Union has released a point-of-sale solution that allows servers and bartenders to use iPhones to place guests orders and process payments tableside, completely eliminating the need to exchange physical credit cards as well as use card readers and handhelds.

According to Union’s on-premise data from more than a thousand high-volume venues nationwide, 30 percent of credit card readers experience issues from time to time when processing payments, leading to slower table turnover times and frustrated guests. Union's POS for iPhone product solves this issue and takes the hospitality experience to a new level, eliminating a physical card reader altogether. The solution enables guests to tap-to-pay, scan-to-pay or pay using Union’s guest-led open + pay app experience, which can be completed on any personal device.

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

“Taking physical credit cards is costing bars and restaurants billions of dollars per year,” said Alex Broeker, Union’s CEO and co-founder. “The real cost of taking physical cards is the lost revenues that occurs during the process of taking physical credit cards. Consider this, an average bartender can make two drinks per minute. The average time it takes to take a physical card from a customer, start a tab, hand the card back, print a receipt and enter the tip is a minute. Across our portfolio, two drinks per minute add up to nearly $20. If every venue served another two drinks per minute, our venues would have earned another $540 million last year.” 

With no hardware to be configured or shipped, Union’s POS on iPhone can be easily activated in a matter of hours with a basic menu and operation setup. When coupled with Union’s guest led ordering platform -- where customers can view menus, order and pay through their mobile devices -- the new POS gives servers access to unique insights tableside that enhance the guest experience even further. In addition to the iPhone devices for staff, venues will need a Wifi network and printer or kitchen display system. The solution can run in tandem with other POS solutions or alongside Union’s classic POS. Venues pay a nominal monthly fee for the service. 

“Using Union has sped up the delivery of our orders by at least 70 percent,” said Kevin Mackin, manager at Smithfield Hall in New York City, which recently implemented Union’s new product.

“This technology is helping venues smoothly transition to accepting digital payments and is helping to take the guest experience to new heights,” said Layne Cox, CMO of Union. “Venues can finally get rid of clunky handhelds and replace them with small, lightweight, intuitive devices that fit in their pockets. With a seamless tie into our guest led ordering and payment solution, this new product enables everyone to win - guests can order and pay their tabs whenever they are ready, cutting out the unproductive wait that only hurts the experience and operation.”

For more information on Union’s POS for iPhone solution, visit https://getunion.com/product-feature/pos-on-iphone/.  

ROAR, a workplace panic button provider, announced the availability of Gateway 2.0, a proprietary hardware gateway that offers end-to-end uninterrupted lifesaving protection for frontline workers, even in the event of a power outage.  Setting itself apart, ROAR’s unique Panic Button solution remains the solitary choice that guarantees this continuous level of security, expertly designed to shield workers from incidents of violence. 

ROAR Gateway 2.0 brings greater reliability and remote monitoring for customer maintenance of ROAR’s panic button solution. Gateway 2.0 eliminates the need to create a Wi-Fi network, which allows ROAR’s installed system to comply with strict privacy standards such as those required in healthcare facilities. Additionally, Gateway 2.0 will help ROAR customers save time and money by eliminating multiple gateway devices and installation needs. 

“ROAR’s Gateway 2.0 represents a significant advancement of our technology, offering our customers unparalleled safety features while optimizing expenses linked to hardware, setup and maintenance,” said Yasmine Mustafa, CEO of ROAR. “Gateway 2.0 provides our customers with uninterrupted safeguarding crucial for maintaining the wellbeing and safety of their frontline staff.  This innovation bolsters system-wide robustness by reducing the risk of potential failure points.  Gateway 2.0 also enhances property privacy and security by reducing reliance on internal infrastructure, ultimately resulting in a cost-effective solution for our valued customers.”  

ROAR’s Gateway 2.0 also offers: 

• Continuous coverage: Imperative during emergency situations such as primary power loss or outage allowing vital information to be shared when other means of communication may not be available  
• Built-in rechargeable battery backup: Up to 8-hours 
• Support for remote configuration: Enhanced ability to set up and monitor devices remotely 
• Two-way communication 
• Patented Mesh Network: self-healing to ensure little to no downtime 
• LED indicator lights: for greater visibility into the functioning and connection status than previous gateways 

Gateway 2.0 is available in mid-September 2023.  To schedule a demo or request additional information regarding ROAR’s Panic Button and ROAR’s 911 Panic Button solutions please visit  www.roarforgood.com.  

