News Briefs

IRIS, a provider of digital ordering for the hospitality industry, announces a suite of new features which are now available across its mobile ordering platform. Each one has been developed to positively impact operational efficiency and revenue for operators at the back end, whilst at the same time enhancing the guest experience to encourage orders and loyalty at the front end.

New UI for Back End

Operators running multiple sites and outlets face a time-consuming challenge: creating, updating, and maintaining menus and guest directory items, to ensure content is always up-to-date and accurate. This complexity extends across individual venues, departments, and even group-wide operations. Recognizing the need for a more efficient approach, IRIS has upgraded the functionality and UI within the back end of its app to enable operators to now update menu and guest directory items simply and efficiently.

Now users can create or amend a section (i.e. breakfast), category (i.e. pastries), and item (i.e. croissant) in just one convenient page. Even better, once an item has been created, it is now easier and quicker for operators to add modifiers or hide/display the item as and when required.

The same approach applies for guest directory items. For example, local services or attractions which can also be uploaded and modified centrally.

For both F&B and guest directory, operators have the option to upload more images to not only save time but enhance guest appeal, overcoming the challenge often presented by language barriers. Many operators report guests find images more compelling and are more likely to respond by placing an order, compared to text listings. Adopting a more image-led approach to menu displays, whether for F&B or directory items, is key to delivering increasing orders and spend as well as boosting profit margins.

The new functionality will enable operators to take a more dynamic, flexible approach to managing their menus, introducing seasonal menus or daily specials, and maximizing popular items at key times. This is in addition to highlighting items as popular, recommended by the Chef or as a special to enhance the guest’s experience, so they can enjoy more variety and choice according to their own preferences.

It will also be supported by a reporting function to deliver greater visibility on what items are selling when and by which outlet, so operators can take a more informed approach to managing future menus and F&B and guest directory strategies.

Re-order and upselling

In addition to an enhanced back-end functionality, the two new re-order and upsell features have also been launched to deliver a more frictionless and personalized dining experience for guests that also delivers more orders and revenue for operators.

Via the new “Order Again” button, guests can quickly and easily reinstate all the items from a previous order back into their cart for a quick, fuss-free and complete re-order that saves time and can be completed quickly, without the need to wait for a member of staff or run the risk of mistakes.  

Likewise, the “Related Items Categories” feature has also been built with the same ethos of equipping and enabling operators with the functionality to reduce pressure on staff and maximize each and every revenue opportunity. Operators can now include additional suggestions for nominated menu items. For example, a choice of red wines or side dishes to accompany a steak, so that guests can see at a glance how best to complement and enhance their meal and, critically for operators, increase their order size.

These features can also include discount codes along with allergen aspects eg dairy free, for complete transparency to again enhance the guest experience and build trust.

Martin Daniel Voštiar, B&F Coordinator, W Barcelona, comments: “It is the functionality of the new UI that holds the strongest appeal. In particular the Guest Directory and Food & Beverage buttons. They make the process much more intuitive and easy to understand how the individual parts interact with each other, which has made implementing it across our operations and our team simple and straightforward.”

David Molofsky, Product Manager at IRIS, adds: “Mobile tech has become an essential tool in hospitality, fueled by surging guest demand for mobile-first experiences. Operators must now deliver a dynamic, engaging experience that offers choice, convenience, and exceptional service – all while ensuring their mobile ordering solutions are agile, optimize operations, and unlock upsell and revenue potential.

“Many clients report that whilst room rates and occupancy rates are approaching peak levels, there is now pressure on other departments to increase revenue and average guest spend to drive profitability across the board. F&B is an incredibly important revenue stream for operators, so ensuring it is working at its full potential is critical. The new range of features have been designed to enable operators to realize their revenue ambitions beyond room rates - and are already delivering impressive results!”

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. 

Newport Hospitality Group (NHG), a premier hotel development and management company, has enhanced its long-time partnership with SalesAndCatering.com by transitioning its portfolio of hotels to the cutting-edge  STS Cloud platform. Successfully upgrading 22 properties to the cloud-based version of STS will make it easier for the group to manage multiple properties from a single platform and provide a unified view to streamline processes, improve service quality, and ultimately increase revenue.

The move to STS Cloud will bring about a range of benefits to Newport Hospitality Group, from improved operational efficiency and sales management to enhanced decision-making capabilities, increased productivity, and cost savings. Additionally, the cloud-based nature of STS Cloud means access from anywhere at any time on any device. This flexibility can significantly enhance the productivity of Newport Hospitality Group's staff, as they can access necessary information and perform tasks even when they are away from their desks. Furthermore, as a cloud-based solution, STS Cloud eliminates the need for hardware and software maintenance. 

