News Briefs

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.

Travelport, a global technology company that powers travel bookings for hundreds of thousands of suppliers worldwide, confirmed the integration with Deem, a corporate travel management platform, with Travelport+. The announcement comes just months after Travelport publicized the game-changing acquisition, a move intended to fulfill a growing need for a tight, fully-integrated tool that provides access and end-to-end servicing of all multi-source content, including NDC.

“Business travelers want, and deserve, the same modern retailing experience as leisure travelers,” said John Elieson, COO and Deputy CEO of Travelport. “When Travelport announced the acquisition of Deem in March, it was with the intention of providing the corporate travel world with award-winning, complementary tools that are as revolutionary, modern, and easy-to-use as Travelport+. We’ve not only delivered on that promise, but are proud to confirm the integration of the Deem and Travelport+ platforms.”

Together, Deem and Travelport are modernizing the corporate travel experience. Travel management companies (TMCs), corporations and their travelers that utilize Deem and Travelport+ will be able to access a wide range of rich and relevant content, all in one place, enhanced by the Content Curation Layer (CCL). This Travelport+ feature uses powerful artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) capabilities to provide agents and travelers a more modern retailing experience with faster search responses, more pertinent results, and greater accuracy. When seamlessly integrated with Deem’s award-winning, modern user interface, this will allow travelers to stay within their corporate policies while ensuring bookings (including NDC) are fully serviceable.

In the 150 days since the acquisition, Deem has continued to thrive, with notable moments such as:

• Being named a Champion in Software Reviews 2023 Travel Management Emotional Footprint Awards
• Expanding to support global customers in more than 60 countries
• Achieving a net score of 9.5 in a customer satisfaction survey, a nearly two-point lead ahead of industry standards
• Receiving the highest CX score (9.7) of all corporate booking tools
• Rebranding the Etta platform to the company’s namesake, Deem, to increase clarity and unite products under a single iconic name that has become synonymous with innovation in corporate retailing
• Winning a Stevie Award for its Diversity and Inclusion campaign

When looking towards the immediate future, Travelport has big plans for the GDS-agnostic tool. In 2024 alone, Travelport expects Deem to:

• Accelerate its international expansion, doubling its global footprint with a focus first in EMEA, followed by APAC
• Evolve the user interface to continue to revolutionize the corporate travel retailing experience and deepen the industry-leading gap that Deem already has in front of its competitors
• Implement enhanced emissions data, which is already available on Travelport+

“We’ve heard our corporate customers and there are two key things that they need,” Elieson continued. “First, they want a one-stop shop for all content through a single tool. And, just as important, they want ease of traveler servicing, meaning the content needs to be the same as what their TMC partner sees. By combining traveler-first, human-centric design with a best-in-class user experience, we’ve brought the ease and enjoyment of booking leisure trips to business travel. Making that content both accessible to and easily managed by their TMC partner ensures travelers are covered, even when you factor in new products only available through NDC or other content sources.”

RateGain Travel Technologies Limited, a global provider of SaaS solutions for travel and hospitality, today announced the appointment of Peter Strebel as its new President to lead the Americas region. Peter, a two-time CEO, in his last role, was the Chairman of Omni Hotels & Resorts, providing strategic counsel to the company before serving as the company's former President, Chief Marketing Officer, and Senior Vice President of Sales.

Named as a Top CEO on Glassdoor, Strebel was responsible for guiding the company through the pandemic crisis, leaving the brand in a prime position to capitalize on the rebounding trends and changes in the industry. He also played an instrumental role in creating and driving innovative branding, communications, marketing, and business development strategies to increase awareness, capture market share, and build revenue for the luxury hotel brand.

In between his time with Omni, Strebel served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Wyndham Hotel Group and was promoted to President of the company before returning to Omni. Strebel sits on the board of directors for the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), as well as the board of trustees for the Incarnation House in Dallas, Texas.

Peter will be replacing the outgoing President, Chinmai Sharma, who spent half a decade with RateGain, playing a key role in scaling its Americas business and providing overall strategic guidance for RateGain's growth in the region. 

