RoomRaccoon, an all-in-one Hotel Management System, has announced a new integration with point-of-sale (POS) system, Epos Now. The two-way integration allows hotels to unify revenue streams in one central location, streamline payment processing and enhance the guest experience.

Integrating a hotel management system with POS technology allows hotels to accurately track guests’ payments throughout their stay. Now, with the joint effort of RoomRaccoon and Epos Now, hotels can easily process charges from anywhere on the property – from the restaurant to the spa – and give guests the freedom to settle their total when it’s time to check out.

The integration provides seamless communication between RoomRaccoon and Epos Now and generates coherent invoices for all the services offered at an establishment in real-time. Now, hotels can easily process orders from the Epos Now platform and automatically add the charge to the guest’s invoice in the RoomRaccoon PMS, making invoicing errors and billing inaccuracy a thing of the past.

Ryan Heaphy, Head of Strategic Partnerships EMEA at Epos Now, shares: “We're really excited about launching our partnership with RoomRaccoon. The connection is hugely beneficial as it allows our hotel customers to provide a seamless guest experience, unifying all purchases into one simple bill at checkout.” 

RoomRaccoon’s Head of Partnerships, Steven Reffin, shared: “RoomRaccoon is excited to welcome Epos Now to our growing marketplace. In addition to streamlining payment processes, the integration reduces data fragmentation and maintains accurate and holistic insights to give hoteliers a better sense of their property's performance. The integration also helps reduce time wasted operating a complex tech stack so that your staff can get back to what they do best – putting the guest first.”

InnSpire, a provider of a comprehensive technology suite that helps drive a seamless, world-class guest experience for some of the world’s most iconic hotels and brands, has been selected by the Columbia Beach Resort,  Pissouri in Cyprus to implement its Digital Guest Journey App solution at the property. The full-featured mobile phone-based solution allows guests at the resort to pre-check in and securely access their suites without having to carry a keycard; view menus, order in-room dining meals and drinks and snacks by the pool; send requests to the guest services team in real time; book restaurants, check their stay bill and access an extensive range of useful information—all from their own personal mobile device. 

InnSpire’s award-winning digital solutions allow the hotel’s various operational departments to work collaboratively and give guests complete control over their entire travel experience. At the Columbia Beach Resort, the App consolidates disparate guest systems within a single, easily accessible platform, providing travelers with seamless and highly personalized command over their stay at the property. 

“Our tech stack includes solutions from various providers that were not working seamlessly from the guest perspective, so our goal in deploying the InnSpire Guest Journey App was to centralize and manage our guest services within one convenient and easy-to-use system,” said Monica Coppetta, General Manager at the resort. “We are also highly focused on sustainability as an organization, so this digital solution helps us work toward our goal of reducing the adverse impact on the planet by eliminating the need to print brochures, menus, directories and other guest compendium materials.” 

Overlooking the secluded Pissouri Bay on the southern coast of Cyprus, Columbia Beach Resort is a five-star property, offering 169 luxurious suites. Amenities include an award-winning spa, as well as three gourmet restaurants and two large swimming pools with swim-up bars. 

“Our integration plan for the Columbia Beach Resort was focused on providing an all-in-one solution that solved operational challenges for hotel staff and management, while providing a seamless and convenient digital guest journey for the resort’s discerning guests,” said Martin Chevalley, InnSpire’s CEO. “Hotels today are looking for true technology solution partners, rather than individual systems working in silos. We are happy to be able to fulfill that need for the Columbia Beach Resort and look forward to the opportunity to work closely with their management team to bring a uniquely personal luxury experience to Cyprus.” 

Owning and managing digital display advertising networks just got a lot simpler thanks to the system-on-chip (SoC) technology collaboration between LG Business Solutions USA and out-of-home (OOH) advertising technology maker Broadsign. Owners of LG webOS™-enabled digital signage displays can now use “Broadsign for SoC” to activate intelligent OOH advertising and content management capabilities across their screens, introducing new revenue opportunities. 

