News Briefs

365Villas, a vacation rental management software provider, has launched a raft of industry-first website features including a tool that gives property managers the opportunity to offer a full suite of ‘Flex-Stay’ options for the first time. 

Alongside a new full payment discount feature, cancellation indemnity and early bird discount offers, ‘Flex-Stay’ brings property manager’s in line with mainstream airlines and hotel websites and gives guests the choice to pay more in case they need to amend their booking.

365Villas’ additional functionality also gives property managers the option to apply a discount to bookings if guests pay the whole fee upfront rather than in installments; and the cancellation indemnity tool gives guests the choice of paying a premium in return for a refund in the event of cancellation. 

All new interface features are integrated within the 365Villas PMS and can be tailored by each property manager to suit their target market. Alongside the host of new features, 365Villas has introduced a number of new website themes and designs to help property managers effectively market and promote their portfolio whilst giving end-users the best booking experience possible.

Dave Payette, founder and CEO of 365Villas, said: “Increasingly consumers are looking for convenience and immediacy. These new features offer a smoother, more personalized experience that allows property managers to capitalize on the growing trend for direct bookings through independent websites.

“Our next-generation website themes and solutions bridge the gaps that have persisted for property managers when choosing between a high-cost, complex website and a more affordable, low-risk solution.”

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. 

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.

Brittain Resorts & Hotels (BRH), a full-service hospitality management company in the Southeast, introduced an industry-leading AI-driven business intelligence technology matrix, putting the company at the forefront of AI-led efforts within the industry. The move comes as BRH increases its service offerings as it expands further into third-party management for hotel owners seeking improved values and satisfaction measurements.

“While the hospitality industry traditionally has taken a ‘wait and see’ approach to new technologies, we have taken a much more aggressive approach at Brittain,” said Christy Jernigan, chief development officer, BRH. “AI and business intelligence are major data and analytics initiatives for Brittain, and we have integrated AI into its strategy. The business intelligence component allows us to understand and interpret our data across all channels for ongoing analysis and simplified reporting back to our owners. For the new systems we’ve added, the integration of AI, machine learning or business intelligence not only automates tasks but also offers predictive insights, optimization suggestions and enhanced user experiences.”

The new matrix includes multiple platforms, including guest data, social media management, guest messaging communication, revenue management, CRS, customer relationship management, market data, parity management, payroll and HR systems. For each, AI has been applied to improve the respective processes. For example, AI can analyze guest preferences and behaviors to automate and personalize marketing campaigns or optimize rate management by analyzing vast datasets, predict market demand, and adjust pricing strategies in real-time to maximize revenue. The system will run under Power BI, a robust data visualization and business analytics tool developed by Microsoft that connects to multiple data sources, allowing users to aggregate, analyze, visualize and share insights through interactive dashboards and reports.

“We are applying our Business Intelligence capabilities to provide multiple, tangible benefits to the hotels we operate,” Jernigan added. “From integrating with a hotel's property management system (PMS) to provide insights into guest demographics, preferences and behaviors to analyzing operational data to uncover inefficiencies in housekeeping, maintenance or F&B operations, this platform represents a cutting edge approach to working with the newest technologies available. These tools produce meaningful improvements to operations, which in turn lead to increased values for our shareholders.”

XTM Inc., a Miami and Toronto-based Fintech creator of disruptive payment innovations is pleased to announce that it has officially integrated and merged XTM's Today tipping solution into the QRails' AnyDay™ Earned Wage Access (EWA) solution for its U.S. clients resulting in an additional feature roll-out opportunity for large strategic partners such as SAP, Discover and Veritas Prime.

Employees in the U.S., who traditionally receive their gratuities as part of their paychecks, no longer need to wait a pay cycle to receive their gratuities. Through the AnyDay™ Payments platform, enabled by XTM's technology, employers can now leverage this solution for improved recruitment and retention. This creates new opportunities for XTM's current US pipeline of Human Capital Management and Payroll partners who have been eagerly waiting for this solution since the close of the QRails acquisition on August 21st, 2023.

"XTM's tipping solution has been relieving the financial burden for more than 80,000 hardworking employees in Canada on a daily basis,” says Cary Strange, President of XTM. “Combining the ability to receive daily tips with the AnyDay™ Earned Wage Access app addresses pent-up demand within the hospitality industry in the U.S. and our team is ready to fill the gap."

The combined solution is now in use with a variety of XTM clients across the U.S. The AnyDay™ mobile wallet and debit card create a robust retention tool and include a client portal with added features that support financial and accounting teams for seamless reporting and reconciliation.  The valuable processing and issuing tech stack provides employers with a secure, efficient and effective way to distribute earnings, instantly.

This technology integration is the start of the advantages to be realized by consolidating the resources of XTM and QRails in the areas of sales & marketing, onboarding, customer service and product development.

The merged companies are currently in talks with large hospitality groups in the U.S. that will help quickly scale the integrated solution and further position XTM as the only vertically integrated platform offering real-time payments for a variety of workers' earnings.

Vytio, a provider of hospitality technology solutions, proudly announces its pioneering collaboration with Samsung Electronics, integrating seamlessly with the latest HBU8000 and HQ60B Hospitality Televisions that use Samsung’s new Tizen Enterprise Platform (TEP) solution. This landmark integration signifies a major leap forward in enhancing the guest experience across the hospitality industry.

The Samsung HBU8000 (4K UHD) and HQ60B (4K QLED) Hospitality Televisions are renowned for their exceptional picture quality, sleek design and advanced features tailored to meet the unique needs of the hospitality sector. By partnering with Vytio, a trailblazer in hospitality technology, Samsung‘s TEP-based Hospitality Televisions will now provide users with access to a comprehensive suite of services that will elevate their guests' stay to unprecedented levels of comfort and satisfaction.

Key benefits of the Vytio and Samsung TEP integration include:

1. Enhanced Guest Engagement: Vytio's cutting-edge technology empowers hotels and resorts to provide an immersive and interactive guest experience. The integration ensures that guests can seamlessly access hotel services, local information and entertainment options directly through the Samsung HBU8000 Hospitality Television.

2. Personalized Content: Vytio's platform enables hotels to offer personalized content recommendations to guests based on their preferences and previous interactions. This feature ensures that properties present guests with tailored entertainment and information choices during their stay.

3. Seamless Connectivity: Vytio's technology seamlessly connects guests' personal devices to the Samsung HBU8000 Hospitality Television, enabling them to mirror their screens, stream content and stay connected during their stay.

Vytio's President & COO, Richard Chen, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, "We are thrilled to be the first integration partner for the Samsung HBU8000 and HQ60B Hospitality Televisions. This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to delivering unparalleled guest experiences through innovative technology solutions. By combining Samsung's top-tier television technology with Vytio's guest-centric platform, we are setting new benchmarks for guest engagement, comfort and satisfaction."

"Our new display models elevate the guest experience, and we're extremely grateful to Vytio for making them a success," said Richard Leonarz, Director of Product Management, Hospitality Television at Samsung Electronics America. "The models are built on the Tizen Enterprise Platform, which means hospitality partners can easily deploy the displays and begin taking advantage of the increased functionality."

With the Vytio and Samsung HBU8000 integration, hotels and resorts can look forward to offering their guests an exceptional stay that combines the finest in television technology with unparalleled guest engagement and comfort.