News Briefs

Guests at more than 60 IHG Hotels & Resorts properties across North America can use AirPlay to stream content privately and securely from their iPhone or iPad directly to their in-room big-screen smart hotel TVs by LG Electronics. 

LG Hotel TVs are the first to offer AirPlay, bringing the comfort and convenience of home to the hotel experience. According to Michael Kosla, senior vice president, LG Business Solutions USA, this powerful new amenity will enable a major benefit for IHG guests and owners alike. 

“IHG Hotels & Resorts are bringing one of the major comforts of home to guests’ hotel rooms to greatly enhance travel experiences,” Kosla said. “Our LG smart hotel TVs are the first to provide AirPlay compatibility, making it easy for hotels to offer iPhone and iPad users content sharing capabilities in a simple and secure way. IHG properties with compatible LG hotel TVs will have an immediate leg up with travelers who use iPhone or iPad, boosting guest satisfaction while providing real differentiation.” 

With these new capabilities, in-room entertainment at select IHG properties will be more personalized than ever before. Guests can quickly connect to the compatible LG hotel TV and the hotel’s Wi-Fi network by scanning an on-screen QR code, and then share almost anything to the big screen directly from their iPhone or iPad. Guests can even pair multiple devices to the TV, so friends and loved ones traveling together can also enjoy their favorite entertainment.

Each QR code is unique to the hotel room and ensures that content is available only to the guest,  meaning anything guests share to the hotel TV stays personal and private. Once a hotel guest checks out, all pairing information stored on the TV is erased.

According to Jolie Fleming, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ chief product & technology officer, the availability of AirPlay for in-room entertainment and content sharing caters to the modern needs and expectations of leisure and business travelers and sets IHG apart as a leader in guest experiences.

“We’re setting a new standard for guest experiences by integrating AirPlay into our guest rooms,” Fleming said. “As travelers demand greater access to frictionless technology and streaming services become ever more popular, this new capability will ensure seamless connectivity and personalized entertainment options for every guest. Whether traveling for business or vacation, AirPlay is sure to become a preferred feature, replicating the home entertainment experience like never before."

With AirPlay, guests can privately and securely stream their favorite shows and movies on Apple TV+ and other popular streaming services, listen to personal playlists on Apple Music or other platforms, view vacation photos, practice a presentation, play fun games on Apple Arcade, or get a workout or meditation in with Apple Fitness+ in their guest rooms. 

The leading television provider to the U.S. lodging and hospitality industry, LG offers a variety of commercial-grade Smart Hotel TVs ranging from 43- to 75-inches diagonal with up to 4K Ultra HD resolution to suit virtually every space from standard guestrooms to penthouse suites. The powerful LG Pro:Centric Smart software enables use of modern solutions including content streaming and interface customization. LG’s latest Smart Hotel TV models offer AirPlay right out of the box, while earlier models can add the capability via a software update.

Today’s launch makes AirPlay available at more than 60 select IHG properties, including Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.  

New reports from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Microsoft highlights the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its role in shaping the future of Travel & Tourism. 

The final two reports of a series on Artificial Intelligence from WTTC entitled "Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI): Overview of AI Risks, Safety & Governance" and "Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Strategies, Policies & Regulations," underscore a commitment to a digital future that prioritizes safety, ethical considerations, and responsible AI adoption.

Launched during the global tourism body’s participation at the UN General Assembly in New York, these reports mark significant milestones in WTTC's mission to promote innovation and excellence in customer experiences through the safe and trustworthy integration of AI.

"Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI)" delves into the potential risks associated with AI deployment and offers strategies for establishing frameworks that promote transparency, accountability, and fairness. 

From addressing bias and discrimination to ensuring human oversight of AI systems, this report empowers organizations to harness the power of AI responsibly.

In the fourth and final instalment, "Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Strategies, Policies & Regulations," WTTC provides a detailed overview of the AI ecosystem across key countries and international organizations. 