Today, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) have signed a Letter of Intent to form a joint venture company that will own and operate the Green Key Global certification program in the United States and Canada. The announcement, made at the Lodging Conference in Phoenix, represents a pivotal moment for environmental action in the hotel industry.

Green Key Global is a North American environmental certification body for the hotel and lodging industry. Green Key’s certification criteria are recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and aligned with all 17 of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Properties receive an eco-rating through a rigorous assessment and audit process that measures hotel performance in a number of key areas including energy and water conservation, land use, hazardous and solid waste management, air quality and more.

The program and resources offered by Green Key Global leverage an organization’s sustainability initiatives across properties and brands to increase occupancy, provide cost savings, and reduce its carbon footprint – as well as align with corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

Pending all necessary approvals, AHLA and HAC will form a joint-venture company in early 2024 that will operate under the name Green Key Global to expand the success of the program in Canada into the U.S. hotel market. This will build upon on AHLA’s Responsible Stay initiative, launched in December 2022, which aligned AHLA member companies’ commitment around four key pillars of sustainability: energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and responsible sourcing.

HAC created the Green Key Global initiative in 1994 as a certifying body for hotels in Canada and abroad. The Green Key Eco-Rating Program has since achieved wide adoption across Canada, due to its ease of use and its tailored approach to improving the sustainability of hotel operations.

“Increasingly, business, group and leisure travelers want to know they’re staying in a hotel that shares their commitment to protecting the environment, and AHLA is excited to enable and support its members’ ability to meet guest expectations by bringing Green Key Global certifications to branded and independent hotels across the U.S. and Cananda,” said AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers. “The Hotel Association of Canada is a pioneer in this field, and we are excited to partner with them to empower hoteliers and guests while making hospitality more sustainable.”

"Through this partnership, Green Key Global will unite the hotel industry behind a North American standard of sustainable certification," said Susie Grynol, President & CEO of the Hotel Association of Canada. "Our best-in-class program will allow hotels to exceed the expectations of their eco-conscious travelers through a third-party validation of their sustainable practices. There is much to celebrate here.”

AU10TIX, a global technology leader in identity verification and management, today announced that Guesty, the leading property management platform for the short-term rental and hospitality industry, has selected AU10TIX’s fully automated identity verification (IDV) solution to help meet global regulatory requirements and minimize fraud risk.  

Guesty offers a complete solution to manage the complex needs of property managers and hospitality professionals in all category segments. As such, it is responsible for meeting the hospitality industry’s Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements and ensuring safe standards and practices of the customer onboarding processes. AU10TIX’s IDV solution will enhance the Guesty user experience and ensure compliance with global regulations. 

“AU10TIX is the go-to identity verification solution for the hospitality industry, with a client base that includes the biggest names in the sector,” said Ben Sand, VP of Global Operations, Guesty. “Its identity management platform is fast, safe, reliable, user-friendly, and fully compliant, all of which are crucial for our business. As a global company with locations on six continents, we are also impressed by AU10TIX’s ability to provide IDV and fraud detection services for nearly 200 countries.” 

AU10TIX's comprehensive range of features, including a secure web app, IDV/biometric capabilities, and secure form management, will empower Guesty to automate its identity verification processes, eliminating manual procedures and reducing the risk of fraud. The solution also seamlessly integrates with Salesforce for ease of use. 

"Guesty is growing rapidly, and we are excited to be a part of its journey," said Dan Yerushalmi, CEO of AU10TIX. "This is exactly the type of industry leader that we are proud to add to our growing roster of hospitality clients.” 

AU10TIX’s extensive identity verification expertise stems from its legacy in airport security and border control, dating back to the 1980s. This experience has propelled the company to the forefront of technology, enabling the successful verification of over one billion IDs worldwide. 

Quicktext announces a new partnership with Precise hotels, a German hospitality brand having nineteen selected hotels in four countries (Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland). 

