green screen.” Then there’s the hip side of the GDSs, which people will call “point and click” or “GUI” (Graphical User Interface). Essentially, it’s a more intuitive and prettier looking version of the GDS.
  • To learn the GDS green screen takes intense training, and to become proficient takes tons of practice and constant use. That means daily use with a mentor (for at least 6 months to a year), not just booking a ticket for a client every few weeks.
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  • While new agents can partially navigate the GDS with the GUI interface, the code that comes back still has important information like fare types and rules that the agents really needs to understand. So many agents, in the end, need to learn the green screen (and find it faster) regardless.
  • One of the reasons that most leisure agents don’t need the GDS is because the air will be included in a vacation package by the tour operator, or you can book it with the cruise line and you don’t need to use the GDS.
  • Global Distribution System (GDS) is a travel agent’s motherboard for booking airline tickets and other sorts of travel goodies (like hotel and car)
  • It can be easy to confuse the GDS with a Central Reservation System or Computerized Reservation System (CRS). CRSs are automated inventory-tracking systems that were (originally) owned and run by individual vendors (like airlines, car companies and hotels).
  • GDSs function as an umbrella for many many CRS systems. It’s like a CRS motherboard. (In fact, many vendors outsource their CRS systems to a GDS.)
  • an show you many fares from multiple airlines, but it also offers a great depth of information about each flight in one place. The carrier, the times, the costs, the class of the seat, aircraft type and so much more. It’s a smorgasbord of options. So if you’re bookin
  • If you are a leisure travel agent, there’s a huge whopping huge chance that you don’t need to use a GDS
  • American Airlines created the first CRS system in 1946. And while this helped automate inventory for vendors, travel agents did not have direct access to that inventory. Travel agents would need to call the airline’s booking center, who would then contact one of their CRS operators, then relay the results to the travel agent over the phone (literally, like playing telephone). It took a lot of people power to book a single airline ticket. Travelers booking their own ticket? Forget about it! 
  • There are many GDS options, and each GDS system will has access to their own pool of carriers. The four largest GDSs are: Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport (which is the parent company of Apollo/Galileo and Worldspan).
  • Let me be blunt: unless you’re some kind of prodigy, the GDS green screens are not user friendly. Be afraid, be very afraid.
  • he GUI is the point-and-click version of the GDS. You may have heard of options such as Sabre Red Workspace and TravelPort Smartpoint. So why doesn’t everyone use it? Here’s the problem: At its current stage of development, even GUI users need to understand the language of the green screen.
  • Essentially, the GUI interface isn’t quite there yet . . . and developing this technology is reeeeeally expensive and comes with a lot of growing pain
  • To book in the GDS, you must have an IATA/IATAN accreditation number, in addition to an ARC accreditation number if you’re located in the United States.
  • As a new agent, you can’t get these accreditation numbers because they require a lot of experience. So you come into the industry under a host agency (more on what a host agency is) and use their accreditation number instead.
  • Corporate travel agents book a whole lot of air, so the GDS is pretty much a must for them.
  • If your specialty is around the world tickets or you have a steady stream of clients with multi-stop itineraries, the GDS will be a necessity. 
  •  
    This article looks at GDS and GUI systems and gives a holistic viewpoint of performance, positives and negatives, and what type of agencies can utilize each system. I felt that the more complicated system and its requirements for agency users to have and understanding of coding, made the GUI system more likely to have a higher utilization in the future.
  •  
    The article delves into the importance of GDSs and travel agents along with the controversy surrounding their evolution as airlines are trying to encourage more direct bookings to make more profits and avoid paying commission to travel agents.
  •  
    This article goes into detail about GDS's, the history of GDS's, and if travel agents actually need to use them. The article first explains what a GDS system is, a brief description stating "Global Distribution System (GDS) is a travel agent's motherboard for booking airline tickets and other sorts of travel goodies (like hotel and car)". The article then quickly goes into a brief history of the GDS. GDS was created by America Airlines in 1946, making it easier to check inventory for vendors, though it would still take some time for this technology to reach the travel agents. "Travel agents would need to call the airline's booking center, who would then contact one of their CRS operators, then relay the results to the travel agent over the phone (literally, like playing telephone). It took a lot of people power to book a single airline ticket". We then take a turn, and learn about the usability of a GDS, and that it's quite low. GDS's are not user-friendly, but sadly sometimes a necessity for certain types of travel agents. These types mostly being the ones who book lots of corporate travel arrangements. Lastly, the article discusses if a GDS is right for your business, and if you decide it's not, how to go about booking things without it.
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Tipping your server makes sexism worse, whether you intend to or not | Mashable - 0 views

