Press Releases

Whistle Selected by Heritage Hotels and Resorts for Innovative Guest Messaging Solution

Heritage Hotels and Resorts, Inc. has recently announced a new partnership with Whistle, a customer service and communication tool for hotels, which allows team members have the ability to use text messaging and mobile messaging to communicate in real-time with staff members and guests. The launch of Whistle has already improved guest satisfaction scores and TripAdvisor reviews, by optimizing hotel operations for any questions, requests, and arrival logistics, providing instant information for every guest.

Wynn Las Vegas Announces the Addition of Amazon Echo to All Hotel Rooms

Wynn Las Vegas and Amazon announce plans to equip all 4,748 hotel rooms at Wynn Las Vegas with Echo, Amazon's hands-free voice-controlled speaker. The introduction of this technology into every guest room, beginning this month with installation in suites, will be an industry first in the world, allowing guests of Wynn Las Vegas to control various hotel room features with a series of voice commands via Alexa, the brain behind Echo.

Hotel Chicago-Illinois Medical District Launches New Complimentary Livery Service by FirstClass Travel

The Hotel Chicago-Illinois Medical District (IMD) is now offering free transportation in licensed livery vehicles for all its guests. The partnership with Chicago-based FirstClass Travel, a new on-demand concierge service, allows riders to control their experience – like Uber Black but with professional chauffeurs and at absolutely no charge to guests. Owned by Chicago luxury car icon Joe Perillo, Hotel Chicago-IMD is the first hotel to launch the new black car platform, which is both an app and a smart dispatching system. The 116-room independent boutique hotel has already carved out a niche in the crowded marketplace after opening six months ago, with its "less to stay means more to play" mantra. Located on the edge of Chicago's booming West Loop, Hotel Chicago-IMD offers affordable rates so that guests will have more money in their wallet to enjoy the exciting neighborhood.

Cornell Roundtable focuses on high-tech adoption in hospitality industry

A wide-ranging discussion at Cornell University on the impact of technology in the hospitality realm, involving two- dozen industry leaders, touched on such topics as the adoption of cloud computing, best practices for rolling out new technologies, and online marketing strategies.A full report on the event, "High-Tech, High-Touch: Highlights from the 2016 Entrepreneurship Roundtable," by Mona Anita K. Olsen and Jennifer Blumenfeld, is available from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research. Olsen is an assistant professor and academic director of the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, where Blumenfeld is a student.In a session titled "Voice of the Crowd on the Cloud," panelists noted that consumers, acting as "the crowd" on social media platforms, now serve as social and environmental responsibility watchdogs, holding businesses accountable for their actions. "The cloud gives the consumer a loud, amplified voice; companies are held to a higher than ever level of morality and accountability as a result," said Larry Hall, president and CEO of Trillium Services Group. Hospitality businesses were advised to use the same social media connections to mitigate consumers' concerns while building public trust.Roundtable participants addressed the pros and cons of in-house versus outsourced technology systems, suggesting that while outside contractors may deliver a better solution in a more timely fashion, hospitality businesses are advised to create an in-house technology team to oversee implementation and delivery of new services. One hurdle for the industry in technology implementation is its conservative outlook, participants said. Jules Sieburgh, of Jules A Sieburgh LLC, said, "Not legacy systems, but legacy thinking is what is holding us behind in the hospitality industry."When new technologies are implemented, hospitality businesses should not lose sight of the person-to-person interactions that define them, roundtable participants noted. Christopher Sanson of Code Union suggested the use of technology at "the pain points," specifically in the food and beverage industry where improvements are made in the back-of-house without directly affecting the front-of-house guest experiences.About the Center for Hospitality ResearchThe purpose of the Center for Hospitality Research is to enable and conduct research of significance to the global hospitality and related service industries. CHR also works to improve the connections between academe and industry, continuing the School of Hotel Administration's long-standing tradition of service to the hospitality industry. Founded in 1992, CHR remains the industry's foremost creator and distributor of timely research, all of which is posted at no charge for all to use. In addition to its industry advisory board, CHR convenes several industry roundtables each year for the purpose of identifying new issues affecting the hospitality industry.Center Members: Accenture • Access Point Financial, Inc. • Barclaycard US • Cvent • Davis & Gilbert LLP • Deloitte & Touche USA LLP • DerbySoft • Duetto • Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts • Fox Rothschild LLP • Hilton Worldwide • Host Hotels & Resorts • Hyatt Hotels Corporation • IDeaS Revenue Solutions • InterContinental Hotels Group • Jumeirah Group • Marriott International • NTT DATA • Preferred Hotels & Resorts • priceline.com • PwC • The Rainmaker Group • RateGain • ReviewPro • Sabre Hospitality Solutions • STR • Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces • Tata Consultancy Services • Wipro EcoEnergy • Wyndham Hotel GroupAbout the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship The Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurshipengages leading industry experts and faculty to educate students and provide them with experiential opportunities to learn all aspects of entrepreneurship. To support these critical goals, the Pillsbury Institute offers students, entrepreneurs, and faculty an expanding range of courses, programs, and activities focused on advancing students' entrepreneurship knowledge and mastery.Institute Members: BCV • CPG Real Estate • Dartcor Management Services • Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts • HarborStone Hospitality • HotelPlanner.com • InterContinental Hotels Group • Interstate Hotels & Resorts • The Leading Hotels of the World • Loews Hotels and Resorts • Montage Hotels and Resorts • Newport Hospitality • The Original Agency • Phipps & Co. • Praxis Summit • RoomKnights • Seaview Investors • Spencer Stuart • Sushi Maki • Sweet Street Desserts • Thayer Lodging, Brookfield Hotel Properties • Trillium Services Group • Turano Baking Company • Valley Forge Fabrics • The Venetian • Waterford Hotel Group, Inc. • Yotel • Yui Designs

