News Briefs

Aavgo, a cloud-based SaaS solution for contactless check-in, partnered with the Wyndham Orlando Resort and Conference Center to elevate the guest experience while benefitting from new operational efficiencies through its proprietary Smart Reception Technology. Through the agreement, AAVGO has augmented the hotel’s check-in experience while expanding remote support to include nearly any task performed by the front desk.

Using Aavgo’s innovative 360 Platform and Smart Reception products, the Wyndham Orlando Resort and Conference Center offers a fully personalized and contactless guest experience supported by secure transitions from check-in to check-out. The partnership gives hotel staff more liberty to focus on creating unforgettable guest experiences, all while reducing operational costs by up to 35 percent. These efficiencies can lead to long-term benefits amid rising costs across the industry, with some hotels in Aavgo’s system reporting savings of over $150,000.

Located in Kissimmee, Fla., the Wyndham Orlando Resort and Conference Center is convenient to a wide variety of local attractions, including Walt Disney World Orlando, Sea World, and Universal Studios Orlando, all accessible via a free shuttle. The pet-friendly resort also provides guests with access to two outdoor pools, two dining options, a fitness center, and meeting & event space for up to 1,500 attendees across eight venues.

Glen A Vlasic, General Manager of the Wyndham Orlando Resort and Conference Center, said, "When we adopted Aavgo’s Smart Reception kiosk, our team was anticipating a tool reminiscent of airline kiosks, but we couldn’t be more pleasantly surprised with the reality of the tool. Smart Reception includes a live person capable of forming a jovial, impactful connection with guests while serving all their needs. Travelers enjoy using Smart Reception, and their looks are priceless when they see a live person on the other end of the kiosk. Aavgo’s ongoing support has effectively helped our hotel adopt new features over time, and we are excited to see how the tool evolves next.”

The franchisee that owns the Wyndham Celebration is eager to prove the worth of this emerging technology.  Jon McMillian, AD1 Global’s Corporate Director of eCommerce and Marketing m said, “Aavgo’s technology has a bright future in the hospitality world, and we are excited to partner with them to provide a natural, human alternative to contactless check-in at possibly several of our hotels. Smart Reception not only helps our hotel manage operations and control costs, it’s also a new avenue for our property to earn positive reviews from guests who are looking for a high-quality contactless experience.”

Mrunal Desai, CEO and Founder at Aavgo, said, "At Aavgo, we are thrilled to deepen our relationship with AD1 Global and the Wyndham Orlando Resort and Conference Center. This collaboration empowered the hotel and its operations team to deliver exceptional service alongside cutting-edge operational optimization and cost savings. Our integrated 360 Platform and Smart Reception products are streamlining hotel operations, elevating staff away from transactional encounters with guests, and allowing them to create unforgettable experiences. Together, Aavgo and the Wyndham Orlando Resort and Conference Center are offering guests access to the most exceptional technology on the market, setting new standards for innovation, personalization, and profitability.”

For electric vehicle owners in British Columbia, Tim Hortons is now fueling road trips in more ways than one.  The company has announced the expansion of its electric vehicle charging station pilot launched earlier this year in Oakville, Ontario, by unveiling six new charging stations at restaurants throughout  British Columbia.

Tim Hortons announced the pilot in February in an effort to study the technology, its usage and opportunities.

"We have been thrilled with the results of the pilot so far.  Usage of the charging station in Oakville has surpassed our expectations and we received many calls with requests to expand the pilot," said Paulo Ferreira, Senior Director, International Strategic Restaurant Design and Building Standards, Tim Hortons. "With more than 3,300 eligible restaurants across the country, we continue to look for opportunities to expand the pilot and contribute to the EV infrastructure."

The BC expansion, supported by the Province of BC's Community Charging Infrastructure Fund and Koben Systems Inc. (KSI), placed charging stations strategically in Nanaimo, Langford, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Abbotsford and Coquitlam to create paths within the province, allowing guests to travel from restaurant to restaurant strictly on electric power.

Tim Hortons offers charging stations as a courtesy to guests at six locations.  As of March 31st, 2013, Tim Hortons had 4,288 system-wide restaurants, including 3,453 in Canada, 808 in the United States and 27 in the Gulf Cooperation Council. 