  • Tipping your server makes sexism worse, whether you intend to or not
  • Federal tip minimum wage has been frozen at $2.13 since 1991, even with raises made to non-tipped wages.
  • Though some states mandate a higher minimum wage for service employees, many servers are stuck living on this extremely low wage, often left with few paycheck dollars after taxes.
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  • While there are laws in place meant to ensure that servers get at least federal minimum wage by requiring employers to make up the difference if a server isn’t tipped enough during their shift, workers often report this isn’t the case.
  • And, even if it is, even federal minimum wage isn’t a livable wage in the majority of states.
  • “Any tipped employee, male or female, is on a stage,”
  • “[Servers] have to act in a certain way in order to receive those tips," Kitterlin says. "That being said, of course that opens an opportunity for women and men in our industry to feel that they have to accept certain levels of harassment -- be it sexual harassment or any form of rude behavior from guests.”
  • “We need to be careful of how we go about doing that because we have historically been a country where tipping culture serves as a huge motivating factor for employees. Our employees feel more driven to give good service in order to make a good tip.”
  • “It’s to get more tips, but it’s kind of opening the door -- especially in our industry and culture,”
  • I don’t want you to grab my ass. I want you to tip 20% or 25%
  • 90% of women in the restaurant industry report experiencing some form of sexual harassment while on the job.
  • “I’m spending all my day helping people who have $70 to spend on food, but I can’t barely afford my own,” Jessica says. “How messed up is that? I watch people go out, eat and they will spend $30 on an entree. I got paid $30 all day in wages -- and you just spent that on one entree.”
  • “People will be like, ‘I thought we just raised minimum wage? Don’t you get 10.50?’” she says. “No, not us. We got left out. We always get left out.”
  • For many women in the restaurant industry, the fastest way to prevent only barely making bills is to enhancing their “performance” through appearance. Jessica tells Mashable servers “wear what we can get away with wearing,” because a push up bra and tight shirt often means more tips. It’s service industry sexism at work -- and Jessica knows that.
  • “There is definitely value in considering the elimination of tipping,”
  • Without the "motivating factor," your server may not have nightmares about serving a too-cold-entree.
  • “I don’t think it’s right that people in America are getting paid $2 and change to do any job,” she says. “I don’t think it’s right. I didn’t have to live with it being in California -- I could just kind of forget that most of the nation is making nothing.”
  •  
    This article is in essence about the broken tipping system within American culture today. The title in my opinion is a bit exaggerated but is truthful nonetheless. People within the service industry are being horribly mistreated by being underpaid and forced to rely upon tips for wages. The issue with this is that specifically women are being forced to dress skimpy and act a certain way (possibly flirtatiously) In order to possibly get better tips. With their salary being on average around $2 an hour, without tips they are being forced to live far below the poverty line. So, it's not tipping that makes you inadvertently sexist, it's that tips contribute to woman acting in a more appealing way to male customers in order to pull the standard tip percentage (20% to 25%).
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2022 Top Hospitality Industry Trends - 1 views

  •  
    "Major technology firms will replace most hotel brands, because they can offer technology solutions and create markets to attract customers. The traditional hospitality industry will evolve into niche markets..." -> This quote from this article is able to summarize where this industry is headed in just a few sentences, but the article as a whole was able to pinpoint the top trends that this industry will have faced in 2022 due to the rapid changes that had to be made due to the COVID-19 pandemic which we still face today. Such as sanitation and other safety protocol that is still enforced. Companies have had to adapt because of this to make up for their lack of revenue. For example, "This means that hospitality venues are being used as make-shift offices for bleisure travelers, as well as locals seeking a change of work environment. This is a great opportunity for hotels and F&B venues to capitalize on the trend and adapt their offering to meet the needs and wants of this emerging segment; ample plug sockets, free high-speed WIFI and great coffee are good starting points." The author of this article stated that the number of guest book long term trips have decreased, but when it comes to reserving hotel conference rooms as office space, staycations have increased with this transition. "Videos providing 360-degree views of restaurant ambiance, café terraces enveloped in greenery or hotel beachfront locations, for instance, are just the ticket to make an establishment stand out this year. As ever, keeping the access threshold low is key to reaching as broad an audience as possible with virtual reality material: making content accessible on a variety of devices, without the need for a VR headset." Another point made in this article mentions how virtual reality is now being used to enhance the customer experience. As a personal observation this has also helped with the transition post Covid-19. The changes that have been made and implemented and have opened the door fo
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Apple expands global recycling programs - Apple - 1 views