According to Chris Feldman, Senior Business Development Manager at LG Business Solutions USA, the new solution allows owners of LG webOS-enabled commercial displays to maximize the value of their technology budgets. It simplifies installation and enables fully automated ad playlist generation, proof-of-play reporting and dynamic campaign delivery across displays in multiple locations without an external media player. LG webOS display owners can also pair Broadsign for SoC with Broadsign’s OOH supply-side-platform (SSP) to access Broadsign's global network of programmatic media buyers.

“LG and Broadsign are dedicated to providing cutting-edge tools to businesses operating Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising displays, and the Broadsign SoC solution for webOS delivers on that promise with technology that enhances profitability and simplifies network operations for medium to large digital signage networks,” Feldman said. “Now any LG commercial display running webOS 4.1 or later can be transformed into a revenue-generating machine using Broadsign’s intelligent SoC solution, which ensures seamless ad delivery to displays.”

LG is one of the first manufacturers to integrate support for Broadsign for SoC into their commercial displays, and both companies cited increased interest in retail and public venue advertising as a driver for their collaboration. Broadsign Director of Product Marketing Sabrina Allard noted that the SoC solution for webOS is making it easier for businesses to uncover new revenue streams, even on existing LG digital displays.

“Our core mission is to help business owners monetize and centrally manage their digital screens, and the launch of Broadsign for SoC unlocks a new world of possibilities for businesses and technology integrators when designing or updating digital display networks,” Allard said. “By utilizing wireless connectivity and our new SoC solution, LG commercial display owners can now access Broadsign’s powerful OOH content management toolset in virtually any location that has a 120-volt outlet.”

Unlike native SoC content management systems, Broadsign for SoC supporting webOS includes built-in advertising capabilities and enables streamlined campaign management across mixed-screen networks. Setup is as simple as downloading the Broadsign for SoC player solution onto a smart screen and registering it in the Broadsign OOH marketing platform. The SoC player then polls the Broadsign servers and downloads ad content to play on its connected display. Once registered, the SoC player can report incidents and proof-of-play statistics back to Broadsign servers.

“Broadsign’s automated content management and delivery solution adds significant value to existing LG digital display networks while giving custom integration firms even more reasons to use LG’s leading commercial display solution,” Feldman said. “From 4K outdoor displays for drive-thrus to huge DVLED video walls and the endless creative opportunities of transparent OLED, advertisers can reach virtually any audience through LG digital displays all over the globe.”

Both companies embrace the possibilities this collaboration unlocks for businesses, which can now operate on SoC-powered LG commercial displays. The Broadsign SoC solution for webOS is the result of multiple years of development to bring the power and simplicity of Broadsign’s platform to LG displays. With it, buyers can now access all-in-one solutions that require virtually no maintenance or extra installation considerations.

Broadsign empowers digital signage network operators with advanced content management tools for managing campaigns, ad approval and programmatic revenue generation. There is a subscription fee to access the Broadsign OOH marketing platform, and Broadsign collects a technology fee from each media purchase conducted in the Broadsign OOH marketing platform.

Solonis, a provider of modern property management solutions, announced a partnership with Outrigger Hospitality Group, a Honolulu-based barefoot-luxury brand and management company that owns/operates resorts, hotels and condominiums. Outrigger has selected Solonis to deliver its property management system and guest engagement technologies to its portfolio of 16 Hawaii Vacation Condo properties across Hawaii.

For 75 years, Outrigger has charted a journey of discovery. Its global footprint includes premier beach resort and hotel properties throughout the Hawaiian Islands, Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean, including destinations in Fiji, Mauritius, Thailand and the Maldives. In addition to its authentic guest experiences, Outrigger Hospitality Group has long been known as an innovator in tourism development. Solonis mirrors this mission of innovation and will now equip Outrigger’s Hawaii Vacation Condos with tailored solutions that meet unique operational requirements, enhance guest experiences and streamline front office and housekeeping efficiencies.

