News Briefs

RMS North America and Solonis, providers of cloud-based reservation and property management systems to the hospitality industry, announced this week product updates designed to boost efficiency, revenue, and business operations for property partners. Together, these innovations enhance the guest experience and equip property owners and operators with the tools to thrive.

“At RMS North America and Solonis, we’re always innovating,” states Fred Dominioni, Chief Revenue Officer, RMS North America and Solonis. “This innovation is critical to serving our customers and being the best partners possible for the hospitality industry. The enhancements we’ve released for both brands address customer needs and enable these businesses to excel in today’s travel landscape.”

Building on momentum from recently announced smart meter partners and partnership with Outrigger, RMS and Solonis’ latest improvements create a simplified booking experience and give property managers greater visibility into their business and revenue-driving activities. Below are some of the latest enhancements - you can see the rest on both the Solonis Product Updates and RMS Product Updates pages.

Enhanced Booking Visibility

Staff can now create bookings directly from an interactive map inside Quick Quote, a tool that enables people to quickly search, quote, and compare availability across properties, categories, and rate types.

Simplified Guest Booking

When booking online, guests can choose from room preferences and make a booking for the available room or site type within an inventory grouping category. Group two or more site types into a single inventory category to optimize booking for similar site or room types. This single category can be pushed out to OTAs under one rate.

Seamless Conversion of Pencil Reservations

Once a guest pays a deposit on a pencil booking in the Guest Portal, it’s automatically converted to a confirmed reservation, removing the additional steps previously required by property staff. The pencil booking will expire as usual if a deposit isn't paid, according to set expiration rules.

Updated Rate Recalculation Rules

Rules and prompts around Rate Recalculation have been enhanced, so the new rules are determined by whether properties post Nightly Rates or Total Rate and if any Rate Overrides exist on the reservation being modified.

Streamline Property Workflows with To-Do Traces

Make templates assigned to specific staff departments, such as Accounting or Reception, that serve as traces or internal to-dos. Within these templates, you can create a title, detailed description of the trace, due date, whether this task repeats, and more.

RMS North America and Solonis are committed to empowering their users to achieve new business heights with intelligent business offerings. To learn more about RMS’ product enhancements or schedule a demo for your outdoor property, please visit americas.rmscloud.com. To learn more about Solonis’ product enhancements or schedule a demo for your hotel or resort property, please visit solonis.com.

Domino's Pizza Inc. introduces its new and improved loyalty program. 

Domino's Rewards offers loyalty members even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across its corporate and franchise store locations. Domino's enhanced rewards program allows customers to:

• Earn points for less
  • Loyalty members will now earn 10 points on every order of $5 or more
• Redeem points for even more menu items – and earn free Domino's after just two orders
  • Members can redeem a variety of points for more menu items:
    • 20 points: A free dipping cup, a 16-piece order of Parmesan Bread Bites or a 20 oz. drink
    • 40 points: An order of Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Bread
    • 60 points: A medium, two-topping pizza; pasta; Oven-Baked Sandwich; or a 3-piece order of Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
• Earn more rewards
  • Loyalty perks are now even better, as members will have exclusive access to member-only deals, special discounts and opportunities to earn bonus points!

"We are thrilled to give the brand's loyal customers additional ways to earn free Domino's items more often," said Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of digital experience and loyalty. "At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino's is doing the opposite. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster."

Marketing a LTO 

From now until Oct. 22, 2023, rewards members can take advantage of a limited time offer to redeem 20 points for a free order of Domino's new Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread, which is normally a 40-point redemption, in celebration of the product's recent launch. 

Shiji, a global hospitality technology innovator, has partnered with IPORT, an award-winning manufacturer known for enhancing the usability of iPads and iPhones, to introduce an all-in-one software solution for hotel restaurants. This collaboration will provide hoteliers with a seamless combination of a tablet and payment device to maximize their F&B operations.

The integrated iOS and payment device solution simplifies guest service for hotel restaurant servers, providing them with an effortless tool to cater to their guests' needs. As a certified Apple partner, Shiji and IPORT guarantee exceptional performance and reliability. Hoteliers can choose from multiple device options, including iPad Pro, iPad Mini, and iPhone, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with their operations.

“IPORT products are built around modularity and flexibility that empower our hospitality customers to do more with the iOS platform. We are thrilled to partner with a leading iPad and iPhone cloud PMS and POS platform provider like Shiji,” said Chris Lawson, Head of Partnerships, IPORT. “We look forward to innovating with Shiji in disrupting legacy, monolithic providers who have limited the industry from harnessing the power of iOS and mobility. The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless with IPORT, iOS, and Shiji.”