It shows how policymakers are navigating the AI landscape and shaping regulations and strategies to foster AI innovation, while ensuring its ethical and responsible use.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “In a rapidly evolving landscape, AI emerges as a catalyst for positive change. The insights provided in these reports demonstrate that AI is not just a technological advancement; it is a strategic tool that can personalize customer experiences, drive sustainable improvements, and shape the future of Travel & Tourism.

“AI is already being used across our sector with incredible results. Several major hotel groups including Iberostar are using AI to monitor and reduce food waste, which recently resulted not only in a 27% cost saving but prevented thousands of kilos of unwanted food going to landfill. “ 

Julie Shainock, Managing Director, Travel, Transport, & Logistics Industry for Microsoft said: “We are seeing AI being embraced across the entire travel eco-system enhancing the customer experience, the employee experience and also driving more efficiency in operations, but we know we are only at the beginning of the journey.

“We are excited to see what the future holds as AI becomes more widely adopted to automate the more mundane tasks of travel and harness the true spirit of travel, to elevate the human experience.”

According to WTTC, AI has the power to revolutionize how businesses in the Travel & Tourism sector operate, offering immense opportunities for growth and innovation.

Both reports underscore the urgent need for Travel & Tourism businesses to embrace AI as a strategic priority, investing in talent and fostering collaboration between humans and AI. 

But despite the sector's increasing recognition of AI's potential, challenges such as AI-skilled workforce shortages in the Travel & Tourism sector persist, highlighting the importance of proactive measures to overcome barriers to adoption.

As AI continues to reshape the world, WTTC remains at the forefront, advocating for safe, ethical, and inclusive AI innovation. 

Recently, global hospitality brand IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) launched AirPlay in the first phase of hotel rooms, giving guests the ability to stream content privately and securely from their iPhone or iPad to the TV in their guest rooms. AirPlay is available at more than 60 hotels in North America, including properties like InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, Hotel Indigo NYC Downtown – Wall Street and Holiday Inn & Suites Ottawa Kanata. 

IHG is the first hospitality company to provide AirPlay functionality as part of its in-room entertainment experience. With AirPlay, IHG provides seamless connectivity and enhances the overall guest experience, improving guest satisfaction. Guests can simply scan a QR to the hotel's Wi-Fi network and enjoy a personalized entertainment experience. Each QR code is unique, ensuring that a guest's content remains personal and private and streams only to the LG hotel TV in the room.

Jolie Fleming, Chief Product & Technology Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: "When people travel, we know they want to take some of the comforts of home with them – whether that's watching their favorite shows or finishing a movie they started. As the first hospitality company to integrate AirPlay, IHG Hotels & Resorts is leading the way in making the guest experience even more personalized, enabling guests to enjoy content smoothly and securely on their in-room TV. Whether guests are traveling for business or leisure, this offering will undoubtedly become a favorite feature, creating a home-away-from-home entertainment environment like never before."

IHG Hotels & Resorts continues its dedication to enhancing guest experiences by investing in transformative technologies. Integrating AirPlay in hotel rooms provides an enhanced guest experience, while also driving value for hotel owners and improving operational efficiency through innovative partnerships and solutions.

Posist, a pioneer in cloud-based restaurant technology solutions, announced a comprehensive rebranding as it changed its name to Restroworks. This new identity reflects the company's transformation since its inception in 2012 from a Point of Sale (POS) provider to a unified technology platform serving global restaurant chains like Taco Bell, Subway, Nando’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Caribou Coffee, Arby’s and Sbarro across multiple formats, including food courts, IT parks, universities, food zones in airports, among other.

Restroworks, a fusion of 'Restro' and 'works,' symbolizes the company's commitment to encompassing the entirety of the restaurant technology domain. The new brand name embodies the company’s unified suite of products addressing all aspects of restaurant operations and technological requirements.

With its renewed mission of ‘making restaurants prosperous,’ the company has undergone rebranding by introducing a new company name, logo, website, and fresh identity to represent its unified technology platform  — including cloud-native POS software, inventory management software, a kitchen automation suite, analytics, digital ordering solutions, and integrations with over 400+ third-party solutions like delivery aggregators, payment gateways, loyalty programs, financial and accounting tools, and ERP solutions.

