MARCH 24 - APRIL 11, 2006
TOP O' THE NEWS
- We need more debates like this
Rich has already covered last week’s Vendor Summit in his introduction, but, speaking as a participant, it was an intense couple of days filled with great networking, fascinating presentations and some highly stimulating discussions.
The highlight was a very lively second-morning debate on the future of hotel technology, themed around Thomas Friedman’s book “The World Is Flat” and fueled by Chris Thomas’ (Intel’s Chief Strategist) presentation the evening before on how the speed and flexibility of current technologies is changing the way travelers gather and use information. Given the way innovative developers are picking and choosing key elements of publicly-available data to build focused collections of highly useful information, bypassing all the usual advertising consumers have to go through to get to it, opening up hotel systems databases to allow general Web searches of rates, rooms, room attributes, hotel facilities, etc. seems an inevitable requirement for maximizing your market. Zillow (www.zillow.com) as a prime example of the approach, taking public records of property taxes and other housing data and combining it with Google Maps to show you the estimated value of your home – and of all those around you.
Two things seem inevitable; that revenue management will need to extend further into hotel systems to price the right room (not just room type) and the right combination of activities for each guest to maximum effect, and that current pricing models will have to change. It’s not inconceivable that we’ll see per-transaction fees for interfaces instead of a flat charge, but whether the hotels will charge for access to their data or a vendor will handle this as part of a complete technology package sold as a service to the hotel remains to be seen.
Either way, no-one wanted the discussion to stop. We need more informed, passionate debates like this, with vendors, hoteliers, distribution companies and other key players committed to finding new business models that work for everyone.
**
Back to Top...
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
- Antoine Di Paola appointed Regional Sales Director at FastBooking
- David Marshall joins TravelCLICK as Chief Architect
Antoine Di Paola has been appointed Regional Sales Director at FastBooking, a French Internet booking vendor, based in Laval, Quebec and supported by the New York-based US subsidiary. Mr. Di Paola was most recently a major account manager for Renmark Financial, a Canadian investment company, and had earlier served as North American Sales and Marketing Director for a major textile brand, and as Sales Director at a country club in Quebec.
**
David Marshall has joined TravelCLICK as Chief Architect, to direct the evolution of its integrated hotel distribution systems. Mr. Marshall has more than 20 years of experience in hospitality technology, most recently as co-founder and President of hospitality software consulting firm VM Systems and earlier with MICROS, Fidelio and Inter-Continental Hotels Group. He has also been active in standards organizations such as Open Travel Alliance (OTA), The Hotel Industry Switch Co. (THISCO) and Hospitality Industry Technology Integration Standards (HITIS).
**
Back to Top...
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
- MSI implements two-way interface between WinPM PMS and TRUST’s Voyager CRS
- Jarvis Hotels implementing centrally-hosted OPERA for all 48 properties
- Campbell’s Resort on Lake Chelan installs Northwind’s Maestro Enterprise Suite
Multi Systems Inc. (MSI) has implemented a two-way Web Services-based interface between its WinPM PMS and TRUST International’s Voyager CRS. This interface fully automates the exchange of data between the hotel property and all connected channels (IDS, CRS, GDS) for room availability, rates, groups, guest profiles and reservations, and is already in use for 220 properties. (www.trustinternational.com, www.msisolutions.com)
**
Jarvis Hotels is implementing MICROS’ OPERA Enterprise Edition on a centrally-hosted basis for all of its 48 properties, which operate under the Ramada flag. The system will be hosted at MICROS-Fidelio's data center in Frankfurt, Germany, and will include PMS, CRS, Customer Information System and Sales & Catering, with a 2-way interface into Cendant's Central Reservation System. (www.jarvis.co.uk, www.micros.com)
**
Campbell’s Resort on Lake Chelan in Washington State has installed Northwind’s Maestro Enterprise Front Office, Sales & Catering, Business Intelligence and Spa & Activities Management Systems. The 170-room resort includes a 14,000 square feet conference center, plus access to golf, hiking, swimming, boating, winter sports and other family activities. (www.campbellsresort.com, www.maestropms.com)
**
Back to Top...
