News Briefs

Continuing to advance the guest experience at leading hotels, LG Business Solutions USA has announced the introduction of a new line of premium OLED 4K UHD Smart Hotel televisions. LG will demonstrate this new line at The Hospitality Show in San Antonio, TX October 28-30 in booth #1713.

“Our new range of OLED 4K UHD hotel televisions offer the ultimate in luxury and convenience for hotel guests,” said LG Business Solutions USA’s Jacob Benner, Senior Director of Hospitality. “Boasting industry-leading hospitality functionality, the improved Pro:Centric Direct hotel content management solution and exceptional picture quality, the AM960H Series brings premium, consumer-favorite OLED technology to the hospitality industry at an accessible price point without compromising quality and features. We’re bringing this new line to The Hospitality Show, where attendees can experience firsthand how our innovative OLED Hotel TVs help hoteliers not only meet but exceed today’s guest experience expectations.”

Available now for delivery to hotel customers, the new AM960H Series of premium OLED 4K UHD Smart Hotel TVs is available in 77-, 65- and 55-inch models. These TVs bring advanced display technology to the guestroom experience, offering stunning pictures with absolute blacks and incredible contrast from any angle. Self-lighting pixels, which can be switched on and off individually, make images incredibly lifelike. Without the need for a backlight, LG OLED displays are both thin and lightweight.

The LG Pro:Centric Direct Hotel Content Management Solution offers simple editing tools, making it easy to perform service and IP network-based remote management with a single click, and providing users with a customizable, familiar interface with no compatibility issues. It also provides IoT-based in-room control as well as voice control function through LG Natural Language Processing (NLP). These IoT and voice-related functions mark the starting point of the next generation of artificial intelligence enabled hotel rooms.

Rounding out the options for hoteliers with needs for even larger OLED displays, LG’s popular 97- and 83-inch OLED 4K UHD commercial signage displays (models OLED97G4CUA and OLED83G4CUA) can be paired with the LG Pro:Centric Smart Set Top Box (model STB-6500), for the same eye-popping viewing experience.

Shift4 has acquired a majority stake in Vectron Systems AG, a European suppliers of point-of-sale (POS) systems to the restaurant and hospitality verticals. 

Based in Germany, Vectron has 65,000 POS locations across Europe, representing. Shift4 is expected to acquire additional ownership of Vectron through a public tender offer that is expected to conclude within the next month, with a de-listing and formal integration process to occur shortly thereafter.

The acquisition is expected to provide Shift4 with an expansive customer footprint across Europe as well as a distribution network of ~300 POS resellers. As a result of the acquisition, Shift4 believes it will be able to add its integrated payment services to current Vectron customers and products, while also empowering the sales force with a compelling all-in-one POS and payments solution unrivaled in Europe.

“Shift4 was at the forefront of the convergence between software and payments in the restaurant and hospitality verticals in the US. We see an incredible amount of demand for a similar all-in-one solution across Europe,” states Shift4 CEO Jared Isaacman. “With our integrated payments and SkyTab offering, we believe we have the best solution at the right price point. Vectron will provide valuable local expertise, infrastructure, and the distribution necessary to meet the demand. This acquisition is right out of the Shift4 playbook – enabling us to unlock synergies, expand our distribution, and monetize payments for a large existing install base.”

Completes Revel Systems Acquistion

In addition to the acquisition of Vectron, Shift4 has also completed its previously announced acquisition of Revel Systems. Revel has over 18,000 merchant locations across the United States and internationally which Shift4 estimates represents a $17B+ payment opportunity. Revel also has a direct sales and dealer distribution network which Shift4 believes can be leveraged to accelerate SkyTab distribution both domestically and abroad. 

Shift4 has signed a definitive arrangement agreement to acquire Givex Corp., a global provider of gift cards, loyalty programs and point-of-sale solutions. 

The Arrangement Agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and the transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. 

With across more than 100 countries, Givex serves a wide range of businesses in various industries, including 7-Eleven, Wendy’s, Best Western, Texas Roadhouse. 

The company offers robust gift card and e-gift solutions as well as customizable loyalty programs, and a point-of-sale (POS) system for various business types, among other value-added services.

 “Givex has a considerable footprint around the world which will dramatically increase Shift4’s overall customer base,” states Shift4 President Taylor Lauber. “At the same time, their gift card and loyalty solutions are second to none and will add significant value for our current customers, creating stickier relationships andh 130,000+ active locations enhancing our overall value proposition. Similar to other deals we have recently completed, this acquisition aligns perfectly with how we like to deploy capital – adding blue-chip merchants at a low customer acquisition cost while delivering additional benefits to our customer base.” 

“The Givex team looks forward to joining the Shift4 family and bring our enterprise gift card capabilities and loyalty programs to hundreds of thousands of new customers,” says Don Gray, CEO of Givex. “By combining Shift4’s end-to-end payment solution with our value-added engagement services, we can deliver an unparalleled package to both of our customer bases.”  

Mark Shambura has joined Panera Bread as Chief Marketing Officer. Shambura will lead all aspects of marketing at Panera, including Brand Building, Digital & Loyalty, Product Strategy & Consumer Insights. An accomplished marketing leader with broad expertise in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura has previously held marketing leadership roles during pivotal growth periods for top brands including Chipotle, MOD Pizza, and most recently Papa Johns.

