News Briefs

Hotel technology remains an investment priority this year, with a nod to solutions that help drive guest and employee loyalty. According to the 2024 Lodging Technology Study, 100% of survey respondents (hotel professionals representing more than 10,000 properties worldwide, including luxury, upscale, midscale, and economy brands) say their IT budgets will increase or hold steady this year. Maestro PMS, the leader in All-In-One cloud hosted, private cloud and on-premises property-management systems for independent hotels and luxury resorts, is predicting the largest investments will be in technologies that integrate with the hotel PMS to create more convenient and personalized stays for guests and make operations more efficient for associates.

“Hoteliers are telling us they are looking for newer ways to increase loyalty among guests and employees this year,” said Warren Dehan, Maestro President. “Mobile tools, such as check-in/out, digital room keys, digital concierge services, workflow automation, digital payments, and even robotics are positively impacting loyalty in many ways. That’s why at Maestro PMS, we are continually enhancing our solutions to remove friction along the guest journey and empower staff to act and be rewarded for jobs well done. From enhanced payment security and a fully rewritten AI-powered booking engine to an AI chat concierge and robotic process information, Maestro PMS is driving innovation and taking loyalty to new heights.”

Embedded Payments

Digital payments are trending and transforming the way guests are engaging with services and settling transactions. As the hospitality industry migrates to a digital environment, embedded payment technology – or integrating payment processing capabilities directly into various devices or systems, such as the PMS, mobile apps, or self-service kiosks – will enable seamless and convenient payment experiences for guests.

The benefits of embedded payments include:

• Eliminate third-party overhead and fees
• Simpler transaction workflow with modern payment terminals
• PCI compliance tool with Data Breach Protection included
• Access Payments Dashboard inside Maestro
• Daily emailed Reconciliation Reports
• Direct Support from Maestro (single vendor support)

“Maestro will be introducing an embedded payments solution in Q2 that simplifies implementation, takes Maestro out of payment card industry (PCI) compliance scope, and moves payments support directly to the Maestro team,” Dehan said. “We believe this new solution will enable our clients to thrive in a competitive market landscape.”

AI-Powered Chatbots & Booking Engine

AI is poised to revolutionize the hotel booking engine process, offering enhanced personalization, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Firstly, AI-powered algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data, including user preferences, booking history, and market trends, to provide tailored recommendations and customized experiences for guests. This level of personalization not only improves user satisfaction and loyalty, but it increases conversion rates and revenue for hotels.

AI algorithms can optimize pricing strategies dynamically based on factors such as demand fluctuations, competitor pricing, and historical data analysis, ensuring hotels maximize profitability while remaining competitive in the market. Furthermore, AI can facilitate predictive analytics to forecast demand patterns accurately, allowing hotels to allocate resources efficiently and optimize inventory management. This proactive approach minimizes the risk of overbooking or underutilization of rooms, ultimately improving revenue management and operational efficiency.

“Maestro PMS is developing an AI-driven chatbot that can can streamline the booking process by providing instant responses to inquiries, assisting with reservations, and addressing customer concerns in real-time, thus enhancing efficiency and reducing operational costs,” Dehan said. “We are also developing AI integration into the hotel booking engine process to elevate customer experiences, optimize operations, and drive revenue growth, positioning hotels for success in an increasingly competitive industry landscape.”

Overall, an AI-powered booking engine will revolutionize hotel transactions by offering personalized experiences, optimizing pricing strategies, streamlining operations, and enhancing customer service, ultimately driving revenue growth and competitive advantage in the travel industry. For example, the new version of the Maestro PMS booking engine can make suggestions on room selection or upsell amenities based on type of room, length of stay, and the types of amenities and experiences guests prefer.

Mobile Housekeeping, Theme Gift Cards and More . . .

As part of its 2024 roadmap, Maestro PMS will also announce new mobile tools for housekeeping designed to improve the employee experience and boost loyalty in this labor-intensive department. Enhancements to its popular digital gift card program will also be revealed, including offering new “themed” options that enable hotels to customize gift card designs by holiday, promotion, or location. Selling gift cards, both on property and using Maestro’s online gift card feature, redeemable for hotel stays and amenities is a viable way to drive millions of dollars in untapped revenues without impacting service.

