News Briefs

BEONx, a hospitality revenue management service provider, is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of new dashboards in partnership with JUYO Analytics, the next curve data visualization and analytics platform for the hospitality industry. Hoteliers' evaluation of performance and data collection will undergo a revolution thanks to this update.

The new dashboards, available exclusively to hoteliers and professional clients, provide a comprehensive snapshot of the current situation. They aim to reduce the amount of time spent on information verification by providing all the necessary data in a single location. Clients will now be able to evaluate their performance with ease and make informed decisions.

The premium package will include a host of additional benefits. Custom package configuration allows clients to personalise their experience to meet their specific needs. Furthermore, two new dashboards have been added for more detailed analysis of channel performance and a daily pace overview.

Cayetana Fernández, VP of Product at BEONx, expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "The new dashboards developed by BEONx and Juyo will take clients' strategies one step further by focusing on channel distribution. Clients will now be able to create their own reports based on their specific requirements."

Karin van Rhee, COO at Juyo Analytics, added, "The new premium dashboards provide hoteliers with even more sophisticated reporting, adding additional context to their analysis! Every hotel is unique and has its own approach to managing its commercial strategies. With the new product, we empower hotels to tailor their own dashboards with data relevant to them.” 

With the latest product update to the premium package, BEONx and Juyo elevate hotels to an even higher standard.

• Empowering- Customized Stunning Dashboards: Hoteliers can now create their own stunning dashboards from scratch, tailoring them to precisely match their unique company needs. This level of customization ensures that the insights gained are directly relevant to the specific goals and challenges of each hotel.
• Dynamic Overview of Channel Performance: With the new dynamic overview dashboard, hotels can instantly assess channel performance on annual, quarterly, weekly, or even daily timelines. This clear and concise presentation consolidates all critical performance metrics into a single, easy-to-read table. It's the perfect tool for busy hoteliers who need a quick snapshot of their channel performance at any given moment.
• Pace Analytics Dashboard: It equips hoteliers with the tools to better understand booking curves, identify risks, and uncover opportunities within their forecasts and budgets. By leveraging this dashboard, hotels can make informed decisions that lead to improved revenue management.

The update is expected to improve the user experience and provide businesses with valuable insights to help them flourish in the dynamic digital landscape.  Please consult the official websites of BEONx and Juyo Analytics for additional information. 

IRIS,  a provider of digital ordering for the hospitality industry, announces it will be investing in its expansion in the Middle East. The announcement follows significant growth in its client base, as an increasing number of hoteliers across the region report a preference for mobile ordering from guests, enabling them to increase F&B revenue and enhance the digital experience they offer. The investment will deliver the introduction of new features and also includes the company’s attendance at the Hotel Revolution Summit in Dubai on 21^st May.

Now live in 10 states, IRIS has grown its client base by 33% since launching its mobile ordering and digital guest directory platform in the Middle East. IRIS is deployed at a number of hotels in global chains Four Seasons, Marriott and Mandarin Oriental as well as smaller, luxury hospitality groups based in the region. All report marked increases in F&B revenues of between 20% - 40% on average. 

Globally and across the Middle East the demand for, and capability of, mobile ordering has seen unprecedented growth. As hospitality operators seek to capitalise on the revenue, guest satisfaction, and efficiency opportunities it offers across operations and departments, it shows no signs of slowing.

For both operators and their guests alike, IRIS offers a flexible, scalable and convenient mobile ordering experience across digital F&B, guest directory and concierge solutions. Particularly for operators keen to maximise the revenue potential across their properties, beyond room rates for a dynamic, digitally savvy and often high-net worth market. For example, hotels keen to enhance poolside ordering and likewise cater to an international guest-base by offering multi-lingual digital ordering capabilities. 

Commenting on their plans for growth across the Middle East, Graham Rushin, VP Sales and Marketing, IRIS said, “It is a hugely exciting time for the hospitality industry across the Middle East particularly against the backdrop of the Saudi Vision 2030 programme, with brands and management companies continuing to invest. Likewise, the pipeline outlook for future development is extremely positive. As both a business and leisure destination it continues to be one of the key locations for operators when developing their own growth strategies.

