News Briefs

Choice Hotels International, Inc., a hospitality, franchising and technology company, kicks off “MasteryX” today, its 10^th annual tech summit. Over the course of the week, around 500 associates will explore and learn about the latest technologies and solve real-world challenges through hands-on workshops, competitions, and knowledge-sharing sessions to help hotel owners drive more revenue, reduce costs, and find efficiencies. This year, Choice Hotels technologists will explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing and other technologies can help improve business intelligence, enhance cyber security, improve on-property operations, and scale Choice’s proprietary tools and systems.

“MasteryX is more than just a conference — it’s a launchpad for the future of hospitality technology,” said Brian Kirkland, Chief Information Officer, Choice Hotels International. “By upskilling our engineers in AI and emerging tech, we’re ensuring that Choice Hotels remains a leader in innovation, continuously delivering smarter, more efficient solutions for our franchisees and guests. Mastery is part of our innovation culture, enabling us to provide reliable, cutting-edge tools designed to help owners generate strong returns on their investments and help them run their businesses with the ease, control and flexibility they seek.”

At MasteryX, interactive challenges such as “Capture the Flag” (with a data-hacking twist) and AWS DeepRacer, a machine-learning-powered racing competition, will test participants’ problem-solving and AI capabilities. During the summit’s Hack-a-Thon competitions, engineers will develop and present new software products designed to enhance company and hotel operations and guest experiences. Winning teams will earn cash prizes, with top innovations considered for company-wide deployment.

A winning project from last year’s Mastery helped drive occupancy by automating the manual process of creating special rates and promotions for repeat hotel guests and packages for local businesses. This reduced time from 2.5 weeks to instant processing, driving more revenue for hotels and providing faster service to guests. Over 600 hotels have leveraged the program and nearly 6,000 rate packages have been created, resulting in almost 450,000 room nights booked totaling over $31 million in sales.

History of Innovation

“Choice Hotels has a decades-long legacy of innovation, from introducing the first hotel website with real time rates and availability, deploying the first hotel app for iPhone, to building the first mobile-friendly rate management tool for operators, and being the first hotel company to migrate our platforms fully into the cloud,” said Anna Scozzafava, chief strategy officer and senior vice president of technology, Choice Hotels International. “Mastery is one of the ways we keep the spirit of innovation alive, so we can continue leveraging technology that can enhance our competitive edge in the market by providing tools designed to make running a hotel easier so that owners can focus on providing a great experience for guests.”

Choice Hotels has built and introduced industry-first owner-facing technologies, including:

• In 1995, Choice launched the first hotel website with real-time rate and availability information.
• In 2003, Choice launched the first cloud-based property management system (PMS), choiceADVANTAGE.
• In 2009, Choice released the first hotel app for iOS.
• In 2014, Choice became the first hotel company to offer instant booking on TripAdvisor. That same year, Choice was the only hotel company listed on Forbes' Top 100 Most Innovative Growth Companies.
• In 2016, Choice became the first hotel company to offer immediate in-app gift card downloads.
• In 2018, Choice launched choiceEDGE, the industry's first cloud-based central reservation system (CRS).
• In 2019, Choice became the first hotel company to commit to being 100% on AWS (Amazon Web Services) Cloud.
• In 2021, Choice launched ChoiceMAX, an award-winning AI mobile-first revenue management solution.
• In 2024, Choice announced the closure of its last data center, making it the first major hotel company to migrate its entire system infrastructure to AWS.

In addition to fueling innovation, MasteryX includes a two-hour service event where attendees will assemble care kits and tie-dye items for patients at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

ProSafe, powered by WorldVue, a leading provider of workplace safety solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced a strategic partnership with RapidSOS, the AI-powered intelligent safety platform trusted by over 22,000 911 and first responder agencies. This collaboration enhances ProSafe’s panic button solutions by integrating RapidSOS’s advanced emergency response technology, ensuring faster and more efficient assistance for hospitality workers during critical incidents.

ProSafe’s patented beaconless, geo-location panic button platform and wearables—accessible on both iOS and Android—now seamlessly connect with RapidSOS to provide direct communication with 911 telecommunicators. This integration enables ProSafe devices to send real-time critical data, including precise location, entry instructions, and live emergency updates directly to emergency responders for faster incident resolution.

New features include:

·         Direct E911 capabilities for instant emergency response

·         Real-time audio and visual transmission to law enforcement for enhanced situational awareness

·         Indoor mapping technology to help first responders locate individuals in distress

“At ProSafe, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of workplace safety technology,” said Yazan Barqawi, CEO and Co-Founder of ProSafe. “Partnering with RapidSOS enhances our safety solutions with state-of-the-art emergency response capabilities, ensuring that when an incident occurs, informed help arrives faster and more efficiently. This partnership is a game-changer for safety in that it provides what’s transpiring to first responders in real-time when activated, ensuring that proper personnel is dispatched on the first go.”