Precise hotels selected Quicktext for its portfolio of three brands: Precise Resort, the exclusive Precise Tale and the upscale Precise House.

As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, providing personalized and efficient guest experiences has become a top priority for hotels and resorts. With Quicktext’s AI technology, Precise hotels will be able to enhance guest interactions and streamline communication processes, ensuring an unparalleled level of service.

Velma, Quicktext’s virtual assistant, is designed to respond to a wide range of customer queries and requests quickly and efficiently. Leveraging AI capabilities and structured data, Velma can understand natural language queries and provide personalized responses, make reservations and service requests.

What’s more, thanks to its portfolio of unique tools: Q-Data, Q-SEO, Q-Sales, Q-AD, Q-BI, Quicktext can process, enrich and add value to all data generated by all conversations.

eviivo, a travel tech company known for its award-winning booking and property management platform, eviivo Suite, and award-winning app, eviivo Mobile, announces the launch of eviivo Concierge, a groundbreaking Generative AI-powered guest messaging tool for property owners (such as vacation rentals), Airbnb and Vrbo hosts and boutique hoteliers in short-term rentals and independent accommodations. With eviivo Concierge, eviivo is the first global property management platform to fully integrate the power of AI as a new time-saving Guest Management feature, pioneering hospitality technology with powerful, personalized and predictive guest communication solutions. 

“Automation has always been the key to success for property owners, and we’ve proudly gone above and beyond for our customers with eviivo Concierge — a future-forward, AI-powered chatbot integrated in our award-winning software — that expertly and concisely responds to guests on their website,” says Steve Kerridge, eviivo Head of Product and Design. “eviivo Concierge not only revolutionizes guest communication and messaging, it will unarguably be a welcomed standard for property owners. As the first global property management platform in our industry to introduce front-end Generative AI technology, we’re thrilled to continue being pioneers our customers can rely on.”

A seamlessly designed virtual assistant available on customers’ websites, eviivo Concierge leverages the property’s accommodations service data to predictively answer guest questions based on any commands or directives (ie: “How many suites do you have? Answer with humor”), provide personalized assistance and recommendations, and also transform and enhance guest communication while saving property owners valuable time and money, increasing efficiency and driving more bookings. 

“Generative AI has been in high demand in the short-term rental industry, and with our release of eviivo Concierge, eviivo customers have been truly excited, especially since we’re meeting expectations for what we deliver best: giving back their time,” says Usama Ahmed, eviivo Product Director. “Our award-winning mobile app allows hosts to run their business anywhere, anytime, right in the palm of their hand — and now with eviivo’s 24/7 digital Concierge, property owners can have dozens of guest questions answered while they tend to their garden, vacation with family or even while they sleep.” 

eviivo Concierge is an integral part of eviivo Suite’s guest messaging solution, including:

-Website-based, custom-tailored generative AI responses to guest questions, which consistently improves personalization over time.

-Allows property owners, hosts and hoteliers to build key relationships and reduce mundane tasks while eviivo Concierge answers guest questions 24/7.

-Designed to provide guests answers in any format or theme they command (ie: “be funny;” “show me the best bedroom photos;” etc).

-Automates multi-channel guest interactions through world-class APIs to Online travel Agencies/OTAs (such as Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, etc).

-Access to saved AI conversation transcripts through eviivo Conversation’s unified messaging inbox to optimize self-learning.

-Can help create engaging email templates to increase direct and repeat bookings.

-Ability to automate and curate guest experiences through eviivo Suite, including personalized emails, payment reminders, booking confirmations and contactless check-in details.

-Invite guests to leave reviews through eviivo Conversation. 

eviivo Concierge addresses the growing demand for ChatGPT/AI integration in the hospitality industry, which is set to revolutionize the guest experience “in the next 10 years by providing more personalized and recommendation engines, automation of repetitive tasks, virtual assistants, smart room technology and concierge services,” according to Hotel Tech Report. 

According to Forbes, 64% of businesses expect AI to increase productivity, and AI will see an annual growth rate of 37.3% from 2023 to 2030. 

For more information, and to experience eviivo Concierge, visit: www.eviivo.com/eviivo-concierge