News Briefs

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise company, today announced that 100% of its ships across the global fleet are equipped with Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency global internet connectivity. 

The completed installation further enhances Carnival Corporation’s onboard experience for its guests and crew to provide even faster service, greater capacity, and more reliable Wi-Fi on its fleet of 90-plus ships across its portfolio of world-class cruise brands. The roll-out of Starlink is the latest in a series of innovations and investments from Carnival Corporation that have collectively quadrupled its fleetwide bandwidth since 2019 through its industry-leading connectivity strategy.

The upgrade rivals on-land connectivity experiences, enabling guests and crew to stay connected anywhere in the world, including sharing pictures and videos, scrolling on social media, streaming live content, and working remotely. The added bandwidth also boosts each ship’s operational and communications capabilities with more continuous onboard equipment monitoring and real-time connectivity and data sharing between ship and shore teams, along with the enhanced versatility to more quickly roll out new guest services and features, even while at sea.

“Starlink has been a game-changer for the onboard connectivity experience our cruise lines deliver to their guests, and we’ve already seen a surge in guest satisfaction and positive feedback from the super-fast and reliable Wi-Fi service we provide onboard,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “We see this technology as a win-win-win – it provides our guests with more flexibility to stay as connected as they’d like on vacation, it allows our crew to stay in touch with friends and loved ones, and it enhances our onboard operational systems.” 

Carnival Corporation began its fleetwide roll-out of Starlink in December 2022 with Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises ships, before expanding to the company's other world-class cruise brands, which include Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.

The Starlink expansion further advances the company’s multi-provider strategy to deliver the same reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi service available on land while on board its global fleet of 90+ ships visiting more than 800 ports worldwide. Designed to support a variety of constantly moving vessels that sail all over the world, the company’s system leverages technologies from a diverse range of suppliers and is capable of dynamically routing internet traffic and optimizing network speeds to provide a consistent experience to guests across every brand and itinerary.

PopID and Steak n Shake announced today that all Steak n Shake locations in the United States now accept PopID Check In (to review favorite orders and loyalty points) and PopPay for checkout. With more than 300 locations, Steak n Shake is the first national restaurant brand in the United States to adopt biometric check-in and checkout nationwide. PopID’s biometric check-in feature makes kiosk ordering faster, easier, and more personalized.

The implementation of PopID in every Steak n Shake location was accomplished rapidly and at low cost through a partnership between PopID and ACRELEC, a leading supplier of kiosk-ordering hardware and drive-through products. Cameras were shipped to every restaurant for attachment to the existing ACRELEC kiosks. “As explained in our recent publication, ACRELEC believes that our integrated biometric solution provides various benefits to restaurant operators related to throughput, ticket size, and loyalty engagement,” says Bruno Lo-Re, President of ACRELEC America.

“We are thrilled about our partnership with PopID and to be on the edge of biometric technology for the benefit of our customers. Our guests now have the option to use biometrics for a faster and more seamless experience,” says Sardar Biglari, Chairman of Biglari Holdings, the parent company of Steak n Shake.

Now that biometrics are enabled for all ordering and payment inside Steak n Shake restaurants, PopID and Steak n Shake will begin implementing biometric check-in and checkout at the restaurant’s drive-through units. “Similar to the kiosks, biometric check in can increase loyalty participation and revenue at the drive thru while also reducing payment processing costs,” says John Miller, CEO of PopID and Chairman of Cali Group. “Additionally, biometric payment at the order confirmation screen enables staff members to work on tasks other than taking payments by card and phone at the order pick-up window.”

BEONx, a hospitality revenue management service provider, is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of new dashboards in partnership with JUYO Analytics, the next curve data visualization and analytics platform for the hospitality industry. Hoteliers' evaluation of performance and data collection will undergo a revolution thanks to this update.

The new dashboards, available exclusively to hoteliers and professional clients, provide a comprehensive snapshot of the current situation. They aim to reduce the amount of time spent on information verification by providing all the necessary data in a single location. Clients will now be able to evaluate their performance with ease and make informed decisions.

The premium package will include a host of additional benefits. Custom package configuration allows clients to personalise their experience to meet their specific needs. Furthermore, two new dashboards have been added for more detailed analysis of channel performance and a daily pace overview.

