NOVEMBER 2 - 15, 2005
TOP O' THE NEWS
- Less than 30% of the world's Internet users are native-English speakers
- InterContinental recognized for multi-lingual Web site development
- Hilton wins CIO magazine's 14th Annual CIO Enterprise Value Award for OnQ
- Hotel Technologies wins IH/M&RS “Best of Show” for iHome alarm clock radio/iPod combo
In a reminder of the value of multilingual Web sites, a new Internet Language Index from Byte Level Research reports that less than 30% of the world's Internet users are native-English speakers. That number is estimated to drop to less than 25% by 2010 as such emerging markets as China, Russia, and Brazil grow in importance. Of the roughly one billion people currently with Internet access, English is spoken by 300 million, followed by 128 million Chinese speakers and 80 million Japanese speakers. The number of Chinese speakers online is estimated to be growing at the fastest pace, doubling over the next five years. More details are available at www.globalbydesign.com. And according to Forrester Research, Web users are three times more likely to conduct a business transaction online when addressed in their own language.
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Emphasizing the point, InterContinental Hotels Group recently received two awards recognizing its multi-language Web sites:
- a Standard of Excellence Award by the Web Marketing Association's WebAwards for outstanding achievement in the development of its eight foreign language Web sites.
- the inaugural Excalibur Award from the Technology Association of Georgia, for the competitive advantage the company created via these Web sites.
In the last five years IHG has created fully functional Web sites in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish.
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Speaking of awards, Hilton Hotels Corp has won CIO magazine's 14th Annual CIO Enterprise Value Award in the media, entertainment, travel and leisure category, for its OnQ system. The CIO awards recognize companies that demonstrate how they leverage IT to achieve business objectives and produce return on investment (ROI). OnQ, Hilton’s integrated, enterprise-wide IT platform, is installed in all of Hilton’s 2,300+ hotels.
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The Kenneth F. Hine “Best of Show” award at this year’s International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS) in New York was given to Hotel Technologies for its iHome product, an alarm clock radio that works in tandem with an iPod.
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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
- Kelly Blake joins TravelCLICK’s Board of Directors
- JP Parker joins Energy Eye as Regional West Coast Representative
- David S. Meltzer appointed Vice President of Sales for SynXis
- Jeff Thomas hired as Vice President of U.S. Commercial Operations at Leonardo
Kelly Blake has joined TravelCLICK’s Board of Directors as an advisor on product development and strategy. Mr. Blake was President and CEO of Vantis International, which was acquired by TravelCLICK last month. Prior to joining Vantis, Mr. Blake held leadership roles with several global organizations including TRVLSYS Inc., Smithkline Beecham and HARS Systems, Inc.
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JP Parker has joined Energy Eye as its Regional West Coast Representative. A recent graduate of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, Mr. Parker most recently served at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, following a year in the Hyatt Management Training Program.
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David S. Meltzer has been appointed Vice President of Sales for SynXis, a Sabre Holdings’ subsidiary. Mr. Meltzer was most recently acting Vice President for Car and Hotel Distribution at Sabre Travel Network, and had earlier served as STN’s Director of Global Accounts and Operations. Prior to joining STN in 2002, Mr. Meltzer held various positions in hotel operations, revenue management and sales at both the corporate and property level.
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Jeff Thomas has been hired as Vice President of U.S. Commercial Operations at Leonardo, based in New York. Mr. Thomas was most recently Director, Hotel Revenue Generation and Director, Business Development – The Americas for U.K.-based Web site design and marketing company Open World Ltd. He had earlier served as Manager, Hotel Partnerships and Advertising Sales for Orbitz, Corporate Director, Internet Marketing Manager/Global Distribution Marketing at Hyatt, and Senior Product Manager at Galileo International.