Enhancement details will be discussed at Maestro’s Accelerate User Conference, to be held April 15 to 18 at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto. Gold sponsors of the annual conference include integration partners Silverware (point of sale), PurpleCloud Technologies (team and service optimization), and Fetch (guest messaging and engagement). Maestro PMS users can register for the event by clicking here.

With 101 newly designed city and direct ocean view guest rooms in its historic tower and 36 luxurious cabanas and suites, The National Hotel Miami Beach is impressing guests with stunning views, luxury accommodations, personalized experiences, and unparalleled service. Invisible to guests at this AAA 4 Diamond oceanfront property is how efficiently the hotel’s finance team is operating thanks to the addition of two software solutions from Aptech: PVNG Enterprise Accounting and Targetvue Budgeting & Forecasting.

“The Aptech software development team is amazing,” said Sarah Fisch, chief financial officer at The National Hotel. “Ever since joining the company I have been very demanding, always asking for new enhancements to meet our specific and strategic needs. Not once have I heard the word ‘no’ from anyone. Aptech always provides a solution. Before migrating to these cloud solutions, my team spent a lot of time creating journal entries and manually plugging data into legacy systems. Today, workflow is far more efficient, and tedious manual data-entry processes have been eliminated.”

PVNG – named among the “Best Finance & Accounting Software” of 2024 by Hotel Tech Report – features Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger, Statistics, Financials, Bank Reconciliation, automated invoice processing, a myriad of payment options, and drill-down capabilities in financial statements and reports. It is the first hotel accounting solution to connect to the Plaid Data Network. It can handle single or multi-property accounting and can be deployed as a hosted service.

Targetvue provides accounting teams with “one version of the truth.” It consolidates reports, identifies trends, and eliminates the maintenance and distribution of Excel spreadsheets throughout the organization. Automated forecast snapshots offers users ad-hoc capabilities to previous and future performance projections. 

“These solutions are extremely user friendly,” Fisch said. “I was surprised by the simplicity. Rather than giving us a lot of options or features that we will never use or cannot understand, PVNG and Targetvue have just what we need, like reports that can be updated instantly. The flexibility of the software and the support team makes us feel like both solutions were tailored just for The National Hotel. If I had to describe these tools in one word it would be ‘functional’ and/or ‘convenient.’”

Exemplary Customer Care

Impressive to Fisch and her associates is Aptech’s customer care department. Fisch said each member of the team values human relationships and applies technology to solve business problems for people through technical support, operational support, software support, on-site user training, report creation, software installation, customized programming, web-based user training, data transformation, data conversion, problem resolution and product updates. The team’s work with clients often extends well beyond the initial installation project to keep customers aware of industry changes affecting systems, business practices, enterprise resource planning and emerging options that may be available to enhance their operation.

“Aptech support is wonderful,” Fisch said. “When I send an email request or question, I always get a response the same day, oftentimes within minutes. If my customer care agent is unavailable, someone else is always willing to fill in. It’s a great team.”

Sam Costa, Aptech Director of Client Success, said hoteliers are Aptech’s best salespeople. Every time he reads a customer review on Hotel Tech Report, he said he is humbled by the words people use to describe his team and their proficiency, such as ‘amazing,’ ‘friendly,’ ‘efficient,’ ‘timely,’ ‘effective,’ ‘the best,’ ‘responsive,’ ‘always available,’ ‘fast,’ ‘understandable,’ ‘reliable,’ and ‘strong-knit team.’

“We are delighted that The National Hotel is finding PVNG and Targetvue to be so flexible, functional, and user friendly,” Costa said. “Being able to streamline their financial processes is enabling management to deliver reports on the fly to those who need them. We look forward to supporting this legendary art deco hotel for years to come and introducing new solutions when the time is right. At Aptech, we are devoted to keeping our customers aware of industry changes in technology and developing innovative options to enhance their organization.”

Aptech is an IBM Software Value Plus Partner and Premier Solution Provider as well as a Prophix Premier Business Partner, and proud members of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG), the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), and Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc.  has appointed Elizabeth (“Liz”) Williams as the new Chief Executive Officer and as a member of its Board of Directors, effective March 11.

Williams will succeed Maria Hollandsworth, who has served as the company’s interim Chief Executive Officer since November 3. Hollandsworth has been appointed as President of El Pollo Loco and will also continue to serve as  Chief Operating Officer.

