News Briefs

Circa Resort & Casino is announcing the deployment of Amazon’s Alexa Smart Properties (ASP) supported technology in all of its rooms and suites at the adults-only casino-resort in downtown Las Vegas. Now equipped with ASP-supported devices and solutions, including guest service applications built in collaboration with Hotel Genie, Circa is offering a new way for guests to seamlessly access services and amenities during their stay.

Specifically, ASP deepens guest engagement through experiences enabled by Alexa – a general purpose voice AI. When using an Echo device within their hotel room or suite, guests can do things like get property information like check out time, set wake-up calls, make reservations, request housekeeping needs, order food, make outbound phone calls, and so much more.

Additionally, Circa and Amazon worked with Hotel Genie to build and implement Private Branch Exchange (PBX) support, allowing Circa to link ASP-supported devices with their existing phone systems for routing Alexa calls and supporting caller ID when guests and hotel staff conduct calls. Circa is the first hospitality property to implement the ASP-supported feature with Hotel Genie’s Voice Bridge technology.

“We are proud to collaborate with industry leaders like Amazon and Hotel Genie to deploy technology that betters experiences for our guests and staff at Circa Resort & Casino,” said Circa co-CEO and founder Greg Stevens. “We worked with Amazon and Hotel Genie to build and scale technology that not only makes guests’ stays smooth and fun with creative offerings, but also facilitates excellent communication with our staff for an array of needs during their visit.”

“Hotels know their guests, and Amazon provides new capabilities to help make the experiences they deliver more effortless and enjoyable. By adapting these tools to their specific brand needs, properties have a whole new way to differentiate themselves,” said Bram Duchovnay, director of Alexa Smart Properties. “We’re excited about the deployment at Circa because they’re as obsessed about their customers as we are ours, and we know the unique Alexa experiences they’re building and deploying at scale will surprise and delight their guests.”

CEO of Hotel Genie Russ Goeckner said, “We're excited to work with Amazon to provide Circa new and intuitive solutions that make solid business and financial sense. Amazon gives us the right foundation and competitive edge to develop first class solutions that drive success for our customers and in turn, drives success with their guests.”

A deeper look into the ASP-supported devices and services, including Hotel Genie applications, at Circa:

Guest Capabilities

Hotel guests are greeted with personal and high-tech touches from the moment they walk on property. Specifically in guestrooms, the following capabilities are available for convenience through ASP-supported devices and solutions:

• Pull up a list of menu items available to order from Circa’s 24/7 deli, Saginaw’s Delicatessen. Saginaw’s serves up a variety of freshly made sandwiches, all-day breakfast, dinner classics and homemade desserts;
• Place housekeeping requests like ordering additional pillows, fresh towels, bath and beauty products and clean bed sheets with a simple voice command;
• Request concierge assistance with amenities and order other items such as flower arrangements and bouquets and champagne;
• Play your favorite music throughout room or suite;
• Make calls to the front desk, VIP lounge, concierge, bell desk, valet, Club One Players Club and housekeeping using voice commands or by touch;
• Easily make reservations via the resort’s reservation desk for Circa’s restaurants including 8 East, Barry’s Downtown Prime, Project BBQ and Saginaw’s Delicatessen; Stadium Swim; and more
• Set wake-up calls;
• Access hotel, restaurant and amenity information like operating hours, costs and more;
• Make phone calls with caller ID visible through PBX support;
• Use voice commands or the touch screen on the multimodal device to control the Smart Room with features including turning the lights on or off.

Expedited Dispatching

The Echo devices enhance operations in departments like housekeeping and maintenance as requests are sent immediately to staff. Comprehensive reporting also provides valuable insight on performance metrics, common requests, feature use, response times and more.

Circa delivers an experience built on the original principles of old-school Las Vegas hospitality honoring the Golden Age of the city. It blends the glamour of vintage Vegas with modern luxuries and cutting-edge technology. Guests can experience top-notch entertainment and standout amenities including a multi-tiered pool amphitheater – Stadium Swim – which features a high-tech water filtration system that cleans water faster than any pool in the city; the world’s largest sportsbook, home to a 78-million-pixel screen and a viewing capacity for 1,000; a technologically advanced transportation hub – dubbed Garage Mahal – built with ride share in mind; and much more.