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PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
- CI Traders contracts with Visual One for systems for three hotels in Guernsey
- 15 properties install Northwind’s Maestro PMS in third quarter 2005
- INNfinity contracts with IGMAS for procurement, implementation and support services
- SoftBrands developing two-way Medallion interface with Best Western’s CRS
- Aimbridge Hospitality implements Ramesys Entirety PMS on 12-month basis
CI Traders Ltd has contracted with Visual One for systems for its three hotels in Guernsey, in the Channel Islands: the St Pierre Park, La Trelade Country House and Green Acres Hotel. Visual One modules to be supplied include Property Management, Sales and Catering, Web Bookings, Golf Management, Club Membership and Spa Management systems. (www.citraders.com/hospitality.htm, www.v1s.com)
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Northwind reports that fifteen properties installed its Maestro PMS in the third quarter 2005, including a centralized system serving the six-property Les Hoteles Jaro boutique chain in Quebec, Canada. The remaining properties were the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley, Utah, the Hotel Contessa in San Antonio, Texas, The Timbers Hotel Denver in Colorado, the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club in North Carolina, the Winthrop Rockefeller Conference Center in Morrilton, Arkansas, the Grand Lodge Crested Butte in Colorado, the Cascades Casino Hotel & Conference Center in Langley, British Columbia, and Harrison Beach Hotel in British Columbia. Further, the Hotel San Remo in Las Vegas, currently in renovation, will reopen with Maestro in early 2006 as The Hooters Casino Hotel. (www.maestropms.com)
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INNfinity Hospitality Systems has contracted with IGMAS Technologies to provide hardware, software, implementation and network support services to properties selecting INNfinity’s PMS and CRS systems. IGMAS, with offices in Las Vegas and Universal City, Calif., provides network infrastructure design, project management, installation services, hardware and software procurement, help desk, and outsourced technical resources nationally. (www.igmas.com, www.innfinity.com)
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SoftBrands is developing a two-way interface for its Medallion PMS with Best Western’s Central Reservation System, based on OTA specifications. The interface will let guest reservations be booked or updated real-time through the Best Western central reservation office or through an individual property, and will allow properties to manage their inventory and rate availability to all channels through the CRS. (www.bestwestern.com, www.softbrands.com)
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Aimbridge Hospitality has implemented Ramesys Hospitality’s Entirety PMS on a short term basis at the Marina Hotel San Pedro, CA. The hotel is being renovated and re-flagged as a Doubletree; Entirety was installed to replace the incumbent PMS, and will remain in place for approximately 12 months pending implementation of DoubleTree’s preferred PMS.
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RESERVATIONS
- E-site Marketing develops customized RSS feed for Travelocity
- HotelRooms.com opens its first European office, in Paris
- GHRS links portals to hotels’ CRSs via OTA XML standards or proprietary interface languages
- Pelican System releases Call Center Reservation System
- Expedia includes information from JiWire's WiFi Hotspot Finder in hotel listings
- Lindner implements Serenata’s PMS/Voyager CRS integration
- America’s Best Franchising signs with InnPoints for reservations services for 75 Country Hearth Inn & Suites properties
- Pegasus makes voice reservations services available on stand-alone basis
- Pegasus upgrades Rezview and HotelFactory
- Pegasus partners with MSI to develop RezView CRS interfaces to several PMSs
E-site Marketing has developed a customized RSS feed for Travelocity, which allows subscribers to be notified via their RSS news readers when Travelocity finds lower fares to their favorite destinations. (www.esitemarketing.com, www.travelocity.com)
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International hotel search engine HotelRooms.com opened its first European office in Paris, France, and is adding additional resources to boost direct sales efforts to small and mid-sized regional hotel chains and independent hoteliers in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Benelux, and Northern Europe during 2006. A London office is planned for early 2006. (www.hotelrooms.com)
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GHRS [Global Distribution Network] has released connectivity technology to link its portals to hotel chains’ central reservation systems, via the OTA XML standard or using their proprietary interface languages. GHRS announced that it will offer the interface adaptations at no cost to the hotel operators, and offers its subscribing hotels free representation on WorldSpan through a proprietary interface developed using the latest OTA XML standards. (www.ghrshotels.com)
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Pelican System has released a Call Center Reservation System which allows hotels to cross-sell within hotel groups. Integrated information - rates, availability, packages and repeat guest reservation history - will be available to call center staff. (www.pelicansystem.com)
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Expedia is including information from JiWire's WiFi Hotspot Finder in its online travel booking service to identify hotels, resorts and other properties worldwide which provide WiFi access. (www.jiwire.com, www.expedia.com)
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Lindner Hotels & Resorts has implemented Serenata’s Voyager CRS Integration to automate the data flow between its hotel PMSs and the GDS systems to provide last room availability. Individual overbooking levels can be set by each hotel. (www.lindner.de, www.serenata.com)
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America’s Best Franchising Inc., which franchises 75 Country Hearth Inn & Suites properties, has signed a multi year contract with InnPoints Worldwide for reservation processing, booking engine functionality and call center operations. America's Best Franchising will also offer its hotels a customized version of the InnPoints web-based PMS system. (www.countryhearth.com, www.innpoints.com)
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Pegasus Solutions has made its voice reservations services available on a stand-alone basis to any hotel, chain or group that needs either full-service or supplemental call answering, instead of only bundled with other Pegasus services. Pegasus also implemented eStara’s Push-to-Talk service for its customers’ Web sites to allow visitors to link to a reservation agent directly, either through his or her computer using eStara’s VoIP technology or through a traditional telephone by entering their phone number.
