News Briefs

ROH, a vertical SaaS solution serving the hospitality industry, announced its integration with Oracle OPERA Cloud. ROH and Oracle OPERA Cloud’s integration enables property finance and sales teams to eliminate paper payment authorization forms and the manual entry of payments into OPERA. ROH, which is PCI compliant, now automates the payment process for sales and catering groups through this integration thereby minimizing PCI scope. ROH validates payments in real time at the moment of cardholder data capture.

“Properties using ROH are established industry leaders with existing solutions deeply embedded into their organizations and workflows. As we’ve added functionality to the ROH platform since the start of the year, one of the key benefits is connectivity between the actions and outcomes of sales and finance teams. ROH enables front end systems to truly speak to back office solutions and today’s integration with Oracle OPERA Cloud is evidence of how seriously we take that role,” said Jess Levin Conroy, Founder and CEO, ROH. “To date, users have been working in silos only able to share static insights. Yet users today expect more real-time visibility into performance, the ability to rapidly connect a sale to an outstanding invoice, and better communication cross-departmentally resulting in time-savings, increased efficiency, and a best in class guest experience.”

Cloudbeds, one of the hospitality industry’s fastest-growing PMS platform partners, and HotelREZ, one of the world’s leading hotel representation companies, have recently joined forces completing the development of a direct two-way interface.

The certified HotelREZ ‘REZswitch’ two-way API connection between Cloudbeds cloud-based hotel Property Management System (PMS) and CentralREZ, HotelREZ’s Central Reservation System (CRS) provides real time updates to manage inventory, rates, availability and bookings for distribution to the Global Distribution Systems (GDS), primarily used by travel agents, as well as to millions of other bookers using websites powered by the GDS worldwide. Hotel customers benefit from seamless connectivity between both providers. 

This interface will ensure hoteliers receive real-time reservation delivery and availability updates from these channels, via the PMS, which is available to all existing and new Cloudbeds customers.    

As market specialists, HotelREZ customers typically benefit from a significant growth of channel business via the GDS agency market as a result of strong account management, worldwide demand partners and optimising marketing and sales opportunities. HotelREZ works closely with each client to ensure a growth in this channel that in some cases can be up to 70%.   

Mark Lewis, CEO & Founder at HotelREZ, said “We are constantly striving to find ways to help hotels improve their efficiencies, save time and automate processes to reduce pressure on staff but also maximise revenue potential. This new interface into CentralREZ not only enables hotels using Cloudbeds PMS to manage their GDS inventory with greater efficiencies but will also reduce the potential for errors and overbooking.” 

Sebastien Leitner, Vice President, Partnerships, added: “We are pleased to be able to offer our Cloudbeds users a simpler way of distributing their inventory directly from the GDS and other key third party channels. The GDS is of great importance to hotels’ bottom line, being a great source for additional bookings, and HotelREZ is recognised as a global leader in the hotel representation sector. Our certified two-way interface will be highly beneficial to hotels, providing them with optimal revenue and yield capabilities." 

Cloudbeds customers can also benefit from access to HotelREZ’s own network of preferred travel agencies and consortia partnerships, as well as its global demand programme, which includes corporate and MICE RFP generation.

Uplift, a Buy Now Pay Later solution for travel brands, announced a partnership with Unique Travel Corp. (UTC), the worldwide representative of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, to provide their all-inclusive guests with the ability to spread out the cost of their booking over time. This new payment option allows guests to reserve an amazing all-inclusive vacation and then pay for their trip with simple,  affordable installments. Guests may access Uplift payment options via the Sandals and Beaches websites or via their call center if they prefer to book by phone.

"When it comes to planning a dream vacation, financial flexibility and convenience are key," said Jeff Clarke, CEO of Unique Vacations, Inc., an affiliate of UTC. "Giving guests of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts the option to pay for their vacation over time is a game changer, especially for those with longer term planning needs like a destination wedding and honeymoon. The Uplift Buy Now Pay Later program offers endless opportunities for those wishing to upgrade their vacation perks and splurge on amenities like lavish suites, spa treatments and special experiences."

Uplift partners with over 300 of the world's leading airlines, cruise lines, resorts, and other major travel providers to help more consumers make meaningful purchases and experience the travel that they deserve.

"We are excited to welcome Unique Travel Corp. to the Uplift hospitality family," said Tom Botts,  Chief Commercial Officer, Uplift. "This partnership will provide Sandals and Beaches guests the flexibility to book their all-inclusive dream vacation in monthly installments allowing them to explore all the experiences these resorts have to offer."

Guests vacationing at Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts will be able to utilize the Uplift pay-over time with monthly installments rather than paying in full at the time of their booking. Customers will see the total cost of their trip upfront along with the monthly payment amount and can choose from three months to 24 monthly installments.* With Uplift, there are no fees, including no late fees or prepayment penalties, and travel can happen before customers complete their payments.

TreviPay, a global B2B payments and invoicing network, released a series of technology features designed to help merchants build experiential loyalty with enterprise buyers, including TreviPay’s new all-in-one payments solution. By providing payment choice, convenience and customization, merchants across different industries, including retail, hospitality and manufacturing, can leverage TreviPay’s technology to reduce friction and build loyalty at all stages of the purchasing process.

Recent TreviPay research unveiled the importance of payment choice for optimizing first-time and returning buyer experiences with 86% of global business buyers reporting the ability to pay using their preferred payment method is important. With TreviPay’s all-in-one payments, B2B merchants and marketplaces can now serve the entire spectrum of business buyers with TreviPay as their single payments vendor. Through integration, merchants can customize acceptance of card types, allowing business buyers to either pay upfront with card, ACH or mobile wallet, or pay later through net terms (the ability to pay in 30-, 60-, or 90-days) and invoicing to improve cash flow and reduce bad debt.

