News Briefs

Sabre Hospitality, a division of leading global travel technology company Sabre Corporation, shared plans to release SynXis Pay, its new solution that eases payment pain points for travelers and hoteliers alike.

For travelers, SynXis Pay integrates with over 250 alternative payment methods, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Klarna, WeChat Pay and more, adding much needed flexibility when it comes to checking out on their favorite hotel websites. Additionally, it enables a new express checkout experience in SynXis Booking Engine if the guest selects Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Those integrations are just one part of the equation. For hotels, SynXis Pay greatly reduces the complexity of managing multiple payment types in one place. SynXis Pay’s orchestration layer – powered by CellPoint Digital, the leader in payment orchestration –optimizes global payment acceptance by seamlessly connecting to multiple gateways and dynamically enabling the most relevant payment methods based on the guest’s location. In collaboration with other payment partners within the ecosystem, hotels can customize payouts in their local currency, converting from the guest's preferred currency. This minimizes exposure to foreign exchange rates and simplifies reconciliation. Plus, the enhanced guest experience contributes to increased conversion rates.

“At Sabre Hospitality, we love to solve complex travel challenges in ways that benefit both our customers and travelers,” said Juan Abello, Vice President of Product Management at Sabre Hospitality. “SynXis Pay is a prime example of that mission, offering travelers the flexibility and personalization they desire, while simplifying the resulting output and payout for our hoteliers. For some time, both sides of hospitality transactions have been hungry for improved payment processes. This is the truest definition of a ‘win-win’ scenario.”

SynXis Pay will be released in phases over the coming months.

DerbySoft, an innovative global technology company dedicated to accelerating travel commerce, announces its acquisition of cutting-edge artificial intelligence products from Arise, an AI automation platform specializing in travel agent–hotel communication and commission reconciliation. This transaction underscores DerbySoft’s commitment to enhancing, streamlining, and innovating key aspects of the supplier–distributor relationship within business travel.

Arise delivers AI-driven automation to tackle key challenges in travel management—streamlining TMC-hotel communication, automating booking reconciliation, and recovering unpaid commissions. By unifying booking data into a single record, Arise enhances visibility, optimizes workflows, and reduces reliance on third-party services. This acquisition strengthens DerbySoft’s portfolio, enabling seamless collaboration and transactions between hotel chains and TMCs.

“DerbySoft anticipates the needs of the travel industry and delivers innovative, high-performance solutions for our clients,” said Duane Overgaard, Divisional CEO for Hospitality at DerbySoft. “Integrating Arise’s technology into our platform further strengthens our commitment to business travel by providing accuracy and efficiency in commission reconciliation, as well as robust communication tools between travel agents and hotels.”

Arise’s proprietary AI technology helps speed up payment processing while also organizing key transactional details, ensuring a more efficient and transparent process. By automating traditionally manual tasks, Arise lowers operational costs, streamlines workflows, and improves overall accuracy for TMCs and hoteliers alike.

"Being part of DerbySoft will enhance our ability to help travel management companies and hotel partners collaborate more effectively while streamlining the processes of working together and managing shared bookings," said Nadim El Manawy, Co-Founder and CEO of Arise. "Together, we will continue driving innovation that simplifies operations, enhances traveler experiences, and maximizes profitability for our clients and their customers."

The acquisition of Arise aligns with DerbySoft’s strategic focus on augmenting its proven connectivity solutions while deepening its investment in travel technology for business-focused suppliers and distributors. Terms of the transaction will not be disclosed.

Visito, a leading conversational AI platform for hotels, today announced the launch of AI Bookings, a first-of-its-kind feature that enables guests to search, book, and pay for hotel stays directly within WhatsApp or other messaging tools.

The game-changing solution eliminates the need for website logins, forms, or redirects – removing key friction points that have frustrated both guests and hoteliers for decades. Guests can now complete their reservations in a single conversation, without ever visiting a hotel’s website.

Pormer Sarram, Co-founder and CEO of Visito, said: “With Visito AI Bookings, we’re redefining the direct booking experience for good. Booking a room or service no longer requires navigating websites, creating accounts, or juggling passwords. It all happens within a chat, as naturally as texting a friend.”

“For hospitality businesses, it’s a new revenue channel that works 24/7, capturing bookings that might otherwise be lost to abandoned website visits. And because it’s all part of the Visito platform, businesses get the same insights and automation they’re already using for guest messaging.”

AI Bookings is fully integrated into the Visito platform, meaning guests benefit from real-time updates on availability and pricing, instant confirmations, and secure payment processing through platforms like Stripe and Apple Pay.