New Innovations In Hospitality HSIA Elevate Guest Experiences Through Relentless Network Monitoring & Management

Sunray, the network provider widely regarded as the hospitality industry's HSIA visionaries, will unveil the next phase in hotel network management innovation in December, 2016. In addition to Sunray's Umbra service suite, this next phase includes real-time wireless connection quality monitoring and an intelligent auditing system.

HFTP’s 2016–2017 Global Executive Committee and Board of Directors Begin Term

The 2016-2017 Global Executive Committee and Board of Directors for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) have officially begun their term. The association leaders represent a wide variety of segments within the hospitality industry, including: clubs, consulting, hotels, finance, technology and more. The HFTP Global Executive Committee and Board of Directors volunteer their time and professional expertise to help guide and progress the association to the forefront of the industry as it carries out its strategic plan.

Tech is Enhancing Our Travel Experiences, Shows New CTA Survey

Almost all travelers who own a smartphone rely on their devices to enhance their travel experience in several ways, according to a new survey released today from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™. The study finds travelers use technology to provide easy access to information and directions, capture pictures and video, and stay in touch with family and friends.

Mind the Gap: Bridging the Divide Between What Hotel Customers Expect and What They Get

By the time a guest arrives at your hotel, his or her expectations have been set by everything they have gleaned from your website and online ads to past guests' reviews to word-of-mouth from friends and family. Now it's time to deliver the promise. Is your team ready?

VacayStay Connect Provides Vacation Rentals To Diamond Resorts Members

VacayStay Connect announces agreement with Diamond Resorts International® to provide vacation homes to members of THE Club® at Diamond Resorts International®.

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Completes Investigation of Previously Announced Payment Card Security Incident

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants received a report on July 15, 2016 of unauthorized charges occurring on payment cards after they had been used by guests at the restaurant in one of our hotels. We immediately began to investigate the report and hired leading cyber security firms to examine our payment card processing system. Findings from the investigation show that malware was installed on servers that processed payment cards used at the restaurants and front desks of some of our hotels. The malware searched for track data read from the magnetic stripe of a payment card as it was being routed through the affected server. The malware primarily found track data that contained the card number, expiration date, and internal verification code, but in a small number of instances it may have found the track that also contains the cardholder name.

ZUMATA and DHISCO Partner to Trade Hotel Inventory and Distribute Artificial Intelligence Capabilities

ZUMATA, a Singapore-based hotel distribution and technology company, along with DHISCO, the world's leading hospitality distribution company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, today announced a reciprocal agreement aimed to increase each other's hotel inventory while accelerating their mutual geographic expansion of distribution.