"In 2012, we started Posist with the vision of making a mark in restaurant technology with our cloud-native POS solution. As we grew, we pushed the boundaries, driven by our vision to build products that can create a long-term impact on the bottom-line efficiency of global restaurants and make them prosperous. Our company's evolution and expanded vision called for a new brand identity that allows us to articulate our progression as a unified restaurant technology platform. In sync with our vision, we have unveiled Restroworks - a name that symbolizes our commitment to providing comprehensive technology that seamlessly works across the entire restaurant ecosystem. This rebrand is more than just a name change; it reflects our strategic approach to building the company over the next decade as a pioneering force in restaurant technology," said Sakshi & Ashish Tulsian, Founders of Restroworks.  

Early this year, Restroworks (formerly Posist) cemented its market leadership and was named one of the top 50 highest-satisfaction software companies in the prestigious G2 2023 Best Software Companies list. The company achieved over 80% year-over-year growth, reaching 20,000 customers across more than 50 countries.

Over the last five years, Restroworks has significantly invested in expanding its global presence in the US, Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The company also invested in high-quality infrastructure and upgraded security compliance to provide a scalable, enterprise-grade cloud platform for multi-national restaurant chains. Restroworks is certified with ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27701, SOC1 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 2, and GDPR compliant.

To boost the industry's technological prowess, the company has launched Restroworks Academy—a platform for customers and their frontline staff, equipping them with the knowledge to become more efficient and upskill their technology knowledge. The initiative is now being rolled out to impart skill development among hospitality students in various universities.

Restroworks aspires to be a platform synonymous with restaurant technology globally and is on a mission to bring efficiency for a healthy bottom line for its restaurant partners. 

Fiserv, Inc., a global provider of payments and financial technology solutions, is enabling restaurants to streamline operations and enhance the customer experience with the new Clover Kiosk and an enhanced 24” Clover Kitchen Display System. Designed to integrate with each other and additional Clover software and hardware, these solutions enable end-to-end order management with up to a 40% lower total cost of ownership than competitive offerings, based on a comparison of published prices.

“The restaurant industry continues to undergo significant change, and the right technology can help owners and operators adapt to run more efficiently and scale more effectively,” said Krystle Mobayeni, Head of Restaurant Solutions at Fiserv. “Clover is enabling restaurants to blend digital and physical experiences to meet diners' expectations, while lifting a significant weight off the shoulders of restaurant staff.”

As customer expectations continue to shift, technologies like Clover Kiosk and Clover Kitchen Display System, which combine intuitive usability with robust, elegant design, are vital. Kiosks free up front-of-house staff and can improve the customer experience with reduced wait times and increased order accuracy, encouraging repeat business and higher average ticket sizes. In combination with recent Kitchen Display System software enhancements, restaurants have complete control of menus, modifiers, and the lifecycle of an order.

“Implementing a self-service kiosk has been a gamechanger for us,” said Hanh Nguyen, owner of specialty Asian bakery and coffee shop July Moon Bakery & Café. “Our customers have found it easy to use and like the option of being able to place their own order, and it helps our staff keep up when the line is out the door on weekend mornings. We can serve customers quickly and accurately, even with the many customizations we offer.”

In addition to the newly launched Clover Kiosk, Fiserv has also enhanced its Clover Kitchen Display System, which allows orders to be accessed by back-of-house staff on a large, digital display, allowing seamless order fulfillment at food prep stations. It enables notifications from third party-delivery apps for cancellations and order changes, coursed fulfillment, expo-mode, bump bar support, color-coded order status, and runner ticket printing – all with the goal of reducing order errors and increasing customer satisfaction.

“Providing a consistent, quality customer experience in restaurants has always been hard to do, but post pandemic, the challenges that the restaurant industry has to deal with have increased, including staffing shortages and rising costs,” said Thad Peterson, Strategic Advisor at Datos Insights. “Enabling a positive self-service experience and integrating technologies to better connect the front and back of the house allows restaurant owners and managers to efficiently and profitably deliver their offering to customers who are increasingly comfortable with self-service and interactive technology.”