“We appreciate Solonis’ thoughtful approach towards innovation and are pleased to partner with them to provide our condo owners and guests with new efficiency and operational visibility while maintaining the personal touch that Outrigger is known for,” said Carly Clement, VP Hawaii Vacation Condos by Outrigger.

Through this partnership, Outrigger will gain access to Solonis’ robust reporting functionality, guest and owner portals, revenue management tools and flagship property management system. Solonis will also deliver several custom development items and manage the full onsite implementation.

“Outrigger came to us with a desire for a scalable, flexible solution fit for modern hospitality,” stated Fred Dominioni, Chief Revenue Officer at Solonis. “Solonis is unique because we approach property management from all angles. We bring business intelligence, reporting and flexible guest experiences to the forefront and have the global experience and in-depth knowledge to back it up from a support perspective. Outrigger’s resorts are already paradise on earth, but we’re eager to elevate those properties further and make an impactful difference for the guests that visit.”

QikServe Inc., a  digital ordering and payment solutions provider in the hospitality industry, announced a partnership and platform integration with PAR Technology’s Punchh loyalty and engagement platform.  

The partnership provides an integrated web, mobile and kiosk ordering experience, enabling restaurant guests to redeem loyalty rewards. Furthermore, guests ordering through self-serve kiosks can leverage kiosk scanners to scan QR or barcodes to automatically populate loyalty program discounts and coupons directly from their mobile devices during the ordering process.  

71% say the ability to integrate with other systems is driving their POS purchase decisions, according to HT’s 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

“Modern restaurant guests want diverse digital engagement opportunities with their favorite restaurant brands as well as robust loyalty incentives; especially during these challenging, inflationary times,” said Robert Taylor, Executive Vice President, and Managing Director of U.S. Operations.  

Clark Matthews, Vice President of Information Technology with El Pollo Loco added: “Leveraging the Qikserve and Punchh integration provides greater ordering convenience for our guests as well as richer order data and marketing insights to our operations.”  

Chipotle Mexican Grill is opening a new restaurant called Farmesa in the Kitchen United Mix food hall in Santa Monica, Calif. Farmesa is a fresh, bold concept inspired by Chipotle’s Food with Integrity standards. The concept will soft open with an abbreviated menu and limited hours before officially rolling out next month.

“Our New Ventures team, which was created in 2022, developed a unique restaurant concept that uses classic culinary techniques with flavorful ingredients in a fast casual setting that we’re excited to test and learn on before we determine a broader rollout strategy,” said Brian Niccol, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Digital Ordering

Guests will be able to place an order via onsite kiosks at the Kitchen United Mix space at 1315 3^rd Street or on kitchenunited.com/santamonica as well as for pickup and delivery through marketplace apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats.

WATCH: Chipotle’s VP Talks Transformative Tech at MURTEC Executive Summit

“Launching Farmesa in the Kitchen United Mix food hall in Santa Monica and partnering with third-party partners for pickup or delivery will allow us to reach a large number of consumers, learn quickly, and evolve our concept and menu so that we can deliver on our goals before expanding,” said Nate Lawton, Vice President of New Ventures at Chipotle. “We believe there’s an opportunity to serve premium, craveable food every day, and we’re eager to bring this new concept to life.”  

Farmesa’s Menu

Farmesa will serve a variety of bowls ranging in price from $11.95 to $16.95. Each bowl will feature a protein, green or grain, two sides, a choice of five sauces, and a topping option. Farmesa will launch with a limited run menu to help the restaurant team learn on various cooking techniques and maximize throughput. The concept’s full menu will include dishes like Classic Santa Maria-Style Grilled Tri-Tip Steak, Everything Spice-Crusted Ora King Salmon, Whipped Potatoes, Golden Beets, Sprouted Cauliflower, and Sweet Potato Chips.The menu was curated by James Beard Award-winning Chef Nate Appleman who also serves as the Director of Culinary Innovation at Farmesa, and previously led menu innovations for Chipotle in the mid to late 2000s.

Farmesa will also proudly serve 100% Certified Organic, Non-GMO and All-Natural drinks from Tractor Beverage Co along with still and sparkling water.