  • Apple will also be supporting the efforts of environmentally-focused non-profits Conservation International, SEE Foundation and The Recycling Partnership — expanding on its conservation and resource efficiency work from last year.
  • Today, Apple released its 2019 Environment report, which contains additional information on the company’s climate change solutions, including its recent announcement that 44 of its suppliers have committed to 100 percent renewable energy for their Apple production
    • jalipman
       
      Apple is working to cut down their carbon footprint in all facets further than just e waste.
  • Apple today also announced the opening of its Material Recovery Lab dedicated to discovering future recycling processes. The new 9,000-square-foot facility in Austin, Texas, will look for innovative solutions involving robotics and machine learning to improve on traditional methods like targeted disassembly, sorting and shredding. The Lab will work with Apple engineering teams as well as academia to address and propose solutions to today’s industry recycling challenges.
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  • Starting this year, aluminum recovered through the Apple Trade In program is being remelted into the enclosures for the MacBook Air.
    • jalipman
       
      The other question that comes from this information. While it is very good that they are doing this. Would they be doing it if they had the option to cheaply ship it off to china.
  • he company’s engineering of an aluminum alloy made from 100 percent recycled aluminum allows the new MacBook Air and Mac mini to have nearly half the carbon footprint of earlier models
  • Apple also uses 100 percent recycled tin in a key component of the main logic boards of 11 different products.
  • Once materials have been recovered from Daisy, they are recycled back into the manufacturing process. For cobalt, which is a key battery material, Apple sends iPhone batteries recovered by Daisy upstream in its supply chain. They are then combined with scrap from select manufacturing sites and, for the first time, cobalt recovered through this process is now being used to make brand-new Apple batteries — a true closed loop for this precious material.
    • jalipman
       
      Here they have closed the loop and allowed for them to not be taking away from our natural resources as was discussed in "the story of stuff" Shows apple is being environmentally conscious. Would be very interesting to see the ratio of how many phones they implement the old cobalt and how many are new.
  • Daisy is now able to disassemble 15 different iPhone models at the rate of 200 per hour, recovering even more important materials for re-use.
  • Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “We work hard to design products that our customers can rely on for a long time. When it comes time to recycle them, we hope that the convenience and benefit of our programs will encourage everyone to bring in their old devices.”
    • jalipman
       
      This is very interesting considered apple has been known to create products that DO NOT last very long. Also it is surprising that this position within their company even exists.
  • In 2018, the company refurbished more than 7.8 million Apple devices and helped divert more than 48,000 metric tons of electronic waste from landfills. 
    • jalipman
       
      Apple clearly has been working to brand themselves as a green company. Since they are one of the main companies that quickly cycles through products and getting rid of your old one it is smart that they are now moving towards putting used products and materials back into the cycle for a second time.
  • Customers can also turn in their eligible devices to be recycled at any Apple Store or through apple.com as part of the Apple Trade In program.
  • pple today announced a major expansion of its recycling programs, quadrupling the number of locations US customers can send their iPhone to be disassembled by Daisy, its recycling robot.
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6 Restaurant Technology Trends to Look Out for in 2020 - 1 views

  • With 60% of US diners ordering takeout or delivery at least once a week and 31% using online ordering or a mobile app, it’s no wonder that ghost kitchens have continued to pop up. Ghost kitchens—also known as dark kitchens, virtual kitchens, cloud kitchens, or headless restaurants—don’t have a storefront or seating for dine-in customers or takeout orders.
  • ulfill
  • Quick service restaurants are starting to take cues from Alexa and Siri by implementing voice recognition software for ordering.
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  • While it’s hard to say if a robot could ever replace a human chef, the concept has been gaining traction lately and it’s interesting to think about what mundane tasks a robot in the kitchen could take on, freeing up chefs and cooks for more creative or complex pursuits.
  • As for FOH, using robotics and automation has become a hot topic among restaurant industry insiders and consumers alike, many of whom worry they’ll contribute to unemployment rates.
  • Cloud-based restaurant POS systems are becoming increasingly popular versus old school legacy
  • Not only are cloud-based systems easier to install (no hard wiring!), the hardware is less expensive, and software upgrades are free and can be done remotely, saving restaurateurs thousands of dollars in start-up and maintenance costs.
  • systems.
  • Arguably
  • Arguably the most valuable restaurant technology tied to a cloud-based POS system is the ability to track sales, server performance, menu trends, and more. Armed with data that can help you make better decisions when it comes to menu planning, staffing, and sales will give you a leg up on competitors who are still lagging behind with a legacy system.
  •  
    This article explores how technological trends such as ghost kitchens, biometeric payment technology, robot chefs, cloud based POS systems, and voice assistant technology will dramatically change the customer experience. Author, Stephanie Resendes, explores how each innovation increases profitability. Additionally, the associated risks and the impact they will have on employment rates within the industry.
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Press release: Target Field becomes first MLB stadium to achieve LEED Platinum Certific... - 0 views

