News Briefs

In August 2023, Paris Hilton - self-proclaimed queen of the Metaverse - debuted her own immersive virtual world in Roblox, called Slivingland. Named after Hilton’s popular “Sliving” catchphrase (which means “living one’s best life“), Slivingland aims to be “one of the most immersive and advanced experiences” on Roblox, where fans can engage with Hilton’s many music projects, podcasts, TV shows, films and brand collabs.

On January 22, Hilton's 11:11 Media, a next-gen media company, announced the debut of an innovative new activation and ad campaign inside Slivingland in partnership with the hotel brand Hilton. This collaboration marks the hospitality company’s first foray into the metaverse and its first branded integration within virtual worlds; giving fans the chance to earn real-world hotel loyalty points and benefits through immersive challenges inside Slivingland.

Slivingland will offer an immersive Hilton hotel lobby, quests to earn free digital wearables, and, in a first-of-its-kind metaverse-to-real-world activation, the chance for users to get upgraded Hilton Honors status, earn Hilton Honors Points, and other exclusive perks by completing challenges in the experience.*

“Just like in the physical world, I want my fans in the metaverse to have unforgettable and rewarding experiences,” said Paris Hilton. “I’m so excited to bring them this first-of-its-kind collaboration with Hilton that lets them stay – and slay – like me, both in our virtual world and at amazing hotels and resorts around the world. Getting actual Hilton Honors loyalty points for playing in Roblox?* That's iconic.”

Hilton is giving away more than 12 million Hilton Honors Points as part of this campaign: 111 winners will win 111,111 free Points to put towards a stay and an additional 11 winners will receive Diamond Tier Status for a year, so they can stay like Paris at any of Hilton’s award-winning 22 brands. Additionally, anyone who tweets the official campaign hashtag #HiltonForTheStay will get an extra entry into the giveaway. To top it all off, Hilton Honors and Paris will also be giving away 50,000 digital wearables, including the “Hilton Honors Harajuku Antlers", for free on Roblox. The Harajuku Anters are described as cute, kawaii-style holographic antlers with stars, hearts and flowers.

“At Hilton, we are committed to creating the right Hilton Stay experience for every traveler,” said Mark Weinstein, chief marketing officer, Hilton. “We are always looking for meaningful ways to engage our Hilton Honors members and connect with new travelers. There’s no better advocate and champion of the Hilton Stay, than Paris Hilton. Paris has been an amazing partner – connecting her family’s legacy with her love of travel to inspire the fan community she has built over the years. Today, we are excited to expand our partnership into her world on Roblox – Slivingland. We’ll create new ways to engage with Paris and Hilton through entertaining content, co-branded digital wearables, and more. And together, we will remind her passionate community of the real-world magic of a Hilton stay and the opportunities that await through the Hilton Honors program.”

Stephanie Latham, VP of global partnerships at Roblox, added, “In 2024, we expect to see many top brands on Roblox tie their activations to the physical world in some way – be it via loyalty program tie-ins or twinning fashion items inspired by Roblox collaborations or real-world commerce once it becomes available. The consumer demand across physical and digital is clear, and brands are smart to tap into it on Roblox where over 70 million people connect and communicate daily, nearly half of them Gen Z. Utilizing Slivingland as part of Hilton’s loyalty program is paving the way for other brands to experiment with enhancing consumer engagement and brand loyalty via innovative immersive experiences and communities.”

*Eligible users can be rewarded Hilton Honors points through sign-ups outside of Roblox

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. 

Vindow, a transparent marketplace for buyers and sellers of contracted hotel accommodations, is proud to announce that Globespan Travel Management, a top-tier corporate travel management firm, has selected their platform to manage all their transient and group hotel sourcing. Designed for both group and transient programs, Vindow harnesses the power of advanced data analytics to empower decision-makers with insights that are crucial for making informed and strategic buying decisions.

Vindow’s cutting-edge platform will revolutionize the way that Globespan manages their hotel sourcing and travel program management. The platform’s user-friendly interface and machine learning features enable travel managers to extract valuable insights into traveler sentiments and anticipated trends, making it easier for travel managers to pick the best destinations and/or properties, and making it significantly simpler to negotiate and manage large-scale corporate transient programs.

“Ultimately, we chose to work with Vindow for two key reasons: the advanced functionality of the platform, which I know will make our travel managers’ jobs much easier, and the company’s willingness to develop customizable functionality to enable their clients to manage their sourcing more effectively, according to their specific needs and goals,” said Daniel Moretta, President from Globespan. “As our client list continues to evolve into new verticals, we know that, if necessary, Vindow’s development team will be willing to support our growth by making updates to the platform which will enable us to be more effective in our sourcing, giving our clients better results, and improve our overall business success.”

