HITEC Toronto enabled hotel tech companies to showcase their offerings and new products.
HotelIQ Decision Cloud drives the future of hotel operations
HotelIQ Decision Cloud is a collaboration platform that offers consistent property data to previously siloed departments, facilitating inter-departmental, data-based decision-making and identification of new revenue opportunities via easy-to-use dashboards and comprehensive reports, usable by all employees regardless of their department or role.
“When I developed HotelIQ Decision Cloud, it was very important to me to make data more accessible to the entire commercial team by breaking down the walls that traditionally exist within a hotel’s sales, marketing and revenue management departments,” said Apo Demirtas, founder/CEO, HotelIQ. “Being in the hospitality industry from the age of 15, I knew how much those silos negatively affect a property’s ability to work cohesively, make effective strategic decisions and maximize profitability, and I knew that I could improve upon that.”
He added, “Business intelligence and data analytics solutions are more important than ever before. It’s very important to have a consistent, 360-degree view of your property’s (or organization’s) performance because, without it, you cannot establish effective business goals or strategies. Especially for remote teams and/or organizations who are managing multiple properties, consistent access to accurate, high-quality property data (both by hotel and organization-wide) is an operational imperative for effective, data-based decision-making and to maximize overall profitability.”
Zucchetti North America showcases hotel tech suite
Zucchetti North America, the North American outpost of the Italian-based Zucchetti Group, showcased its all-in-one, fully integrated tech stack for hotels and lodging accommodations of all sizes and types, designed to streamline business operations and enhance guests’ experience.
“In today’s highly competitive and challenging marketplace, where hoteliers are expected to do more with less staff, and as uncertainty in demand continues, hoteliers need a high-quality tech stack that prioritizes boosting their bottom line,” said Mark Lewis-Brown, CEO/president, Zucchetti North America. “Our all-in-one suite of solutions is perfect for hoteliers who are looking for ways to drive more direct bookings and boost revenue, and with these new features and functionalities, we can now offer even more ROI for our clients.”
Vertical Booking’s CRS and integrated booking engine
Vertical Booking’s CRS and integrated booking engine have many new built-in upselling features and functionalities that support the entire booking cycle to optimize booking conversion and revenue:
- The OTA Rate Comparison tool: It displays the rates for the same room (on your direct site) wherever it is listed on all the top OTAs, reassuring potential guests that they are getting the best rate.
- Persuasive messaging: This function has become very important because it uses psychology to convince “your lookers to become bookers.” Persuasive messages can include letting the potential guest know how many people have booked the room recently or by letting them know when there is low inventory on a room.
- Room upgrade functionality: You are losing out on valuable ancillary revenue opportunities if you are not offering a room upgrade option in your booking engine, which prompts customers who are completing the check-out process to upgrade for a small fee to a nicer room or one with a better view.
Lodgical Solution PMS
Lodgical Solution PMS can be used to manage both traditional and non-traditional properties, including hotels that offer on-property theme parks or water parks, which makes the PMS a highly lucrative addition to a property’s tech stack. The PMS offers the same reservation, payment and inventory management functionality for these amenities, optimizing the booking and payment processes automatically, facilitating guest communications and collecting and organizing guest information—all of which can be accessed by both the hotel management and the amenities management team from a single solution. In addition, Lodgical Solution PMS enables mobile check-in, with many upgrade options available to help increase incremental revenue, including room upgrades, late checkout, etc.
RateBoard RMS
RateBoard RMS helps hoteliers drive bookings and revenue through all online channels, taking into consideration the actual booking situation, historical data, competitor data, market demand, guest reviews, events and holidays to optimize rates based on the ever-changing market and boost revenue by up to 20%.
Sabre integrates Nuvola with WhatsApp
Sabre Corporation has revealed the integration between Nuvola, its task management and guest engagement software, and messaging platform WhatsApp.
Hotels using Nuvola’s Guest Chat module now have the option to choose between SMS messaging or WhatsApp to power their real-time communications with guests. With more than two billion users across 180 countries, the integration with WhatsApp provides hoteliers with a tool to offer a differentiated and seamless guest experience.
