News Briefs

Tripadvisor®, the world's largest travel guidance platform, announces a significant upgrade to Trips - its core trip planning product - with the introduction of a new AI-powered travel itinerary generator.

This new feature (currently in public beta) creates personalized travel itineraries utilizing OpenAI’s generative AI technology. It leverages human insights from over a billion reviews and opinions of the more than eight million businesses listed on Tripadvisor, delivering reliable, trustworthy guidance from its community of real travelers.

“Tripadvisor was built on travelers helping travelers,” said Tripadvisor’s President and CEO, Matt Goldberg. “By harnessing the power of generative AI, we can begin to fully unlock the potential of our platform’s unparalleled review and traveler intent data, allowing us to offer truly unique travel guidance to our members. This launch represents an important milestone in Tripadvisor’s strategy and is just one element of our plan to drive deeper engagement with travelers on our platform.”

To create an itinerary using AI, travelers are prompted to enter their destination and travel dates, who they’re traveling with, and the types of activities they’re interested in. In just a few seconds, they’re presented with a personalized, day-by-day itinerary, which they can save, edit, and share with travel companions — the perfect way to kick-off the trip planning process.  

As travelers progress through the trip planning process, they have opportunities to engage and interact with the breadth of Tripadvisor’s travel guidance content, from reviews and opinions, to experiences and photos from the community. Travelers can save all content they interact with to a Trip as they build their travel plans.

"We know our community is passionate about trip planning, so we wanted to thoughtfully build something that would enhance that experience, not replace it,” added Sanjay Raman, Chief Product Officer at Tripadvisor. “Personalized results and recommendations from fellow travelers are two of the most important elements of the planning process and generative AI has helped us bring them together in a way we think will be really compelling for travelers. Over the coming months, we’ll continue to upgrade our Trips product – improving the personalization of AI-powered itineraries and expanding the suite of travel planning tools we offer.”

During the beta phase, the AI feature will only be accessible to users in the United States via desktop and mobile web, with a focus primarily on experience, attraction, and dining recommendations. Tripadvisor plans to make the feature available in more markets and on native app platforms as the beta progresses. U.S. users can try the latest version of Trips here.

Shiji, a global hospitality technology innovator, has partnered with IPORT, an award-winning manufacturer known for enhancing the usability of iPads and iPhones, to introduce an all-in-one software solution for hotel restaurants. This collaboration will provide hoteliers with a seamless combination of a tablet and payment device to maximize their F&B operations.

The integrated iOS and payment device solution simplifies guest service for hotel restaurant servers, providing them with an effortless tool to cater to their guests' needs. As a certified Apple partner, Shiji and IPORT guarantee exceptional performance and reliability. Hoteliers can choose from multiple device options, including iPad Pro, iPad Mini, and iPhone, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with their operations.

“IPORT products are built around modularity and flexibility that empower our hospitality customers to do more with the iOS platform. We are thrilled to partner with a leading iPad and iPhone cloud PMS and POS platform provider like Shiji,” said Chris Lawson, Head of Partnerships, IPORT. “We look forward to innovating with Shiji in disrupting legacy, monolithic providers who have limited the industry from harnessing the power of iOS and mobility. The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless with IPORT, iOS, and Shiji.”

"The partnership with IPORT is a significant milestone for Shiji in our commitment to provide innovative technology solutions for the hospitality industry," said Ryan King, Senior Vice President of Shiji in the Americas. "By combining our expertise with IPORT’s hardware solutions, we empower hoteliers to streamline restaurant operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences. This collaboration represents another step forward in our dedication to driving success in the Americas, and globally."

The tablet and payment device solution seamlessly integrates with multiple payment gateways, allowing hoteliers to choose the system that best suits their needs. By simplifying the payment process, it reduces operational complexities, minimizes errors, and saves valuable time and resources for hoteliers.

Steak n Shake will offer PopID Check In and PopPay on its self-ordering kiosks in select locations in the Orlando market, with plans to expand to more than 300 corporate locations. PopID Check In is an opt-in service that enables consumers to scan their face to automatically sign into their loyalty reward account and see their past orders, making the ordering process as convenient as possible. When a guest checks in with PopID, they also have the option to use PopPay to automatically complete their payment.

