News Briefs

RoomRaccoon, a provider of hotel management software for independent hotels, is announcing its integration with smart access solution provider Nuki, to enhance and modernize hotel check-ins for the modern guest.

The two-way integration will enable RoomRaccoon hoteliers and hosts – including vacation rentals, boutique hotels and other independent accommodations – to streamline their operations and provide frictionless, secure access for guests using the smart lock solution. The integration offers several benefits, including:

Contactless check-ins:  Guests can check in and access their room through their smartphone devices with automated access codes shared in the online check-in. What’s more, the integration eliminates the need for physical keys or key cards, reducing operational workload for hotel staff and vacation rental hosts.

Secure access control: Hotel staff can easily manage and monitor guest access in real-time through the RoomRaccoon platform. They can grant or revoke access remotely, ensuring the highest level of security and control over guest rooms.

Enhanced guest experience: Guests can enjoy hassle-free self check-ins, control room access from their smartphone, and experience a new level of convenience and security during their stay. 

The integration further enhances RoomRaccoon’s award-winning platform that offers all the tools and functionality property owners, hosts and hoteliers need to manage and grow their business, whether they have 10 or 100 rooms.

“We are thrilled to welcome Nuki to our growing integration marketplace,” says Steven Reffiin, Head of Partnerships at RoomRaccoon. “Check-ins have always been one of the most time-consuming processes for hotel staff. With RoomRaccoon and Nuki, hoteliers and hosts can fast-track the check-in process and save their team valuable time, all while enhancing the guest experience.”

“Our solution offering sets the standard for smart hosting in the short-term rental industry

through a focus on continuous customer-centric improvements and quality. With the new integration with RoomRaccoon, we can further improve our services to hosts and simplify processes by having everything in one place,” says Markus Gruber, Head of Business Solutions & Services at Nuki.

The RoomRaccoon and Nuki integration is available to hotels and accommodation providers worldwide.

Wendy's and Google Cloud announced an expanded partnership to pilot an artificial intelligence (AI) solution, Wendy's FreshAI. The technology has the potential to transform Wendy's drive-thru food ordering experience with Google Cloud's generative AI and large language models (LLMs) technology.

Demand for Drive-Thru

With 75 to 80 percent of Wendy's customers choosing the drive-thru as their preferred ordering channel, delivering a seamless ordering experience using AI automation can be difficult due to the complexities of menu options, special requests, and ambient noise. For example, because customers can fully customize their orders and food is prepared when ordered at Wendy's, this presents billions of possible order combinations available on the Wendy's menu, leaving room for miscommunication or incorrect orders. Google Cloud's generative AI capabilities can now bring a new automated ordering experience to the drive-thru that is intended to enhance the experience that customers, employees and franchisees expect from Wendy's. As HT reported last month, one Wendy's franchise, Wenspoke, is expanding its use of AI in the drive-thrus.

"Wendy's introduced the first modern pick-up window in the industry more than 50 years ago, and we're thrilled to continue our work with Google Cloud to bring a new wave of innovation to the drive-thru experience," said Todd Penegor, President and CEO of the Dublin, Ohio-based QSR. "Google Cloud's generative AI technology creates a huge opportunity for us to deliver a truly differentiated, faster and frictionless experience for our customers, and allows our employees to continue focusing on making great food and building relationships with fans that keep them coming back time and again."

Pilot Near HQ

In June, Wendy's plans to launch its first pilot of Google Cloud's AI technology in a Columbus, Ohio-area, Company-operated restaurant, using those learnings to inform future expansions to more Wendy's drive-thrus. The pilot will include new generative AI offerings, such as Vertex AI and more, to have conversations with customers, the ability to understand made-to-order requests and generate responses to frequently asked questions. 

This will all be powered by Google's foundational LLMs that have the data from Wendy's menu, established business rules and logic for conversation guardrails, and integration with restaurant hardware and the Point of Sale system. By leveraging generative AI, Wendy's seeks to take the complexity out of the ordering process so employees can focus on serving up fast, fresh-made, quality food and exceptional service.