For hoteliers, the new solution facilitates more direct bookings and reduces reliance on high-commission online travel agencies (OTAs). With fewer booking steps and no need for guests to create accounts, hotels will see lower drop-off rates and higher conversion rates.

Cloudbeds and Duetto announced a strategic partnership to empower hoteliers with advanced tools for optimizing revenue and operational efficiency.

This collaboration integrates Duetto’s cutting-edge revenue strategy platform with Cloudbeds’ hospitality management software. Together, the two industry leaders will deliver an unparalleled solution in efficiency, scale, and accuracy to help hoteliers of all property types maximize profitability - while offering enhanced benefits to multi-property operators.

For Duetto, this is the first two-way, custom integration developed using NiFi, enabling a faster, feature-rich, stable integration, as well as flexibility and scalability for properties worldwide.

“At Cloudbeds, we're laser-focused on delivering mission-critical solutions that transform how hoteliers operate and scale their businesses,” said Adam Harris, CEO of Cloudbeds. “This partnership with Duetto underscores our commitment to innovative solutions that drive revenue and efficiency. Together, we’re making enterprise-grade technology accessible to all.”

“We are excited to partner with Cloudbeds, a company that shares our vision for innovation and customer success,” said David Woolenberg, CEO of Duetto. “By combining our cutting-edge revenue optimization technology with Cloudbeds’ robust management platform, we’re creating a powerful synergy that will allow hotels of all sizes to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.”

The integration between Cloudbeds and Duetto will enable:

• Simplified activation and onboarding: Automated marketplace app onboarding streamlines user registration, preference setup, and feature access through intuitive prompts, AI-driven suggestions, and seamless integrations without manual intervention.
• Full two-way synchronization in real-time: Seamless integration between both parties permits real-time decision-making, considering changes in demand patterns, occupancy levels, and market-level/competitor rates.
• Enhanced revenue insights: Comprehensive analytics and reporting tools to help hoteliers make informed, data-driven decisions.
• Total property performance tracking: Common customers will be able to synchronize inventory, availability, out-of-order rooms, and total guest spend via folio data, as well as hotel reservation statistics, including historical and future reservations, and block reservation data.

The integration will be deployed in early Q2 2025 and will become available to all joint customers in summer 2025.

Visa announced that Tap to Phone has experienced a 200% increase over the past year, supporting millions of sellers of all sizes. In the highest Tap to Phone countries - the U.S., UK, and Brazil - adoption rates have surged, showing a combined growth rate of 234% .

Tap to Phone expanded Visa’s tap capabilities with a technology that turns a smartphone into a point-of-sale (POS) device, simply by downloading an app. With nearly 30% of Tap sellers being new small businesses, this technology is helping to democratize access to commerce tools and empower microsellers and SMBs around the world to start accepting contactless payments by using their NFC-enabled smartphones.

“Tap to Phone is a tech equalizer for businesses. Walk into some of the world’s largest retailers or go to your local farmer’s market and they’re using this same technology to accept payments right on their phone,” said Mark Nelsen, Global Head of Consumer Products, Visa. “People love to tap, so we’re continuing to expand our tap capabilities to create the best payments experiences for people and businesses.”

Tap to Pay 

Tap to Phone helps businesses of all sizes easily accept payments. Small business owners say Tap to Phone gives them more confidence, makes their operation feel more sophisticated, and helps them grow their businesses.

“We expect overall business growth of 20% this year and Tap to Phone will play a huge role in that,” said Simon Young, Events Manager and Café Owner, Reuthe’s. “It’s transformed the customer experience too, cutting queue times and making purchases effortless. For any small business looking to boost sales and simplify payments, this technology is a no-brainer."

Tap to Add Card enables users to add eligible credit or debit cards to their digital wallet by simply tapping a card to their phone. Since Tap to Add Card rolled out globally with Apple Pay in September 2024, it has picked up traction and enabled millions of tokens for more than 100 issuers, helping achieve higher authorization rates and fraud reduction rates. Visa cardholders can add their Visa cards to Apple Wallet faster than ever, with no need to manually input card details.

Visa has also developed Tap to Confirm, which allows consumers to quickly and securely authenticate a high value transfer and Tap to Send and Request money, a feature that allows you to tap your physical card or card credential to a device wallet on a friend’s phone to securely send and receive money quickly and seamlessly. Tap to Send will be available later this year on Samsung Galaxy devices as “Tap to Transfer.”