Shiji, a global hospitality technology innovator, has partnered with IPORT, an award-winning manufacturer known for enhancing the usability of iPads and iPhones, to introduce an all-in-one software solution for hotel restaurants. This collaboration will provide hoteliers with a seamless combination of a tablet and payment device to maximize their F&B operations.

The integrated iOS and payment device solution simplifies guest service for hotel restaurant servers, providing them with an effortless tool to cater to their guests' needs. As a certified Apple partner, Shiji and IPORT guarantee exceptional performance and reliability. Hoteliers can choose from multiple device options, including iPad Pro, iPad Mini, and iPhone, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with their operations.

“IPORT products are built around modularity and flexibility that empower our hospitality customers to do more with the iOS platform. We are thrilled to partner with a leading iPad and iPhone cloud PMS and POS platform provider like Shiji,” said Chris Lawson, Head of Partnerships, IPORT. “We look forward to innovating with Shiji in disrupting legacy, monolithic providers who have limited the industry from harnessing the power of iOS and mobility. The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless with IPORT, iOS, and Shiji.”

"The partnership with IPORT is a significant milestone for Shiji in our commitment to provide innovative technology solutions for the hospitality industry," said Ryan King, Senior Vice President of Shiji in the Americas. "By combining our expertise with IPORT’s hardware solutions, we empower hoteliers to streamline restaurant operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences. This collaboration represents another step forward in our dedication to driving success in the Americas, and globally."

The tablet and payment device solution seamlessly integrates with multiple payment gateways, allowing hoteliers to choose the system that best suits their needs. By simplifying the payment process, it reduces operational complexities, minimizes errors, and saves valuable time and resources for hoteliers.

Steak n Shake will offer PopID Check In and PopPay on its self-ordering kiosks in select locations in the Orlando market, with plans to expand to more than 300 corporate locations. PopID Check In is an opt-in service that enables consumers to scan their face to automatically sign into their loyalty reward account and see their past orders, making the ordering process as convenient as possible. When a guest checks in with PopID, they also have the option to use PopPay to automatically complete their payment.

• 57% of respondents say enabling new payment options is a  top business driver impacting POS upgrade decisions, according to HT’s2 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

“Our partnership with PopID is a key part of our effort to provide guests with a fast and seamless ordering experience," said Keith Correia, Chief Information Officer. "When using PopID Check In, a guest does not need to use their phone or take out their wallet as part of the ordering process. They will automatically be checked in for loyalty rewards, and they can choose to make an automated payment with PopPay. A guest can even see their past orders and quickly reorder their favorite menu items. Ordering at Steak n Shake has never been easier or more convenient.”

In addition to enhancing the guest experience and improving order throughput, PopPay helps to reduce fraud and offers lower payment processing fees.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Questex this week debuted The Hospitality Show (The Show) at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas June 27-29, completing a highly successful inaugural year for the event, which drew more than 3,500 attendees and 300 vendors.

The Show is a brand-new operations and technology event, created in partnership by The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Questex, uniquely designed for the entire hospitality ecosystem to help hotels operate more efficiently and profitably.

“We set very high standards for what we wanted to achieve with the first year of The Show, and the industry responded in a resoundingly strong way,” said AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers. “With an all-star lineup of speakers, who’s who list of attendees, and unparalleled networking opportunities, The Show proved itself as one of hospitality’s most important events. We are excited to continue growing and improving it year after year.”

The Show reached an important milestone prior to its opening, when it sold every available vendor space on the expo floor, a rare achievement for a first-year event of this size and scope.

“The sold-out status of The Show’s vendor space in its inaugural year is a remarkable accomplishment that motivates us to continuously innovate and reimagine what's possible,” said Questex Hospitality, Travel & Wellness Group President Alexi Khajavi. “Next year and into the future, The Hospitality Show will be an unforgettable event, delivering unmatched opportunities for growth, learning, and networking.”

The Show attendees enjoyed two days of main-stage sessions led by iconic leaders, solutions-driven programming and case studies of profitable operations, as well as 13+ hours of networking opportunities. Learn more about The Show’s networking opportunities here. A full list of speakers is here and the event schedule is here.