“As enterprises continue to evaluate their digital transformation efforts, there is still an opportunity to innovate the online B2B payments experience to eliminate checkout friction and increase conversions,” said Dan Zimmerman, Chief Technology Officer of TreviPay. “Through one comprehensive checkout solution, merchants can rely on a single payments vendor to accept multiple payments modalities and consolidate reporting across payment types.”

A notable use case is found in the B2B retail industry where credit cards are often the only payment option offered online. As trade credit or net terms are preferred by 85% of global business buyers, typically for higher spend or more frequent purchases, retailers can now accommodate both options more seamlessly through TreviPay’s all-in-one payments solution. Credit and debit card payments are supported for customers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Europe and Australia, in 16 payout currencies and 25+ locales. TreviPay APIs also provide integrated reporting to systematically deliver detailed reimbursement documentation daily, as well as consolidated reporting for card and net terms payments and deposits — at the marketplace and individual seller levels.

Additional technology capabilities now offered by TreviPay to bolster buyer loyalty include:

• Decentralized Billing: For sellers to create billing groups and sub-tiered accounts (parent/child hierarchy) with separate legal entities, to configure custom payment and billing options, as well as apply individual credit limits.
• Contract Price Verification: For sellers to define customer pricing tiers with specific SKU-level pricing details, for TreviPay to conveniently cross-reference against contracted pricing with limited disruption.
• Customized Customer Support: For sellers to define and rank buyers to customize support with white-glove services, such as offering extended net terms or assigning a dedicated support agent.
• Customer Portal Redesign: To improve navigation, usability and customer experience for buyers, with easy-to-export data capabilities.

FLYR, an AI-powered platform for travel technology, announced that BWH Hotels Scandinavia, a global hospitality network that includes Best Western Hotels & Resorts (BWHR), Worldhotels, and Sure Hotels, has selected FLYR for Hospitality as its preferred Revenue Management System (RMS). This strategic decision will strengthen BWH Hotels’ centralized revenue management capabilities for its 56 properties across Scandinavia and enable it to grow at a more rapid pace.

“Our mission is to become the best performing chain in Scandinavia in the area of Revenue Management,” said Sivapol Pipatanangura, Director of Revenue Services at BWH Hotels Scandinavia. “With FLYR, we’ll be able to achieve just that. With an emphasis on data-driven decisions and an intuitive UI, FLYR is perfectly aligned with the way my team works, making it possible for us to scale our business much faster than before.”

BWH Hotels Scandinavia’s Revenue Center needed an RMS solution that could support the pace and scale of its 56 properties. Armed with FLYR’s in-depth decision intelligence, performance analysis, dynamic pricing recommendations, automation, and forecasting capabilities, the Revenue Center will be able to quickly and accurately make data-driven decisions and stay ahead of the competition in this rapidly evolving industry.

“Helping our customers future-proof their businesses with a modern revenue management system is core to our vision,” said Jens Munch, CEO and co-founder of FLYR for Hospitality. “We are thrilled to be a part of BWH’s journey towards increased profitability and success in the ever-evolving hospitality landscape. We look forward to shaping the future of hotel revenue management together.”

BWH Hotels, born from the legacy of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, extends over 70 years of expertise. Established as the umbrella parent organization after BWHR’s acquisition of Worldhotels, a prestigious hotel brand. BWH Hotels offers a diverse range of options to travelers and developers, preserving the distinct identity of each brand.

The implementation of FLYR’s RMS across 56 properties located in Scandinavia will be executed in stages, ensuring a seamless transition for the properties and their guests. Integrating this state-of-the-art technology will bring numerous benefits, including improved revenue performance, streamlined operations, and increased operational efficiency.

Omni Hotels & Resorts and Groups360 announced the expansion of GroupSync Instant Booking, the ability to book hotels for small group blocks, at all Omni properties in the United States and Canada. Through GroupSync, event organizers can now secure group guest rooms directly online, further streamlining an often complex RFP-based group booking process.

For Omni Hotels & Resorts, Instant Booking provides group travel organizers and planners a faster, more convenient method to book 10-25 guest rooms in a single online transaction without contacting a property directly. These simpler group transactions will help both planners and Omni's sales teams become more efficient through automation and direct data integration needed to provide real-time group rates and room availability.

"We take great pride in being leaders and innovators in the meetings and events industry, so we are excited to now offer GroupSync technology across all of our properties," said Dan Surette, chief sales officer at Omni Hotels & Resorts. "Our goal is to always provide a seamless experience for group business, and the ability to self-serve for smaller room blocks is an important option to offer planners. Our partnership with Groups360 allows us to continue to focus on what matters most to our guests, as we further elevate our brand's offerings."

GroupSync, Groups360's flagship solution for booking group room blocks and meeting space at over 200,000 properties worldwide, is radically improving the way hotels are booked online. Its total number of guest rooms available for instant booking exceeds 1.7 million worldwide, with more inventory planned for the upcoming year. By providing greater transparency for group rates and availability, a faster booking process and intuitive technology, GroupSync is quickly becoming the preferred hotel booking solution for groups, meetings and events.

"Omni is a leader among the meetings-focused hotel brands and they truly understand the value that GroupSync's Instant Booking and Smart RFP can bring to their customers. This expansion is concrete evidence of our shared philosophy of making group travel simpler," said Kemp Gallineau, CEO, Groups360. "We're excited to see how this partnership will impact meeting and event planners by making hotel sourcing faster and easier, as well as the efficiencies this will bring to Omni's sales organization."

Group travel organizers and planners can visit groupsync.comto log in or sign up for a free account. For more information about GroupSync, please visit groups360.com.

To learn more about Omni Hotels & Resorts meeting and event offerings, please visit omnihotels.com/meetings.