Today's update builds upon Google Cloud's and Wendy's long standing partnership to enhance the Wendy's restaurant experience. Since 2021, Wendy's has leveraged Google Cloud's data analytics, AI, machine learning (ML), and hybrid cloud tools to make it faster, easier, and more convenient for customers to access the brand.

BEONx, a provider of revenue management solutions for the hospitality industry, has partnered with Wyndham Grand Cancun All Inclusive, a luxury hotel located in the heart of Cancun's hotel zone, to implement its Sustainable Profit Platform. This marks the first property in Wyndham's LATAM portfolio to adopt the revenue management solution.

The Sustainable Profit Platform leverages big data, AI, and predictive analytics to empower hoteliers to make data-driven decisions and optimize their pricing strategies in real-time. This technology aligns perfectly with Wyndham's ALL GREEN initiative, which focuses on environmentally friendly practices and sustainable solutions.

"We are thrilled to partner with Wyndham Grand Cancun All Inclusive and provide them with our Sustainable Profit Platform," said Alex Barros, CMO and Innovation for BEONx. "Our platform will help the hotel automate their pricing strategy, freeing up valuable time for the revenue management team to focus on strategic initiatives that will drive profitability and improve guest satisfaction."

Urbano Gutierrez, Director of Sales and Marketing for Wyndham Grand Cancun All Inclusive, expressed his excitement about the partnership: "At Wyndham Grand, we are always seeking the best-in-class technology to cater for our property. We are excited to get started with the Sustainable Profit Platform. We believe that this will help us optimize our revenue management strategies and provide a better experience for our guests."

Wyndham Grand Cancun All Inclusive offers 346 rooms, including Jr. Suites and Villas, 6 restaurants, and 5 bars, providing an exceptional vacation experience for travellers seeking the ultimate in comfort, convenience, and relaxation. BEONx serves hotels of all sizes and types in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, with offices in Spain, Mexico, and Colombia.

​​Nomadix® Inc​., bringing connected experiences to life, today announced the Nomadix Passpoint solution has been named a semi-finalist in the HTNG TechOvation Awards, which recognize and reward leading technology innovations throughout all sectors of the hospitality industry each year. Nomadix is the first and only technology provider to commercially productize Nomadix Passpoint for hospitality and deliver with real-world deployments globally for a major brand. The benefits and momentum of Nomadix Passpoint will be presented during the TechOvation Awards semi-finalist round at The Hospitality Show in June.

Nomadix Passpoint offers a safe, seamless and continuous connected journey for visitors. After downloading a profile via a mobile app or browser, a guest is seamlessly and securely authenticated onto the hotel Wi-Fi every time they visit any of the brand's Passpoint-enabled properties or partners. Nomadix Passpoint also offers personalization and upsell opportunities.

“We are honored to be named a semi-finalist in the TechOvation awards for our Passpoint solution,” said Speleos Dravillas, CRO at Nomadix. “Our smart, innovative team of developers designed, refined and have been deploying this solution that will change authentication, personalization and connectivity for hotels. We solved the many real-life obstacles global hotel brands face, endeavoring to bring guest experiences to life and create a new level of loyalty, security, and connection.”

"It is great [for a company] to be selected as one of the finalists for TechOvation," said Mike Blake, CTO at AHLA. "We are pleased to see the tradition of innovation continuing within Nomadix."

The Nomadix team will also demonstrate its suite of hospitality solutions in booth #419 at The Hospitality Show. Additionally, Richard Wagner, director of certification and compliance at Nomadix, will speak during two sessions about Converged Networks:

• Wednesday, June 28 2:25 PM PT - The Cliff Notes on Converged Networks & How to Implement the Popular Technologies Already Top-of-Mind
• Thursday, June 29, 2:30 PM PT - Leveraging Next Generation Infrastructure for a Connected Hotel

 

Chipotle Mexican Grill announced its partnership with video game, Street Fighter 6. Chipotle will be the first restaurant brand to give Street Fighter 6 players the opportunity to earn Fighter Coins through digital entrée purchases made on the Chipotle app and Chipotle.com. Later this year, Street Fighter 6 will feature in-game integrations like Chipotle Daily Brackets, Battle Hub signage, and Chipotle-branded avatar items. 