Hotel Phone App, LLC, founded in March of 2024, announced the release of HOTEL PHONE APP ™ now available on Apple and Google Play App Stores.  Hotel guests download the app onto their cell phones and scan QR code display signs in their guest rooms.  Guest cell phones instantly become mobile guest room phones for use anywhere the guest chooses.

Doug Killion, the owner and developer of HOTEL PHONE APP ™,  believes it will help modernize hotel phone systems and provide significant cost savings to hotel companies.

Killion said, “HOTEL PHONE APP ™ allows hotels to remove guest room push button phones and eliminate their associated monthly costs per phone line. Guests prefer to use their personal cell phones for travel related communication.”

Hotel phone systems operate using old technology: PBX developed in the 1930’s, push button phones in the 1960’s, and VOIP in the 1970’s.  All developed before cell phones gained wide usage in the 2000’s. Many of the functions of push button phones have already been taken over by guest cell phones: local and long distance calling, messaging, alarm clock wake up, ride-share apps, and food delivery apps to name a few.

“Killion said, “The HOTEL PHONE APP ™ technology was needed to complete the move of all guest room push button phone functionality onto guest cell phones.  Importantly, this had to be done without impacting existing hotel business phone services which are integrated into hotel property management software.” 

Previous attempts to replace guestroom push button phones have for the most part failed.  Texting is used in a few small boutique hotels.  Hotel supplied handheld devices are costly and disliked by guests not wanting to manage two separate cellular devices at the same time. Sadly, some small independent motels have removed all guest room push button phones due to high cost and low usage.

The recent impact of Emergency 911 requirements for hotels has also been a factor.  Killion said, “Confusion exists with both hotel companies and hotel phone service providers regarding the recent Emergency 911 laws.”  Kari’s Law, which requires direct dialing for 911, is specific to multi-line PBX/VOIP telephone systems like guest room push button phones.  By removing push button phones and replacing them with guest HOTEL PHONE APP ™ service, Kari’s Law no longer applies to hotel guest rooms.  Instead, guest cell phones provide direct dial Emergency 911 services. The Ray Baum Act requires all phones to have location services for emergency 911 responders.  Hotel guest cell phones are compliant with the Ray Baum Act and have built-in location services.  However, all remaining multi-line PBX/VOIP hotel business phones (e.g. front desk, manager’s office) must be compliant with both Kari’s Law and the Ray Baum Act.

A serious limitation of push button guest room phones is lack of mobility.  Guests must move to where the phone is located in order to place a call. They cannot take it with them to the restaurant, pool or anywhere off the hotel campus.  HOTEL PHONE APP ™ provides guest room phone service anywhere cellular service is available.

HOTEL PHONE APP ™ operates using existing technology deployed in a novel manner. Guests download HOTEL PHONE APP™ for free on their cellphones. Hotels purchase subscriptions for HOTEL PHONE APP ™ starting as low as $3 per month per guest room.  Hotels determine which phone links to install based on individual hotel needs (front desk, room service, housekeeping, etc.). Hotel web links can also be added for additional guest services (restaurant, spa, etc.).  Direction mapping for anywhere the guest may be located back to the hotel address is provided.  HOTEL PHONE APP ™ software generates hotel specific QR codes which are then displayed in guest rooms. Guests use the QR code scanners provided by HOTEL PHONE APP ™ to scan the QR codes. Instantly, hotel phone and web links are displayed on guest cell phones.

HOTEL PHONE APP ™ reduces phone service expenses for hotels. The cost of PBX/VOIP hotel phone services is typically $10-20 per line per month. Added to that is nearly $5 per line per month in State and Federal surcharges and other fees. HOTEL PHONE APP ™ plans start at $3 per room per month and have no 

additional monthly surcharges or fees.

HOTEL PHONE APP ™ can be deployed in phases for those hotels that may have guests without cell phones or who prefer to maintain some push button cell phones.  Also, because it is new to the market, HOTEL PHONE APP ™ is available for no obligation free trials.  Hotels can gather employee and customer feedback before committing to yearly licenses or expanding to additional hotels.

When asked what his predictions are for the future of hotel phone services Killion said, “I imagine it will evolve entirely to cellular and internet based functionality.  The backbone of hotel communication will be cloud based hotel management software systems that connect to both employee and guest cell phones. Added to this will be greatly expanded use of voice recognition and AI. Converting guest room push button phones to HOTEL PHONE APP ™ seems to be an inevitable step in the process, and it reduces hotel expenses.  So it’s a ‘win-win’ for both guests and hotels.”