Pegasus upgraded its central reservation system (CRS) to help hotels locate reservation details more easily, improve the security of credit card details, give voice reservation agents access to pictures of hotel rooms and increase the flexibility and control of information returned in seamless booking transactions. Updates to HotelFactory allow it to support bookings guaranteed to an IATA number and to support rate definitions indexed to other rates.
Pegasus announced a partnership with Multi-Systems, Inc (MSI) to improve the integration of its RezView CRS with a variety of property management systems (PMSs). Pegasus’ existing interface with MSI’s WinPM system will be enhanced with full two-way capabilities, and MSI will assist Pegasus in developing an additional Open Travel Alliance (OTA) compliant RezView interface as a one-to-many “PMS hub.” This will allow the information in the PMS and CRS to be cross-referenced for each system and exchanged in both directions, and will enable third-party systems that have adopted the OTA standards to have easier access to RezView.
(www.estara.com, www.msisolutions.com, www.pegs.com)
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MARKETING / MANAGEMENT
- Agilysys enhances DataMagine document management system with signature capture
- IQWare reselling ZDirect’s ZMail e-Marketing application as IQWareMail
- Groople licenses VRX Studios’ rich-media archives for one year
- Starwood selects ICE Portal to host and deliver Internet content for 750+ properties worldwide
- ICE partners with PREVU in New Zealand to extend e-marketing network to Asia Pacific
- Accor selects FM Interactive for rich media for Sofitel and Novotel properties in North America
Agilysys has enhanced its DataMagine document management system, formerly known as R-File Manager, with a signature capture feature to help ensure compliance with federal regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley. DataMagine is an imaging and archiving application that scans, indexes and retrieves documents and reports for e-mailing, faxing or printing. (www.datamagine.com, www.agilysys.com)
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IQWare is now reselling ZDirect’s ZMail e-Marketing application as IQWareMail, integrated into IQWare’s PMS, to allow properties to distribute e-newsletters, manager’s specials and other communications with embedded promotional rate-code links to let guests instantly reserve special rate offers. (www.iqwareinc.com, www.zdirect.com)
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Groople has signed a one-year licensing agreement for consumer access to VRX Studios’ archive of 360 degree virtual tours, still images, interactive maps, and descriptions of hotels, cruise ships, and destinations throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii and the Continental U.S. (www.groople.com, www.vrxstudios.com)
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Starwood Hotels & Resorts has selected ICE Portal (ICE) to host and deliver Internet content for the chain’s 750+ properties worldwide. ICE will provide all Starwood brands with customized content delivery to their brand sites and third party travel sites.
ICE Portal has partnered with PREVU Corporation in New Zealand to extends their global e-marketing network to Asia Pacific.