Attendees benefited from content across three sets of stages, including a Main Stage that opened the event each morning with views and insights from leading minds from the hotel industry and beyond. The Show speakers included Athletic Greens COO & President Kat Cole, Retired U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McRaven, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts President & CEO Geoff Ballotti, Marriott International President & CEO Anthony Capuano, BWH Hotels President & CEO Larry Cuculic, Hyatt Hotels Corporation President & CEO Mark Hoplamazian, and Sonesta International Hotels Corporation President & CEO John Murray.

Content was also delivered from two Solutions Stages, diving deep into the biggest industry issues across ownership, operations, emerging trends, and technology.

A Spotlight Stage featured technology-driven demos and case studies from key vendors, including ADP, Belden, Nomadix, Sage, Shiji and more.

Next year, The Hospitality Show 2024 will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio from Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, through Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. Those interested in the 2024 event can complete this form to receive more information.  

AI creates happier guests and increases hotel profitability, says tech pioneer Frank Reeves, who launched the first AI-powered booking engine in 2017.

allora.ai provides booking and retention technology to over 2000 hotels around the world. It recently joined forces with SHR Global to create a new global hospitality tech powerhouse, with an unrivalled suite of products using AI to maximise both the guest’s online experience and hotel revenue.

Reeves explains: “AI offers hotels the opportunity to really predict and respond to guest intent in real time. To know what they’re thinking, what they’re likely to do next. Even before they do.  

“At allora.ai we’ve analysed over 400 million online journeys – and counting - to ensure we really know what the guest wants – and what the hotel needs to do to encourage them to book. And once they’ve booked to ensure they don’t cancel their stay.

“Thanks to AI we can predict both current and future guest behaviour, to always stay ahead of customer trends. We were very much ahead of everyone else in predicating the rapid rise of cancellations, which can be as high as 40% on some channels.

“But AI can predict when a guest is likely to cancel and can ensure they stay with a free room upgrade or complimentary bottle of wine. The end result is that the guest is pleasantly surprised and the hotel keeps the booking.

The merger earlier this year between Avvio and the SHR Group has brought together a unique set of hospitality tech capabilities with AI at their heart. In addition to the AI-powered allora.ai booking and retention engine SHR Group now brings together its entire suite of tools built to maximise both guest satisfaction and their own profitability, including the allora central reservation system (CRS), customer relation management (CRM) and loyalty systems.

“There’s never been a more powerful suite of tools at a hotel’s disposal to ensure total guest satisfaction coupled with increased hotel profitability,” Reeves explains. “We’re years ahead of our competitors when it comes to AI – and we know how it can create happier guests and greatly increase hotel profitability,” he says.

Canary Technologies, a Guest Management System, has partnered with Visual Matrix to elevate the guest experience for partner hotels and brands, such as Best Western. The collaboration will bring Canary’s Guest Management solutions, including Check-In, Checkout, Upselling, Guest Messaging, Digital Tipping, and Digital Authorizations, to the Visual Matrix property management system (PMS) that’s trusted by hotels around the world.

In addition to elevating the guest experience for hotels, the combined technologies will help properties boost their revenue, streamline operations, and increase staff efficiency, making worker shortages and operational challenges easier to manage.

“We’re thrilled to integrate our digital guest journey platform to Visual Matrix’s property management system to modernize the hotel technology stack for thousands of hotels, including Best Western properties,” said Harman Narula Singh, CEO and co-founder of Canary Technologies. “As the hotel industry continues to evolve and adapt, this partnership will enable properties to integrate key technologies into their day-to-day operations that will elevate the guest experience and streamline operations.”

Charlie Rhodes, Chief Strategy Officer, said Visual Matrix shares Canary’s enthusiasm for what they can accomplish together. "We are very excited to partner with Canary to enable integration for our more than 3,000 hoteliers to Canary's suite of guest experience tools. Given the continued labor shortage we’re facing across the hospitality market, we recognize the importance of intelligent solutions that simplify and streamline the workload at the front desk, while providing guests with a modern, intuitive experience from booking to departure."