News Briefs

XTM Inc., a Miami and Toronto-based Fintech creator of disruptive payment innovations is pleased to announce that it has officially integrated and merged XTM's Today tipping solution into the QRails' AnyDay™ Earned Wage Access (EWA) solution for its U.S. clients resulting in an additional feature roll-out opportunity for large strategic partners such as SAP, Discover and Veritas Prime.

Employees in the U.S., who traditionally receive their gratuities as part of their paychecks, no longer need to wait a pay cycle to receive their gratuities. Through the AnyDay™ Payments platform, enabled by XTM's technology, employers can now leverage this solution for improved recruitment and retention. This creates new opportunities for XTM's current US pipeline of Human Capital Management and Payroll partners who have been eagerly waiting for this solution since the close of the QRails acquisition on August 21st, 2023.

"XTM's tipping solution has been relieving the financial burden for more than 80,000 hardworking employees in Canada on a daily basis,” says Cary Strange, President of XTM. “Combining the ability to receive daily tips with the AnyDay™ Earned Wage Access app addresses pent-up demand within the hospitality industry in the U.S. and our team is ready to fill the gap."

The combined solution is now in use with a variety of XTM clients across the U.S. The AnyDay™ mobile wallet and debit card create a robust retention tool and include a client portal with added features that support financial and accounting teams for seamless reporting and reconciliation.  The valuable processing and issuing tech stack provides employers with a secure, efficient and effective way to distribute earnings, instantly.

This technology integration is the start of the advantages to be realized by consolidating the resources of XTM and QRails in the areas of sales & marketing, onboarding, customer service and product development.

The merged companies are currently in talks with large hospitality groups in the U.S. that will help quickly scale the integrated solution and further position XTM as the only vertically integrated platform offering real-time payments for a variety of workers' earnings.

Domino's Pizza Inc. introduces its new and improved loyalty program. 

Domino's Rewards offers loyalty members even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across its corporate and franchise store locations. Domino's enhanced rewards program allows customers to:

• Earn points for less
  • Loyalty members will now earn 10 points on every order of $5 or more
• Redeem points for even more menu items – and earn free Domino's after just two orders
  • Members can redeem a variety of points for more menu items:
    • 20 points: A free dipping cup, a 16-piece order of Parmesan Bread Bites or a 20 oz. drink
    • 40 points: An order of Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Bread
    • 60 points: A medium, two-topping pizza; pasta; Oven-Baked Sandwich; or a 3-piece order of Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
• Earn more rewards
  • Loyalty perks are now even better, as members will have exclusive access to member-only deals, special discounts and opportunities to earn bonus points!

"We are thrilled to give the brand's loyal customers additional ways to earn free Domino's items more often," said Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of digital experience and loyalty. "At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino's is doing the opposite. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster."

Marketing a LTO 

From now until Oct. 22, 2023, rewards members can take advantage of a limited time offer to redeem 20 points for a free order of Domino's new Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread, which is normally a 40-point redemption, in celebration of the product's recent launch. 

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.

There is sense of buoyancy in the global hospitality industry as we head into the fourth quarter of 2023. According to new Demand360® business intelligence data from travel technology provider Amadeus, global hotel occupancy levels up to the end of August 2023 have been an average of 10% ahead of 2022. For the fourth quarter of 2023, worldwide on-the-books occupancy data reveals that reservations are trending 11% ahead of those seen in 2022.

In a further boost to hoteliers, global revenue per available room (RevPAR) has grown by an average of 17% this year to date, when compared to rates achieved in 2022. France is leading the way, with RevPAR sitting 123% ahead of the worldwide average. A RevPAR spike was also recorded in June this year in France, with rates hitting $422, some 220% more than in the US during the same month.

US hotel occupancy is trending stronger in Q4 than the world-wide average and has increased 5% compared to 2022. Hotel RevPAR also continues to see steady growth, with an 8% increase on the same window in 2022.

The findings are explored in a new Amadeus report: ‘Hospitality data trends 2023: ​The opportunities ahead’​. The report reveals current and forward-looking on-the-books occupancy data, alongside RevPAR and booking lead times for hotels and short-term rentals.

Amid global growth, Europe is leading the hospitality charge. Occupancy in Europe has for the first time narrowly overtaken the US over the course of 2023 and is looking forward to a strong last quarter where on-the-books reservations are currently 20% ahead of the worldwide occupancy average for Q4. Key cultural hotspots – including Florence, Rome and Athens – have seen strong occupancy over the summer, with more to come heading into the cooler months.​

Destinations and cities with large-scale events on the horizon are also seeing traction. Beyoncé is creating headlines with the Renaissance World Tour. In Seattle, the superstar played at Lumen Field on September 14th – driving a spike in hotel demand. Hotel occupancy for September 9th-11th in Seattle stood at an average of 83%, increasing to an average of 96% for September 12th-14th as fans arrived and stayed for the show.  Occupancy was boosted 36% on the night of the show compared to the same night in 2022. 