(www.starwoodhotels.com, www.iceportal.com)
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Accor North America has selected FM Interactive to produce and distribute new rich media elements to highlight each of its Sofitel and Novotel properties in North America. (www.accor-na.com, www.vfmii.com)
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REVENUE MANAGEMENT
- Bookit integrates extranet into eRevMax Technologies’ RateTiger
- Rocco Forte Hotels Group chooses Optims
- Kapalua Land Company implementing EzRMS at The Kapalua Villas
Netherlands travel site Bookit has integrated its extranet into eRevMax Technologies’ RateTiger channel management platform. (www.bookit.com, www.erevmax.com)
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Rocco Forte Hotels Group has chosen Optims for its Revenue Management technology. The Group operates eleven luxury hotels in five European Union countries. (www.roccofortehotels.com, www.optims.com)
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The Kapalua Land Company is implementing EzRMS’ internet-based systems at The Kapalua Villas, which includes over 280 units, 20+ shops and restaurants, three championship golf courses and tennis facilities. (www.kapaluavillas.com, www.ezrms.com)
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SALES & CATERING, MEETING PLANNING
- Hyatt extends StarCite-based E-mmediate Response meetings functionality to website
- Carlson to deploy Newmarket’s MeetingBroker across all properties
- Shire Hotels deploying Delphi Select MPE in seven properties in UK
- Scottsdale Plaza Resort implements Passkey
Hyatt has extended its E-mmediate Response meetings functionality, based on StarCite's RapidRFP application, to the Hyatt website. This allows any Hyatt property in the U.S., Canada or the Caribbean to respond to meeting planner requests with real-time booking data, including group room availability and rates, from the Hyatt.com Web site, claimed to be a first for a corporate hotel Web site. (www.hyatt.com, www.starcite.com)
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Carlson Hotels Worldwide is deploying Newmarket International’s MeetingBroker Lead Management System across all its properties, covering over 905 properties in 69 countries. MeetingBroker receives RFPs from sites such as StarCite and hotel Web sites and automatically enters them into property sales and catering systems such as Delphi, for assignment and escalation or automatic transfer to sister properties. MeetingBroker also lets Carlson create a standardized, preformatted electronic proposal for consistency in response format across all brands.
The UK’s Shire Hotels is deploying Newmarket’s Delphi Select MPE Sales & Catering in seven of its properties across the United Kingdom. Shire Hotels operate luxury four-star properties that are conveniently located close to all of the country’s major network routes. Implementation is expected to be complete by summer 2006.
(www.carlson.com, www.shirehotels.com, www.newmarketinc.com)
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The Scottsdale Plaza Resort has implemented Passkey for use by meeting planners. The Resort includes 404 guestrooms, 10 Executive Lodges, 5 restaurants and more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space. (www.scottsdaleplaza.com, www.passkey.com)
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F&B/POINT OF SALE
- Cornell University releases web-based Restaurant Table-Mix Optimizer tool
- Geac bought by Golden Gate Capital, to be split up
Cornell University has released its web-based Restaurant Table-Mix Optimizer tool (RTMO), designed to give restaurant managers specific guidance on the mix of tables that will provide the best revenue boost for their particular restaurant. Given user-entered data on the mix of party sizes, their dining durations and average check, RTMO recommends the best table combinations to serve each size party at that restaurant, as well as the maximum number of parties that can be served per hour and the maximum average revenue per available space per hour. (www.thecenterforhospitalityresearch.org)
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Private equity firm Golden Gate Capital has bought Geac Computer Corp. and will split the company into various components. The ERP (enterprise resource planning) software which accounts for 80% of the company’s revenue will become the property of Infor Global Solutions, another Golden Gate Capital-funded company. The POS systems - Fasfax, Remanco and SmartSeries - will form a separate subsidiary. (www.goldengatecap.com, www.geac.com)
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SPA/GOLF/LEISURE
- SynXis and GolfHero develop OTA-standard XML interface
SynXis and GolfHero have developed an OTA-standard XML interface to let hotel properties offer dynamic golf packages on their web sites by bundling their room inventory with live tee time inventory from surrounding golf courses. (www.golfhero.com, www.synxis.com)
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GUEST SERVICES
- Radisson to drop charges for guestroom high-speed Internet access in the Americas