Clover Kiosk

Clover Kiosk is crafted with intuitive usability to help restaurants increase order size, streamline workflow and operations, and improve the overall customer experience.

With a 24” touch screen and 8” payment terminal plus a built-in printer, diners can browse menus at their own pace, customize items, and order and pay without having to wait in line. Differentiated from other self-ordering kiosks in the market, the low-touch Clover Kiosk offers a two-screen experience with an enterprise grade, large format display made for all-day operation.

Clover Kitchen Display System

Clover Kitchen Display System is enhanced with a 24” screen, designed with larger kitchens in mind. The goal remains the same: connect front- and back-of-house staff allowing for seamless flow of all orders to food prep stations.

The Kitchen Display System streamlines all orders, sending both online and in-house orders to one screen, creating a more efficient process and enhancing a restaurant’s ability to track key metrics. Built to integrate with other Clover software and hardware, the Clover Kitchen Display System automatically connects with Clover POS, Clover Online Ordering, and BentoBox and other online aggregators, for streamlined communication between front and back of house.

Clover is a complete business management system enabling businesses to maximize their operating efficiencies, grow their customer base, and accept customer payments. Businesses using Clover can accept payments of any type, including Apple Pay^®, Google Pay^®, Samsung Pay^®, contactless credit or debit cards, and other digital wallets. As a point-of-sale platform for merchants, Clover processes more than $272 billion in annualized payment volume.

ParTech, Inc. (PAR), a global restaurant technology company providing unified commerce solutions for enterprise restaurants, announced that the renowned American restaurant franchise, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, has selected PAR MENU and PAR Punchh^®for its innovative omnichannel ordering and loyalty platforms. This marks a new chapter as Beef ‘O’ Brady’s returns to PAR’s ecosystem, harnessing the advanced capabilities of both solutions.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, known for their motto ‘Good Food. Good Sports.’, is set to elevate its digital presence with PAR MENU, offering a comprehensive omnichannel ordering solution. Beyond its mobile app and web interfaces for first-party ordering channels, PAR MENU seamlessly integrates with third-party delivery marketplaces like UberEats, DoorDash and Grubhub, optimizing last-mile delivery management.

“MENU and Punchh complement each other, making them work Better Together and therefore benefiting Beef ‘O’ Brady’s operations, enabling them to deliver seamless guest experiences and drive revenue growth. This all-in-one solution allows brands to unify their data and experiences versus the disjointed experience we see so frequently today,” said Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR. “We were excited to welcome the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s team back to Punchh and are even more thrilled to be supporting their first-party and third-party ordering channels with MENU. This marks a significant milestone, setting a new benchmark for omnichannel excellence and proving out our Better Together philosophy.”

At the heart of Beef 'O' Brady's return to PAR is MENU’s open API, which enables the integration with various POS systems. This strategic move not only enhances operational efficiency but also streamlines the ordering process, allowing Beef ‘O’ Brady’s to prioritize what truly matters – their guests. Furthermore, the swift adoption of MENU across all of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s 140 locations, facilitating over 35,000 orders since launch, underscores its scalability and reliability.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s will further enhance its customer engagement and loyalty initiatives through the advanced features of PAR Punchh. Leveraging Punchh’s sophisticated segmentation, gamification capabilities, AI tools, and comprehensive loyalty and engagement features, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is poised to elevate both revenue-driving strategies and emotional loyalty initiatives. The incorporation of gamification elements, such as loyalty challenges, adds an interactive and rewarding dimension to the customer experience. Additionally, the platform offers easy-to-access data insights, enabling Beef ‘O’ Brady’s to make informed decisions and further optimize their marketing and operational strategies.

Heather Boggs, Chief Marketing Officer at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, emphasized the importance of an all-in-one solution in addressing their operational challenges, stating, "Implementing PAR MENU and Punchh has significantly streamlined our processes and improved our customer engagement. Having a unified solution allows us to focus more on delivering exceptional experiences to our guests while efficiently managing our operations."