• 57% of respondents say enabling new payment options is a  top business driver impacting POS upgrade decisions, according to HT’s2 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

“Our partnership with PopID is a key part of our effort to provide guests with a fast and seamless ordering experience," said Keith Correia, Chief Information Officer. "When using PopID Check In, a guest does not need to use their phone or take out their wallet as part of the ordering process. They will automatically be checked in for loyalty rewards, and they can choose to make an automated payment with PopPay. A guest can even see their past orders and quickly reorder their favorite menu items. Ordering at Steak n Shake has never been easier or more convenient.”

In addition to enhancing the guest experience and improving order throughput, PopPay helps to reduce fraud and offers lower payment processing fees.

European serviced apartment operator, Limehome, has revealed that it has grown 400% over the past two years, partly crediting its futuristic approach to its property management software.

Limehome is one of a growing band of hospitality companies using platforms that resist ever becoming out-of-date. Their so-called ‘composable hospitality’ allows operators to bolt together off-the shelf tools and add those that they develop themselves in-house. It’s the most powerful way to build a PMS and technology ecosystem that is bespoke, affordable and scalable.

This has allowed Limehome to create a unique and staffless guest experience, and onboard new properties at speeds previously unheard of (less than 24 hours), helping the business achieve a fivefold increase in both revenue and the size of its portfolio over the past two years. It forecasts a 60% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the next five years and boasts an average occupancy rate of 90%, compared to the market average of 80%. 

Limehome built its fully digital guest journey, which saves the business around $200 per unit per month, on the API-led open hospitality platform, Apaleo. While traditional property management systems (PMS) do have integrations, Limehome needed a platform that would allow it to replace tools that relied on human interaction with its own staffless alternatives. Leveraging Apaleo, it created a seamless digital guest journey from booking to check-out, integrating the reservation and payment solutions of Apaleo with a constellation of proprietary solutions and best-of-breed third-party apps. 

Apaleo has formed the foundation of Limehome’s overall PMS ever since the company was founded in 2018. The flexibility that this permits is what has enabled Limehome to achieve unprecedented levels of customization and efficiency, enabling its staffless business model to thrive. 

One of the most important functions Limehome has been able to develop on top of Apaleo is its machine-learning yield management solution. This tool optimises margins on every booking, dynamically adjusting rates millions of times a day in response to demand, local competitors, and seasonal trends. As a result, Limehome operates with only one revenue manager across 100 locations, something most hospitality companies would find impossible. While its competitors change prices around 200 times a day — Limehome adjusts prices approximately 10 million times in the same period. 

Josef Vollmayr, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Limehome, said: “Apaleo is a construction kit that we use to complement our own technology. It allows us to operate the way we operate, and without it we could not grow at this pace.

“In a typical stay, traditional hotels might have up to ten manual interactions with every reservation. It’s the trivial things that hurt the bottom line. Guests ask for an invoice, the check-in and check-out times, an upgrade or an extension of the stay. This may not be inconvenient for the guest, but for the hotel these interactions are very labour-intensive, time consuming and ultimately costly. 

“We need all these things to be integrated into our technology. Without the flexibility that Apaleo allows, hiring for 120 locations would be a nightmare for us. By building on top of Apaleo, we don’t have to do that.”

As the hospitality industry evolves and guests seek personalised experiences and spacious accommodation, innovative brands like Limehome are gaining prominence. But a lack of flexible property management technology has hindered the realisation of many of the most creative concepts.

Apaleo is the only MACH-based platform that focuses on core property management modules, enabling hospitality providers to design bespoke technology stacks, often incorporating proprietary software. By embracing these innovations in the technology space, Limehome exemplifies the future of hospitality, enabling 100% self-serviced guest journeys, increased guest satisfaction and both operation and financial efficiency for hospitality businesses.

Florian Montag, VP of Business Development at Apaleo, commented: “Limehome are trailblazers when it comes to the future of property management. It never even dawned on them to use a traditional solution because they are so focused on the end product. The guest experience has come first at all times and this is exactly what we expect from all hospitality operators in the future. All hospitality providers will have CTOs and their roles will become some of the most important to these businesses as they curate future-proof ecosystems of software capable of consistently delivering for their brands.”