VENZA® Debuts Latest Hospitality Security Innovations at HITEC 2016

Thousands of attendees at this year's Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) will have the opportunity to see the launch of three new enterprise security innovations from VENZA®. As a featured exhibitor at this year's event, VENZA will be offering an exclusive preview of their cutting-edge advancements at their booth #1639. The company will also unveil its highly anticipated new brand identity at what is recognized as the industry's most important gathering, which will be take place June 20-23 in New Orleans, LA.

HFTP Global Vice President, Lyle Worthington, CHTP Selected as Keynote Speaker for iHITA 2016 Annual Conference

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) Global Vice President and Global Technology Consultant Lyle Worthington, CHTP was selected by the International Hospitality Information Technology Association (iHITA) to deliver the keynote address at its 2016 Annual Conference. The 23rd Annual iHITA Research Conference is co-located with HFTP's 2016 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITECSM) event and will take place on Sunday, June 19, 2016 in room R05 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana USA.

HFTP Announces Keynotes and New Updates for its 2016 Annual Convention

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is making some key updates to its 2016 Annual Convention, which it has produced since 1952. The event, which offers essential educational and networking opportunities for hospitality finance and technology professionals, has expanded on the offered session formats and changed vendor interaction. The popular element that does remain is the informative and motivating keynotes, which will be present each day at the convention. The HFTP Annual Convention is scheduled for October 19–21, 2016 at Caesar's Palace Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. USA.

Hotels.com Mobile Travel Tracker Study Finds Travelers Prefer Their Device More than Their Loved One

Mobile No.1 – A mobile phone is the number one travel accessory, with twice as many people preferring to travel with their device than their loved one Secret Bed-Bookers – All we think about in bed is our next holiday, as over a quarter of people admit to booking a hotel in bed while preparing for a night's sleep Spontaneous Stayers – 42% of people have made a same day hotel booking thanks to mobile, with 14% even booking their hotel in the airport departure lounge Price isn't always right –the right payment method and customer reviews are more important than price according to travelers

DALLAS, TX -- As mobile devices continue to evolve, the Hotels.com® Mobile Travel Tracker* uncovers the true impact that our mobile phone is having on our booking and travel behaviors. As the number one travel accessory, the data reveals that we book our hotel rooms in secret, are more spontaneous and place pricing as a lower priority. Global travel summary for 2015 The Hotels.com Mobile Travel Tracker is a global study of 9,200 travelers across 31 countries. Today's modern traveler makes four trips a year and on average stays in a hotel 13 nights of the year. For some people, a hotel becomes their home for a month, as almost 1 in 10 spend more than 31 days a year in a hotel room. Almost a third of people admit that they book more trips than ever thanks to mobile, so as smartphones continue to get smarter, it's no surprise that 42% of people regularly book their hotel stays on a mobile device, with this number rising to 49% for 30 – 39 year olds, according to this survey. Business trips (29%), short breaks at home (30%) and short breaks abroad (30%) are the main occasions bookings are made on mobile. Secret Bookers – From the bedroom to the bathroomBooking a hotel room is more of a solo effort with travelers reserving their hotel room from the comfort of their own bed, or even a bathroom. 27% have admitted to booking a hotel room while preparing to catch some Zzzs with their partner next to them – this is the most popular scenario when booking a hotel. 10% even confessed to booking a hotel while sitting on the toilet! In the U.S., females seem to be able to better multi-task as a higher percentage book hotels while searching on other devices.

Payment method beats priceWhen booking a hotel on mobile, the right payment method and offering genuine guest reviews are more important than pricing. With 15 different payment methods, Hotels.com is sure to please the 54% of travelers that find this important. Spontaneous StayersMore than 45% of Americans say their smartphone makes them more spontaneous when traveling. 42% of people globally have made a same day hotel booking but U.S. travelers beat the global average by more than 10%, as 53% of them have booked a hotel on the day of staying. Over a fifth of American holidaymakers book less than a week before travel and globally a super spontaneous 14% of us have really left booking a hotel to the last minute and by booking in the airport lounge prior to departure. Mobile Travel of the FutureThe Hotels.com Mobile Travel Tracker looked at what activities travelers would be prepared to do in the future on their mobile devices while traveling. Almost 40% of Americans mentioned they would leave an instant hotel review and use their mobile to also book a restaurant or taxi while traveling. 44% of U.S. travelers said they would be happy using mobile at a self-check-in kiosk at a hotel. Hotels.com Mobile Solution