“We are committed to supporting our clients across the region in realising their ambitions for growth. This means continuing to invest in our own R&D and ensuring our portfolio is ready and available to equip them with the full complement of mobile ordering solutions to enable them to drive spend, develop new revenue streams and leverage efficiencies throughout their properties. The Middle East is a key focus for our own growth plans and we look forward to becoming the partner of choice for more guest-centric, mobile-first operators in the future.”

Long-standing IRIS client, Kennedy K. Mutinda, In Room Dining and Studio Manager for W Dubai Mina Seyahi adds, “Guests value efficiency and convenience so they appreciate being able to order food and beverages (and access information) in just a few clicks, without the need to wait in line or interact with staff directly. The IRIS mobile dining and guest directory app works perfectly for our guests, most of whom are international, who prefer ordering and communicating with us online, rather than over the phone. This enhanced visibility of menu items and seamless ordering process has attributed to a significant boost in guest spend and revenue which we envisage will continue to rise.”

In response to the increasing demand for mobile ordering, IRIS has recently invested in the development of new products and features across its portfolio. These are now available to Middle East hospitality clients to enable them to both maximise demand from guests and free up staff time with more automated operations. They include new functionality and a new user interface within the back end of its web app to enable operators to update menu and guest directory items more efficiently on one dashboard. In addition, new “Order Again”, “Open Tab” and “Related Items” features have been added to reduce pressure on staff, maximise upsell opportunities and provide a more convenient, frictionless experience for guests.

LuggageHero, an international leading provider of on-demand luggage storage since 2016, has turned its expertise to the hotel industry with the launch of HotelsHero. The service helps hotels of all sizes seamlessly store luggage, while also giving guests the option of tipping bell staff without needing cash.

HotelsHero’s sophisticated AI-powered system streamlines the luggage storage process in several ways, with no extra space or lockers needed. For hotels that want a fully secure self-service option, the technology allows guests to effortlessly store their own luggage without taking staff’s time. For hotels that want to operate their own storage, HotelsHero provides a secure and convenient method of signup and bag identification. Under both systems, hotels can choose whether to offer luggage storage for free or add a handling fee. Guests have the option of adding insurance coverage through HotelsHero.

Hotels pay nothing for this software. Revenue for HotelsHero comes from service fees paid by guests for any add-ons, such as tipping or insurance.

HotelsHero’s market research has shown that UK and European hotels are more accustomed to and prefer fully self-service luggage storage. On the other hand, the U.S. market tends to prefer using staff to store luggage, which is more time-consuming.  Another huge advantage of HotelsHero in this case is the digital tipping software. For all markets, HotelsHero can customize a hotel’s luggage storage based on their specific needs. Here are the basics of each option:

Storage-assisted option, with digital tipping

When guests arrive at a hotel, they scan the HotelsHero QR Code, tag their luggage and give it to the bell staff. Retrieving luggage is done via a digital claims ticket. Customers have the option to purchase insurance and to tip staff. While digital tipping has become common with such things as ride shares and food service, mobile tipping in hotels is behind the times. With guests carrying less to no cash, not having this option has reduced employees’ tips. This reduction in tips exacerbates the high turnover rate that hotels already face. Based on existing tipping practices at LuggageHero’s storage locations in 41 countries, where customers leave their luggage in shops, cafes and other drop-off points, HotelsHero believes that hotels will see a significant boost in tips. Another important feature is the advanced analytics tool, which calculates a hotel's busy periods, predicting rush hours, seasonality, and peak times. This equips hotels to be better prepared, ensuring seamless experiences for both guests and staff.

Self-service option

With the self-service option, hotel staff won’t have to manage luggage, which frees up their time for other duties. This solution, which does not rely on lockers, can be up and running at a hotel within a week. When guests arrive at a hotel, they follow signage to the storage location. There they scan the HotelsHero QR Code and tag their luggage. They also have the option to purchase insurance. Their sign-up also enables the locked door to the storage area to open, and they manually store their own luggage. When it’s time to retrieve their bags, their booking again enables the storage door to open. Travelers will appreciate this service because they don’t have to wait for hotel staff to be available. Hotels still have the option to enable digital tipping with the self-service option.

Security all around

Regardless of which storage option a hotel chooses, the intelligent platform automatically identifies each booking’s tags and bag details. Each storage seal is designed to show clear signs of tampering, offering guests and hotel staff immediate visual confirmation of unauthorized access. (Managers choose whether to enable or disable the use of security seals.) On top of this, travelers have the option of insurance coverage through HotelsHero.

