News Briefs

Hotel Effectiveness by Actabl, a provider of labor management solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced new data revealing trends in labor data for the first half of 2024, along with the introduction of new scheduling features and the integration of Clean Sync with Alice. Poised to revolutionize labor management and operational efficiency for hotels worldwide, these advancements will equip hotels with the tools to keep pace with innovation and exceed evolving guest expectations.

Labor Market Trends

In the first half of 2024, Hotel Effectiveness analyzed data from over 5,000 hotels, identifying several key trends:

• Turnover as a major pain point: While we see that US year-over-year turnover is dropping, in the 90-day view, it’s clear that turnover is still a major concern for the Room Attendant positions, with an average of ~55% of roles turning over within the first 90 days. When viewing the annual performance, the data is not as impactful: PerfectWage is crucial to monitoring these key changes.
• Overtime is making a comeback: Looking at our analysis, full-time employees are searching for more hours than they have in the past. This suggests that more staffing has relieved the strain on full-time staff, allowing them to choose overtime that works with their schedules.

New Scheduling Features

Hotel Effectiveness continues to innovate with new features designed to streamline scheduling and boost productivity:

• Location-specific View: The Location View feature allows hotels to specify areas within a major property, such as multiple F&B outlets, and link positions directly to those areas. Managers can now view schedules by location, ensuring proper coverage for the right positions when needed. For properties where different managers schedule specific outlets but share employees, shifts will now clearly indicate where each employee is working.
• Department View: This new Department View lets managers see hospitality positions organized by department rather than alphabetically. This enhancement provides quick access to multiple department rosters, making it easier for scheduling managers to focus on headcount for specific departments.
• Day View: Scheduling managers can now drill down to a day-by-day view, highlighting each day broken down by the hour. In Day View, users can sort shifts by position, department, and location. This customization ensures that positions are linked to priority locations, and the schedule is viewed by location, guaranteeing the right coverage for the right position in the appropriate area of the hotel.

Clean Sync Integration with Alice

Our latest integration, Clean Sync, connects Hotel Effectiveness with Alice to enable seamless communication between housekeeping and productivity reporting by room attendant and for the whole housekeeping team. This integration ensures effective operational alignment by automatically syncing cleaning data into Hotel Effectiveness every night. This process enhances accuracy and eliminates the frustration of tracking down missing or incorrect entries.

Key insights available through this integration include:

• Daily, accurate cleans entry by employee in Hotel Effectiveness, providing: Minutes per Room Clean averages, viewable by employee or by day.
• Aggregated insights for a comprehensive view of account-wide operations, such as Minutes per Room Cleaned, Minutes per Room Sold, and Room Cleans %.

These insights can be used for 30, 60, 90, or 365-day performance reviews for team members and leaders on property. They can also be compared to Minutes per Room Clean Labor Plan goals to ensure accountability and target adherence.

Additionally, Room Cleans Forecasting utilizes data from the past eight weeks and year-over-year history to forecast room clean mixes, aiding in the efficient scheduling of room attendants.

"At Hotel Effectiveness, we are proud to enable operational excellence through innovative labor management solutions for hotels," said Taylor Jones, Director of Product Management, Hotel Effectiveness by Actabl. "Our latest research paired with new scheduling features and Clean Sync integration with Alice exemplifies our dedication to driving efficiency, enhancing employee satisfaction, and ultimately improving the guest experience."

Officials of Aperture Hotels, a leading hospitality management provider specializing in premium lifestyle, compact full-service, and select-service hotels, today announced that Patrick Short has been named chief operating operator. In his new role, Short will provide cross-disciplinary leadership and direct operational execution and commercial strategy for Aperture's expanding portfolio of 27 managed hotels.

“With more than thirty years of hospitality operations experience, Patrick is the perfect fit for Aperture’s growing portfolio to continue improving operations performance metrics across the board," said Charles Oswald, president and CEO, Aperture Hotels. "From Wischermann Partners and TPG Hotels, Resorts & Marinas to Peachtree Group Hospitality Management, Patrick has helped scale operations at some of the most well-respected management companies in the hospitality industry.”