  • Target Field becomes first Major League Baseball stadium to achieve LEED Platinum Certification via new rating system
  • Minnesota Twins receive highest honor bestowed by the U.S. Green Building Council for continued excellence in Operations and Maintenance at the “Greenest Ballpark in America”
  • Minnesota Twins announced today that they have been awarded LEED Platinum certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance – making Target Field the first Major League Baseball venue to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest possible honor via the new LEED v4.1 rating system.
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  • LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence.
  • Target Field is also the nation’s first sports venue to earn three levels of LEED certification through Arc, the state-of-the-art digital platform that uses real-world data to help benchmark, measure and improve sustainability performance.
  • “The Minnesota Twins’ fifth LEED certification at Target Field demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Peter Templeton, interim president and CEO, USGBC.
  •  
    The Minnesota Twins are leading the way in green initiatives in becoming the first MLB stadium to achieve LEED Platinum Certification. As the landscape has changed with the desires of fans and guests to public assembly venues, venues across the country are doing their part to go green and obtain LEED certification. It is a great initiative the venue management industry has engaged on, not only at the major league level, but stadiums, convention centers and performing arts venues are all doing the same.
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4 Ways to Leverage Social Media for Your Hospitality Brand | Hospitality Technology - 1 views

  • Advertisement
  • Be on the channels that matter - Instagram, Facebook and Twitter will be the most beneficial. Don't spread yourself thin by being on social platforms that will have little or no impact.
  • Post social coupons - Whether it's for food or rooms, these coupons and promo codes should be exclusive only to your channel's followers. If customers want a discount, they have to follow your page.
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  • Whether
  • Encourage
  • Set up event pages - Hosting live music, trivia or conventions? Set up an event through your Facebook page. When customers mark that they're interested or attending, their followers will see it and hopefully spread the word.
  • Encourage
  • Advertisement
  • These tips should help attract more new patrons and increase repeat visits. Above all, remember to have fun on social media. Going to a restaurant or hotel should be an enjoyable experience. So be creative and use your social channels to show everyone why your place is better than the rest.
  •  
    with technology progressing everyday many business can grow along with it with just making upgrade with using social media. by using IG, Facebook, or even Twitter to show off everything from food to drinks can bring in more customers.
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This is personal: Cybersecurity and the hospitality industry | HLB - 1 views

  • The hospitality industry has been a prime target for cyberattacks in recent years. From ransomware to data breaches, hotel chains and other businesses in the hospitality industry have experienced a variety of attacks
  • First, hospitality businesses deal with large amounts of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), including credit card information and contact details of customers.
  • Second, the hospitality industry relies heavily on technology, creating additional attack surfaces for criminals to exploit. For example, many hotels use electronic key cards that can be easily hacked
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  • Finally, the hospitality industry is often slow to adopt new security measures, leaving it behind the curve in protecting against emerging threats and scams.  
  • One type of attack is known as malware injection. This occurs when malicious software is injected into a hotel's or restaurant's computer system. The malware can then be used to steal customer data or take control of the system
  • Fortunately, there are steps that the hospitality industry can take to protect itself from these types of attacks, including investing in robust cybersecurity solutions, educating employees about cybersecurity risks and best practices, which can help reduce employee mistakes that could lead to an attack, and staying up-to-date on cybersecurity threats and trends
  • To protect themselves, these businesses need to follow GDPR guidelines (General Data Protection Regulation), a set of regulations that European Union member states must implement to protect digital data privacy
  • The most important thing you can do is to use a unique password for each account. This may seem like a lot of work, but it's the only way to ensure that your data is safe
  • This ensures that if an attack does occur, critical information can be recovered quickly. Additionally, it is important to keep software updated with the latest security patches. Many attacks exploit known vulnerabilities, so by staying up-to-date, businesses can make it more difficult for attackers to access their systems
  •  
    The article discusses the relevance of cybersecurity for hotels in light of more and more people working from home after the pandemic. Common risks and their safeguards have been described along with a set of best practices that hotels should adopt to prevent breaches.
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Importance of a Security Department in Hotel Front Office Management Tutorial 10 Octobe... - 0 views