Hotels.com launched Apple Pay in the U.S. and is working on rolling this out globally. In-Stay Mobile Features provides a unique experience and exciting new features to be revealed in the coming months. New screen home design on Android launched earlier this year. The new home screen design on the Hotels.com Android app now means users have a more personalized experience. New home screen features include the Hotels.com® Rewards punch card, dynamic reservations, cross device searches and offline mode.

Further Local Survey DataMobile is so important to our everyday lives but it's equally as important when we travel. The top 5 usages of mobile for Americans whilst traveling are:

Comparing deals (53%) Using maps to get around (51%) Checking weather (46%) Taking pictures (45%) Accessing Social Media (44%)

"We pride ourselves on the booking experience we offer today's modern traveler through our mobile app," said Dan Craig, Senior Director of Mobile at the Hotels.com brand. "As one of the market leaders in the mobile space, we're constantly innovating and adding new features to make our app more personal and improve both hotel shopping and the customer experience. We see a growing number of transactions coming from mobile, so it's fantastic to see that travelers anticipating new mobile technology features. It's also great to see that booking a hotel on mobile is so easy, that 10% of people do it whilst sitting on the toilet!" The Hotels.com mobile app is available for iOS, Android, Windows and Amazon Kindle devices, and already has over 50 million downloads worldwide. Please visit: http://mobiletraveltracker.hotels.com/ for more insights from the Hotels.com Mobile Travel Tracker. Engage in the mobile discussion with #TravelTech

OpenTravel Alliance Reveals Next Generation Messaging at Annual Advisory Form

The OpenTravel Alliance, the not-for profit responsible for developing and maintaining interoperability for disparate systems in all verticals of the travel industry, had a successful annual Advisory Forum at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL, May 16 – 19. Highlights included the 2.0 object model solution reveal, education from well known technology leaders, member awards, and the organization's first hackathon lite.

HFTP To Establish Hospitality Technology Research Assistantship To Honor Industry Paragon John Cahill, CHA, CHTP at HITEC 2016

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has announced plans to raise funds in honor of hospitality industry legend John Cahill, CHA, CHTP with a tribute reception at the upcoming Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITECSM) next month.

The Peninsula Chicago announces completion of guest room redesign featuring world’s most advanced in-room technology

Celebrating 15 years in one of America's favorite cities, The Peninsula Chicago today unveiled the final results of a year-long comprehensive guest room redesign that sets a new standard for luxury accommodations. The re-imagined rooms and suites introduce the brand's advanced guest room technology to the United States, along with three new service initiatives: 24-hour check-in for web bookings, a Mobile Concierge service and Keys To The City – 15 programs offering special access to Chicago's best destinations and experiences. Encompassing 331 guest rooms and suites, the project showcases The Peninsula's evolution of luxury design and enhances every guest's stay with ease, elegance and the ultimate in personalization.

Hospitality Technology Magazine & Hotel Technology Next Generation announce Plans to merge North American Conferences

Hospitality Technology magazine (HT), a multi-media B2B brand serving the hotel and restaurant technology industries, and Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG), a global not-for-profit trade association run by and for the benefit of hotel IT executives, have announced plans to merge their North American hotel technology conferences. HT's existing Hotel Technology Forum (HTF) and HTNG's North American Conference provide education and networking for the hotel technology industry. The combined event will leverage the strengths of the two organizations to create a single conference produced by HT magazine — Hotel Technology Forum: the official HTNG North American Conference.

Conrad Chicago Thinks Tech First When Designing Meeting Experiences

Conrad Hotels & Resorts today announced a partnership between its Conrad Chicago property and Social Tables, the award-winning, collaborative event planning software. This partnership underscores Conrad Chicago's commitment to providing a luxury environment that blends intuitive service and smart connectivity for all of its guests including meeting and event planners.