Similar spikes in occupancy are being seen in France during the Rugby World Cup, with demand in host cities increasing according to forward looking on-the-books occupancy data. Paris and Nice are up 5% compared to the same period in 2022, while Marseille is up 7%, indicating increased demand for hotel rooms during the event.

Katie Moro, Vice President, Data Partnerships, Hospitality, Amadeus, said: “Access to complete and credible data that can be trusted, gives hoteliers the insights they need to help drive bookings and guide marketing, revenue management and operations strategies. For example, a shift in available short-term rental properties in a market will have an impact on potential occupancy for hoteliers. Market dynamics are constantly shifting, and it’s important to track them closely and be able to move quickly to seize competitive advantage. Delivering these insights is what drives our business intelligence solutions at Amadeus.”

Hospitality data trends 2023 also highlights leading indicators uncovered by combining Amadeus’ unique business intelligence with its partner Key Data, a leading provider of short-term rental market data around the world. The data shows short-term rentals are typically booked around a month (31 days) in advance of hotels, while air travel bookings are usually made slightly over three months (98 days) ahead of travel. By combining these data insights with forward-looking on-the-books occupancy, hoteliers can anticipate dips and spikes in demand and plan accordingly.

TravelTech company Hotelbeds signed a new strategic partnership to provide Hopper with access to its portfolio of 300,000 hotels across 195 countries.

The agreement enables Hotelbeds to continue growing its business in the U.S. while opening up new markets for Hopper, which is North America’s third largest online travel marketplace and number one downloaded travel app. Data from the U.S. International Trade Administration reports that total travel and tourism output was valued at $1.7 trillion in 2021.

“This new partnership will help us expand our footprint further in the dynamic U.S. market,” said Carlos Muñoz, Hotelbeds Chief Commercial Officer. “Joining forces with Hopper – the world’s fastest growing travel app – will also help us reach new client sectors, across both trade and consumer segments.”

As a global B2B travel ecosystem player, Hotelbeds will enable Hopper to source more diverse inventory for its customers. Hotelbeds’ booking platforms provide fast and reliable access to properties across the world, including those in the luxury sector and more than 37,000 sustainable hotels.

Hopper, meanwhile, is a travel agency, fintech provider, and e-commerce platform, powering the Hopper app and partners’ direct channels. The Hopper app has more than 100 million downloads and is predominantly used by Gen Z and millennials, with 70% of Hopper customers made up of travellers under the age of 35.

“We’re proud to partner with Hotelbeds – a global, hotel contracting powerhouse,” said Dakota Smith, President and Co-Founder of Hopper. “Ensuring that travellers have transparency and optionality has always been at the core of Hopper’s offerings. Partnering with Hotelbeds will allow us to supercharge our efforts in building a best-in-class global hotel supply network.”

LivAway Suites^®, the economy-extended stay hotel brand built "for developers, by developers^®," has partnered with hospitality customer support brand, Cloud5 Communications, a provider of communications and technology solutions for more than 5,000 hotels, MDUs, and commercial facilities across the Americas, to provide general reservations and guest relations support for its growing number of properties.

Supported by 1000+ of the industry's most experienced and tenured agents and staff, Cloud5 Communications helps organizations meet revenue and reputation targets through a full range of Contact Center services, including general reservations, guest relations, group support, loyalty programs, and reputation management. The company is an expert in brand immersion training for its agents, so they can speak in the voice of their clients and provide enhanced support for businesses that have built their brand on the promise of exceptional service. LivAway Suites will work with Cloud5 to assist with guest experiences through voice reservations and guest relations.

"Our partnership with Cloud5 reinforces our tech-forward and guest-first mission in the hospitality and the extended-stay industry," said Kevin Dailey, Chief Operating Officer of LivAway Suites. "Cloud5's guest servicing features align with our values for the guest experience, and we're looking forward to the future of our collaboration."

"Our deep focus on the guest experience and the processes we have put in place to deliver high value, high-quality service across each and every customer interaction makes us an ideal partner to support LivAway Suites," said Jason Reid, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Cloud5 Contact Center. "Our proven Contact Center communication services and expertise in the hospitality industry will enable LivAway Suites to efficiently manage guest inquiries, reservations, and internal communication, leading to a seamless guest service experience." 

Since the launch of the brand in early 2023, LivAway Suites has broken ground on the metro area locations of Tennessee, Washington, Utah, and Montana, with over 25 other locations in various stages of development across the country. To learn more about LivAway Suites, visit www.livawaysuites.com