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KNOWLAND RECENTLY UPDATED its navigation infrastructure to provide customers with a more intuitive and efficient way to access features. The new horizontal navigation bar, with simple icons and clear descriptions, helps users quickly access actionable insights and drive sales performance, Knowland said in a statement. Knowland said that the update previews a new user platform currently in development. "As the hotel sales models continue to evolve, hotel sales resources have broader market responsibilities and, as a result, less time to actively prospect," said Jeff Bzdawka, Knowland's CEO. "This new navigation is a direct response to these challenges. It is about empowering our users to focus on what matters most: building relationships and driving revenue. By quickly delivering the right information to their fingertips, we free them up for more productive selling time." The horizontal navigation bar features a predictable layout designed to be easier for users to find information quickly. By displaying menu items by category, such as accounts and events, competition, and markets, Knowland enables users to explore various features and functionalities.

HOSPITALITY RESEARCH FIRM Knowland recently launched the Knowland Certification Program. The program offers three certification credentials aimed at enabling hotel sales professionals to enhance their skills, elevate their professional profiles and demonstrate proficiency in management, Knowland said in a statement. "Today's data-driven solutions require hoteliers and software companies to work together to ensure software investments are being used to their fullest potential," said Jessica Carey, VP customer operations, Knowland. "Knowland is a vital sales skill and a must-have expertise for today's sales teams; therefore, having a certification program advances our efforts to demonstrate that sales teams are comfortable and knowledgeable in all aspects of the platform and can prove that knowledge." Sales professionals who come to the table with verifiable experience can advance their careers by documenting their skills and efficiently communicating that value to current or potential employers, Knowland said. The program provides three credential levels: Certified Knowland Sales Leader Professional, Certified Knowland Power User Professional and Certified Knowland Revenue Leader Professional (launching in 2024).

Jessica Kramer is the new CEO of hotel operations and collaboration platform, Lodgistics. Also, Wendy Zapach joined the company as chief revenue officer and Jami Poe is the new vice president for sales. The three new appointments will support the expansion of the operations platform provider, led by Shaunak Patel, the company's co-founder as well as president of North Carolina-based Parks Hospitality Group. Kramer previously served in executive leadership roles at TravelClick, ALICE and SevenRooms, which included running sales, revenue operations, business development, mergers and acquisitions and partnerships, according to the company. "I am thrilled to welcome Jessica as our new CEO. Her deep expertise in hospitality and technology, combined with her history of success scaling SaaS businesses, make her the perfect pick for our company as we embark on our next era of growth." Patel said. "Lodgistics was born inside our hotels and created in direct response to our team members' daily challenges around effectively communicating across teams and efficiently carrying out the wide range of operational tasks that make great hotel experiences possible. That's why it was crucial to find an executive who had deep, hands-on experience with both fast-growing technology companies and hotel operations. It is this unique and critical intersection of Jessica's experience and Lodgistics' DNA that make this the right match."

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS has selected California-based Canary Technologies as the global digital tipping solution vendor, enabling guests to tip hotel staff. Founded by Harman Narula and SJ Sawhney in 2017, the company offers digital tipping solutions and an end-to-end guest management system, including mobile check-in and checkout, dynamic upsells, and guest messaging, Canary said in a statement. "Hotel staff members are the backbone of the hospitality industry and guests want to tip staff for great service," said Dhiraj "DJ" Singh, Canary's vice president of sales. "With the declining use of cash worldwide, staff tips have taken a hit over the years. We are thrilled to help IHG hoteliers boost guest satisfaction and reward hard-working team members." IHG Hotels & Resorts, featuring 19 brands, more than 6,000 hotels, and nearly 1 million rooms worldwide, will implement Canary's digital tipping solution to improve the guest experience and acknowledge employees efficiently, the statement added.

IGNITE HOTELS RECENTLY acquired the 126-key WaterWalk Phoenix North Happy Valley in Phoenix, marking WaterWalk Holding Company's first asset sale. WaterWalk Hospitality will continue managing the property under the WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham brand, forming a new partnership with Ignite. Ignite Hotels, based in Kennewick, Washington, is led by President Gurbir Sandhu. "We are excited to partner with WaterWalk Hospitality as our management company and the Wyndham team," said Sandhu. "This collaboration allows us to capitalize on the potential of the extended-stay market while leveraging WaterWalk's expertise in operations and guest satisfaction." The Phoenix property, a mix of furnished and unfurnished units, debuted as the first Gen2 prototype in 2023, the companies said in a joint statement. The Gen 2.0 prototype prioritizes efficient design and lower operating costs. The hotel is near major business hubs, shopping, dining and outdoor attractions.

THE RADISSON RED Miami Airport, a 157-room property located east of Miami International Airport, was sold for $22 million at a price per key of $140,127. Kabani Hotel Group, led by CEO and Founder Ahmed Kabani and partner Suraj Dalal, brokered the deal. Kabani Hotel Group used a traditional marketing approach for the transaction, recording a 3.22 percent cap rate. The company received nine offers from domestic and international investors and closing the deal within 30 days of being under contract, the company said in a statement. "We are confident the new ownership will excel at this location," Kabani said. "Our strategic marketing efforts garnered over 150 confidentiality agreements. Despite elevated interest rates and financing challenges, the right buyer was identified, assuming existing debt and closing efficiently."

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL RECENTLY picked the Agilysys point-of-sale platform, InfoGenesis, as an option for its hotels throughout the U.S. and Canada. Marriott's luxury, premium and select tiers hotels in both countries can now use the platform for guest-facing and staff-facing operations in F&B, retail and activity centers at each property. Agilysys is led by CEO Ramesh Srinivasan. InfoGenesis consolidates guest and staff purchasing transactions onto a single comprehensive cloud platform tailored for the hospitality industry, Agilysis said in a statement. InfoGenesis POS integrates with Marriott property management systems, furnishing front desk operators with detailed POS transactional information aimed at enhancing operational efficiency. "Marriott International is a globally admired organization and we look forward to offering properties across the U.S. and Canada the opportunity to leverage our enterprise-grade InfoGenesis omnichannel point-of-sale technology platform," said Srinivasan.