"RapidSOS is committed to empowering first responders with the critical data they need to save lives. Our partnership with ProSafe represents a significant advancement in workplace safety, particularly within the hospitality sector,” said Karin Marquez, Chief Public Safety Brand Officer at RapidSOS. “By integrating ProSafe's innovative panic button technology with our intelligent safety platform, we're ensuring that when a hospitality worker activates that button, 911 telecommunicators receive real-time, actionable information. This level of data integration—precise location, live audio and visual feeds, and indoor mapping—is crucial for rapid and effective emergency response. Together, we're not just enhancing safety; we're creating a safer environment for those who serve us every day."

This partnership marks a major step in redefining workplace safety in the hospitality industry. By combining ProSafe’s industry-leading panic button technology with RapidSOS’s emergency response network, hotel staff now have unprecedented access to real-time safety support. Moving forward, ProSafe and RapidSOS will continue collaborating to bring even more advanced safety solutions to the hospitality sector and beyond.This partnership allows ProSafe to serve industries outside of hospitality such as healthcare, retail, education, etc.

Duetto, a provider of revenue management software for the hospitality industry, announced the acquisition of HotStats, a provider of financial benchmarking for hotels. The acquisition accelerates Duetto’s ambition to become the definitive revenue and profit operating system for the hotel industry, equipping hoteliers worldwide with a differentiated view of both their top-line revenue and operating performance across rooms, food & beverage, and ancillary services. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome HotStats into the Duetto family,” said David Woolenberg, CEO of Duetto. “By augmenting our existing suite of solutions with HotStats’ industry-leading financial benchmarking data asset, we’re able to deliver the industry’s most comprehensive solution for driving revenue and profit optimization. Together, we will reimagine what’s possible for hotel revenue and profitability.”

HotStats’ core offering in hotel profitability benchmarking enriches Duetto’s mission to unify every revenue stream under one platform. This new partnership will give hoteliers a clear, actionable view of their overall profits, driving data-backed decisions that increase efficiency and elevate the guest experience. 

“Duetto’s commitment to reshaping revenue and profit optimization resonates strongly with our complementary focus on actionable financial insights,” said Michael Grove, CEO of HotStats. “We see enormous potential in joining forces, extending our impact to help hotels identify opportunities to improve efficiency, better meet customer demand, optimize profitability across every facet of their operations.” 

“HotStats has long been a pioneer in profitability benchmarking, and it is only fitting that the next stage of its evolution will be with an equally visionary hospitality technology provider,” said Jonathan Langston, founder and retiring Chairman of HotStats. 

This acquisition spotlights Duetto’s dedication to strategic expansion under the ownership of GrowthCurve Capital, which acquired Duetto last year. By developing and employing advanced analytics, robust reporting, and an ever-evolving product suite, Duetto affirms its status as a go-to partner for hotels seeking a unified source of truth for their revenue intelligence and profitability metrics. The entire HotStats team will be joining Duetto as part of the transaction.

Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe served as legal counsel to Duetto. Gately plc served as legal counsel to HotStats. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Deployment of theQuore workflow management solution is underway at Palette Hotels, with all 25 of its properties expected to be live with engineering, housekeeping, front desk, management, and above property tools. Quore’s cloud-based, mobile ready, multilingual solution will soon enable the data centric hotel ownership and management company to stay harmoniously connected to staff while delivering the best guest experiences possible. 

“With our roots as owners, we understand firsthand that investing in technology is essential to staying in sync with the evolving expectations of modern travelers while delivering strong results for our owners through greater efficiency and streamlined operations,” said Richard Lou, founder and CEO, Palette Hotels. Greg Presnol, Vice President of Operations, added: “Since most of our regional directors were already familiar and comfortable with Quore, it was unanimously decided that this one-stop-shop solution is the one we need to thrive. It’s extremely easy for our teams to use—they know exactly where to go, what actions to take, and how to analyze reports to ensure that tasks stay on track and nothing falls through the cracks. By taking manual paper processes out of the equation, we expect to streamline operations and reap a quick return on our investment.”

All Palette Hotels representing Marriott, IHG, Hilton, Hyatt, Choice Hotels, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and Best Western brands will be improving internal communication and removing obstacles for employees through innovative workflow management processes. Leveraging the Quore dashboard, Palette Hotels can see how each hotel is performing by accessing information on problem resolution costs, top complaints, guest satisfaction insights, response times, PM compliance, portfolio-wide messaging, company inspection trends, and more.

“When choosing a management company, owners often ask about BI (business intelligence), AI (artificial intelligence) or other ways to digitize operations without realizing how much time and money can be saved by just automating front- and back-of-house processes,” Presnol said. “As we get deeper into onboarding, we are finding some untapped resources within Quore that were previously unknown to us. For example, we are just now diving into Quore’s CapEx functionality, and we’re learning how to add photos and other instruments to the system that will help us turn data into action. Our goal is to take full advantage of everything Quore has to offer.”