"The partnership with IPORT is a significant milestone for Shiji in our commitment to provide innovative technology solutions for the hospitality industry," said Ryan King, Senior Vice President of Shiji in the Americas. "By combining our expertise with IPORT’s hardware solutions, we empower hoteliers to streamline restaurant operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences. This collaboration represents another step forward in our dedication to driving success in the Americas, and globally."

The tablet and payment device solution seamlessly integrates with multiple payment gateways, allowing hoteliers to choose the system that best suits their needs. By simplifying the payment process, it reduces operational complexities, minimizes errors, and saves valuable time and resources for hoteliers.

The IHG One Rewards mobile app is redefining the travel experience with a greater emphasis on customer satisfaction – and it's earning rave reviews. The app's intuitive design and new features seamlessly guide guests through their booking journey from inspiration to customizing their in-room stay experience, all in the palm of their hands. As IHG's fastest-growing booking channel, the app has driven more than half of all digital bookings in 2023 and is the main platform for loyalty engagement. With the ability to inspire adventure, maximize loyalty earnings, and seamlessly integrate into the in-hotel experience, the app has received high ratings of 4.9 stars on the Apple store and 4.8 stars on the Android store.

"At IHG, we believe that technology can redefine hospitality and our IHG One Rewards mobile app is a testament to that. We knew that by placing our app at the center of delivering choice and control to our guests, we could stand out in the industry," said Jolie Fleming, Senior Vice President, Guest Products and Platforms at IHG Hotels & Resorts. "With new features rolling out weekly, we continue to offer greater customization and increased guest engagement through this channel. We have seen positive reviews from our most loyal guests who use the app devotedly and can't travel without it!"

The IHG One Rewards app is packed with new features that set it apart from other hotel apps, including:

• New! Travel Wishlists. An in-app exclusive experience, members can now save properties to their Wishlists page to view later – easily allowing them to track future stays or add past stays they enjoyed to their list.
• Wi-Fi Auto Connect. When enabled, this feature automatically connects a guest's mobile device to a property's Wi-Fi as soon as they walk through the doors. A one-time sign on is required and takes only two taps to join. More than 1 million users have signed up globally.
• Room charges in real time. Guests at more than 3,000 hotels across the Americas can view their room charges as they happen during their stay. Available on the Reservation Summary page, guests can see in-room charges such as room service and dining charges.
• Room details and customization. Guests can now easily see the size of the room booked, so there are no surprises when they show up! Plus, IHG has made it easier for guests to personalize their stays, whether that's by booking a room with a view of the mountains or selecting one with more space.
• Seamless loyalty benefits experience. IHG One Rewards members can conveniently explore their current loyalty tier benefits and discover the exciting rewards they can unlock as they progress to higher tiers, as well as access and redeem Milestone Rewards, including free nights, food and beverage vouchers and complimentary suite upgrades.
• Updated Wallet. Google and Apple Wallet users can add their IHG One Rewards membership and reservations to their digital wallet allowing for convenience and ease during travel.
• More languages. The re-architected app is available in 20 languages across six global and Greater China focused app stores.

Jolie Fleming added: "Our app is designed for a new kind of loyalty program and for a new kind of traveler. We designed this app with our customers and are proud to say that it has exceeded expectations. The app's exceptional adoption rate, positive user feedback, and transformative impact on guest experiences has reinforced IHG's standing as a global leader in redefining hospitality through technology."

The IHG One Rewards mobile app also offers members a Best Price Guarantee with no hidden fees; and the ability to track the availability of rooms in their favorite hotels. Plus, guests are able to use guest service support and chat directly with customer care representatives directly in the app. And, for our top tier Diamond Elite members, they get priority access to Dedicated Diamond Support through the app.

The future of the IHG One Rewards mobile app

The mobile app has come out of a transformational year and new updates are always on the horizon. Upcoming features include the launch of Apple AirPlay at IHG Hotels & Resorts and virtual 360° tours of select Hotel Indigo properties globally. Not to mention, guests will soon be able to share Wishlists with friends and family, making the travel booking experience even more engaging and fun. 

Presto Automation Inc., one of the largest drive-thru automation technology providers in the hospitality industry, announced a newly signed agreement that demonstrates the company’s continued momentum and strengths in technology, enterprise sales, integration, and implementation.