Over the last few years, through strategic acquisitions, RateGain has consolidated its position in the enterprise segment in the Americas region, with the region contributing significantly to the company's top line. A lifetime hotelier and an advocate of new technology, combined with Peter's deep understanding of the industry and extensive experience in the region will help RateGain accelerate growth as it looks to double its revenue in the next three years.

Welcoming Peter to RateGain's leadership team, Bhanu Chopra, Founder, and Managing Director of RateGain, said, "The next phase of RateGain's growth requires a leadership team that can help us outsize the impact we are making on our industry, and I am quite certain that Peter will help in bringing that to RateGain. His experience in leading operations, sales, and marketing will be critical for us to drive more well-rounded growth as we aim for our next big goal."

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Chinmai for his leadership and belief in RateGain. The work he has done in scaling the business and identifying new business opportunities leaves the Americas team far better positioned for success," added Bhanu.

Commenting on RateGain, Peter Strebel said, "I have built a career by continuously identifying new areas of investment and innovation to change the status quo, and I believe that RateGain is also trying to do the same for the hospitality industry. The opportunity to do that for over 100,000 hotels excites me about this opportunity."

Peter is based out of Dallas where he lives with his wife and enjoys spending time with his family.

Meyer Jabara Hotels is reporting a 24.20% turnover rate through the first half of 2023. With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics citing 70% to 80% turnover annually as the industry norm, this 46-year-old hotel ownership and management group is obviously doing something right. With hotel operators still feeling the sting of the “Great Resignation,” MJH is revealing its secret to employee retention success.

“Our biggest competitive advantage is what we call The Journey,” said Justin Jabara, president of Meyer Jabara Hotels. “It’s our culture and it was dreamed up with Bill Meyer, Richard Jabara and former author, consultant and speaker, Dr. James Belasco. The cornerstone of The Journey states that ‘all of us collectively are better than just one of us. We don’t just talk about it; we live It at all levels of the organization.’”

In his book “Flight of the Buffalo,” Dr. Belasco writes: “What leaders really want in the organization is a group of responsible, interdependent workers, similar to a flock of geese. I could see the geese flying in their 'V' formation, the leadership changing frequently, with different geese taking the lead. I saw every goose being responsible for getting itself to wherever the gaggle was going, changing roles whenever necessary, alternating as a leader, a follower, or a scout. And when the task changed, the geese would be responsible for changing the structure of the group to accommodate, similar to the geese that fly in a 'V' but land in waves. I could see each goose being a leader.”

It is this paradigm on which MJH has built its Journey leadership principles:

• Leaders transfer ownership for work to those who execute the work.
• Leaders create an environment for ownership where each person wants to be responsible.
• Leaders coach the development of personal capabilities.
• Leaders learn fast themselves and encourage others also to learn quickly.

Empowering Employees

Empowerment is a key theme of The Journey at Meyer Jabara Hotels. Employees are given the Power to make skilled decisions once trained, the Permission to act in the moment for the good of the guest, and the Protection that their decisions will not be chastised, knowing that further instruction may be required if questionable actions were taken.

“We don’t just say, ‘you’re empowered,’ and that’s that,” Jabara said. “Rather, we give our associates the ‘3 Ps’ to help them make decisions and act appropriately and professionally. We also spend a lot of time training on this to ensure that we never put our people in a position where they don’t have the skill or training to be successful.”

A case in point: If a guest comes to the front desk and is upset, the front-desk associates are empowered to resolve matter and do what it takes to make it right – without calling a manager. Provided the agent makes decisions (based off their training) they are not penalized if a decision backfires.

Employee engagement is also encouraged and appreciated. For instance, rather than having Corporate Director of F&B Guy Reinbold dictate all menu items at each Meyer Jabara hotel, he sits with F&B teams and asks them about local favorites, family recipes, and what has worked previously. This approach of engaging the whole F&B team is cultivating an environment that is increasing F&B Sales year over year.”