Benefiting the bottom line and the guest experience

By using HotelsHero, hotels can enhance the guest experience by offering them the freedom to explore unencumbered. At the same time, they can save staff hours spent dealing with luggage and tap into advanced insights and streamlined operations. It’s not just about storing luggage – it's about upgrading the entire guest experience and offering a storage solution that’s as travel-savvy as their guests.

A new report, Travel Technology Investment Trends 2024, published today from Amadeus finds hoteliers expect to increase their investment in technology by an average of 16% over the coming 12 months, with one in five planning to invest over 20% more than they did last year.

The findings are the result of a survey of global senior hospitality leaders representing a diverse range of properties and management groups. Several key themes emerged from the research, including a primary focus of investment on ‘improving operational efficiencies during times of high occupancy’ (43%).

Using tech to diversify offerings and enhance the guest experience

The study reveals predictions as leaders consider the criticality of offering guest personalization. Expectations are high across the sector, particularly at the property level, as hoteliers feel it will enhance their offering and better meet guest expectations. 85% of respondents felt that personalization could help them deliver in excess of 5% in incremental revenue.

In general, respondents said they are keen to find ways to broaden and improve the services they offer to guests, including providing:

• Specific room attributes 43 % 
• Upselling of room types and value-add amenities 40 % 
• Personalized onsite experiences 39 % 
• Personalized offers for returning guests 34 % 
• Last minute promotions on rooms 34 % 
• Experiential stays 33 % 

Virtually all hoteliers surveyed (98%) recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to bring significant benefits to their businesses. Nearly half of all those surveyed (49%) said they hope AI will be able to help them to identify and offer upsell opportunities to travelers at all stages of the booking process. They are also looking to AI to help manage data effectively and generate automatic content for their websites, suggesting that AI is being considered across a wide range of hotel functions.

Francisco Pérez-Lozao Rüter, President, Hospitality, Amadeus comments: “The level of investment planned across the sector reveals the strong desire for evolution and the important role technology will play in helping to achieve the ambitions of today’s hospitality leaders.  As well as increasing revenue and driving efficiencies, hoteliers strive to be able to deliver the end-to-end experiences guests expect. The ability to create personalized itineraries is the ultimate goal for the hospitality sector, and we are proud to be at the forefront of the technology development that will allow hoteliers to offer truly unique and tailored experiences to their guests.”

AI and machine learning are top priorities with extended reality and robots coming into focus in the next five years

When asked about the top priority technologies for their businesses for this year, hotel technology leaders prioritized AI and machine learning alongside digital payments and increasing data analytics capabilities. However, that picture shifts slightly in five years towards the use of extended reality, chatbots and robots.

Top technologies expected to have the biggest impact on the industry in the next one and five years

iSeatz, a provider of travel loyalty technology, has released its 5th annual State of Loyalty: Hospitality Rewards Report. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse and dynamic landscape of hotels, casino hotels, and vacation club brands, each with a unique portfolio of rewards and approaches to how their loyalty program members can earn and redeem points.

What the analyzed hotels all have in common this year, according to the State of Loyalty: 2024 Hospitality Rewards Report, is that they are expanding the opportunities available to their loyalty members. In the aggregate, reward portfolios grew across nearly all categories compared to 2023, likely in response to increased competition and hospitality brands' desire to grow direct bookings and capture a greater share of travelers' wallets.

Some reward categories expanded more than others, including wellness, reflecting hotels' desire to keep members engaged and spending when on property. There was also a notable uptick in sustainability-related rewards and earning and redemption opportunities with vacation rental partners.

Surge in Sustainability-Related Rewards

This year, 27% of the hotels and hospitality groups in the analysis offered loyalty-integrated sustainability initiatives, compared to just 14% in 2023. Most of the sustainability redemption options focused on allowing members to donate points to sustainability-related organizations or causes, while the relatively fewer earning options rewarded guests with points for eco-friendly activities during their stay, like declining housekeeping to save water.

"Hospitality loyalty programs are the ideal vehicle for delivering value to guests and members and signaling that hotel brands are in sync with their priorities," says Andy Hermo, Chief Operating Officer of iSeatz. "The continued growth among sustainability-related rewards reflects travelers' increasing awareness of the ecological impact of their travel choices."