- TravelNet offers DataValet high-speed Web-based services over Firetide mesh network
- TeleAdapt launches AnyFill universal battery charging unit
- MTech certifies new HotSOS XML interface with SMS|Host property-management system
- KoolConnect acquires Entertainment Media & Telecom Corp
- KoolConnect teams with InfoValue for hospitality-specific Networked Personal Video Recording (nPVR)
- Kempinski designates OTRUM as preferred partner for interactive TV systems
- OTRUM’s Fusion interactive TV platform certified as DVB compliant
Radisson Hotels & Resorts is dropping its charges for guestroom high-speed Internet access in the Americas from Jan. 1, 2006. Individual properties will still be allowed to charge for access in locations other than guestrooms, at their discretion. Access will be hard-wired or wireless depending upon the technological infrastructure of individual properties. (www.carlson.com)
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TravelNet Technologies has partnered with Firetide to offer its DataValet high-speed Web-based services over Firetide’s wireless mesh network. Mesh networks link network hubs together with wireless connections, avoiding the need for backbone cabling. (www.firetide.com, www.travelnet.ca)
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TeleAdapt has launched its AnyFill universal battery charging unit. About the size of a toaster, AnyFill recognizes each battery type and judges the time needed to charge it fully. Most batteries get an hour of talk time in about 20 minutes. (www.teleadapt.com)
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MTech has certified a new XML interface between its HotSOS application and PAR Springer-Miller Systems’ SMS|Host property-management system. The interface automatically sends requested data about guests checking into a hotel to HotSOS, which automates workflow and guest incident tracking. This allows the hotel to trigger the delivery of services or amenities automatically in HotSOS based on events that occur in SMS|Host. (www.m-tech.com, www.springermiller.com)
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KoolConnect Technologies has acquired Australian in-room entertainment systems provider Entertainment Media & Telecom Corporation Ltd. It will assume the service contracts for several thousand hotel rooms in the United States and abroad as well as a large amount of technology and content.
KoolConnect has teamed with InfoValue Computing to introduce a hospitality-specific Networked Personal Video Recording (nPVR) system, allowing programs to be stored and streamed from a central server. The system is based on Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), which converts traditional analog television programming to digital format and streams it to guestrooms via the Internet protocol. Guests can then watch their favorite programs from that channel at their convenience.
(www.infovalue.com, www.koolconnect.com)
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Kempinski Hotels has designated OTRUM ASA as a preferred partner for interactive TV systems for its 49 hotels in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America and Asia. OTRUM will deliver TV and LCD hardware, interactive systems, OTRUM Laptop Connection and Internet on TV.
OTRUM’s Fusion interactive TV platform has been certified as DVB compliant. DVB offers 500+ channels of digital content over the hotel’s existing COAX antenna network.
(www.kempinski.com, www.otrum.com)
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INVENTORY/PURCHASING
- Adaco announces 3 new customers, upgrades to nine others
Adaco Services announced three new customers and upgrades to nine other properties’ systems. The new clients are the Westin Palace Madrid, Spain (465 rooms), Marriott Newark Airport (591 rooms), and Half Moon Bay Club, Montego Bay, Jamaica, (253 rooms). Upgrades were implemented at the Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, ON (380 rooms), Starwood Brussels, Brussels, Belgium (3-property complex, 957 rooms), and Helmsley Hotels, New York City (5-property complex, 2,022 rooms). (www.adacoservices.com)
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ENGINEERING
- Shaner Hotel Group selects Energy Eye as exclusive energy-management system
Shaner Hotel Group (SHG) has selected Energy Eye as its exclusive energy-management system provider following an eight-month test at one property. Shaner expects to install Energy Eye in five to eight hotels over the next six months, and eventually roll it out to the complete portfolio of 23 hotels. (www.shanerhotels.com, www.energy-eye.com)
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SECURITY
- Onity HT 24/HT 28 electronic locks certified compliant to BHMA/ANSI standards
Onity has gained certification that its HT 24 and HT 28 electronic lock models are compliant with the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA)/American National Standard Institute (ANSI) A156.25 grade 1 standard for electrified locking devices. (www.onity.com)
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