  • The front office is a hotel’s communication center; it is the vital link between the hotel management and the guest.
  • The security department staff must react with speed and efficiency to serve the guest.
  • The security department is often regarded as a passive department, reacting only when called on.
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  • it is a very active department, setting policies, organizing programs, and delivering training programs to promote guest and employee safety.
  • Hotel Security report article by Patrick M. Murphy, CPP, director of loss prevention services at Marriott International, Inc., Washington, D.C., who reports on Marriott International’s adoption of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) in its chain of 1,900 owned and managed properties worldwide: CPTED is part of a total security package.
  • Guestrooms :- These [electronic locking systems] create an environment where keys are automatically changed when a new guest checks in; locks also can be interrogated to determine the last person to enter the room.
  • protecting the interior, lobby, and guestrooms; exterior and parking area; and the surrounding neighborhood.
  • Building entrances :- When reviewing a property we look to see that all entrances are inviting, brightly lit with no obstructing shrubbery. At night, side entrances should be restricted by use of card readers so that non - registered guests must pass through the lobby and past the main check - in desk.
  • Hotel lobbies :- They should be designed to be visually open, with minimal blind spots for front desk employees. Lobbies also should be designed so that persons walking through the front door must pass the front desk to reach the guestroom corridors or elevators.
  • presence of security or loss prevention officers
  • Guest amenities :- Marriott designs its new properties with glass doors and walls to allow for maximum witness potential when providing swimming pools, exercise rooms, vending areas, and laundry facilities. Adding house phones in these areas makes it possible for guests to call for help if they feel uncomfortable or threatened by anyone.
  • Exterior of the property :- CPTED principles call for bright lighting at walkways and entrances. Traffic should be directed to the front of the hotel property to make would - be criminals as visible as possible. Entrances to the hotel grounds should be limited. Landscaping, such as hedges and shrubbery, can also create aesthetically pleasing barriers to promote the desired traffic and pedestrian flow.
  • Parking :- The preferred lighting is metal halide. High - pressure sodium should be avoided because it casts a harsh yellow light. The optimal parking lot or garage has one entrance and exit with well - marked routes of travel for both cars and pedestrians. Garages need to be as open as possible, encouraging clear lines of sight. Elevators and stairwells that lead from the garage into the hotel should terminate at the lobby level, where a transfer of elevators or a different set of stairs should be required to reach guestroom floors. Other CPTED features in the garage should include CCTV (closed - circuit television) cameras, installation of emergency call boxes, and painting the walls white to increase the luminosity of light fixtures while creating an atmosphere that is appealing to the eye.1
  • The cost of a human life lost because of negligence or the financial loss due to a fire far outweighs the expense incurred in operating a security department.
  • Perhaps the most significant [of high - visibility hotel crimes] was the 1974 rape of singer / actress Connie Francis in a Westbury, N.Y. hotel, which resulted in a much publicized trial culminating in a multimillion - dollar verdict against the hotel. The case is still considered the industry’s “wake - up call” in terms of legal liability.
  •  
    This article gives the general basis of why it is important to have a security department for your front office. The front office is the communication center for the hotel. Therefore it is an area that breeds a healthy amount of human interaction for which you must have a secure, safe plan in the event of an emergency. In my opinion, I agree that front office associates deal with a lot of people on their job and having the appropriate knowledge for the appropriate situation is important.
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New technology coming to cruise ships in the next few years | Miami Herald - 2 views