Prior to joining Aperture, Short was president of Peachtree Hospitality Management, where he led the company to rank among the top 15 largest hotel management firms in the U.S., expanding the portfolio from 27 to 100 hotels and more than 10,000 rooms with almost 3,000 team members. Short’s extensive background includes managing a wide range of properties, from small boutique hotels to large convention and resort destinations. His experience spans more than 25 brands, including independent, premium, dual-branded and lifestyle hotels. He has operational expertise across various hospitality sectors, including full-service, select-service and extended-stay hotels across 30+ states. Short received a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from The University of Wisconsin-Stout and an MBA in Finance from Argosy University – Twin Cities. He is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) from the American Hotel and Motel Association and holds a Food Safety Certification.

“Aperture has put together a stellar team with a strong reputation for bringing out the best in a hotel and working with owners and team members to create the best possible guest experience,” Short said. “I can't wait to add my experience to this formidable mix as we collectively work to meet the growing demand from owners."

Dine Brands Global Inc. has selected Cognizant to assist in the creation of its A.I. Innovation Foundry. Dine Brands is one of the world’s largest full-service dining companies and parent company of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar®, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop®, and IHOP® restaurants. Dine Brands’ A.I Innovation Foundry will incubate, develop, and test cutting-edge A.I. solutions.

“We are excited to work with Dine Brands to launch their A.I. Innovation Foundry. This collaboration promises to deliver cutting-edge A.I. technologies designed to be transformational for Dine Brands and its restaurant brands,” said Anup Prasad, SVP & Head of Cognizant's Consumer Business Unit.
This collaboration demonstrates Dine Brands’ commitment to explore A.I. technologies aimed at boosting productivity across its brands.

• Related : 35% say general AI is driving POS purchasing decisions, according to HT's 2024 POS Software Trends Survey

“Our A.I. Innovation Foundry is a pivotal milestone for us. It bridges technology and hospitality, empowering our brands with A.I. to meet strategic goals, support franchisees, and enhance the guest experience in restaurant,” said Justin Skelton, Chief Information Officer of Dine Brands.

The recent developments in A.I. signify a shift in technology. As new use cases are continuously identified, tested, and deployed, this innovation is poised to significantly impact businesses by enhancing productivity, improving quality, and saving time.

Copeland, a global provider of sustainable climate solutions, announced today it has launched its latest Verdant smart thermostat, the VX4. The Verdant VX4 smart thermostat delivers significant run time reductions and cutting-edge demand response capabilities to commercial and multifamily properties. This latest model also offers a more modern design with fingerprint-resistant glass.

Available in both the North American and European markets, the Verdant VX4 smart thermostat reduces HVAC runtime by dynamically setting back the temperature in empty rooms without disturbing the comfort of occupants.

“This next-generation smart thermostat model offers the same plug-and-play solution as our VX3 model that has helped customers deliver an average of 45% reduction in HVAC runtime, but with a sleeker, more modern design¹,” said Michael Serour, vice president and general manager, Verdant for Copeland. “In hospitality environments, cleanliness is paramount to retaining customers, and the new design with fingerprint-resistant glass provides an anti-smudge surface to achieve a cleaner look.”

With an install base of more than 7,000 hospitality and multi-family properties across North America, Verdant’s offering is a proven solution for substantial energy savings. Copeland recently announced that its Verdant VX3 and ZX smart thermostats received ENERGY STAR certification in the U.S. and Canada, marking another milestone in the company’s commitment to energy efficiency. The new VX4 smart thermostat is currently pending ENERGY STAR certification.

Verdant’s products and services combine advanced occupancy- and thermal-sensing technologies with real-time analytics to ensure optimal energy settings, reducing consumption and maximizing cost savings for building operators without compromising guest comfort.

