WeChat Tapping Hospitality Niche In Digital Push
While paying for meals and ordering taxis via WeChat is old news in China, the all-in-one app is now elbowing its way into an asset-intensive industry: hospitality.
Technology
3 Ways Technology Has Affected the Luxury Hospitality Segment in India
For years, the luxury hospitality businesses around the globe have witnessed a succession story. Passed by many generations, the majority of such brands are built on years of trust and experience as the credit lies in their years of market presence. While there is always a risk associated with new brands, older ones have had their share of runs and miss before learning to be the customers' choice over other platforms.
Yatra Introduces 'Flexi Stay' at Hotels in India
Yatra.com, one of India's leading online travel companies, has launched 'Flexi Stay', a unique feature, aimed at disrupting the travel industry in India. Yatra Flexi Stay, allows customers to book budget and premium (4/5 star) hotels with ANYTIME CHECK-IN / CHECK-OUT, while only paying for the time-based usage of the room. Launched in September, 2018, it is currently being offered in two of India's largest metros - New Delhi & Bangalore, and two key religious towns - Shirdi and Tirupati. The feature combines proprietary cutting-edge technology with flexible booking and pay-per-use pricing strategies, to make for a platform that is simultaneously beneficial to end consumers as well as hoteliers.
Hard Rock Hotel Penang – The First Hard Rock Hotel In Malaysia Introduces Handy Smartphone
Batu Ferringhi, Penang, 27 September 2018 - Hard Rock Hotel Penang is proud to be the first Hard Rock Hotel in Malaysia to integrate 'Handy' smartphone, a hassle-free travel buddy with 24/7 connectivity for next-generation travellers. The 'Handy' smartphone service provides modern travellers with unlimited local and international calls to six destinations (Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Australia, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom), high-speed int ernet connection with unlimited data within Penang, a complete digital insider travel guide providing guests with easy access to local information and exclusive discounted offers and; a built-in GPS mapping functionality with destination-specific content, all at no cost. The device also equips guests with enhanced functions like making room-to-room calls from outside their room, accessing personalised concierge service and receives important messages and promotions from the hotel. This innovative and fully-functional travel device is conveniently available in all 250 rooms and serves as a special amenity addition to increase guest satisfaction and brand loyalty. With smart-room automation, each 'Handy' phone is available to guests as soon as they enter their room, giving them instant access to cutting-edge technology and fast service. The 'Handy' smart device also enables guests to fully utilize its travel features anywhere during their stay so they can easily navigate the island and better explore the island. "We are thrilled to be the first Hard Rock Hotel in Malaysia to offer our guests the latest technology that greatly benefits them and provides them with the convenience and freedom to always stay connected. We are confident that the 'Handy' integration will reshape our guest's experience to make smart accommodation choices, especially among tech-savvy modern travellers. We also think this latest initiative will set a new benchmark for offering our guests with the best Hard Rock service and brand loyalty," John Primmer, the general manager of Hard Rock Hotel Penang relates. To safeguard the guest's privacy, all browsing history, personal information and downloaded applications are completely wiped from the device upon check-out and are automatically reset back to the original settings.
Alibaba A.I. Labs Launches Hospitality Robot
The robotics industry is revolutionizing the world, and Alibaba A.I. Labs is raising the stakes in this cutting-edge industry with the announcement of launching service robots for the hospitality sector starting in October. The news was made at The Computing Conference 2018, which is scheduled for four days till September 22 in Hangzhou, China, the site of Alibaba's headquarters.
Louvre Hotels Group designs the hospitality of tomorrow by opening its first SmartHotel
The fifth largest hotel group in the world just opened a new kind of hotel, subtly integrating new technologies into a customer path that has been entirely rethought. The establishment will see the light of day in the heart of Shanghai.
Let These Dinosaurs Check You In At Japan’s ‘Weird’ Hotel
Jurassic Park" fans, this one's for you. A Japanese hotel is offering guests one of the strangest check-in experiences possible ― a reception desk manned by robot dinosaurs. Whether it's Japanese, English, Chinese or Korean, the pair of dinosaurs are more than happy to assist customers arriving at the hotel in east Tokyo through the use of a tablet system. The hotel belongs to the Henn na (whose name means "weird") chain, which claims to offer the world's first hotels staffed by robots.
Single Guest Profiles
At the recent, CHAT 2018 (China Hotel and Tourism Forum) in Shanghai, Kevin King, COO of Shiji, was invited to deliver a keynote speech on "Hotel Operation Technology". As one of the largest hospitality conferences in China, CHAT aims to explore new ideas for hospitality industry future development with trade professionals.