  • Wristbands, which open doors, come for an additional price but are free for children.
  • The app will also have facial recognition to allow crew to identify passengers. Other features include way-finding navigation — like Google Maps for ships, — the ability to make purchases, request services, book excursions and plan daily activities in-app. The MSC for Me app will also offer suggestions based on guest preferences.
  • The Miami-based cruise line announced earlier this month a new Cruise Norwegian app that will allow passengers to check in ahead of their vacation, book excursions, make dinner and show reservations, and purchase drink packages or other amenities. Unlike the Carnival or Royal Caribbean versions, the app doesn’t change the physical embarkation process, but it does offer the option to go paperless with the documentation needed to go aboard.
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  • Like Norwegian, it will rely heavily on an app component, that, like Carnival, will also be available on interactive screens around the ship, in addition to mobile devices and stateroom TVs. And, like Royal, MSC will have a smart watch with geo-location that is also connected to the app.
  • In January, Carnival revealed the result of an 18-month project aimed at making the cruise experience more intuitive. Instead of largely relying on a smart phone, the company chose to build a “medallion.” The quarter-sized, two-ounce disc contains passenger information, incorporates geo-location services and is personalized with each cruiser’s name and sail date. It can be carried in pockets or worn on wristbands or pendants for an additional cost.The medallion interacts with the whole of the ship, which will be retrofitted with thousands of sensors and interactive screens, and miles of cable.
  • In the short-term, those innovations will looks like this: Guests will check-in through facial recognition technology — not check-in counters, thus eliminating lines. On board, passengers will be able to sign up for excursions, order drinks and make dinner reservations from a new Royal Caribbean app that also will enable crew to find passengers based on facial recognition. The app will partner with Royal’s WOW Bands, similar to Disney’s MagicBands, to open stateroom doors. And, thanks to RFID tags on luggage, guests will also be able to track the progress of their bags to their rooms. As with Carnival, the more passengers interact with the technology, the better equipped the app will be to offer meaningful recommendations.
  • For example, as guests approach their stateroom doors, the door senses the medallion and unlocks it for them. A digital photo wall senses a passenger’s approach — thanks to the medallion — and adjusts to show the cruiser his or her vacation pictures. After a guest requests a drink, either on an interactive screen, a smart phone or other device, crew can find that passenger wherever he or she is on the vessel because of the geo-location in the medallion.The operating system behind the medallion is Ocean Compass, an online vacation profile that passengers create before sailing, where they input their preferences; during the trip, they can add information via onboard screens and personal devices. Crew can also access passenger profiles in Ocean Compass, allowing them to offer relevant suggestions and address passengers by name.
  • Beyond that, Royal Caribbean plans to add virtual reality and augmented reality into the passenger experience. These concepts might transform cabin interiors with images of a starry night or a peaceful sunset displayed on screens on the walls, ceiling and floors. It could also transform dining by introducing virtual reality glasses that can transform the venue into a new landscape based on the cuisine passengers are eating.
  • But with the new technology will likely come privacy concerns. Much of the software cruise lines are introducing also involves capturing passenger information and using it to curate suggestions about what to do.
  • It’s already happening. In 2014, Starwood Hotels announced plans to start using smart phones as hotel keys, with the help of an app and Bluetooth connection. Hilton this year discussed plans to build a “Connected Room” in 2018, which will allow guests to control features of the room through an app, including lighting, entertainment and temperature.
  • It elevates the experience for everyone, not just the highest paying passengers, and not just on its best and newest units. I think it will become the norm...eventually the cruise industry and, not just the cruise industry, but other places, other tourism [entities].
  • The technology aims to ease irritations: the long lines to embark or disembark, crowded bars, the impersonal feeling of a mass congregation of people.
  • Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and MSC Cruises — have all come out with tech that promises to make cruising a less cumbersome experience. Most of it incorporates facial recognition and geo-location.
  • In the next five years, the new normal in cruising is going to be a better-connected voyage that will largely do away with lines and waiting — some of the factors that deter travelers from cruising to begin with.
  •  
    The article revolves around new technological concepts that the main cruise lines are adding to the cruising experience. While they have heavily focused on the ships hardware, they want to implement new software that will make the experience more enjoyable and simpler for guests to enjoy. Carnival, would like to implement a "medallion" called the Ocean Compass, that is crossover between the Disney Magic Band, and the band seen at the Universal Volcano Bay water park. It fits the Disney aspect, because it holds information,can open doors, and links guest pictures to the technology. It is similar to Universal, because it informs guests of when to attend something, so that they do not have to wait in a line. Royal Caribbean, likes the band idea that Disney presented, and wants to make bands of their own, that have similar functions that the Ocean Compass from Carnival has. In addition, Royal Caribbean wants to expose their guests to Virtual Reality. They hope to create an immersive experience for their guests, from the comfort of their rooms. Norwegian and MSC are mostly developing smart phone applications, that allow guests to check-in, book excursions, and open rooms. It is obvious that Disney developed a great idea with combining a "magical" band and phone application. The concept is so successful, that other players want to utilize the same formula. Let us see how well it works in the cruising industry.
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