A major leadership chage is underway at two brands.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.  announced that Brian Niccol, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has accepted the role as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks and will be leaving the company effective August 31. Niccol has served as Chipotle's CEO since 2018 and as Chairman of the Board since 2020.

Meanwhile at Starbucks, Laxman Narasimhan is stepping down as CEO and as a director effective immediately. Starbucks chief financial officer, Rachel Ruggeri, will serve as interim CEO  until Niccol offiically joins Starbucks on September 9. Mellody Hobson will be lead independent director. 

• Related: How Starbucks is Adapting to a ‘Challenging Operating Environment’

Chipotle's Board of Directors has appointed Scott Boatwright, Chief Operating Officer, as Interim CEO. Boatwright joined Chipotle in 2017 and has been instrumental in driving restaurant operations for the company's more than 120,000 employees and over 3,500 restaurants. He also led the integration of new technology into restaurants, built a strong culture aligned to the organization's values, and achieved industry-leading retention rates yielding impressive results and improvements in throughput and the overall guest experience. Boatwright played a critical role as part of the leadership team that created and executed the turnaround strategy that has delivered incredible results since it began in 2018. Boatwright and the leadership team will continue to execute the company's strategic plan without interruption.

In addition, Jack Hartung, who recently announced his retirement from Chipotle in 2025, has agreed to remain with the organization indefinitely as President of Strategy, Finance and Supply Chain to ensure a smooth transition. In this new role, Hartung will support Boatwright as Interim CEO, and continue his current oversight of Adam Rymer, Vice President of Finance and incoming CFO, as well as Carlos Londono, global head of Supply Chain.  

With this leadership change, Scott Maw, Chipotle's Lead Independent Director, has been named Chairman of the Board, effective immediately.

Porto's Bakery & Café is collaborating with Tillster to enhance the digital ordering experience for Porto's guests, further streamlining operations and expanding guest engagement.

Founded in 1976 by Rosa Porto, Porto’s Bakery & Café has grown from humble beginnings to become a Southern California iconic destination, renowned for its delectable Cuban pastries and cakes. With six locations across Southern California and a highly anticipated seventh location coming to Downtown Disney in Anaheim in 2025, Porto’s Bakery & Café serves over 2 million guests a month and has earned numerous accolades, including being voted the Best Bakery in the Southland by the Los Angeles Times. Porto’s also ships the most popular pastries and cakes directly to fans nationwide through its growing e-commerce offering, Porto's Bake at Home.

Tillster, with its extensive expertise in digital ordering solutions, is set to revolutionize Porto’s Bakery & Café’s online ordering system, making it easier and more convenient for customers to place orders from any device, anywhere, and at any time. By simplifying the ordering process and improving customer engagement, Tillster aims to further solidify Porto’s Bakery & Café’s position as a leader in the bakery industry.

"We are thrilled to partner with Tillster to enhance our digital ordering capabilities," said Raul Porto, CEO of Porto’s Bakery & Café. "As we continue to grow and expand our reach, it's crucial for us to provide our guests with a seamless and convenient ordering experience. Tillster's innovative technology will enable us to better serve our guests while staying true to our commitment to quality and excellence."

Perse Faily, CEO of Tillster, expressed excitement about the partnership, stating, "For decades, customers of Porto’s Bakery & Café have come back over and over again due to the incredible customer experience. We’re honored to help further that legacy through Tillster’s enhanced digital ordering capabilities, enabling best-in-class service both in the bakery and on guests’ devices. Our deep expertise and experience driving impactful digital transformation in the food and beverage space will mean more streamlined operations, stronger sales and an even better customer experience for Porto’s guests.”

The partnership between Porto’s Bakery & Café and Tillster underscores both companies' commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction. By harnessing the power of technology, Porto’s Bakery & Café aims to elevate the customer experience and continue its legacy of providing delicious pastries and cherished moments for generations to come.

For more information about Porto’s Bakery & Café, please visit www.portosbakery.com. For inquiries about Tillster and its digital ordering solutions, please visit www.tillster.com.