SPB Hospitality announced today the appointment of Josh Kern as Chief Executive Officer. He was named interim CEO in August of 2022. SPB Hospitality encompasses a wide array of brands in the casual, fast casual, quick service and fine dining categories, as well as bars and breweries. 

Kern steered the company’s merger with Krystal, the original quick-service slider concept in the south. Furthermore, he has blended the companies while streamlining costs and launched the first major refranchising effort for the Krystal brand.

• Check out more people on the move in the hospitality industry

“By fostering an environment that encourages collaboration and open communication, we can leverage the collective expertise and diverse perspectives within our organization to achieve extraordinary results,” Kern said in an open letter to employees and franchisees, thanking them for their continued belief in his leadership. “I am truly honored and excited to lead this incredible team and look forward to a future filled with limitless possibilities.”

Kern noted that his people-first vision for SPB Hospitality remains centered on three core principles: collaboration, innovation and customer-centricity.

Kern joined SPB Hospitality in 2018 as Chief Marketing Officer before taking on the President of Concepts role, overseeing marketing, culinary, beverage, supply chain and information technology. Kern’s other restaurant experience includes serving as Chief Marketing Officer for Cerca Trova Restaurant Concepts (largest Outback Franchise system), Chief Marketing Officer for Smashburger and Vice President of Marketing for Quiznos.

To learn more about SPB Hospitality’s brands and locations, visit www.spbhospitality.com.

Clootrack, an intelligent customer experience analytics platform, has released an extensive study analyzing 35k customer reviews of 29 leading four-star and five-star US hotels.

According to the study, the biggest concern for hotel guests is the pricing and the possibility of hidden charges. The study found that many hotel guests are concerned that they may be charged for things they did not use or want, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction. These hidden charges can include fees for in-room amenities, additional services, and even taxes and resort fees.

The study highlights the importance of transparent pricing practices and clear communication about fees and charges. Hoteliers can benefit greatly from addressing these concerns and ensuring their pricing policies are fair and transparent, providing a more positive guest experience.

Parking is also highlighted as a significant source of frustration for hotel guests in the study. The key concerns that US hotel guests have regarding parking include a shortage of spaces, vehicles parked in non-designated areas, high parking fees, difficulty finding a parking spot, and inadequate instructions upon check-in. Guests have also reported being unable to drop off their luggage at the lobby due to parked cars and have criticized the high prices for street parking. Interestingly, parking was a bigger concern for guests in four-star hotels than those in five-star properties.

Clootrack's analysis revealed that hotels in different US cities have varying guest experiences. Hotels in New York and San Diego scored lower for staff behavior and cleanliness than those in Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco.

The study delved into the experiences of popular customer profiles and found some interesting trends. According to the study, group customers are more satisfied with hotel services than other customer profiles. In fact, they were found to be more optimistic about food standards and restaurant service than other customers. Interestingly, the study also found that a "good breakfast" influenced group customers the most compared to other profiles.

Clootrack's study provides valuable insights into the preferences and trends shaping the US hospitality industry. The report concludes that maintaining pricing transparency, attention to detail throughout the guest experience, and implementing best practices from other high-performing hotels are vital for delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Hotels mentioned by customers in the Clootrack study include Hilton, Hyatt Regency, Paris Las Vegas, Omni, Rio, Hyatt Grand, InterContinental, Marriott Marquis, Sheraton, Loews, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Royal Sonesta, DoubleTree, Marriott, Four Seasons, The Ritz-Carlton, Pendry, The Westin, JW Marriott, Hyatt Centric, The Langham, Renaissance, Sonesta ES Suites, Harrah's Sonesta, Thompson, Conard, and W Miami.

For more information, visit: https://www.clootrack.com/insights/travel-hospitality/insights-report-of-us-hotels

These insights were the topics of a discussion in the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4gTqyc1iLQ  hosted by Dan Gingiss, an international CX keynote speaker.

 

Oaky, the hyper-personalized hotel upselling solution, is pleased to announce its collaboration with Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, a vibrant and expanding collection of 90+ fiercely independent small brands, lifestyle hotels, and resorts spread across the United States. By coming together, Curator members can maintain the distinct identity of each property while harnessing the power of scale.

Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, renowned for its quality and variety of independent hotels, embarked on a meticulous selection process to identify a partner that could meet their rigorous criteria for automation, innovation, integration, and overall excellence. Oaky's unwavering commitment to these values and its proven track record as the top hotel upselling software, as recognized by Hotel Tech Report for 6 years in a row, made it a stand-out in the competitive landscape. Continuous innovation such as the integration with leading RMS provider Duetto - also a preferred vendor for Curator- was also a deciding factor. In this collaboration, Curator Hotel & Resort Collection will recommend Oaky as a preferred upselling tool for their members.

"We are honored to have been chosen by Curator Hotel & Resort Collection," said Erik Tengen, co-founder and CEO at Oaky. "Having been vetted as a preferred upsell software demonstrates the trust Curator has placed in us to deliver outstanding guest experiences while maximizing operational efficiency. We are proud to be part of Curator's vision for curating hotels, curating unique experiences, and now curating a cutting-edge tech stack."

 “Curator is focused on providing our members with the most innovative tech solutions and operational opportunities to grow revenue and service their guests,” said Brent Hayhurst, Director of Program Development at Curator.  “Oaky has proven to be a prominent player in the upsell solution category.  Solution enhancements such as the integration with revenue management systems, like Duetto, and the recent launch of a front desk upsell product is expected to add incremental value to member hotels that choose to adopt Oaky as part of their guest journey.”

Furthermore, Oaky's strategic alliance with Curator opens up new avenues for business growth, particularly in the United States market. With a strong network that includes renowned industry players such as Sage Hospitality Group, Davidson Hospitality Group, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, and other esteemed partners, Curator Hotel & Resort Collection is well-positioned to amplify the exposure and visibility of Oaky to independent hotels across the United States.

As a testament to the mutual benefits of this alliance, Oaky and Curator have formed a preferred agreement that provides substantial cost savings for member properties when they opt in for the comprehensive solutions offered by Oaky.

Nomadix® Inc​., bringing connected experiences to life, today announced the next generation of its Nomadix Cloud platform, giving partners and property managers more visibility and management capabilities for their Nomadix solutions. The expanded Nomadix Cloud leverages a “better together” approach, whereby users can view their entire fleet of Nomadix equipment and solutions across all of their properties, via a single pane of glass. It offers increased intelligence, management and monitoring capabilities, as well as improved functionality to not only understand the health of the network but also take proactive measures to ensure that solutions have the latest software releases, firmware upgrades and license updates. 

The next generation Nomadix Cloud is in response to the addition of several new solutions brought to market by the company in the last 12-18 months. To provide property managers and managed service providers a full picture on one centralized platform for their entire technology estate, Nomadix Cloud encompasses internet gateways, Nomadix Networks (wireless access points, controllers, and switches), Cloud Telephony, PMS integration, TV Casting, Nomadix Passpoint, Angie e-concierge and Nomadix Alerts. Nomadix Cloud provides an organized management view and APIs to make support and development more cost-effective for partners and property managers. 

“As Nomadix brings connected experiences to life across industries such as hospitality and multi-tenant communities, we are focused on creating reliable technology solutions and tools to increase value and reduce support costs for partners and customers,” said David Hulse, chief technical officer for cloud products at Nomadix. “Our ‘better together’ approach for the next generation of the Nomadix Cloud will become an essential management component for service providers to help them effectively support one to thousands of properties and technology assets around the globe.”

The Nomadix Cloud also includes new features:

• Single Sign On: Easily log into products in the Nomadix portfolio through the Nomadix Cloud.
• License Management: See the status of licenses across the whole fleet of Nomadix products so properties or groups of properties can always ensure everything is up to date.
• Gateway status: View the current connectivity status, firmware version and feature licensing for each gateway in the fleet.
• Gateway backup to the cloud: Back up the gateway flash file system securely to the cloud on a regular schedule or as required.
• APIs: For service providers and properties working with technology outside of Nomadix, APIs can connect those products, creating overarching control over all property technology. 

For more information and live demonstrations, visit booth #419 at The Hospitality Show in Las Vegas and booth #231 at HITEC Toronto.