News Briefs

Artificial Intelligence is expected to have a profound impact on the travel and hotel industries as reported by the 2024 Customer Engagement Technology Study. For travelers, AI offers a powerful tool to enhance decision-making and personalize experiences. For hoteliers, embracing AI can lead to improved guest services and more efficient operations. Hotel Communication Network (HCN), a provider of interactive in-room tablets, is leveraging AI to enable guests to request services, communicate their needs, place F&B orders from local restaurants, control the room environment and more via voice commands in multiple languages.  

This week at The Hospitality Show in San Antonio, hotel operators can engage with HCN’s AI-powered Navigator 2.0 tablets in Booth #1755 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Called AiMe (pronounced Amy), the AI Concierge uses natural language processing to respond to guests’ unstructured requests and creates actionable tasks that can be relayed from the tablet to the hotel’s service system and then to staff.

“Today’s travelers are quite comfortable using consumer-grade generative AI (such as ChatGPT and Perplexity), and soon they will expect it to be a standard part of their hotel experiences,” said HCN Chief Product Officer Neil Schubert. “When asked how they would use generative AI before, during, and after their hotel stays, 30% of consumers said they would use it to learn more about a hotel and the local area; 28% to select a hotel with a desirable price and amenities; 27% to explore hotel options in a region; and 26% to plan a hotel budget for a trip. While those numbers have not reached critical mass yet, they will soon, and operators need to be prepared. If AI is already being leveraged prior to a guests’ arrival to find the right hotel, then once on premises people will surely delight in using it to enhance their experiences.

“For instance, guests can ask AiMe to help them order lunch and have it delivered poolside, bring their car around front, make a recommendation to a local restaurant, wake them at a specific time, purchase tickets to a show, or have maintenance come make a repair,” he said. “This isn’t a pie-in-the-sky theory; it is coming directly from guests who say they are eager to engage with voice-enabled AI during their stays.”

According to the CET Study:

• 57% of guests said they want to control the guestroom environment via voice-enabled AI
• 48% would use it to request services
• 47% would like to use a chatbot (like AiMe) to request services and ask general questions

What Hoteliers Want

The wish lists for today’s hotel operators is vastly different, as the 2024 Lodging Technology Study shows. Participants said their goal is to invest in technology that drives guest loyalty (80%), improves employee productivity (76%), improves the physical safety of guests and staff (68%), reduces the cost of managing technology (56%), and enhances guestroom technology (40%). They also plan to invest in technologies that streamline daily operations, improve communication, and empower staff not only results in more efficient service delivery but also contributes to higher job satisfaction among employees.

“AiMe is designed to accommodate the wish lists of both groups equally,” Schubert said. “It can interpret the tone of a guest message and identify key words spoken so if a hotel guest is frustrated, for example, the request can be escalated to a hotel manager . . . provide granular information to pinpoint the exact location of a housekeeper in distress when integrated with panic button platforms . . . update rooms status via its back-office mode that is integrated with the hotel’s PMS so housekeepers or room supervisors can speak or type updates rather than using room phones with dial codes . . . replace in-room electronics and room clutter . . . and drive loyalty by personalizing experiences, such as allowing guests to control lights, set do not disturb status, request make up room and more.”

Tackling ROI

Deriving a return on technology investment remains a challenge for operators. Improving guest experiences and operational efficiency is great, but realizing a clear ROI can be complex if investments are made in the wrong solutions.

“Tablets are quickly becoming a hotel’s newest source of revenue and cost reduction,” Schubert said. “For example, our DineIN program – that enables hoteliers to outsource their roomservice operation to HCN – has proven to increase revenues by 20% to 30% (a net gain above $10 per room per month in incremental revenue from f&b upsell opportunities) while Guest Choice reduces labor costs by 5% (between $15 - $30 per room) with each opt-out of room cleaning. Also, digitalizing the compendium saves printing costs while digital marketing earns thousands of dollars in advertising, spa, golf, tours, extended stays/late check-out fees, rebooking, and group branding and sponsorships. More importantly, the device enables brands to drive membership in their loyalty programs and increase mobile app use.

