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More and more top luxury hotels now accept cryptos for rooms and hotel services. Other travel-related sites were already accepting cryptocurrencies before luxury hotels jumped on the bandwagon. The primary reason that travelers use cryptos is because of the favorable conversion rates that save hundreds of dollars over using credit cards. The cards are just as convenient to use because they're totally digital-based. FIVE OF THE TOP LUXURY HOTELS THAT ACCEPT CRYPTOS Among the benefits, using cryptos tends to be less expensive than other methods of payment. Five of the top luxury hotels that accept cryptos include the following properties. 1. CHEDI ANDERMATT, SWITZERLAND 2. SRI PANWA PHUKET 3. SANDMAN HOTELS OF CANADA AND THE U.K. 4. CASUAL HOTELES OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 5. PAVILIONS HOTELS & RESORT GLOBAL TRAVEL WITH UTMOST CONVENIENCE Bitcoin ranks as the most popular digital currency. The innovative payment method uses decentralized currency for efficiency, transparency and security.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING points are becoming a standard amenity at hotels, akin to the rise of Wi-Fi in the early 2000s. Benefits for the hotel owners and franchisers can include additional revenue, carbon credits as well as attracting guests from the growing number of electric vehicle drivers. A 2022 Green Lodging survey by the American Hotel and Lodging Association revealed a surge in the deployment of EV chargers within the hospitality sector, with 26.6 percent of all U.S. hotels equipped with charging stations. The EV charging facilities are more commonly found at luxury hotels (nearly 90 percent offer them), while only about one in five limited-service hotels provides charging, representing significant growth opportunities. Hotel brands such as Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, BWH Hotel Group, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International, Hyatt Hotel Corp. and G6 Hospitality have prioritized deploying EV charging based on customer preferences. Their franchisees have begun incorporating EV charging infrastructures into their properties. "We've heard from our owners that offering EV charging solutions is increasingly influential for guests when choosing hotels," said Brian McGuiness, IHG's senior vice president of global guest experience. "This is backed by our observation of guests using EVC filters on the IHG One Rewards mobile app and website. Our integrated EV-charger search filter within the IHG One Rewards mobile app allows travelers to easily find properties with EV charging capabilities, empowering them to plan their journeys conveniently and confidently."

Mark Sergot is InterContinental Hotels Group's new vice president for global sales operations and enablement. Previously he was chief sales officer for Associated Luxury Hotels International. Sergot spent 16 years at FRHI Hotels & Resorts, the parent company of the Fairmont, Raffles & Swissotel brands. He became FRHI's senior vice president for its global sales organization. He will be based on the company's Americas headquarters in Atlanta and report to global sales Vice President Derek DeCross.

HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION plans to expand its brand portfolio in India and Southwest Asia, with eight new hotels set to open across various leisure and city destinations in 2024. The expansion will focus on Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place and Hyatt Centric brands and is timed to coincide with an expected rebound of travel in the country and sub-continent, Hyatt said in a statement. "Southwest Asia continues to demonstrate high growth potential and is among the top global growth markets for Hyatt, said Sunjae Sharma, Hyatt's managing director for India and Southwest Asia. "We have strong expansion plans for 2024 across our portfolio encompassing our legacy brands like Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place and Hyatt Centric across destinations that will strengthen our brand presence in key markets. This expansion represents our strong commitment and confidence in the Southwest Asia region." Hyatt is also expanding its luxury and lifestyle brands in India, including the recent launch of JdV by Hyatt with the opening of Ronil Goa, the statement said. JdV by Hyatt is the ninth brand introduced by Hyatt in India, reaffirming its commitment to expanding its presence in the country.

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.

Jobs Abroad, Work Abroad, International Jobs Online - Are you familiar with the luxury brand Versace? Well, it is actually Gianni Versace S.p.A., an Italian luxury fashion company and brand name founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. It designs and produces lifestyle products such as high-class Italian made ready-to-wear and leather accessories, haute couture, jewelry, eye wear, fragrances, watches, and more. The Versace Group distributes its products worldwide as it has over 200 boutiques in major cities and over 1500 wholesalers global.

Sudhakar Veluru is now the executive vice president and chief information technology officer at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. Prior to this role, he served as the chief technology officer at MGM Resorts International, spearheading digital transformation initiatives that enhanced access to e-commerce, customer loyalty programs, and casino games across mobile and online platforms, Four Seasons said in a statement. Before joining MGM, Veluru held various senior leadership positions at The Walt Disney Co. He will report to Alejandro Reynal, Four Seasons' president and CEO. "We are excited to welcome Sudhakar at this important time in Four Seasons information technology transformation," said Reynal. "Sudhakar's extensive experience in technology and IT innovation will be instrumental in shaping our digital-first future, further enhancing the guest, resident and employee experience across our growing global portfolio of luxury properties."