Curator Hotel & Resort Collection (“Curator”) is announcing its naming of ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions as a preferred provider to supply its member hotels with RFID door locks and access solutions. This new alliance will ensure that member hotels have access to the most innovative security solutions at favorable industry pricing.

“Across the industry, we are still seeing many supply issues that make it difficult to track the delivery of products and the installation process can be inefficient and frustrating,” said Austin Segal, Vice President of Curator Hotel & Resort Collection. “Through our agreement with ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, we are able to ensure a smooth and efficient solution for our members—allowing them to track their security and door lock systems, take advantage of reduced costs for hardware and services, in addition to receiving these in a timely manner. This strategic relationship is key in guaranteeing that when guests visit a Curator property, they’ll enjoy a safe stay thanks to a convenient, user-friendly, and innovative technology.”

With this new association with ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, Curator members will also have access to an industry-leading support model to help keep projects delivered on time and on budget.

“This collaboration is a direct reflection of the hard work and high standards put forth by both companies,” said Michael Beery, Regional Sales Manager at ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions. “Curator seeks out only the latest in security technology for its hotel members, which we have been honored to provide through our advanced solutions such as VingCard door locks and Mobile Access. As Curator's trusted security solutions provider, we look forward to further strengthening our relationships with each of their property stakeholders by ensuring that they have the advanced tools needed to deliver a guest stay experience that always exceeds expectations.”

 eviivo, a hospitality software company known for its property management system, eviivo Suite, and mobile app, eviivo Mobile, announces the launch of eviivo Collective to recognize unique, notable and luxury independent properties worldwide. As part of eviivo’s 10-year anniversary milestone of eviivo Suite, the original ‘all-in-one’ cloud booking system, eviivo Collective is designed to celebrate, support and raise awareness for independently owned properties, as well as boutique hoteliers, hosts and owners who work in the independent accommodation sector. 

“For over a decade, our mission has always focused on prioritizing and supporting the hardworking hoteliers, hosts and owners of independent properties, and today, we’re incredibly proud to launch eviivo Collective, one of the most groundbreaking programs in our company’s history,” says eviivo CEO Michele Fitzpatrick. “Our vision with eviivo Collective is to shine light on our incredible properties — many that speak for themselves as award winners or deemed the best in their region — and to go above and beyond with our commitment to the independent accommodation sector. Most importantly, we consider all our properties part of the eviivo family, so we’re thrilled to give them recognition they deserve in such a competitive landscape.”

This is the first time in history a travel tech company has launched a program designed to promote and advocate the independent accommodation sector, working with its partners — such as online travel agencies (OTAs) and other hospitality brands — to showcase its over 20,000 independently owned properties, many that are considered among the best in the world.

“Eviivo is more than just the best software,” says eviivo CEO Eric White. “We’ve truly championed the independent accommodation sector from day one, whether through our Stay For Heroes initiative to establish free rooms for frontline workers during Covid-19 or our renowned eviivo Awards. With eviivo Collective, like-minded, independent property owners can feel proud as part of a community and be recognized for their commitment to the industry — and their resilience, especially after three challenging years of the pandemic. We’re stronger together, and eviivo Collective offers a sense of belonging and empowerment.”  

From historic Airbnbs designed by famous architects in the US to The New York Times-recognized castles in Scotland to award-winning destination resorts in France, eviivo properties have more leverage to capture repeat business, ensure quality and trust and add value for their customers with eviivo Collective. This is the world’s first software vendor designed to advocate distinctive properties across all segments: a luxury vacation rental or an urban Airbnb can be part of the same collection as an award-winning boutique hotel.

To celebrate eviivo Suite’s 10-year anniversary, the company is taking its commitment to the independent accommodation sector further by officially registering a global "Independent Accommodations Day.” First launched in 2018, Independent Accommodations Day was part of eviivo’s renowned “International Week of the Host,” where properties ran flash sales and celebrated through promotions and social media . IWOTH also included eviivo Awards — dubbed “the Oscars of independent accommodations” by Daily Mail — which honored the best in the industry.