Mews, a hospitality cloud, has been chosen by Stay Hospitality to automate and enhance their growing hotel operations.  

As a hotel and short-term vacation rental management team, Stay Hospitality handles all aspects of the guest experience for visitors traveling to South Florida.

“We love how Mews enables our guests to check in online, ahead of their arrival, saving us a lot of time and labor. Their incredible tech stack supports our vision of modern hospitality, which starts with easy booking and a seamless check-in experience,” said Ralph Davies, Chief Financial Officer at Stay Hospitality. “We’re also excited to explore increasing hotel revenue through add-on and upsell opportunities.” 

Stay Hospitality, backed by the Assouline and Anheuser-Busch families, manages the Red Hotel South Beach and Royal Beach Hotel, which are currently in the deployment process, with 110 and 156 rooms, respectively. As a cloud-native PMS, Mews has an efficient implementation program to get hotels and their teams up and running as quickly and smoothly as possible. This will also ensure a seamless transition as both hotels go through re-branding and launch in 2024 after renovation. 

“We’re delighted to keep growing our presence in the US with a partner as ambitious as Stay Hospitality,” said Matt Welle, Mews CEO. “They’re already achieving so much, and I’m excited to watch them drive even better performance and guest experiences through Mews, especially in their larger properties as they continue to expand their footprint in Florida and beyond.”  
 
Stay Hospitality will use Mews Payments to transform clunky transactional processes into invisible, frictionless experiences. More sophisticated operations will benefit both guests and the team, as seamless, single-click payments replace the stress of dealing with unreliable programs and the outdated multi-step check-in. 

 “We’re especially looking forward to Mews Payments, as it will automate all transactions and rid our staff of manual tasks. Gone are the days of printing receipts and end-of-day reconciliation,” continued Ralph Davies. “Our guests can look forward to real-time transparency and the convenience of alternative payment methods.” 

HALO Networks, a leading neutral-host network provider, announced an exclusive agreement with Boyd Gaming to deliver advanced mobile connectivity throughout all Boyd properties. Network design and deployment across Boyd- operated hotels and casinos nationwide are expected to commence immediately with the delivery of new, state-of-the-art, multi-carrier 5G networks.  

As one of the country’s most successful casino entertainment companies, Boyd Gaming boasts of a large, and rapidly growing, national footprint. Boyd’s nationwide impact includes: 

• 27 gaming properties 

• Presence in 10 states including Nevada (10), Louisiana (5), Indiana (2), Iowa (2), Mississippi (2), Missouri (2), Kansas (1), Illinois (1), Ohio (1), and Pennsylvania (1) 

• 10,750 hotel rooms 

• 1.7M+ square feet casino space 

• Approx 120 food & beverage outlets 

"Enhancing guest and visitor experience in all parts of our properties including hotel rooms, casino floors and restaurant areas, is of utmost importance to us," said Blake Rampmaier, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Boyd Gaming. “In today’s world, seamless and guaranteed mobile connectivity is a critical requirement. With several marquee events planned in Las Vegas over the coming months, including Formula 1 in November and the Big Game in February 2024, we want to deliver high-performance wireless connectivity at, and around our venues. We selected HALO Networks as our neutral-host provider given their expertise in delivering 4G LTE and 5G advanced mobile networks, and their extensive experience in working with all the leading mobile carriers.”  

Tony Schaffer, President of HALO Networks, added, “Our team has a proven track record in designing, building, and operating world-class, multi-carrier hospitality networks and we are excited to deliver on our commitments to Boyd Gaming. When engineering a future-proof network for our carrier and venue partners, we always balance best-in-class product choices with cost-effective deployment approaches. Our networks not only deliver ultra-high speed 5G and bandwidth, but we also include network capacity to support services like digital signage, security and surveillance that are often mission critical. We are looking forward to bringing advanced mobile coverage and capacity to all Boyd Gaming properties and supporting mega events in the coming months and years.”