Hospitality Technology Opens Nominations for 2019 Hotel Visionary Awards

“Authenticity powered and enabled by innovation is driving the most successful players in all industries and the hospitality space is perfectly poised to be leaders in this arena,” says Dorothy Creamer, editor, Hospitality Technology magazine. “The Hotel Visionary Awards seek to honor hotel companies that successfully leverage high-tech innovations for a high-touch success story from guest-facing to employee-facing initiatives. As always, we anticipate that this year’s group of nominees will be a great source of inspiration and remind us how the hotel industry is the proving ground for the vast potential of technology to provide customized experiences for both guests and employees.”   

The HT Visionary Awards accept nominations in two categories: Customer-Facing Innovator and Enterprise Innovator.

The Customer-Facing Innovator award is presented to a hotel company that has leveraged customer-facing technology innovations to differentiate and/or improve customer service. Results should reveal an increase in guest service, satisfaction or loyalty, and/or brand reputation. Technologies can include, but are not limited to, all hardware and software solutions that have a customer touch-point, such as televisions, kiosks, display boards, mobile phone apps, guest room technologies, etc.

The Enterprise Innovator award is given to a hotel company that has leveraged technology beyond standard practices to improve overall hotel operations. Results should reveal an increase in efficiency and/or cost savings. Technologies can include: PMS, revenue management, bookings, CRM, infrastructure/networking, and all those applications and hardware solutions that empower back-of-house operations.

“Datatrend Technologies is proud to sponsor the HT-NEXT Awards program, including the Hotel Visionary Awards for the third consecutive year,” says Rob Graves, Vice President. “Sponsoring these awards is important to Datatrend, as our mission is to help organizations continually leverage technology. We do this to better users’ experiences, as well as enhance business outcomes along the hospitality digital transformation journey. We’re looking forward to working closely with this year’s candidates in advancing hospitality technology innovation.”

To nominate a company, please fill out the submission form no later than January 25, 2019. Winners shall be notified on or about February 15, 2019 and awards will be presented live at HT-NEXT at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel in New Orleans, La., on Wednesday, April 10, 2019. Technology vendors are encouraged to nominate hotel companies, but are not themselves eligible to receive an award.

HT-NEXT will take place April 8-11, 2019 at the New Orleans Riverside Hotel in New Orleans, La. HT-NEXT is the first industry-leading event uniting HT’s Hotel Technology Forum and HTNG’s North American into one immersive networking and educational event for hotel executives and solution providers. Honorees will also be profiled in the cover story of the June 2019 issue of Hospitality Technology magazine.

Past Visionary Award Winners Include:

• Hilton (2018)

• Nordic Choice Hotels (2018)

• Caesars Entertainment (2018)

• Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts (2018)

• EAST, Miami (2018)

• Hyatt (2017)

• NH Hotel Group (2017)

• La Quinta Inns and Suites (2017)

• Watermark Luxe Waterfront Cottages (2017)

• Grand View Lodge (2016)

• Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (2016)

• Hilton Worldwide (2015)

• Fontainebleau Hotel (2015)

• SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts (2015)

• Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (2014)

• La Quinta Inns & Suites (2014)

• Red Lion Hotels (2014)

• Hyatt Hotels (2013)

• Red Roof Inns (2013)

• Choice Hotels (2013)

• Conrad Hotels & Resorts (2013)

• Hilton Worldwide (2012)

• LaQuinta Inns & Suites (2012)

• Gaylord Entertainment (2012)

• Flamigo Las Vegas (2012)

• Choice Hotels International (2011)

• Morgans Hotel Group (2011)

• Galt House Hotel (2011)

• Royal Caribbean (2011)

• CityCenter (2010)

• Courtyard by Marriott (2010)

• JHM Hotels Group (2010)

• InterContinental Hotels Group (2009)

• Harrah’s Entertainment (2009)

• Hyatt Place (2009)

• Thayer Lodging Group (2009)

• MTM Luxury Lodging (2008)  

• The Peninsula Hotels (2008)

• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (2008)

• Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (2007)

• Ginn Resorts (2007)

• Hilton Hotels Corporation (2007)

• Rosewood Hotels & Resorts (2006)

• Harrah’s Entertainment (2006)

• MGM Mirage (2006)

• Wyndham International (2005)

• Sea Island Company (2005)

• Marriott International (2005)

• Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (2005)

• Hyatt International (2005)

About Hospitality Technology

Hospitality Technology (HT) is the only publication dedicated to covering the role of information technology in improving business performance for hotel and restaurant operators. The Hospitality Technology portfolio includes: a print publication that publishes eight times annually and reaches more than 16,000 hospitality industry executives, three networking and educational events (MURTEC, HT-NEXT and MURTEC Executive Summit), a comprehensive website, e-newsletters, web seminars, and several exclusive annual reports and studies. Visit Hospitality Technology online at http://www.hospitalitytech.com. Hospitality Technology is published by Chicago-based EnsembleIQ.

About EnsembleIQ

EnsembleIQ is the leading business intelligence platform serving the retail, consumer goods, health care, food service; pharmacy and hospitality industries focused on helping customers solve big problems and inspiring bold ideas. EnsembleIQ operates an integrated network of media brands across all retail sectors and leverages its scale to inform, connect and provide actionable marketplace intelligence to help clients achieve growth. Visit http://www.ensembleiq.com.

EnsembleIQ is a portfolio company of RFE Investment Partners, a private equity investor with more than 30 years of experience investing in growth companies in partnership with strong management teams. Visit http://www.rfeip.com.