“We hope everyone stops by HCN Booth 1755 at The Hospitality Show to see AiMe in action,” Schubert said. “This AI-powered tablet is making it possible to achieve a 100% reach to hotel guests and drive better customer engagement.”

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.

George Hutto III, a data architect for MOD Super Fast Pizza and staunch supporter of Restaurant Technology Network, died October 1.  

Restaurant Technology Network Co-Founder Angela Diffly took to LinkedIn to share a tribute.

"In addition to his 'day job' quietly and unassumingly behind the scenes, George contributed heavily to the industry at large as a key contributor to the Restaurant Technology Network’s (RTN) technology standards, including the Open API Framework, Menu Synchronization Standard, Customer Record Data Standard, Transactional Data Standard and Restaurant Technology KPIs, as well as Labor and Technology Best Practices.

These working groups were voluntary, and George spent countless hours working alongside a strong, steady contingency of fellow data enthusiasts in an altruistic and commendable effort to make the restaurant industry better, and solve collective challenges."

Read Diffly's full post, Remembering Restaurant Technology’s Data Ninja, George Hutto on LinkedIn.


A GoFundMe page has been established to support George’s family. If you’d like to donate, please visit here.

Designed with accessibility and financial freedom in mind, the new Instant mobile app is released with a list of innovative new features and functionality including:

• Faster Access to Earned Wages: Employees have access to their hard-earned wages in fewer steps, with an improved user interface (UI) and key elements surfaced more prominently within the app.
• Modern Security Features: State-of-the-art security protocols, such as facial and fingerprint biometrics, multi-factor authentication, and encryption technologies protect user information and provide peace of mind.
• Flexible Payment Options: Users have the freedom to choose how and when they access their wages. Whether it’s through direct deposit, the Instant card, or a mobile wallet, the new app offers a greater degree of flexibility for all employees, ensuring convenience for all.
• Clear and Informative Design: With improvements to the user interface (UI), the app offers a user-friendly experience, empowering users to make informed choices and navigate the app confidently.
• New Technology Framework: Underpinned by a new technology infrastructure, the new Instant mobile app is faster, more responsive, and built to allow for additional features and functionality to meet the needs of employees and how they are paid.

“Employee demands regarding how they access their wages are constantly shifting, and our new app is meeting that head-on,” said Tal Clark, CEO of Instant Financial. “Whether it’s to cover unexpected expenses, avoid predatory loans, or simply to enjoy more control over their finances, Instant is continually revolutionizing the way people get paid.”

By releasing this enhanced version of its mobile app experience, Instant is furthering its mission of delivering pay to employees, when they want, where they want, and how they want, all free of fees.

• Flexible and Extensive API Options- VConnect features a highly customizable design able to connect virtually any type of solution, from guestroom thermostats and motion sensors to any hotel access solution, including Vingcard and third-party door locks. Using VConnect, forward-thinking properties can notably sidestep unforeseen complications while seeking to future-proof operations and gain a competitive edge.
• Superior Guest Experiences- Hoteliers leveraging VConnect can ensure faster response times by automating otherwise manual and time-consuming processes. The solution notably allows staff to re-focus their attention on more pressing matters while also creating more opportunities to increase personalization for enhanced guest satisfaction.
• Secure and Standards Compliant- VConnect leverages the latest security protocols for maximum protection of hotel and guest data. Its compliance with industry standards prevents inadvertently exposing data to potential vulnerabilities when being shared across multiple third-party systems.

• Streamlined Check-in: All arriving guests, including those from Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia and Booking.com, can both check-in and obtain room keys either via their mobile device or at iPad kiosks without the need to engage with staff.
• Enhanced Guest Support: Remote assistance allows staff to help guests with all types of requests, such as a room lockout or an amenity restock, even when the lobby is unstaffed.
• Increased Guest Experience: By enabling self-service options and eliminating the need to wait for staff support, such as for after-hours check-ins, guest review scores are improved compared to the traditional model.
• Efficient Staffing: Staff is free to engage in other tasks around the property while maintaining full visibility and service levels surrounding check-in operations.