Vacation Rentals, Hotels Enjoy Cross-brand Loyalty Integration

The report's other key finding was that many major hotel brands significantly expanded their earning and redemption opportunities across different brands in their portfolios or with strategic partners, specifically their vacation rental divisions or partnerships. One-third (33%) of the hotels in the analysis allow loyalty members to earn points when staying at vacation rental properties this year. A similar percentage (27%) allow members to redeem points earned with the hotel brand for a stay at a vacation rental property or a vacation club under their corporate banner or with a vacation rental partner. Only 20% of hotels allowed either of these kinds of earn or burn opportunities in our 2023 analysis.

This trend appears designed to boost cross-brand engagement while expanding the choice available to loyalty members, both of which can be key advantages in a crowded and competitive hospitality marketplace.

Other significant findings from the 2024 analysis include:

• 68% of hotels and hospitality groups provide earning opportunities for dining, up from 55% in 2023.
• 45% now allow members to redeem points for live events, up from 32% in 2023.
• 67% of hotel brands allow members to earn and redeem points for wellness activities, up from 47% last year.

"As we found in our recently released 2024 Credit Card Rewards report, the trend toward creating more options for loyalty program members is broad-based and accelerating," continued Hermo. "We think this is a solid strategy for hospitality brands, and we expect it to continue."

McDreams has become the first hotel group in Europe to roll out a guest enquiries and bookings phone system powered entirely by artificial intelligence. 

The AI, which is named ‘Lisa’ and is integrated with hotel employee and guest experience platform Like Magic, is now handling half of routine guest phone calls entirely on its own. 

The combination of Lisa and Like Magic has increased the number of guests following an all-digital guest journey by 50% – halving the number of calls to the front-desk, reducing Germany-based McDreams’ overall operational workload by a third and increasing employee satisfaction.

This has enabled the group to reduce the personnel expenses for administrative tasks by 80%, which is projected to generate an astonishing €600,000 in savings this year. 

Ralf Bonin, Director of Operations at McDreams, said: “The combined power of Lisa and Like Magic has been nothing short of transformational for McDreams. 

“We’ve always prided ourselves on being quick to embrace technology, but nothing comes even close to Lisa and Like Magic’s overall impact – both in terms of enhancing the guest experience and the employee experience. 

“Lisa is not your run-of-the-mill automated phone service. She is much more like a living, breathing member of the team who can be entrusted to both communicate with and advise guests, as well as carry out tasks for them. 

"However, the deep and far-reaching automation of various systems and processes by Like Magic is what truly makes Lisa special. Combined, the two have set a new benchmark for efficiency and personalization across our hotels, unlocking an unparalleled experience for both employees and guests.”

Lisa, which was developed by AI software solutions firm Onsei, is capable of handling fully automated conversations regarding a range of common guest enquiries. These include questions concerning room availability, booking information, check-in and check-out times, as well as requests for information about the local area. 

Like Magic’s platform brings a booking engine, guest platform, employee interface and monitoring tools all into one place, creating a center of operations for hotel management. This unlocks a completely digital guest journey for guests if they prefer. 

In addition to enabling staff to perform 80% of their daily tasks from one single system, Like Magic also allows guests to carry out a range of actions without staff assistance. These range from checking in, ordering food, requesting additional linen or pillows, and creating keyless room passes – requiring only a smartphone. 

The platform allows staff to run operations using a traffic light system of notifications and recommended actions, making the whole process of customer service and property management much more automated. 

Markus Feller, CEO of Like Magic, said: “McDreams has a stellar reputation in the industry for pioneering new tech, so it makes it perfect sense that Managing Director Dominik Klein, Ralf and Christoph and the team would be first to unleash the combined power on Onsei’s AI and Like Magic. 

“Lisa is very much a glimpse into what lies ahead for the broader hospitality sector. McDreams, like ourselves, has realized that the future of industry lies in harnessing technology that not only enhances the guest experience, but also nurtures a happy and fulfilled workforce focused on working with their empathic strengths. 

“What they are pioneering today will inevitably become commonplace tomorrow – a sector that  blends the best of both man and machine in order to unlock a truly personalized and seamless experience for guests, freeing up employees to be the best hosts possible.”