News Briefs

Lodging Interactive, a digital marketing, reputation management, and social media engagement agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry since 2001, is excited to announce the expansion of its flagship product, CoMMingle:Engage, to cater specifically to the restaurant industry.

Online review matter to today's consumers. 74% of restaurant guests said positive consumer reviews and high ratings are moderate or extremely important when selecting one restaurant over another, according to Hospitality Technology's 11th annual Customer Engagement Technology Study.

“Online customer reviews have become a critical aspect of the consumer decision-making process, with studies indicating that 90% of customers read online reviews before visiting a restaurant,” said DJ Vallauri, Founder & CEO of Lodging Interactive, the parent company of CoMMingle:Engage. “With the digital landscape increasingly becoming more prominent, the ability to professionally monitor, manage, and promptly respond to these customer reviews is more critical than ever.”

CoMMingle:Engage not only monitors customer restaurant review websites 24/7 but also has its team of professional analysts write direct responses to each review on behalf of the restaurant. This service ensures a positive online presence and significantly influences potential customers' dining decisions. CoMMingle:Engage also helps restaurants demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction. 

While maintaining engagement with restaurant patrons via review websites is critical, online reputation management doesn't stop there; the impact of social media on the restaurant business is profound. 

Social media platforms are not just tools for promotion; they are two-way communication channels where customers share experiences and voice their opinions. This is where restaurants can really shine and build their customer loyalty. 

Restaurants should monitor social media channels for customer engagement as doing so provides insight into customers' preferences, helps identify potential issues early, and gives restaurants the opportunity to build relationships with their patrons. In a world where a post or tweet can go viral in minutes, swift and professional engagement with social media comments is essential. 

CoMMingle: Engage also provides social media marketing services for restaurants and helps each establishment maintain a consistent, positive presence on social platforms, fostering stronger relationships with their customers and enhancing their restaurant’s overall reputation.

‍Click here for more information about the CoMMingle:Engage restaurant services.

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.

Phrasee, the complete AI content platform for enterprise marketers, and Accor, the largest hospitality company in Europe and the sixth largest hospitality company worldwide, are partnering to optimize the hotel group's marketing copy to accelerate engagement and revenue.

"The hospitality industry is extremely competitive, and we are matching the innovation we bring to our hotels to delight customers with enhanced marketing efforts, enabled by Phrasee's generative AI technology," said Marc Lantrok, Accor's vice president of customer engagement, Europe & North Africa. "We are excited to move forward with our partnership with Phrasee as we work toward becoming more data-driven and increasing revenue and engagement for our Accor loyalty program in the UK and French markets, as well as ibis in the UK.”

Accor is using Phrasee to optimize subject lines, tested to drive open and click rates for higher engagement, traffic, and revenue for the specified hotels. The optimized copy will help ensure that Accor brands are at the forefront of customers' minds when they are ready to book. In addition, Phrasee’s platform will guarantee messaging consistency across multiple marketing channels, further boosting customer loyalty with the right messaging at the right time, delivered via the right vehicle.

“Marketers are jumping on the AI bandwagon to create content, but too many are unable to generate content that delivers,” said Parry Malm, Phrasee CEO. “This is not a case of the more, the merrier. The content must be good, meaning it must be on-brand, optimized for performance, and provide the level of safety that enterprise marketers need at scale. Accor’s partnership with Phrasee ensures the hospitality group’s marketing program is backed by a content engine that delivers smarter, data-driven high-performing content to drive customer engagement and ROI and continues to improve as it gleans insights for even greater engagement.”

Looking ahead, Accor will leverage Phrasee technology to ensure the maximum number of campaigns are optimized, driving impact and ROI. Accor will use Phrasee's Language Insights and AI platform to gain customer insights, inform data-driven decisions, and create high-performing, on-brand marketing messages optimized for new and returning hotel guests.

Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced that all nine Radisson Hotels Americas brands – including Radisson Blu, Radisson, and Country Inn & Suites – are now available to be booked on ChoiceHotels.com. This adds nearly 600 hotels onto its world-class central reservation system ahead of schedule and less than a year since its acquisition of Radisson Americas closed. Choice also announced the successful integration of the Radisson Rewards Americas loyalty program into the award-winning Choice Privileges program. This enables the nearly 60 million Choice Privileges members to earn and redeem points at over 7,400 hotels across 22 brands in 45 countries and territories.  

"We are excited to offer travelers hundreds of additional hotels to choose from on ChoiceHotels.com, including numerous upscale and full-service properties, as we welcome our Radisson franchisees to Choice's powerful reservation engine," said Pat Pacious, CEO, Choice Hotels International. "Integrating nearly 600 hotels and the Radisson Rewards Americas program in such a short period of time is a testament to Choice's advanced technology and integration expertise and shows our commitment to providing franchisees with opportunities for optimal success and offering travelers ways to easily find the right hotel to meet their travel needs on one website."

Integration Milestone Marks More Bookable Options on ChoiceHotels.com

• More upscale and full-service hotel options located in the U.S., including in 90% of the top 25 markets. 
• 4,000 midscale, economy and extended stay locations located within one mile of an interstate exit, many with pools.
• Fantastic selection of hotels outside of the U.S.
• More options for members of Choice Privileges, including the opportunity to earn and/or redeem points at casinos, luxury resorts and vacation rentals through Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Penn Casinos and BlueGreen Vacations.

Integrated Loyalty Programs Bring New Choice Privileges Member Benefits, Co-Brand Credit Cards & More

Diamond Elite members of Choice Privileges, the highest Elite level, starting today, are entitled to free breakfast for two at Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, and Park Plaza hotels in North and South America and LATAM. Click here for a full list of benefits.

Members of Choice Privileges now have more accommodation options to choose from where they earn and redeem points, as well as two new co-branded credit card options which launched earlier this year, that accelerate the number of points earned to get to a redemption night faster. Cardholders can now earn points on everyday purchases, including at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement and phone plans, making this the fastest way to earn points during stays at participating Choice Hotels properties.

MGM Resorts International announced the appointment of Daniel Yang as Chief Customer & Innovation Officer. In this newly constituted role, Yang will lead and advance the company's global consumer success strategy, with a focus on maximizing growth and profitability at the intersection of digital technology and the guest experience.

"Dan is a progressive, strategic thinker with a wealth of industry experience leveraging technology and digital strategies to enhance the guest experience in a truly meaningful and differentiating way," said Bill Hornbuckle, CEO & President of MGM Resorts International. "Dan's leadership will be instrumental as we continue to drive organic growth through sales, marketing, loyalty, and product development. We're excited to have him as a member of our leadership team."

Yang joins MGM Resorts from Aristocrat Leisure Limited where he served as the company's Chief Strategy Officer responsible for driving corporate strategy, long-range planning, and corporate development. Prior to that, Yang held various strategy, general management and operating roles at Viacom (now Paramount). He was also CEO and cofounder of a mobile gaming startup and a strategy consultant for Booz Allen & Hamilton.

"I'm thrilled to be joining MGM Resorts as the company continues to accelerate its plan to create and deploy high impact digital products and services supporting the customer experience in multiple channels," said Yang. "The company and its leaders are driven to position MGM Resorts as the world's premier gaming entertainment company, and the destination of choice for all their customer segments. I'm excited to partner with my new MGM colleagues to achieve this outcome."

Yang received his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.