The ease of the transition to the cloud has allowed Newport to focus on delivering unparalleled excellence to their guests while benefiting from the extended features of the sales and catering tool. Newport Hospitality Group's Corporate Director of Sales Development, Cynde Pritchard, praised the team's hands-on approach: "STS Cloud emerged as the ideal solution for Newport Hospitality's portfolio of top-rated hotel brands. Rick and the STS team have been incredibly responsive and hands-on throughout the transition process. They've worked closely with each manager,  making custom adjustments to meet Newport Hospitality's specific needs. Our ongoing partnership with them is a true testament to the trust and strong working relationship we’ve built over the years, and we  look forward to many more years of success to come."

STS Cloud's experienced support, affordability, and advanced functionality were key factors in Newport Hospitality Group's decision to elevate its long-term partnership with the hospitality technology company. Ryan Hamilton, Co-Founder of SalesAndCatering.com, emphasized that STS Cloud offers hotels all the most desirable features without the high price tags associated with systems of this caliber. "Our platform is as affordable as it is exceptional," he said. "From managing group sales and event bookings to tracking customer preferences and generating detailed reports, STS Cloud provides an all-in-one solution for hoteliers — at a fraction of the cost. The seamless multi-property transition to our cloud solution for Newport Hospitality Group demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating powerful technologies to drive operational excellence and meet the evolving needs of hoteliers."

D-EDGE, a leader in hospitality technology, is thrilled to announce its acquisition of LoungeUp, a premier Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform for the hospitality sector. This strategic move will further simplify the hospitality technology scene.

This acquisition marks a significant step towards providing the hospitality industry with a comprehensive and integrated suite of solutions covering every touchpoint of the hotel guest journey —from the initial search for accommodations through their full stay to converting guests into repeat visitors. The combined D-EDGE & LoungeUp solution meets the urgent needs of today's hotels: ensuring a consistent and superior guest experience, boosting revenue and profitability, while streamlining operations. Enabling hotels to continuously collect data and use it to enhance and personalise the experience means their overall performance improves.

The acquisition of LoungeUp aligns perfectly with D-EDGE's mission to simplify hospitality through innovation. “LoungeUp fills up D-EDGE's technology suite by providing hoteliers with a comprehensive and seamless toolkit. By integrating LoungeUp's advanced CRM capabilities with D-EDGE's Central Reservation System (CRS), we are setting a new standard for a unified and easy-to-use one-stop-shop solution. This holistic approach addresses the complete technological needs of hotels, groups, and chains in both distribution and operations. This move is one additional reason for hotels to make D-EDGE their preferred choice," says Pierre-Charles Grob, CEO of D-EDGE.

Mathieu Pollet, CEO and co-founder of LoungeUp, concludes: “The entire LoungeUp team is thrilled about this new step, as we are confident it will significantly enhance the value we deliver to our common clients and speed up our development globally. We are simplifying hotel management by integrating operations through connected systems, automating tasks, and ultimately boosting the hotel's business—resulting in more bookings, increased booking value, and greater profitability. We believe that with LoungeUp integrated into the D-EDGE solution portfolio, hoteliers will require essentially two systems to ensure efficient operational and distribution management: D-EDGE and a Property Management System (PMS). This is a major change in the industry that suffers from a very fragmented IT environment.“

There are no planned changes  in the current structure of either entity. The LoungeUp teams remain unchanged. Founders Mathieu Pollet and Lionel Tressens will lead the growth of the CRM/Guest Management divisions within the group.

Clients of LoungeUp and D-EDGE will continue to receive the same level of support and service from their dedicated teams. This continuity will ensure a smooth transition and maintain the quality of service our clients are accustomed to.

Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy is now testing a search with AI tool that will match travelers with the perfect home and destination based on a natural language search describing their desired vacation. This next gen search will take travelers' own preferences and offer a curated list of properties from the 140,000 available properties on the Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy platform.

Travelers can include as little or as much detail as they'd like through this easily accessible and user-friendly search functionality, alleviating the stress that selecting a vacation property might otherwise present. A few sample searches include:

• I want to travel to London, Paris or Vienna and stay in city center
• Best A-frame home in the mountains with a fireplace and stunning view
• I want to take a trip to California this summer where I can bring my dog
• I'm looking for a private villa in Asia for six people with a butler
• I need a beach front home in the Caribbean perfect for a bachelorette celebration

The results will suggest destinations and identify specific properties that meet the criteria entered in the search bar or close alternatives that meet as many of the descriptors as possible. In addition, the results will include useful information such as weather and things to do at the location based on the criteria, such as hiking, sightseeing, or dining. Visitors to the site will have the option to use the new or traditional search functionality.