RESERVATIONS
- TravelCLICK's eMonitor 4Q05 results show continued worth of travel agency bookings
- TravelCLICK’s 2005 eTRAK results show major-brand Internet reservations up 26.8%
- iHotelier website booking engine receives WMA’s "Best Interactive Application"
- Compete Inc. study reports significant online differences across generations
- GetThere partners with OpenTable
- Kimpton to give Expedia direct connectivity into CRS inventory and rates
- HolidayCity adds 'Online Chat' facility throughout its reservations Web site
- InterContinental to make inventory available on Orbitz, CheapTickets, Lodging.com
- InterContinental announces wireless access to its CRS from any Web-enabled device
- Search Party announces beta version of new hotel price search engine
- von Essen hotels upgrades its SynXis connection to RedX
- Hotel Beacon in New York implements GenaRes’ CRS/voice reservation services
- Starwood integrates Le Meridien into its global reservations, distribution, loyalty and sales systems
TravelCLICK's eMonitor results for the fourth quarter of 2005 show that travel agents continue to be a key source of higher rate business; the average rate for room nights booked through travel agents was 35.0% higher than for those booked via the Internet. Travel agent bookings remained the dominant source of GDS hotel e-business, representing 82.8% of total room nights. Overall, worldwide electronic hotel revenue from the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and key Internet sites combined was up 10.9%.
TravelCLICK’s 2005 full-year eTRAK results indicate that Internet reservations received at major hotel brand central reservation offices (CROs) grew 26.8 percent in 2005 compared to 2004, gaining market share from third-party merchant and opaque websites. Brand websites were the source of 75.2 percent of the brands' centrally booked Internet reservations, compared to 71.4 percent in 2004. Reservations booked through brand websites climbed 33.4 percent over the 2004 level.
Bookings through merchant websites (Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.) grew by 34 percent over 2004, while opaque websites such as Priceline and Hotwire decreased by 10.2 percent. The 30 major brands also reported that, on average, 26.6 percent of their CRO reservations were received from their own websites while slightly less than one-third of CRO reservations were made by phone.
The Web Marketing Association has awarded TravelCLICK’s iHotelier website booking engine the "Best Interactive Application" for the Hotel and Lodging Industry in the 2006 Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards, citing its OneScreen online booking engine.
(www.travelclick.net)
**
A study by Compete Inc. reports that online preferences and behavior for online travel vary significantly across generations. The average 18-24 year old traveler appears to be more influenced by the eye-catching marketing of online agencies, and visits an average of 1.7 agency sites when looking for travel, more than any other age group. Seniors (65+) book nearly 80 percent of flights and 68 percent of hotels directly at branded sites. Baby Boomers view an average of 36 pages of travel content when researching online, 15% more than the 18-24 set and 25% more than Seniors. (www.compete.com)
**
GetThere has partnered with OpenTable to let business travelers reserve dining and activity options through a link on their corporation’s GetThere home page. (www.getthere.com, www.opentable.com)
**
Kimpton Hotels has signed a long-term agreement to give Expedia direct connectivity into its CRS inventory and rates. (www.kimptonhotels.com, www.expedia.com)
**
HolidayCity has added an 'Online Chat' facility throughout its online reservations Web site, allowing visitors to contact Customer Service Officers (CSOs) in real-time to discuss room rates, availability, requests for cancellation and amendment, hotel information, etc. HolidayCity currently offers more than 7000 hotels in over 400 destinations worldwide. (www.holidaycity.com)
**
InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a new distribution agreement with the Consumer Travel Americas unit of Cendant Travel Distribution Services. The deal gives Cendant TDS's consumer brands (Orbitz, CheapTickets, Lodging.com) access to hotel room inventory at 3,600 IHG branded properties worldwide.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced enhanced wireless access to its CRS. IHG guests can now check availability, book, view or cancel reservations, access driving directions to a property and retrieve hotel and global reservations contact information from Web-enabled devices including browser-based phones, Pocket PCs, Palm devices, Treo and Blackberry.
(www.cendant.com, mobile.ichotels.com, www.ichotelsgroup.com)
**
Search Party announced the beta version of a new hotel price search engine, which watches a user’s searches of Expedia or Travelocity and displays a selected hotels price there to that shown on other sites, comparing room rates, taxes, booking fees and cancellation policies. (www.searchparty.com)
**
von Essen hotels, a private collection of country house hotels in the UK, has upgraded its SynXis online booking connection to SynXis’ RedX Distribution Management System, to let travelers create their own package deals from hotel-specific components. (www.vonessenhotels.com, www.synxis.com)
**
The 255-room Hotel Beacon in New York has implemented GenaRes’ CRS and voice reservation services. (www.beaconhotel.com, www.genares.com)
**
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has integrated Le Meridien's reservations, distribution, loyalty and sales functions into its global infrastructure and sales and marketing systems, adding more than 120 hotels to its central reservation and distribution channels. Starwood acquired the Le Meridien properties at the end of 2005. (www.starwoodhotels.com)
**
Back to Top...
