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TOCK, A RESERVATIONS and events platform for the hospitality industry, recently partnered with Curator Hotel & Resort Collection to enhance food and beverage operations and provide additional amenities to guests. The partnership will enable Curator member hotels and resorts to streamline operations, drive revenue and improve guests' experiences on a single system. "Tock provides a holistic solution that empowers our customers and we're thrilled to bring that to Curator's elite network of independent hotels and resorts," said Patrick Venn, Tock's head of hotels and enterprise. "This partnership aligns with our mission to empower hotels of all sizes with forward-thinking technology focused on revenue management. Together, we aim to help these properties not only in navigating today's competitive landscape, but also setting new standards in delivering extraordinary guest experiences." Tock's platform offers capabilities tailored for hotel operators, Tock said in a statement.

HOTEL WEBSITES LED all booking sources in revenue per booking in 2024, generating an average of $519, 60 percent higher than other channels, according to SiteMinder. Furthermore, the largest volume of hotel reservations from a single technology platform rose 8.5 percent year-over-year, with a value-per-booking 60 percent higher than OTAs at $320. SiteMinder's Hotel Booking Trends report, based on more than 125 million reservations, found the figure was 35 percent higher than global distribution systems at $380 and 15 percent higher than wholesalers, DMCs and tour operators combined at $446. Direct booking value rose year-over-year, with hotel websites holding or improving their position among top revenue sources in all major travel destinations for the first time. In the U.S., hotel websites remained the third-highest revenue-generating channel.

TWO HOTELS HAVE converted to the AmeriVu brand founded in 2015 by Wisconsin hotelier Nick Rai. Rai said the company's continued expansion despite the current economic downturn is because of its affordable business model. The hotels are both in Wisconsin. They are a 50-room former Super 8 in Shawano, about 40 miles northwest of Green Bay, and a 47-room former independent in Saint Croix, about 55 miles northeast of Minneapolis-St. Paul. "In today's financial environment, owners are drawn to our unlimited free online reservations and our modest $20 per room per month royalty / marketing charge," said Rai, who now is CEO of Vishav Hotels. "Also popular is our yearly exit opportunity and that we have few mandated amenities." Amerivu is now part of Atlanta-based Hospitality Lodging Systems after Rai signed a long-term exclusive licensing agreement with HLS in 2016. HLS also licenses the Budgetel and Haven Hotel brands. "After a year of economic pain in 2020, hotel owners are ready for the return to more stable, more profitable results that our three brands deliver," said Doug Collins, HLS chairman and CEO.

ATLANTA-BASED HOSPITALITY Lodging Systems has added two Budgetel Inn & Suites and two Haven Hotel properties to its portfolio, according to HLS. Currently, there are 37 Budgetel hotels with 3,813 rooms operating in 10 states plus China and 12 Haven Hotels with 698 rooms in nine states. Both the Budgetel hotels are in metro Atlanta, a 218-room conversion former Clarion, located on the north side of the city and a 121-room property in suburban Lilburn. The new Haven Hotels are 50-all suites, boutique property in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta and a 130-room property in Hazelwood, Missouri, a statement said. "Our brands are attracting owners who want to lower costs and boost profits, especially as our industry struggles to recover from two years of pandemic slowdown," said Doug Collins, chairman and CEO of HLS. "Among the most popular features of our contract are unlimited free online reservations, fewer mandated amenities, and an annual exit opportunity."

STAYNTOUCH, A CLOUD-BASED hotel property management software developer, recently launched UpsellPRO, an attribute-based selling platform that allows hotels to unbundle room reservations and market individual room features to guests during the booking process. The launch followed a report stating that half of respondents with a booking window over one month would pay more for ABS, Stayntouch said in a statement. "Attribute-based selling is giving travelers a degree of control over their hotel stay that they never thought possible, and hoteliers can deliver this experience without overwhelming themselves with unmanageable processes," said Nicole Dehler, Stayntouch's vice president of product. "The best part about today's ABS deployments is they can be delivered directly through the hotel PMS, automating inventory and room management without relying on a convoluted network of connected systems." Dehler said any hotel can leverage upselling to enhance service delivery and boost revenue growth organically, in a way that guests love.

A CYBER-ATTACK "significantly disrupted" booking channels and other applications for InterContinental Hotels Group last week, according to a statement from the company. Now, AAHOA is demanding an explanation for the breach and assurances that its members' data is protected. IHG has implemented a response plan, including notifying the relevant regulatory authorities, working with its technology suppliers and engaging external specialists to investigate the incident, according to the company. 'IHG is working to fully restore all systems as soon as possible and to assess the nature, extent and impact of the incident," the company said. "We will be supporting hotel owners and operators as part of our response to the ongoing service disruption. IHG's hotels are still able to operate and to take reservations directly."