Cayetana Fernández, VP of Product at BEONx, expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "The new dashboards developed by BEONx and Juyo will take clients' strategies one step further by focusing on channel distribution. Clients will now be able to create their own reports based on their specific requirements."

Karin van Rhee, COO at Juyo Analytics, added, "The new premium dashboards provide hoteliers with even more sophisticated reporting, adding additional context to their analysis! Every hotel is unique and has its own approach to managing its commercial strategies. With the new product, we empower hotels to tailor their own dashboards with data relevant to them.” 

With the latest product update to the premium package, BEONx and Juyo elevate hotels to an even higher standard.

• Empowering- Customized Stunning Dashboards: Hoteliers can now create their own stunning dashboards from scratch, tailoring them to precisely match their unique company needs. This level of customization ensures that the insights gained are directly relevant to the specific goals and challenges of each hotel.
• Dynamic Overview of Channel Performance: With the new dynamic overview dashboard, hotels can instantly assess channel performance on annual, quarterly, weekly, or even daily timelines. This clear and concise presentation consolidates all critical performance metrics into a single, easy-to-read table. It's the perfect tool for busy hoteliers who need a quick snapshot of their channel performance at any given moment.
• Pace Analytics Dashboard: It equips hoteliers with the tools to better understand booking curves, identify risks, and uncover opportunities within their forecasts and budgets. By leveraging this dashboard, hotels can make informed decisions that lead to improved revenue management.

The update is expected to improve the user experience and provide businesses with valuable insights to help them flourish in the dynamic digital landscape.  Please consult the official websites of BEONx and Juyo Analytics for additional information. 

IRIS,  a provider of digital ordering for the hospitality industry, announces it will be investing in its expansion in the Middle East. The announcement follows significant growth in its client base, as an increasing number of hoteliers across the region report a preference for mobile ordering from guests, enabling them to increase F&B revenue and enhance the digital experience they offer. The investment will deliver the introduction of new features and also includes the company’s attendance at the Hotel Revolution Summit in Dubai on 21^st May.

Now live in 10 states, IRIS has grown its client base by 33% since launching its mobile ordering and digital guest directory platform in the Middle East. IRIS is deployed at a number of hotels in global chains Four Seasons, Marriott and Mandarin Oriental as well as smaller, luxury hospitality groups based in the region. All report marked increases in F&B revenues of between 20% - 40% on average. 

Globally and across the Middle East the demand for, and capability of, mobile ordering has seen unprecedented growth. As hospitality operators seek to capitalise on the revenue, guest satisfaction, and efficiency opportunities it offers across operations and departments, it shows no signs of slowing.

For both operators and their guests alike, IRIS offers a flexible, scalable and convenient mobile ordering experience across digital F&B, guest directory and concierge solutions. Particularly for operators keen to maximise the revenue potential across their properties, beyond room rates for a dynamic, digitally savvy and often high-net worth market. For example, hotels keen to enhance poolside ordering and likewise cater to an international guest-base by offering multi-lingual digital ordering capabilities. 

Commenting on their plans for growth across the Middle East, Graham Rushin, VP Sales and Marketing, IRIS said, “It is a hugely exciting time for the hospitality industry across the Middle East particularly against the backdrop of the Saudi Vision 2030 programme, with brands and management companies continuing to invest. Likewise, the pipeline outlook for future development is extremely positive. As both a business and leisure destination it continues to be one of the key locations for operators when developing their own growth strategies.

“We are committed to supporting our clients across the region in realising their ambitions for growth. This means continuing to invest in our own R&D and ensuring our portfolio is ready and available to equip them with the full complement of mobile ordering solutions to enable them to drive spend, develop new revenue streams and leverage efficiencies throughout their properties. The Middle East is a key focus for our own growth plans and we look forward to becoming the partner of choice for more guest-centric, mobile-first operators in the future.”