Reflecting Great Service, ‘No Stuffy Left Behind’

MJH is serious about recognizing and rewarding exemplary performers. The company’s annual executive retreat features a formal dinner honoring the Mirrors of MJ who best represent the company’s culture.

“Last year the Courtyard by Marriott North Canton’s head of housekeeping won a Mirror award after noticing that many children accidentally leave their favorite stuffed animals behind,” Jabara said. “Each time a forgotten stuffy was found, the housekeeper wrote a coloring book featuring that specific stuffed animal’s adventures at the hotel – riding down the laundry chute, eating at the breakfast bar, etc. – with illustrations drawn by a friend. Then, the housekeeper would mail the stuffed animal, book, and crayons to the child all at her own expense.

“The selfless actions taken by this valued employee is a true embodiment of our Journey culture,” Jabara said. “This is a guest service that goes above and beyond what is required of our associates, and it exemplifies the benefits of empowering our people to act for the good of our guests. We commend her for her creativity and dedication to service and are extremely proud of this initiative.” 

Numbers Don’t Lie

The latest Unifocus report shows that Meyer Jabara Hotels’ employees are the happiest they’ve ever been, with scores from its recent Associate Opinion Survey the highest on record. Jabara said he attributes this achievement to the fact that 90% of associates are trained and certified on living – or leading – The Journey.

Spearheading The Journey culture at MJH are Gail Clarke, senior vice president of human resources – a position she has held for the last 37 years – and Terri Tucker, a consultant and thought leader facilitating Dr. Belasco’s Journey Management System.

“The Journey culture creates differentiated and repeatable experiences for guests – if a service touch succeeds at one property, it likely will work at others,” Clarke said. “I have seen housekeepers put Christmas trees in guests’ rooms during the holidays and heard about GMs placing sports team hats on beds of guests who come into town to attend ballgames. Those small gestures make a BIG impact, resulting in both staff and guest loyalty.”

Tucker said she heard a newly onboarded employee describe Meyer Jabara Hotels as “the most bizarre company he ever worked for.” Inquiring why, the new hire said: “I went to my first staff meeting this week and everybody was high-fiving and hugging each other. Where I worked before, everybody was out to get each other. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s amazing!”

“It’s these heart connections that are binding people to management and each other, and it’s why they choose to stay with Meyer Jabara Hotels,” Tucker said. 

Toast introduces Toast Catering & Events, a new product fully integrated with the Toast point of sale  to help restaurants seamlessly manage large catering orders and event planning. Toast Catering & Events supports customizable banquet event orders (BEO), fulfillment tools, and lead management functionality. Toast Catering & Events pairs with Toast Invoicing — a digital invoicing tool that Toast launched in October 2022. 

According to HT’s 2023 Restaurant Technology Study, 71% of restaurants offer catering, 8% plan to add it this year, 

Restaurant owners, operators, catering and event managers, and staff can now seamlessly manage the multi-week process of planning and executing events and catering orders.

"Toast Catering & Events has integrated our events into our POS seamlessly and even prints the prep tickets at a scheduled time so it is very hands-off,” said Emily Sands, Private Event Sales Director at Elicit Brewing. “My favorite piece of the system so far is the integration with my calendar. It makes it easy to keep my staff in the loop on what's going on and what's coming soon."

Additionally, the Toast Catering & Events platform allows restaurants to:

• Customize: Whether solving for dietary restrictions, designating whether an order is pick-up or delivery, or flagging special pricing, Toast Catering & Events offers the tools and the ability to create digital contracts, quotes, and estimates efficiently. 
• Manage everything in one place:  Through integration with Toast POS, restaurants can see updates and reporting for event orders and all their lines of service on a single platform. 71% say the ability to integrate with other systems is driving their POS purchase decisions, according to HT’s2 2023 POS Software Trends Report.  The digital experience includes menu integration, customer lists, a calendar view, and integrated sales reporting to create a seamless all-in-one platform experience.
• Easily access transparent pricing and estimates.

Learn more about Toast Catering & Events.