By Kevin King, Chief Executive Officer, Shiji
MORPHEUS the God of Dreams
Just a few short weeks ago, the latest jewel in the crown for Macau's City of Dreams (COD), threw open its doors with all the glamour and glitz one would expect from this Zaha Hadid - designed superstructure - named MORPHEUS.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited
Shiji Group Continues Global Expansion, Opens Office in Australia
Beijing July 31st, 2018, Shiji Group established operations in Sydney, Australia to manage the growth and customer care in the Pacific. With over 8,000 hotels using Shiji products in the region and international offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macau it became evident that to keep with Shiji's tradition of customer service, an office was needed for Australasian customers.
India’s Kailash Parbat Holidays is the latest client to integrate Gimmonix’s Travolutionary API
Expanding Gimmonix's reach into the Indian market, CEO Andrew Spektor is excited to announce that newly launched Indian OTA Kailash Parbat Holidays PVT Ltd. is one of its newest Travolutionary clients.
Occupancy at Thailand’s B2 Hotels soars by 17% with Guestline’s multi-property solutions
B2 Hotels, one of the biggest hotel chains in Thailand, are enjoying a significant boost in occupancy following installation of Guestline's award winning property management, central reservation and distribution solutions to power the day-to-day management of each property.
OTA Insight Gains Momentum Heading into NoVacancy Expo
OTA Insight, the cloud-based data intelligence platform for the hospitality industry, has announced a series of key partnerships in the Australia-New Zealand-Pacific region, as it continues to be a target growth market for the company. With recent signings including Staywell Hospitality, Punthill Apartment Hotels, Ovolo Hotels, Doma Hotels and Reflections Holiday Parks. OTA Insight's focus on the region will allow even more hotel partners to directly benefit from its suite of revenue intelligence solutions. To accommodate the region's growing demand for OTA Insight's services, the company has invested in expanding its staffing and support efforts. This exciting growth announcement precedes OTA Insight's invitation to speak at the NoVacancy Accommodation Business Expo in Sydney, Australia from July 17 - 18.
Joint Venture of Alibaba Group and Marriott International Trials Facial Recognition Check-In Technology
The Joint Venture of Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA) and Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) today announced it is spearheading Marriott International's facial recognition check-in pilot with Fliggy, Alibaba's travel service platform. This announcement comes hot off the heels of the joint venture's recent global rollout of the Post Post Pay (PPP) functionality and redesigned storefront on Fliggy, to continually elevate the travel experience for tech-savvy Chinese travelers.
Angie Hospitality to Participate in Industry Expert Tech Panel at NoVacancy Expo in Sydney
Angie Hospitality, developer of the world's first enterprise-class, cloud-managed interactive guest room assistant, built specifically for the hospitality environment, announces that its Head of Global Sales, Michael Vargosko, will participate in a "Tech Panel" educational session at the NoVacancy Accommodation Expo, taking place July 17th and 18th at the ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre in Australia.
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts launches Artificial Intelligence rooms in Greater China
IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, announced that InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts has collaborated with Baidu to introduce the next generation of intelligent hospitality. Smart Rooms, which are powered by artificial intelligence, are expected to improve and redefine customer hotel experience in China's hospitality industry. From now on, guests staying at InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun and InterContinental Guangzhou Exhibition Centre will be amongst the first to enjoy the AI Smart Rooms. A total of 100 AI powered Club InterContinental suites will be available at InterContinental hotels in gateway cities and key destinations across China within the year. Customised for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the AI solution is developed by Baidu's DuerOS Platform. It integrates AI technology with hotel operations, and this is supported by hardware upgrade and cloud service. Unlike traditional guest rooms, the newly launched AI Smart Room will fully embrace voice control technology to deliver a more natural human-computer interactive experience. For instance, guests will be able to freely switch settings between work and leisure modes, and enjoy a more convenient and seamless room service experience. This solution will also further fine-tune the current backstage management system, including customising information and resetting devices, making hotel management a simpler task.
Companies Attending the 2018 HTNG Asia-Pacific Conference
Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG) announces companies registered to attend this year's Asia-Pacific Conference on 24-26 July at the JW Marriot, Macau.
M Social Singapore Clinches ‘Best Business Innovation’ Prize At Singapore Tourism Awards
AUSCA the robotic egg chef has clinched M Social Singapore the "Best Business Innovation Award" at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2018.On 17 November 2017, M Social Singapore successfully launched the world's first Front-of-House Autonomous Service Chef Robot prototype, 'AUSCA' to the hospit ality industry.
The Hotel Yearbook launches its first-ever bilingual edition, a look at travel and hospitality technology trends in China
Released exclusively as an e-book, The Hotel Yearbook 2022 - Technology in China will appear in June 2018. It will feature editorial contributions from travel and hospitality technology opinion leaders in China and around the world, sharing insights on how technological trends in the hotel industry will affect China's burgeoning hospitality sector.
Four Seasons Maldives Has A Three-Man Sub
DeepFlight produces the world's highest performance personal submarines. On May 3, 2018, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru will become the first place to launch submarine excursions in DeepFlight's most advanced model yet: the Super Falcon 3S.