Independent Accommodations Day, a day of recognition, occurs globally and annually every March 24 — a day everyone is invited to participate and recognize independently-owned properties and their workforce worldwide. #HappyIADay

“With eviivo Collective, we’re extending considerable support beyond customer service to our property owners, hosts and hoteliers as they continue to rise above from the impact of the pandemic,” says Melanie Wexler, Head of Global Services. “All of our property owners have an incredible story to tell, and we offer them a well-deserved platform.”

Zipline unveiled its new platform that provides autonomous delivery directly to homes in cities and suburbs. The company’s next generation home delivery platform is practically silent, and is expected to deliver up to 7 times as fast as traditional automobile delivery, completing 10-mile deliveries in about 10 minutes.

Zipline has spent the last several years building and fine tuning its next generation technology, Platform 2 (P2), to provide an optimal customer experience at scale. Zipline’s drones, or Zips, fly more than 300 feet above the ground. When the Zip arrives at its destination, it hovers safely and quietly at that altitude, while its fully autonomous delivery droid maneuvers down a tether, steers to the correct location, and gently drops off its package to areas as small as a patio table or the front steps of a home. This is all made possible through major innovations in aircraft and propeller design.

Several businesses across the healthcare and restaurant sectors have already signed on to use Zipline’s new home delivery service. Sweetgreen is partnering with Zipline to further its mission of connecting people to real food in the U.S., while moving a step closer to its pledge to be carbon-neutral by 2027. By ordering through Zipline's marketplace, Sweetgreen customers can get their orders using 97% less energy than traditional automotive methods.

“The future of delivery is faster, more sustainable and creates broader access, all of which provides improved value for our customers,” said Jonathan Neman, Co-Founder and CEO of Sweetgreen. “We couldn’t be more excited to work with Zipline to complement our delivery strategy. Zipline’s sustainable technology and ability to reach customers quickly, with a great delivery experience, will help us give our customers what they want, when they want it.”

Michigan Medicine will use Zipline’s new service to more than double the number of prescriptions it fills each year through its in-house pharmacy. Intermountain Health will use it to deliver prescriptions to patients’ homes in the Salt Lake City metro area. MultiCare Health System plans to use the new platform to expedite diagnostics and deliver prescriptions and medical devices.

Zipline’s end-to-end solution seamlessly integrates with a business’s current operations. That includes its dual-use docking and charging hardware, software that easily works with third-party inventory management and ordering systems, and mobile app.

3Sixty, an online accommodation booking and management tool for business and relocation travel, has announced its partnership with Hotelbeds, the B2B TravelTech company. 

A direct API between 3Sixty and Hotelbeds will unlock access for 3Sixty clients to over 300,000 hotels in more than 195 countries worldwide. The integration marks a significant diversification of the 3Sixty network, which already comprises one million ‘alternative accommodation’ options such as serviced apartments and aparthotels. 

Hotelbeds is a global leader in the TravelTech space, connecting and empowering companies like 3Sixty by facilitating bridges in the rapidly evolving travel ecosystem. 3Sixty will now access Hotelbeds' global portfolio of hotels, joining the company’s strong network of 71,000 travel distributors across 150 global source markets.

The 3Sixty team has been growing and evolving its supply partnerships over the past year to provide clients with maximum choice and flexibility in booking accommodation. 3Sixty’s most prominent corporate clients book up to 100,000 nights per month through its proprietary platform. Offering more hotel rooms allows their employees to find a stay that suits their unique travel needs – particularly for shorter trips.

3Sixty’s technology removes the need for travel buyers and guests to make exhausting back-and-forth comparisons of housing features, compliance, and pricing. A simple search shows the live availability of accommodation options, and searches can also automatically filter down those options to comply with a customer’s company travel policies. 3Sixty, which differentiates itself on its duty of care solutions, recently announced a new insurance offering.

Carrie Hartman, Chief Revenue Officer at 3Sixty, said, "As market demand for business travel and relocation is rising, we're actively widening our supply network to meet increasing demand. Our partnership with Hotelbeds is an important step in this endeavor. 3Sixty will always champion alternative accommodations, but we also recognize that different travelers have different needs, and we want to cater to all of them."

Robyn Joliat, Chief Technology Officer at 3Sixty, said, “Hotelbeds and 3Sixty are like-minded brands that are committed to innovating their technology, so it's been an exciting process to launch this integration together, and we’re delighted to be able to reveal it. Today’s traveler expects tech solutions to act as a one-stop shop for all their needs for a trip, from flights and accommodation to communication and insurance. Reflecting this, we will soon expand our partnership to offer the full suite of Hotelbeds travel services, such as car rentals and activities, to our 3Sixty guests to make use of.”