Most recently, Williams served as the CEO of Outfox Hospitality, parent company of Foxtrot, a high-growth modern café and convenience store, and Dom’s Kitchen and Market. Prior to Foxtrot, she led innovative brands like Drybar and Hart House, a vegan quick-service chain.

Williams has extensive restaurant experience working closely with franchise partners to accelerate growth. She spent ten years with Yum! Brands and Taco Bell between 2010 and 2020, holding various leadership positions including CFO and President of Taco Bell International. During her tenure, she was responsible for the brand strategy, growth, and performance of the international business across 30 countries, and drove notable operational improvements along with sales and profit growth.

“We are excited to welcome Liz Williams as our new Chief Executive Officer,” said William Floyd, Chairman of the El Pollo Loco Board. “Throughout her career, Liz has demonstrated her ability to accelerate growth in food and beverage brands while simultaneously improving financial performance. We believe she has the skills and experience necessary to lead El Pollo Loco as we capitalize on the significant opportunity ahead of us.”

Floyd continued, “We would also like to express our deep appreciation to Maria for her leadership as Interim Chief Executive Officer over the past three months. We are excited to benefit from her continued leadership as she helps craft and execute on our strategic vision as President and Chief Operating Officer of El Pollo Loco.”

ParTech, Inc. announces the winners of the fifth annual PAR Punchh Customer Awards. These awards recognize outstanding achievements in customer loyalty, offers, engagement, and convenience within the restaurant and convenience store industries.

Sean Thompson, VP of IT at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, receives the Punchh Voice of the Customer Advocate of the Year award for his pivotal role in sharing valuable customer insights within the Punchh community, contributing to the growth of Freddy's loyal customer base across their 500+ locations. This year's Digital Innovator award goes to Condado Tacos for their effective implementation of the "Buds with Benefits" reward program and targeted Challenge campaigns, resulting in a remarkable 44% retention rate and enhanced customer engagement.

As Rookie of the Year, Goodcents strategically elevated their position by implementing the PAR Punchh-powered Goodcents Rewards Refreshed loyalty program. Leveraging Punchh's Loyalty Strategy services, Goodcents not only achieved impressive customization, data utilization, and direct communication capabilities through their app but also signaled a strategic move to scale operations and enhance customer engagement. RaceTrac earns the C-Store Champion title for its innovative RaceTrac Rewards loyalty program, which saw a 46% year-over-year increase in loyalty transactions and a 76% year-over-year rise in loyalty revenue in 2023, underscoring its commitment to enhancing customer experiences and driving member engagement.

Named Top International Customer, Taco Bell Romania achieved significant growth in loyalty app participation, leveraging their Taco Bell Rewards program to enhance customer experiences and drive increased engagement through digital and social media campaigns, resulting in consistent growth across various metrics in a market where Mexican cuisine is still an up-and-coming delight. The Campaign Hotshot award goes to Charleys Philly Steaks, whose strategic use of data analytics enabled them to tailor personalized messages and promotions, resulting in increased adoption, purchase frequency, and surpassing benchmarks for sign-ups, unique users, and average check size in 2023.

Pancheros earns the Retention Rockstar title for their steadfast focus on loyalty, boasting a remarkable 47% retention rate in Q3 2023, surpassing fast-casual benchmarks, through integrated tactics promoting referral offers, digital ordering deals, and local cause campaigns, further highlighted by a significant referral sign-up rate and quarterly transaction growth. Last but not least, McAlister's secures the All Star title for their innovations such as the subscription Tea Pass and personalized automated journeys, driving an impressive 21% YoY growth in loyalty participation and 20% of transactions stemming from loyalty purchases in 2023. Their strategic approach, utilizing Punchh data pipeline and open APIs, ensures sustained guest retention and unparalleled customer satisfaction.

Selected from PAR Punchh’s diverse customer base of over 275 brands, the winners demonstrated excellence in utilizing the PAR Punchh platform for customized loyalty program management, omnichannel engagement, digital campaigns, personalized offers, and more.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the success of our clients who have embraced the PAR Punchh platform to enhance their customers' experiences,” said Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR Technology. “These brands have shown innovation and dedication in leveraging technology to drive loyalty program engagement, customer feedback, and overall business success.”