In addition to the partnership with Street Fighter 6, Chipotle will serve as the presenting sponsor of the 2023 Evolution Championship Series (Evo), a sponsor of COMBO BREAKER, an advertiser on PlayStation  media, and the first-ever restaurant brand to offer free food as viewer rewards on Twitch.

• WATCH: Chipotle’s VP Talks Transformative Tech at MURTEC Executive Summit

New Fighter Coin Integration

Starting June 2, Chipotle will offer players the opportunity to earn Street Fighter 6 premium in-game currency, Fighter Coins, when ordering through the Chipotle app or Chipotle.com using the promo code HDKN236. With every qualifying order placed, players will receive a code for 250 Fighter Coins while supplies last, allowing them to purchase Characters, Character Outfits, Character Alternative Colors, Stages, Stamps, Avatar Emotes and Avatar Gear in the official Street Fighter 6 in-game shop. Chipotle Rewards members can also redeem 250 points in the Chipotle Rewards Exchange to receive an additional code for 250 Fighter Coins. Players can learn more about the Fighter Coins offer at CHIPOTLE.COM/SF6. 

Viewer Rewards on Twitch

Chipotle will also offer Street Fighter 6 fans access to an exclusive reward via the Twitch community. This viewer reward on Twitch is a limited time offer that community members can unlock beginning June 2 at 9am PT. Chipotle will give out a total of 500,000 free chips and guac offers to Chipotle Rewards members who watch one hour or more of livestreams on participating Twitch channels while supplies last.

The Chipotle Challenger Series Returns

 

Chipotle's signature esports competition will return in 2023 featuring Street Fighter 6. The Chipotle Challenger Series offers the gaming community a chance to compete for cash prizes, burritos for a year, and more. Additionally, the top two teams will receive a trip to the 2023 Evolution Championship Series (Evo). 

QSR Chick-fil-A Inc. released its 2022 Global Impact Report detailing the company's corporate social responsibility commitments and demonstrated efforts to care for people, local communities and the planet/

By 2025, Chick-fil-A seeks to impact

• more than 50,000 restaurant Team Members through education initiatives,
• provide 200 million meals throughout the communities it serves through Chick-fil-A Shared Table
• divert 25 million pounds of restaurant food waste from landfills
• provide more than three million people with resources that support economic mobility

"A genuine commitment to serving others and caring for local communities is at the core of who we are at Chick-fil-A and at the heart of everything we do," said Brent Fielder, Sr. Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Chick-fil-A, Inc. "We prioritize corporate social responsibility initiatives throughout our global footprint as we strive to have a positive influence in all of the communities we serve."

Caring for the planet

• Diverted more than 13.9 million pounds of restaurant food waste from landfills through food donations, composting, the use of anerobic digesters and more. Sustainability matters to today's consumers. Two out of three (66%) consumers surveyed feel it’s important that restaurants are open about their practices to limit food waste. According to the National Restaurant Association’s annual What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, sustainability will continue to influence menus and how restaurants make decisions.
• Recycled used cooking oil from more than 1,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants, converting it into renewable diesel.
• Piloted an innovative solar-powered microgrid system at a restaurant in Stockton, Calif., to address the issue of planned and unplanned power outages and the need for greater renewable energy.

 

Caring for people

• Helped 12,700 restaurant Team Members pursue higher education through more than $24 million in scholarships.
• Awarded $740,000 in grants in the inaugural year of The Chick-fil-A Together Fund to assist members of the Chick-fil-A community in times of need.

Caring for communities

• Invested $5 million into community organizations through the True Inspiration Awards program, awarding grants to nonprofits making a local impact.
• Donated $3.5 million to Feeding America to help provide more than 17 million meals in the U.S.
• Donated $100,000 to Second Harvest Canada in support of the fight against hunger throughout Canada.
• Engaged 31,500 Chick-fil-A Leader Academy students in a nationwide service effort to give one million books to local elementary schools, nonprofits and children's hospitals.
• Provided training, support and resources to help more than 400 nonprofit leaders maximize their impact through Chick-fil-A Impact Accelerator.
• Donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to help support critical humanitarian aid needs in Ukraine and within neighboring countries.

Access to the full 2022 Global Impact Report can be found here.