MARKETING / MANAGEMENT
- Leonardo launches Online Marketing Centre
- Blue Square Studios developing major upgrade to Hospitality Toolkit
- Carlson selects TIG Global as Internet marketing agency for Park Inn
- Amadeus integrating 10Best destination content into its Vista desktop and e-Travel Management corporate travel tool
Leonardo has launched its Online Marketing Centre to let hotels create customized marketing campaigns, distribute them via e-mail in the appropriate format, and track the “open” and “click-through” success of each campaign. (www.leonardo.com)
**
Blue Square Studios is developing a major upgrade to its Hospitality Toolkit 2.2 online booking and Internet campaign/marketing product. The ASP-based Hospitality Toolkit 3.0, based on Microsoft .Net 2.0 and SQL Server 2005 architecture, is slated for release in Q1 2007 and will focus more on e-marketing and CRM. (www.bluesqstudios.com)
**
Carlson Hotels Worldwide has selected TIG Global as its Internet marketing agency for the Park Inn brand. (www.carlson.com, www.tigglobal.com)
**
Amadeus is integrating 10Best’s destination information and bookable content into its Amadeus Selling Platform (Vista) desktop for travel agents in the U.S. and Canada. It also plans to integrate 10Best content into its corporate online booking tool, Amadeus e-Travel Management, to provide business travelers with one-stop access to destination content –weather, driving directions, event tickets, restaurant reservations, etc. – within the company’s corporate travel program parameters. (www.10best.com, www.amadeus.com)
**
Back to Top...
REVENUE MANAGEMENT
- Harrah’s contracts with HBSI for Demand Management tools
- Hotelbeds endorses RateTiger for online distribution management
- Hyatt selects MaximRMS’ e.FLEX hosted revenue management system company-wide
Harrah’s Entertainment has contracted with Hotel Booking Solutions Incorporated (HBSI) for Demand Management tools for its 34 domestic casino resorts. Harrah’s currently uses a proprietary Revenue Management System (RMS) to dynamically adjust room rates; HBSI’s Demand Management tool will extend this control to outside companies, especially vacation providers such as Travelocity and Liberty Travel/GoGo, and will provide online distributors with two-way connectivity to Harrah’s reservations system. HBSI’s Demand Gateway integrates multiple distribution channel models into a single two-way interface into Harrah’s LMS property management system. (www.harrahs.com, www.hotelbookingsolutions.com)
**
Hotelbeds has endorsed RateTiger to its hotel partners to manage online distribution, allowing them to load rate and availability changes for all their distribution channels from a single screen. (www.hotelbeds.com, www.ratetiger.com)
**
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has selected MaximRMS’ e.FLEX revenue management system for a company-wide ASP implementation, hosted by Maxim and integrated with Hyatt’s PMSs, CRSs, S&C system and competitive data. Hyatt has used an earlier version of MaximRMS in its North American and Caribbean hotels since 1996. (www.hyatt.com, www.maximrms.com)
**
Back to Top...
SALES & CATERING, MEETING PLANNING
- Jarvis Hotels implementing centrally-hosted OPERA Enterprise Edition for all 48 properties
- Campbell’s Resort on Lake Chelan installs Northwind’s Maestro Enterprise
- Certain Software releases Version 4.5 of Register123
- Certain Software customer base for Register123 meeting grew 119% in last year
Jarvis Hotels is implementing MICROS’ OPERA Enterprise Edition on a centrally-hosted basis for all of its 48 properties, which operate under the Ramada flag. The system will be hosted at MICROS-Fidelio's data center in Frankfurt, Germany, and will include Sales & Catering, PMS, CRS and Customer Information System, with a 2-way interface into Cendant's Central Reservation System. (www.jarvis.co.uk, www.micros.com)
**
Campbell’s Resort on Lake Chelan in Washington State has installed Northwind’s Maestro Enterprise Front Office, Sales & Catering, Business Intelligence and Spa & Activities Management Systems. The 170-room resort includes a 14,000 square feet conference center, plus access to golf, hiking, swimming, boating, winter sports and other family activities. (www.campbellsresort.com, www.maestropms.com)
**
Register123 Version 4.5 was released in January; enhancements include improved control over all financial aspects of a meeting, and the ability to generate customized documents for individuals or groups of registrants.
Certain Software announced that the customer base for its Register123 meeting and event management system grew 119% over the last twelve months. Major clients signed last year include Blue Shield of California, Harte-Hanks, Hartford Life Insurance, New York State Board of Law Examiners and Stanford University.
(www.certain.com)
**
Back to Top...
F&B/POINT OF SALE
- GetThere partners with OpenTable
- InfoGenesis opens InfoGenesis Las Vegas demo/support/training facility
GetThere has partnered with OpenTable to let business travelers reserve dining and activity options through a link on their corporation’s GetThere home page. (www.getthere.com, www.opentable.com)
**
InfoGenesis has opened its InfoGenesis Las Vegas facility, which incorporates a Solution Center/Executive Briefing Center to demonstrate products from InfoGenesis and its partners, a Customer Care Center with an onsite lab, and a Training Center. InfoGenesis Las Vegas is also the base for many company divisions, including Field Services, Human Resources, MIS, Inside Sales and Professional Business Services. (www.infogenesis.com)
**
Back to Top...
