Partner news

Whether it’s celebrating an anniversary, receiving an award, earning a certification, debuting a new product or expanding the business, hotel companies and vendors achieve new milestones on a daily basis. Here’s a look at recent accomplishments:

Bartech’s in-room POS solutions help maximize revenue
Bartech, which provides automatic minibar solutions for the global hospitality industry, has refined its line of minibar and in-room point-of-sale (POS) solutions to meet the unique operational challenges and technology needs of a variety of property types and room configurations. Bartech’s product line ranges from standalone eTrays to fully automated refrigerated minibars and the BarTouch Cloud.

Bartech’s eTray solution is a platform that allows hoteliers to sell non-refrigerated products in the guestroom without the need for an existing minibar. Bartech’s other automated in-room POS solutions, including the eDrawer, C32 and DD46 automatic minibars, offer fully customizable design, along with a choice of three methods of central server communication between the minibars and hotel’s property management system.  

BarTouch Cloud allows hotels with manual minibars to track inventory levels and issue restock requests using any smart device. Through its integration with the hotel PMS, BarTouch Cloud significantly enhances a hotel’s ability to run operations remotely, allowing employees to monitor and manage F&B services using either WiFi or 4G/5G from virtually anywhere in the world. 

Minibar+ enhances Bartech’s manual minibars with semi-automatic functionality. Simple to set up and implement, Minibar+ is a “plug and play” solution that is available as a downloadable application, easily adding semi-automatic functionality to Bartech’s manual units to give hotel operators the ability to control key functions of these devices without having to set foot in the guestroom. 

Comfort Zone introduces electric patio heaters
Comfort Zone has launched a new line of electric patio heaters that provide instant, efficient warmth and are designed for year-round use. Safer and more economical to use than propane heaters, the electric patio heaters use standard household electricity and are maintenance-free. 

A Comfort Zone heater mounted on a restaurant wall

While perfect for home use, the electric patio heaters are also the heating answer for outdoor cafes and restaurants, as well as other outdoor venues and events. They are available in four models: Model CZPH10 features a carbon fiber heating element and adjustable thermostat; Model CZPH10R offers a carbon fiber and a remote control; Model CZPH20RSL has a halogen heating element and comes with a remote control offering three heat adjustments; and Model CZPH30RSL offers a halogen heating element and, with the power of 3000W and operating on 240V, has double the heat output of a standard portable heater.

Hihotels by Hospitality International reveals 2020 award winners
Hihotels by Hospitality International has revealed the winners of its 2020 awards. These winning properties rose above all the nominees in meeting and exceeding the company’s standards of operations last year, according to the firm.

  • President’s Award—Master Hosts Inn, Tiki Resort, Lake George, NY: Given to a franchisee who has been loyal to Hospitality International for many years, consistently demonstrated a willingness to accept positive change within the hotel industry, and received positive communication from their guests.
  • Gander Award—Red Carpet Inn, Blacksburg, VA: Given to a franchisee who embraces their local community in offering sponsorship for local events or teams, participates in charitable events, or embraces the needs of the local community.
  • New Property of the Year Award—Scottish Inns & Suites, Cotulla, TX: Given to a franchisee who immediately embraced the hihotels culture by actively participating in brand initiatives, and excelled at local marketing efforts while quickly and effectively informing the public of their new brand affiliation.
  • Brand Unity Award—Scottish Inns, Cresson, TX: Given to a franchisee who displays a sense of pride with hihotels brands and is instrumental in providing development leads and references for potential new franchisees.
  • Best Online Presence Award—Scottish Inns & Suites, Bay City, TX:  Given to a franchisee who maximizes the property’s opportunity for success by offering rates and availability on StayHiHotels.com, participates in OTA reservations and promptly responds to reviews.
  • Vendor of the Year Award—Anand Systems Inc.: Given to a vendor that brings value to hihotels franchisees, is extremely responsive to the hoteliers’ needs and has developed a strong relationship with the corporate team for the betterment of the brand.

IDeaS introduces Optix for G3 RMS
IDeaS has launched Optix, a cloud-based advanced reporting and analysis module for IDeaS G3 Revenue Management System (RMS). Optix is designed to empower hotel leaders and revenue managers to quickly understand their revenue performance and where they can improve across an entire estate, cluster or within a single property, according to the company.

Optix identifies problem properties or segments to understand where to invest time, then dig deeper. Analysis tools enable revenue managers and leaders to smartly and quickly explore, investigate and focus on revenue-impacting, actionable insights within G3 RMS. It also replaces time-consuming data exports and spreadsheet mergers with automated data collection and intelligence.

Mitsubishi Electric US launches PureRide
The Elevator and Escalator Division of Mitsubishi Electric US Inc. has unveiled PureRide Vertical Transportation Solutions. With touchless interfaces and an intuitive smartphone application, the PureRide suite of solutions helps customers improve the usability and convenience of elevators and escalators as society moves toward creating a more comfortable, resilient and user-friendly transportation environment.

Included in PureRide Vertical Transportation Solutions is the PureRide Touchless Control System, a no-touch display that allows users to call an elevator from the lobby and designate a destination floor in the car by placing their hand or finger over a sensor. The panels feature an LED “halo” that centralizes the sensor’s target and provides users feedback regarding their hand position. The halo illuminates to indicate to the passenger that the call has been registered.                   

The PureRide suite also includes the Touch Free Smartphone Elevator Call System—a smartphone application that works with destination dispatch systems and buildings’ access control systems to allow passengers to summon a car from their phone while inside the building. The application displays both the assigned elevator as well as its current status. It also sends an alert to the passenger as the car approaches, resulting in less crowded waiting areas and improved rider comfort.