“We are very excited to help Globespan and their team take their sourcing to the next level,” said Victor Pynn, CEO of Vindow. “We built Vindow with a strong dedication to customer support and, because three-quarters of our staff are on the development team, it gives us the ability to incorporate buyer feedback into our innovation pipeline and quickly deliver solutions that solve our partners’ real-world problems. In short, this partnership will be a win/win for us and for Globespan."

The partnership with Vindow not only equips Globespan's travel managers with enhanced options for hotel procurement and travel program management today, but also positions them as contributors to future innovations in the industry.

Innrly, the brainchild of Vimal Patel, is ushering in a technological revolution in the US hospitality sector. By integrating advanced AI and automation, Innrly aims to be a pivotal player in enhancing the efficiency and guest experience in American hotels.

Industry Challenges and Innrly’s Unique Solutions:

The US hotel industry faces unique challenges, such as diverse staff management and catering to an international clientele. Innrly’s suite of tools, including OTA Reconciliation, automated night audits, and guest feedback management, are specifically designed to tackle these issues. Each module is crafted to streamline operations, ensuring that hotels operate with precision and care, focusing on what truly matters – the guest experience.

Technology at the Core:

Innrly’s technology goes beyond mere automation. By leveraging AI, the platform provides predictive insights, enabling hoteliers to make data-driven decisions. This advanced capability allows for enhanced customer service, optimized room pricing, and efficient resource allocation. Innrly’s impact is evidenced by its growing popularity among US hoteliers. The platform has shown to significantly reduce labor hours and improve operational efficiency, directly translating into increased profitability and improved guest satisfaction. Testimonials from various hoteliers highlight the transformative nature of Innrly’s technology in their day-to-day operations.

Trends and Future Outlook:

As the US hotel industry evolves with digitalization and changing customer expectations, Innrly is at the forefront, offering solutions that align with these trends. The platform's adaptability and innovative approach position it as a leader in the industry’s future.

Special Offer for Industry Members:

Innrly acknowledges the importance of accessibility and offers AAHOA members one year of free access to its OTA Reconciliation Module. Additionally, all hoteliers are invited to explore the full suite for three months, free of charge.

Conclusion:

Innrly represents a new chapter in hotel management in the US. With its blend of AI and automation, Innrly is not just a software provider but a partner in ensuring the success and growth of hotels across the country.

Experience Innrly:

For a firsthand experience of how Innrly can transform hotel operations, visit www.innrly.com and sign up for a free trial.

 

InnSpire, the leading provider of innovative hospitality technology solutions that help drive seamless, world-class guest experiences for some of the world’s most iconic hotels and brands, has announced a strategic partnership with RealTime Reservation (RTR), a centralized inventory control and management platform that assists hotels in maximizing ancillary revenue from services and amenities.

The new partnership integrates RealTime Reservation’s robust inventory mapping and booking capabilities into InnSpire’s award-winning mobile app solution to create a single sign-on (SSO) experience for guests. The unified interface gives guests the ability to see everything a property has to offer and book a host of property services, amenities, and experiences from their mobile phones or in-room tablets without the need to log in to multiple applications. This includes dining and restaurant reservations, as well as beach chairs, pool cabanas, spa/golf reservations and other onsite experiences.

“Our partnership with RealTime Reservation consolidates disparate guest reservation systems at a property into a single platform that is meant to give travelers seamless and personalized command over their stay at the property from their device of choice,” said Martin Chevalley, CEO of InnSpire. “The combined solution also enables greater operational efficiency and enhances ancillary revenue for the property by maximizing guest convenience and satisfaction.”

InnSpire’s full-featured, mobile phone-based digital guest journey application combines a host of powerful features that allow hotel guests to check-in and out remotely, securely access their accommodations using a mobile key, view menus and order in-room dining or drinks and snacks by the pool, send requests to the guest services team in real time, book restaurant and spa reservations, check their folio and access an extensive range of property information, all from their own smart phones.

“Our integration with InnSpire creates a single guest profile that makes it simple to navigate the property’s offerings and manage all aspects of their stay, down to the details that matter most to them, like a cabana nearest the ocean or pool, for example,” said Shawn Tarter, Founder and President of RealTime Reservation. “The result is one easy-to-use branded platform, so the experience is intuitive and seamless for the guest. It also allows the property to better manage their inventory, operations, and staff resources for service fulfillment.”