"Mark brings an impressive background building brands and leading marketing teams for fast-casual restaurants, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Panera Bread,” said José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer. “As Panera continues to evolve our brand, guided by listening to our guests, Mark’s depth of experience and ability will help drive our growth as a brand that serves great food you feel good about eating.”

Shambura previously served as CMO at Papa Johns, where he led a revitalization of the brand by enhancing its iconic “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza” platform, and developing a more modern, innovative omnichannel approach to transform how Papa Johns appealed to both new and loyal consumers. As Executive Director at Chipotle, Mr. Shambura guided the marketing function through periods of both sustained growth and transition, providing leadership over brand strategy, advertising, digital, social, events/sponsorships, promotions, and field marketing, including playing a key role in spearheading its “Real Ingredients” brand strategy.

“I’m proud to join the Panera Bread team and excited to build on the momentum of the brand's transformation as it continues to evolve in service of our guests,” Mr. Shambura said. “Panera propelled and cemented its position at the top of the fast casual restaurant segment through its promise of high-quality ingredients and freshly prepared food, and I’m thrilled to join a highly talented team to help shape its next chapter.”

Prior to his tenure in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura gained extensive marketing agency experience, working with a broad array of top global consumer brands for over a decade. Shambura will report directly to José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer, and officially assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer on July 29, 2024.

The unveiling of the first fly-through video of the Starlab space station by Hilton, Voyager Space, and Starlab Space marks a historic moment in both space exploration and hospitality. This significant event took place at the 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy, offering attendees an unprecedented glimpse inside the innovative space station currently in design.

A Pioneering Partnership

Announced in 2022, the collaboration between Hilton and Voyager Space aims to bring unparalleled comfort to their state-of-the-art scientific discovery and crew habitation spaces aboard Starlab. The new station, operated through a US-led, global joint venture between Voyager Space, Airbus, Mitsubishi Corporation, and MDA Space, is a free-flying commercial space station that will benefit from Hilton's expertise in hospitality and design. Hilton’s partnership will ensure that every stage of the astronaut's journey, from ground preparations to in-space living and their return to Earth, is infused with comfort and hospitality.

Inside Starlab

The fly-through video revealed several key areas within the Starlab space station, including crew communal areas, wellness spaces, and advanced sleeping quarters. Larry Traxler, senior vice president, Global Design Services, Hilton, expressed his excitement about the progress made in the project over the past two years. “This first-look at the Starlab project is just a sneak peek at the exciting progress we’ve made in research and design over the past two years,” Traxler said. “Our team is enthusiastic about the future of human space exploration and how hospitality has an opportunity to touch it all—from pre-flight training, to the in-space experience, to our guests’ return to Earth.”

Space & Sustainability

The 75th International Astronautical Congress focused on the theme "Responsible Space for Sustainability," a subject that Hilton is deeply studying as they support the design of Starlab. The research and design efforts of Hilton for Starlab are not only geared towards space but could also drive advancements in sustainability and design efficiencies for hotels on Earth (and beyond).

The collaboration between Hilton, Voyager Space, and Starlab exemplifies the blending of space innovation with hospitality expertise, promising to transform the future of space tourism and create new benchmarks for comfort and sustainability in space habitation.

To watch the video, click here.

RoomRaccoon, a hotel management system for independent hotels, has announced its two-way integration with Pxier, an advanced software solution designed to meet the diverse needs of hotels in managing events, sales, catering, and spa services.

The latest integration in the RoomRaccoon Marketplace offers independent hotels a comprehensive and cost-effective solution to streamline essential hospitality operations. By harnessing the strengths of both platforms, hoteliers can efficiently oversee and optimize every aspect of their property's operations while elevating guest service capabilities.

Steven Reffin, Global Partnership Manager, shares: "Through our partnership with Pxier, RoomRaccoon is proud to provide independent hoteliers with a complete solution, incorporating essential event and spa management tools into our already robust platform. With real-time data flow from RoomRaccoon's PMS to Pxier’s platform, this integration ensures that all aspects of our users' business—whether it's rooms, conferences, and events, or wellness services—are seamlessly managed without the need for manual data transfer between systems."

"Through Pxier’s partnership with RoomRaccoon, hoteliers can now seamlessly sync real-time data, effortlessly managing events and spa services alongside their property operations. The integration streamlines operations, allowing hoteliers to focus on delivering exceptional service and creating memorable guest experiences," said Jay Menon, Chief Technology Officer at Pxier.

The integration is supported by three robust API connections:

Reservation Feed: Hoteliers can effortlessly access guest and reservation data from RoomRaccoon to enhance CRM efforts, improve communication, and strengthen loyalty programs.

Point of Sale: Streamline billing processes with integrated charges from spa, event, and point-of-sale systems directly into RoomRaccoon, significantly improving operational efficiency and reducing administrative overhead.

Channel Manager: Simplify group and event reservations with real-time access to RoomRaccoon’s rates and availability, ensuring seamless synchronization with the reservation calendar and maximizing occupancy potential.

The RoomRaccoon and Pxier integration is available to hotels and accommodation providers worldwide.