Presnol called the level of support provided by Quore, “phenomenal.” 

“Hats off to our Account Manager Jonathan Ferlez and the Quore deployment team,” he said. “They did a terrific job with onboarding and training, and we appreciate their flexibility with the robust timeline. Because of this state-of-the-art technology, we are resting easier knowing that owners’ assets are protected and associates have more time to take care of guests. Our people are planning ahead, staying organized, and making more consistent and confident decisions. Thanks to Quore, Palette Hotels is creating a better operating environment for everyone.” 

David Fox, Quore VP, Customer Experience, said he is delighted to add Palette Hotels to the company’s growing portfolio of satisfied customers.

“When a company such as Palette Hotels calls our service ‘phenomenal,’ it speaks volumes,” Fox said. “Deployments of this magnitude are never easy, but the backing we are getting from both the corporate and regional teams to bring this initiative to fruition is exciting and contributes to our ability to meet their rollout timeline. Soon communication across all Palette Hotels will be effortless, tasks will be completed in record time, and the analytical insights they will receive through our workflow reporting tools will help Greg and his teams make smarter business decisions.” 

Leanpath, the enterprise standard in food waste management for the foodservice and hospitality industry, today announced the launch of its innovative mobile reporting app. This new solution simplifies how chefs and kitchen managers engage with Leanpath data, bringing streamlined KPIs and actionable insights directly to their smartphones. This marks a significant step in making food waste prevention more accessible and integrated into daily kitchen operations.

The Leanpath app leverages AI to transform how culinary professionals interact with and respond to food waste data. By providing instant access to critical insights, the app empowers kitchen teams to make informed decisions that reduce waste, increase profitability, and enhance sustainability efforts.

"The foodservice industry is incredibly dynamic and every second counts," said Brennan Hogan, VP of Product at Leanpath. "Our new mobile app is a game-changer for busy culinary professionals. It's like having a food waste prevention expert in your pocket, offering real-time insights and recommendations throughout the day. It's about making food waste prevention as intuitive as checking your social media feed."

Key capabilities of the Leanpath food waste reporting app include:

• Mobile accessibility: Access valuable food waste insights and information on mobile devices throughout the day, wherever you are.
• Push notifications: Receive timely food waste alerts to stay informed of critical issues.
• Real-time waste data: Easily see top wasted foods and why foods are being wasted.
• AI-powered insights: Benefit from generative AI that offers insights into a kitchen's food waste data and recommends steps to improve efficiency.
• Visual waste streams: View photo streams of food waste to get more context on why and where waste is occurring.
• Integration with Leanpath platform: Works seamlessly with Leanpath's existing intelligent food waste management platform.

For more examples and real-life scenarios on how these features work, check out our in-depth blog post.

The Leanpath app integrates seamlessly with the company's existing food waste management platform, which has been instrumental in helping thousands of commercial kitchens worldwide improve their profitability and sustainability. Trusted by industry leaders such as Sodexo, Google, Compass, Aramark and many others, Leanpath's solutions have consistently delivered measurable results in waste reduction and operational efficiency.

"This app represents the next evolution in our mission to make food waste prevention an everyday practice in the world’s kitchens," added Hogan. "By putting food waste insights directly in the hands of culinary teams, we're enabling immediate action and fostering a culture of sustainability that can make a real difference in the fight against food waste."

DoorDash announced a suite of AI-powered tools designed to help merchants optimize their online menus, enhance the customer experience, and boost sales.  

The tools are available on both DoorDash Marketplace and first-party products, such as Online Ordering, and include:

• Item description generator – Instantly create enticing menu descriptions with one-click using AI;
• AI-powered Camera – Enables restaurants to capture professional-quality food photos by optimizing lighting and backgrounds, without altering the appearance of the food itself.
• Instant Photo Approvals – Menu photos will be automatically approved with AI-driven moderation for instant upload;
• Background Enhanced Menu Photos – Without altering or editing the food itself, the new enhancement feature helps transform casual consumer photos into clean, professional menu photos.

Create instant menu descriptions with AI

Leveraging the power of AI, item description generator uses inputs, such as item names and existing photos, to craft compelling and mouth-watering menu descriptions in seconds. Merchants can access the item description generator through the Business Manager App or through the Merchant Portal.

Effortless food photography with AI-powered Camera
Restaurants have seen a 44% increase in monthly sales for menus with item photos. The AI-powered camera, available in the Business Manager App, uses AI computer vision and helps merchants take stunning food photos in seconds, ensuring the food's authentic appearance is preserved. With real-time feedback on framing, smart lighting, background enhancements, and intuitive cropping tools, taking professional-quality photos has never been easier.