News Briefs

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.

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.”  

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.