GUEST SERVICES
- Merritt Hospitality to install GuestWare in three Hilton properties
- Iroquois New York installs LodgeNet’s SIGNETURE TV-HD
- R& D Industries releases version 2.72 of Thinix guestroom workstation
- Peninsula Hotels signs five-year agreement with Guest-Tek
- Eleven Wireless partners with Shift4 for guest HSIA payment processing
- Hyatt contracts with Cendyn for E-Concierge customer relationship services
- Baros Maldives installs Teledex’ ExpressNet AirLink wireless and wired HSIA
Merritt Hospitality will install Diversified Computer Corp’s GuestWare CRM system in three of its full-service Hilton properties, in Long Beach, Indianapolis and Sonoma County. Merritt already uses GuestWare at seven full-service Marriott hotels and one Renaissance property. (www.smilezzzz.com, www.guestware.com)
**
The 115-room Iroquois New York has installed LodgeNet’s SIGNETURE TV-HD for its HDTV content, and has upgraded all guest rooms and suites to wall-mounted flat panel HDTVs. (www.iroquoisny.com, www.lodgenet.com)
**
R& D Industries has released version 2.72 of its Thinix guestroom workstation, adding Soft IP Phone capabilities to the existing Internet browsing, Instant Messaging, Terminal Server (Microsoft, Citrix and Linux) and Microsft Office capabilities. (www.thinix.com)
**
Peninsula Hotels has signed a five-year agreement with Guest-Tek for High Definition Video-on-Demand (VOD) and its OneView solution at all its properties, starting with The Peninsula Chicago. OneView provides a suite of Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) programming tailored to each Peninsula market in partnership with Tangerine Global. (www.peninsula.com, www.tangerineglobal.com, www.guest-tek.com)
**
Eleven Wireless has partnered with Shift4 to allow hotel properties using the ElevenOS on-demand guest broadband software services to accept credit cards for payment through Shift4’s $$$ ON THE NET payment gateway. Many corporate-owned and -managed Hilton hotels are using the integrated systems. (www.shift4.com, www.elevenwireless.com)
**
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has contracted with Cendyn for E-Concierge customer relationship services at all 216 Hyatt-brand properties. The E-Concierge program allows customers to interactively book in-house or outside services and activities at hotels prior to arrival, and is being interfaced to third party reservation systems for real time confirmation of customers' requests. (www.hyatt.com, www.cendyn.com)
**
The Baros Maldives has installed Teledex’ ExpressNet AirLink wireless and wired high-speed Internet system in all guestrooms. Baros, one of eight properties of Universal Resorts Maldives, features 75 villas on a private island in the Indian Ocean, including 30 over-water villas. (www.baros.com, www.teledex.com)
**
Back to Top...
BACK OFFICE
- Benchmark selects Aptech Profitvue for 33 conference centers and hotels, plus HQ
Benchmark Hospitality International has selected Aptech’s Profitvue enterprise back office business accounting software for its 33 conference centers and hotels, and for corporate financial accounting. Installation is underway for completion by year end. (www.benchmarkhospitality.com, www.aptech-inc.com)
**
Back to Top...
ENGINEERING
- Hampton Inn-Jacksonville becomes 750th lodging property to install M-Tech’s PMWorks
- Energy Eye appoints Select Hospitality Systems as its Canadian distributor
The 122-room Hampton Inn-Jacksonville (N.C.) has become the 750th lodging property to install M-Tech’s PMWorks preventive maintenance service, based on M-Tech’s ASP-based HotSOS system. (www.alliancehospitality.com, www.m-tech.com)
**
Energy Eye has appointed Toronto-based Select Hospitality Systems as its Canadian distributor. Select already provides similar services for Saflok electronic lock systems, Safemark in-room electronic safes and the NCR self-check-in kiosk. (www.selecthospitalitysystems.com, www.energy-eye.com)
**
Back to Top...
COMMUNICATIONS
- Percipia opens branch office in Chennai, India
Percipia has opened a branch office in Chennai, India, to cover sales, development and customer support functions for its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and other services in Asia. (www.percipia.com)
**
Back to Top...
SECURITY
- SAFLOK launches DeskLinc multitechnology locking system
SAFLOK has launched its DeskLinc locking system, with multitechnology smart/memory card capability. DeskLinc employee keycards store and download information from the lock, including lock audit information, staff access and lock error codes. The system is capable of providing up to 11 independent keying levels that also includes a latch/unlatch and an emergency/security level. (www.saflok.com)
**
Back to Top...