Long-standing IRIS client, Kennedy K. Mutinda, In Room Dining and Studio Manager for W Dubai Mina Seyahi adds, “Guests value efficiency and convenience so they appreciate being able to order food and beverages (and access information) in just a few clicks, without the need to wait in line or interact with staff directly. The IRIS mobile dining and guest directory app works perfectly for our guests, most of whom are international, who prefer ordering and communicating with us online, rather than over the phone. This enhanced visibility of menu items and seamless ordering process has attributed to a significant boost in guest spend and revenue which we envisage will continue to rise.”

In response to the increasing demand for mobile ordering, IRIS has recently invested in the development of new products and features across its portfolio. These are now available to Middle East hospitality clients to enable them to both maximise demand from guests and free up staff time with more automated operations. They include new functionality and a new user interface within the back end of its web app to enable operators to update menu and guest directory items more efficiently on one dashboard. In addition, new “Order Again”, “Open Tab” and “Related Items” features have been added to reduce pressure on staff, maximise upsell opportunities and provide a more convenient, frictionless experience for guests.

Stayntouch, a provider of cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and guest-centric technology, announced a new partnership with Woby, a self-order and pay web app that simultaneously connects with existing POS and PMS platforms. Stayntouch now integrates with Woby’s customizable web app, allowing for real-time POS and PMS synchronization.

With Stayntouch PMS, hotels can streamline operations, automate tasks, and provide a seamless digital guest welcome experience with mobile check-in. Woby complements this by offering a self-order and pay platform that seamlessly connects with both the hotel PMS and POS, streamlining the in-stay dining experience from ordering to payments to room service and delivery. By connecting Stayntouch PMS with Woby, hotels will benefit from: 

• A flexible and full-featured cloud PMS, that can deliver a frictionless mobile welcome and departure experience for guests, while integrating with best-of-breed mobile POS platforms.
• Real-time synchronization between the PMS, POS, and accounting software, allowing guests to connect to a single QR code to order what they want, pay how they want, and have room charges validated automatically.
• A fully customizable look and workflow to fit seamlessly with any hotel branding design or operational needs. 
• A dedicated integration connector that sets up integrations in minutes instead of months, and streamlines third-party connections. 

Ruud Hontelé, the managing partner of Woby, said: "Woby stands out as the pioneering self-order and pay app that seamlessly integrates Stayntouch with your POS system. Say goodbye to the hassles and pain points associated with digital menus, ordering, payments and logistics processes. Enhance the guest experience significantly while also reducing costs for your business."

Priya Rajamani, the vice president of implementation and support for Stayntouch, said: “We are excited to partner with Woby, a platform that empowers hotels to provide guests with a completely mobile-first dining experience. By seamlessly integrating our cloud PMS with Woby's self-ordering and payment platform, hotels can deliver a more personalized and fully mobile guest check-in and dining experience, enhancing the on-property experience. This collaboration ensures real-time synchronization, enhanced operational efficiency and elevated guest satisfaction.”

Restaurant365 announced a $175 million funding round led by long-term partner ICONIQ Growth with participation from current investors, including KKR and L Catterton. The funding comes on the heels of 12 consecutive quarters exceeding sales targets, which drives confidence in future growth potential. 

“Restaurant365’s growth is a testament to their ability to create powerful solutions that bolster operations, improve margins and empower the workforce at restaurant companies of all sizes,” said Will Griffith, Founding Partner of ICONIQ Growth. “We’re honored to participate in this incredible opportunity to help the restaurant industry succeed in a way that once seemed impossible.”

Proceeds from the round will be invested in expanding enterprise features and growing the workforce and payroll product suite to continue supporting the world’s largest, most notable hospitality brands. Funds will also strengthen the company’s balance sheet to facilitate future acquisitions and support continued organic growth.

“We’re grateful our investors continue to value the business and its upward trajectory as demonstrated by this most recent vote of confidence,” said Restaurant365 CEO and Co-founder Tony Smith. “We take that trust from them seriously as well as the trust placed in us by our customers and the industry at large. We will continue our relentless pursuit of developing products that add value in new ways to this great industry.”

This latest round follows Restaurant365’s acquisition of ExpandShare, an AI-powered learning management system built to deliver and track impactful restaurant training content.

In addition to adding employee training to its offerings, Restaurant365 expanded its all-in-one platform over the past year with tip automation, task management, restaurant intelligence dashboards, and Capture AI, which brings the power of machine learning to invoice management.