GRACESOFT, URBAN PARK Hotel Collection and LodgeTender have integrated their portfolios to create an independent hotel service and membership network. The alliance provides hotel management technology, revenue optimization, consulting and a non-franchise membership brand, helping independent hoteliers compete in the market, the companies said in a joint statement. "Our mission is to equip independent hoteliers with the resources and technology they need to compete with major brands while retaining their unique identities," said Gideon Stanley, GraceSoft's CEO. "This collaboration brings together over 2,000 hotels, helping them improve efficiency, guest satisfaction, and profitability." The partnership offers a suite of solutions including property management systems, booking engines, revenue analytics and distressed property recovery consulting, giving hoteliers access to tools typically reserved for large franchise chains, the statement said.

HOTEL BRAND HIHOTELS by Hospitality International has partnered with Getaroom, a hotel distribution platform within OTA Priceline. The arrangement is expected to increase hihotels reservations capability through adding Getaroom's website and call center. The benefits for hihotels' five brands, Red Carpet Inn, Scottish Inns, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn, include stronger distribution, access to more incremental guests and increased revenue, according to Hospitality International. "Hihotels is thrilled to announce this strategic alliance with Getaroom," said Gary Gobin, hihotels director of operations. "The opportunity to expand the distribution of our hotels is a top priority. This new relationship will help to bring more visibility to our hotels and offer budget-friendly accommodations to travelers."

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS has entered into a new agreement with Groups360 to bring instant online multi-room bookings to Wyndham hotels in 2023. Using Groups360's GroupSync Marketplace direct booking solution, Wyndham hotel owners will have the opportunity to integrate the platform with their hotel reservation systems, providing travel planners, including groups and events organizers along with those managing infrastructure, logistics and corporate accounts, with rates and availability as well as booking of rooms online, the company said in a statement. "Over the last three years, Wyndham has invested over $100 million in major technology initiatives, giving our franchisees access to best-in-class offerings that unlock new efficiencies while helping to grow their bottom line," said Lisa Checchio, Wyndham's chief marketing officer. "Bringing franchisees access to GroupSync is just the latest example and one we believe offers incredible opportunity for franchisees, particularly those in the economy segment, where such technology is an industry first." Hotels that publish live inventory and rates within the GroupSync Marketplace save travel planners' valuable time by allowing them to search, shop and book blocks of rooms. Possible users include short one- to-two-night group events such as youth sports, weddings and family reunions, as well as multi-week infrastructure or logistics projects such as commercial construction, bridge repair or highway expansion, Wyndham's statement said.

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL is implementing "Choice Direct Pay," a system that allows corporate customers to make reservations for their employees and guests at multiple Choice hotels. The new system then bills the companies directly through a single, centralized invoice. Choice Direct Pay also would provide weekly consolidated invoicing so corporate travelers can pay for all stays at one time. Users can download and manage their invoice data through an individualized online portal, and centralized customer support can help with the enrollment process, check the status of payments and invoices and resolve issues with charges. The program also allows users to add project costs and department codes to bills to further simplify the reconciliation process. They also can access to existing negotiated and chainwide rates and search for participating hotels, as well as adjust their stay dates.

CLOUD-BASED HOSPITALITY software provider HotelKey has added its central reservation system to an already existing portfolio of its products for Extended Stay America. ESA already uses a portfolio of HotelKey products across its properties, including HotelKey's property-management system since 2018 and call center module since 2020, HotelKey said in a statement. According to the statement, HotelKey's CRS product includes direct connectivity to leading OTAs and GDS systems, a call center module, integration with channel managers and seamless integration with the HotelKey PMS. "We are excited to further expand our relationship with Extend Stay America," said Aditya Thyagarajan, co-founder and president of HotelKey. "ESA has an unwavering commitment to innovation and adoption of next-gen solutions. The new agreement is not only further validation of that commitment, but also brings HotelKey one step closer to our vision - helping enterprises across the hotel industry implement full-stack solutions that support owners and franchisees and hotel managers to effectively manage their properties from anywhere." "We are pleased to continue working with HotelKey, with the addition of its CRS product," said John Laplante, ESA's chief information officer. "They have helped enable innovation of our tech platforms and further provides strategic value to our business."

A GROUP OF InterContinental Hotels Group franchisees have filed a lawsuit against the company in connection with a cyber-attack that "significantly disrupted" its booking channels and other applications in mid-September. The lawsuit claims that IHG should have taken more steps to prevent the breach in light of warnings it received after a previous breach. IHG implemented a response plan, including notifying the relevant regulatory authorities, working with its technology suppliers and engaging external specialists to investigate the incident, according to the company. The breach affected IHG's reservations and customer care call centers, as well as internal systems, such as Merlin and the IHG Help Desk, according to a statement from AAHOA on the breach. The association said franchisees, including some of its members, saw a complete shutdown in guestroom bookings during this outage. On Sept. 15, several IHG franchisees filed a lawsuit against IHG in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division alleging the company should have done more to prevent the breach. The lawsuit references a similar breach the company experienced in 2017 as an example that IHG should have taken further steps to secure its system.