Matt Ellis, Strategic Partnerships at Hotelbeds, said, “As we look to increase our footprint in new business segments, it’s important for Hotelbeds to align with partners that have the same vision and core values. We are delighted to be partnering with 3Sixty, a leading and respected name in the business housing and travel space. Pairing our global range of travel products with 3Sixty’s innovative platform will provide travelers with a wide spectrum of choice, supported by best-in-class technology.”

IDeaS, a SAS company and a provider of hospitality revenue management software and services, announced today that Oregon-based Oxford Collection chose to adopt G3 Revenue Management System (RMS) across all its 17 U.S. hotels to deliver precise pricing and forecasting, manage operational resources more economically, and increase market share.

Given its goals to increase efficiency, expand operations, and remain nimble in the face of competition from larger brands, Oxford Collection needed a more comprehensive, automated revenue management system that was free from the limitations of its previous rules-based system.

After evaluating a series of providers, Oxford Collection discerned that IDeaS offered the most robust, functional solution and the highest level of support needed to take their operation to the next level. For an organization accustomed to the central management of its revenue strategy, Oxford Collection felt that a fully automated RMS was a necessity that could help increase the efficiencies of its small, hard-working team.

• Automated decision empowerment: Having experienced the challenges of both a 100 percent manual system and a rules-based RMS, Oxford Collection decided it would benefit from the enhanced efficiency of the fully automated strategic pricing decisions provided by IDeaS G3 RMS (e.g., overbooking decision management, room-type pricing, etc.)
• Enhance profitability: G3 RMS uses a unique, proven approach that automatically produces rate availability decisions that holistically work together with pricing to ensure the properties are accepting the most valuable business based on available demand.
• Detailed revenue forecasting: Oxford wanted to bring its revenue performance to the next level withG3 RMS, which quickly provides highly detailed, granular automated forecasts that analyze data from various sources, leading to more effective decisions and higher revenue.

Christian Boerger, vice president of revenue strategy, Oxford Collection, said: “In a certain way, working with IDeaS felt like coming home, knowing you’re in good hands. The automatic configuration tool has worked like a charm, not to mention the amount of time it has saved us. Apart from this, the level of attention provided as we go through the implementation process has been fantastic. I know the IDeaS Care team and their support is here to stay which is highly encouraging as we start this partnership.”

Garth Peterson, area vice president of sales, IDeaS, said: “Adopting a centralized revenue management system that streamlines operational resources plays a crucial role in helping hoteliers stay competitive and agile. IDeaS is proud to partner with Oxford Collection to help their products achieve the highest yield based on the local conditions of their market.” 

RoomRaccoon, an all-in-one hotel management system (HMS), has announced the launch of its new online check-out functionality. The new feature was unveiled by Tymen van Dyl, the CEO and Founder of RoomRaccoon, at the Independent Hotel Show in Amsterdam and delivers intuitive technology for guests to simplify and digitize their hotel stay. 

This contact-free feature allows guests to check out and settle outstanding bills from the comfort of their rooms via an email link on their devices. By eliminating the need for check-out at the front desk, online check-out is perfect for hotels looking to save time and improve the guest experience at their property.

For Tymen van Dyl, the launch of RoomRaccoon’s online check-out feature is the next step in empowering hoteliers with technology that thrills modern guests. He shares: “These days, guests value convenience and choice. With the addition of online check-out to our HMS, RoomRaccoon clients can offer a seamless journey from booking to departure and allow guests to have more control over their stay.”

With RoomRaccoon’s online check-out, hotels can provide a frictionless payment experience for guests. The system uses PSD2 SCA and PCI-compliant payment gateways andmerges industry-leading security standards and automation to offer payment methods that guests know and trust.

“The evolution of RoomRaccoon’s platform continues our purpose of empowering independent hoteliers with smart technology that drives better-performing hotel businesses and provides a guest experience that is both personalised and modern. We’re excited to expand our platform to become the most complete HMS on the market and deliver five-star experiences for our clients and their guests,” says van Dyl.