Additionally, Nuvola recently launched a two-way integration with Sabre’s property management system, SynXis Property Hub. This new integration allows hotel staff to have a more holistic view of the traveler and run operations on-property smoothly.
“Properties using Nuvola’s Housekeeping module and Property Hub can send real-time updates to ensure the front desk has accurate room status information, such as if the room is cleaned, and can seamlessly check in guests upon their arrival,” said Juan Abello, VP, product management, Sabre Hospitality and founder, Nuvola. “Furthermore, if the hotel incorporates Nuvola Guest Chat or the Angel guest app, the information exchanged between the property management system (PMS) and Nuvola has the potential to improve the guest experience and increase the hotel’s guest satisfaction score.”
SynXis Property Hub is the latest PMS addition to Nuvola’s list of PMS integrations. Nuvola already offers integrations with prevalent PMS providers such as Oracle Opera, SMS Host and Maestro.
Salto, Flexipass partner to deliver future-proof keyless entry
Salto Systems has launched WebKeys with its technology partner Flexipass, a provider of keyless guest experience solutions.
Flexipass’ technology allows hotels and other hospitality establishments to implement keyless access control easily and seamlessly. Integrating Flexipass’ solution into Salto’s technology platform brings a new level of convenience, efficiency and hotel security to hotels and their guests.
- No app needed: Progressive Web App (PWA) technology ensures a simple yet highly secure solution.
- Open doors in second: Smart, keyless and digital access for guests means that it takes just seconds to open a door with just the tap of a button.
- Frictionless access. A simplified check-in/checkout system enhances guest experiences.
- Fully connected. Easily integrate with Salto’s smart electronic door locks for combined speed and ease of access. WebKeys are also compatible with applications in Salto’s Space Hospitality management solution ecosystem.
With WebKeys access control, guests can unlock their rooms using smartphones without ever installing an app. They no longer need to wait in long queues to check in or worry about losing physical keys.
WebKeys access control eliminates the risks associated with physical guest key cards. Additionally, access permissions can be easily managed, allowing hotel staff to grant or revoke access remotely.
PPDS introduces ‘zero power’ Philips Tableaux range
PPDS showcased its new range of full-size, “zero power” Philips Tableaux advanced color ePaper (ACeP) signage displays. Each is capable of delivering 24/7 vivid content while running entirely unplugged and without using a single kilowatt of electricity.
The Philips Tableaux is the world’s first 60,000 color (including blue) ePaper signage solution launched by a leading display manufacturer, according to PPDS.
Philips Tableaux displays are energy-saving solutions for hotel properties looking to digitize their paper-based signage, delivering messaging such as reception desk opening hours, convention signage and restaurant menus, as well as for promotions and offers. They are also recommended for those looking to swap out their current digital models (where features, such as refresh rates needed for moving content, may far exceed day-to-day requirements) with colorful, power-free, easily updatable displays, reducing total cost of ownership.
Philips Tableaux displays bring more flexibility for placement. They are light enough to be moved around easily when needed, only requiring connection to an electricity source when content is being updated, and immediately reverting to zero power upon completion.
One image change uses just 0.0025 kWh. For context, boiling a kettle uses the same amount of energy as 17 image changes on the Tableaux, and using a laptop for eight hours equates to 208 image changes.
Content updates can be managed manually, or entirely remotely, using PPDS’ in-house or third-party professional display control and management platforms.
Further Philips Tableaux display sizes will be added in the coming months.
“Sustainability is a top priority for all hotel brands and, at PPDS, we are proud to lead the industry with this challenge, bringing products that deliver on energy and environmental savings, without compromising customers’ digital display objectives,” said Joe King, VP, hospitality, PPDS. “We’re thrilled to be the first leading display manufacturer in the global market to introduce these full-sized, full-color Tableaux displays, providing incredible opportunities for hospitality customers, whether for their lobbies or elevator areas, in a restaurant or bar or virtually anywhere, allowing them to digitize their business communications and messaging in ways they never thought possible.”