"Using the latest technologies, our new AI search tool breaks new ground among vacation rental platforms by allowing travelers to search without a specific destination. Consumers can focus more on the experiences they are passionate about and the amenities on their 'must-have' list to reveal their next memorable travel adventure," said Jennifer Hsieh, Vice President, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. "With natural-language search, we're able to play matchmaker, helping travelers effortlessly discover the perfect but perhaps unexpected property and destination among our global collection of extraordinary homes available on the Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy platform."

Whether travelers are yearning for a beach vacation or searching for an eclectic home overlooking a mountain range, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy has premium and luxury vacation rentals that can inspire more travel experiences. By booking a home with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, travelers unlock the power of the award-winning travel program, Marriott Bonvoy, to gain access to free stays at hotels and destinations around the world and incredible experiences with the people, places, and passions they love. Travelers can also take comfort that each home offered on the platform is fully vetted by Marriott, leveraging the company's trusted travel expertise with exceptional quality, safe and reliable hospitality.

Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy's search with AI functionality is being tested initially as a part of the broader technology transformation at Marriott International to unlock value for customers with more seamless, personalized, and engaging ways to experience travel. It is expected to become widely available to all visitors first on the website and then on mobile in the coming weeks.  The search with AI tool was developed in collaboration with Publicis Sapient. For more information, please visit homes-and-villas.marriott.com.

MGM Resorts International has partnered with the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) to incentivize residential water conservation for its more than 50,000 employees in Southern Nevada. Through a $500,000 grant to the SNWA Water Efficiency Improvement Fund, MGM Resorts employees will earn additional rebates when they take advantage of existing SNWA water savings programs that target residential water conservation.

"In light of my pledge to the CEO Water Mandate and commitments to water stewardship in the community, I'm proud to announce a half-million-dollar grant that will educate and empower our employees to make a meaningful impact on water conservation," said Bill Hornbuckle, CEO and President of MGM Resorts. "We're committed to understanding and addressing local water challenges, and this initiative reflects our dedication to community involvement and water sustainability."

• Driving Change: The Triple Bottom Line of Hotel Sustainability

The program will educate employees on and enhance existing SNWA incentives for the Water Smart Landscapes Rebate, the Smart Irrigation Controller Rebate and the Smart Leak Detector Rebate. It will also provide employees who request them with a water conservation retrofit kit that reduces indoor water use, making incentives available to apartment dwellers and non-homeowners. Launching on World Water Day, a video training course assigned to all Southern Nevada employees will outline the severity of the area's water crisis, the areas in which MGM Resorts is helping and amplify the existing incentives programs provided by the SNWA.

SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE PLANET

Sustainability matters to today's consumers and restaurant operators. Two out of three (66%) consumers surveyed feel it’s important that restaurants are open about their practices to limit food waste. According to the National Restaurant Association’s annual What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, sustainability will continue to influence menus and how restaurants make decisions. 

In its Global Water Policy, MGM Resorts commits to investing in water saving measures and encouraging its stakeholders, including employees, to conserve water at work and home.

"MGM Resorts continues to demonstrate its commitment to water efficiency within its resort operations, saving billions of gallons over the past decade," said John Entsminger, SNWA General Manager. "As the largest employer in Southern Nevada, MGM Resorts is taking meaningful action through this grant to encourage more of its employees to participate in effective water conservation programs that enhance the long-term sustainability of our community."

Other notable water-related actions by MGM Resorts:

• First gaming company and Las Vegas-based company to endorse the CEO Water Mandate
• Nearly 14 billion gallons of water saved between 2007 and 2022 due to conservation efforts
• More than 200,000 square feet of grass replaced with desert friendly landscaping
• Saved 70 million gallons of consumptive water use through HVAC optimization in 2023
• Made the 2022 CDP A List for water security

MGM Resorts is focused on creating a more environmentally sustainable future, recognizing that climate change presents significant risks and opportunities to business, people and the planet. The Company has adopted a culture of innovation to reduce emissions and continues to take bold steps towards climate leadership in the industry. Additional information on MGM Resorts' environmental and sustainability efforts can be found HERE.