Presto signed CKE Franchise Group StarCorp and all of its 58 Carl’s Jr. locations, where it will be the only Voice AI vendor. After a successful and competitive pilot at 2 stores lasting more than 6 months, StarCorp decided to launch Presto Voice at full scale. Presto was able to achieve a 91% upsell offer rate during the pilot period. The companies are planning to jointly roll out these locations in the coming months.

Presto is currently taking several new Voice locations live for its customers each week, which it believes is a testament to the positive feedback it has received from customers and restaurant guests to date.

“We are delighted that StarCorp has signed its Carl’s Jr. locations with Presto after an extensive pilot and believe that action speaks volumes,” said Dan Mosher, President of Presto. “StarCorp has been an incredible partner, and this expanded partnership is a further proof point of the benefits of our Voice solution.”

“We are very excited to be working with Presto,” said Warren Forsythe, President of StarCorp. “We have a standard of excellence to uphold at StarCorp, and we chose Presto’s solution as it delivers on our expectations of the technology, including driving increased revenue and more efficient operations, which we believe will be essential for all restaurants.”

In celebration of World Tourism Day, Sleap.io has announced the launch of its Web3 hotel booking platform. Taking a leap into the future of travel, Sleap.io seamlessly incorporates cutting edge decentralized technology and cryptocurrency to deliver an unparalleled game changing user experience.

User-Focused Booking Simplified

Sleap.io, users can effortlessly connect their cryptocurrency wallets with popular options like Metamask and Coinbase Wallet to access exclusive user rates. When users initiate a search for accommodation, the platform goes a step beyond the conventional booking process by minting the request into a unique non fungible token (NFT). Every completed booking is also minted into its own unique NFT, offering not just a confirmation but the promise of future transferability and additional layers of utility. This innovative approach allows hotels and partners to respond with personalized real time offers to Sleap.io users.

Web3 in Travel: Just the Tip of the Iceberg

The integration of Web3 technology into the travel industry is still in its early stages, but recent initiatives by major airlines like Lufthansa and Etihad signify that a larger transformation is underway. With specialized blockchains like Camino Network focusing solely on travel, it's evident that we're only at the beginning of this monumental shift. Michael Ros, the Founder of Sleap.io, shares his thoughts, stating, "Being the pioneering hotel booking platform operating on the blockchain fills me with immense pride. However, it's not merely about being the first; it's about our commitment to excelling in this emerging Web3 era. The adoption of Web3 is rapidly gaining momentum, and we are enthusiastic about leading the way in this industry-wide evolution."

Industry Recognition and Financial Backing

In July, Sleap.io successfully closed an investment round featuring prominent investors such as Falkensteiner Ventures, Next Floor, Ralf Usbeck, and Tectris.vc. Alongside this financial backing, the platform has been honored with several accolades, including winning the Epic Web3 Awards in June. Sleap.io is also in the running for Europe's Top Web3 Startups at European Blockchain Convention in Barcelona and has been nominated for the Travolution Award, further solidifying its standing in both the Web3 and travel industries.

Strategic Partnerships: A New Milestone for Web3

An influx of high profile partnership announcements in Q4 of 2023. Sleap.io is not just forming alliances but is strategically embedding itself within the larger Web3 ecosystem. The platform is partnering with some of the largest Web3 companies and communities, creating building blocks for a robust, interconnected Web3 network.

Blockchain’s Role in Disrupting Costs

By harnessing blockchain technology, Sleap.io substantially reduces transactional fees and commissions, traditionally as high as 15-30% of the average booking value. The platform is built on the Camino Network blockchain, which is tailored for the travel industry and offers high cost-effectiveness. Thanks to the decentralized nature of cryptocurrency, the need for traditional banking systems is eliminated, resulting in significant cost savings for travelers. This financial innovation underscores Sleap.io's commitment to providing a more affordable and transparent booking experience.

Advanced Personalization Through AI

Set for a Q1 2024 release, Sleap.io will introduce an AI driven feature that provides travelers with highly personalized hotel recommendations based on user preferences. Dynamic photo sorting will enrich the visual journey, with continuous learning algorithms refining the user booking experience over time.

Unveiling Market Potential

As the global hospitality market reached nearly 4.7 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023 and is forecast to grow to 5.8 trillion U.S. dollars by 2027, the opportunities for Sleap.io are monumental. With projections indicating that the number of crypto wallet users will reach 1 billion by 2025, Sleap.io is ideally situated to cater to a high spending, tech savvy demographic.

Conclusion

Sleap.io is not just offering a new way to book hotels; it’s revolutionizing the entire experience of travel. By creating a user centric, efficient, and hyper personalized ecosystem, Sleap.io is at the forefront of redefining how the world engages with travel and hospitality.