Duetto, a Revenue Management Software (RMS) provider for the hospitality industry, has announced the results of its second annual Trends & Predictions Survey.

The Duetto Outlook & Trends 2023 Survey has shown that business and corporate are the two segments most revenue teams will focus on for the year ahead.

“We surveyed hoteliers and revenue professionals from around the world and talked with industry experts, to get their outlook on what 2023 may bring. Changes in guest behavior, staffing challenges, and new technological innovations are all shaping the hospitality industry – making it more agile, adaptable, and stronger,” said David Woolenberg, CEO, Duetto.

When asked how they planned to optimize business mix in 2023, the top five responses were:

• Group business - 59.5%
• Corporate business – 51.9%
• Channel management – 48.1%
• OTAs – 38%
• Tour operator, wholesale, FITs – 30.4%

Other respondents also cited growing revenue per guest, segmentation, and length of stay as important factors for revenue management in 2023.

While business travel is tipped to return in 2023, many are already stating that it probably won’t return to 2019 levels. This may explain why business travel also topped the list of biggest challenges for the hotel industry in 2023.

The top five challenges, as identified by those taking the survey, were:

• Business travel – 60.8%
• Staffing - 55.7%
• Increased costs - 53.2%
• Government restrictions - 45.6%
• Lead times - 43%
• Cancellations came in sixth place, with 36.7%.

The Duetto Outlook & Trends 2023 Survey also gauged market sentiment in terms of technology investment.

Of those surveyed, 82.3% were already using a revenue management system (RMS). Of those not using an RMS, 71.4% planned to invest in revenue management technology in 2023.

Looking back on tech investment in 2022, 72.2% said their hotel tech spend had either increased or stayed the same. Looking ahead, 60.8% expected their hotel tech spend to increase in the next three years.

The survey included input from revenue managers, property-level and corporate-level directors of revenue management, revenue consultants, revenue and distribution analysts, and property general managers.

Most respondents (51.9%) worked in leisure hotels, but there was also good representation from business hotels, casino resorts, and hostels.

Geographically, respondents came from North America (39.5%), Europe (21.1%), Latin America (21.1%), APAC (14.5), and the Middle East & Africa (3.9%).

Duetto conducted this survey among its software users and other hospitality industry professionals including revenue consultants and educators from across the globe from December 1, 2022, to January 16, 2023.

For more insight on industry trends & predictions for 2023 read Duetto’s latest eBook: Targeting Greater Profitability In 2023. Download your free copy today: https://www.duettocloud.com/special-reports/targeting-greater-profitability-2023-trends-predictions-to-boost-your-revenue-strategies

INSPIRE, a global event solutions company owned by Ashford Inc., is pleased to announce the appointment of Sayi Puligandla as Chief Operating Officer.

In this position, Puligandla will oversee human resources, hospitality operations, information technology, and other projects to support the entire organization.

Puligandla brings to INSPIRE an extensive background in the hospitality industry and valuable experience in data, analytics, and building efficient operational units for accelerated growth. He was an executive vice president and a founding member of Nor1 (acquired by Oracle in 2020), a known pioneer and industry leader in hospitality upsell technology, where he architected and developed the analytics and BI infrastructure that paved the way for Nor1’s upsell science.

Upon Oracle’s acquisition of Nor1 in 2020, Sayi continued managing all aspects of Nor1’s Global Gaming business as its Senior Director, as well as Business Development and Strategic Account Management for all Nor1’s Global Accounts which included several of the ten largest hotel chains.

“Sayi is incredibly talented and a proven leader. His unparalleled background and expertise will propel us toward our goals and ensure we achieve individualized, valuable solutions for our clients,” said Chuck Bauman, CEO of INSPIRE. 

Cloud5 Communications, a provider of communications and technology solutions for more than 5,000 hotels, MDUs, and commercial facilities across the Americas, announced the appointment of telecommunications expert, Jerry Gore, as company CTO.  

Gore joins Cloud5 following an impressive career spanning more than 20 years wherein he has specialized in telecommunications architecture and integration, as well as software development and support services. Most recently, Gore served as CIO and CTO for CrossCom, a leading lifecycle technology solutions provider for several of the largest retail chain businesses within the US. While at CrossCom, Gore oversaw the company’s transition from providing telecommunications services to serving as a full on-premise technology provider. Leveraging his expertise in technology and software development, Gore also successfully spearheaded integration efforts for companies acquired by CrossCom, and launched a new help desk division that leveraged automation to provide excellence in retail customer support operations.   

“We are excited to welcome Jerry to the Cloud5 team,” said Mark Holzberg, CEO of Cloud5 Communications. “As we continue to innovate, develop deeper integrations with key technologies and partners and bring even greater value and support to clients, Jerry’s expertise and leadership will be critical to our continued success.” 

Earlier in his career, Gore has served as a consultant for Centric Consulting, and founded LOIS, Inc., a software development consulting firm. Jerry holds a BA from Illinois Wesleyan University and is also a graduate of Harvard Business School’s advanced management program.

Let us Nudge, a restaurant seating maximization technology, announces the launch of its [email protected] platform backed by NudgeAI. 

[email protected] allows for restaurants to nudge customers at home with incentives to visit the restaurant, such as discounts, free food, new menu items and more. The customers can accept or deny the nudge and if accepted, the restaurant receives a notification the customer is headed in.

Let us Nudge, which serves large franchise chains, fine dining and small family-owned restaurants, launched with its in-restaurant solution, Nudge Table Turnover. Nudge Table Turnover optimizes restaurant traffic and frequency by gently nudging customers during busy times to aid in table turnover with incentives. The Nudge Table Turnover solution has helped restaurants increase revenue by 20%, according to the company.

Both solutions are powered by NudgeAI, a patent-pending SaaS technology that delivers real-time data and analytics to help restaurant owners and operators improve their targeted marketing and campaign management. According to SmallBiz Genius, 95 percent of restaurants feel technology can improve restaurant efficiency, including food cost management, staffing and consumer traffic flow.

Chowly, a restaurant technology company that integrates third-party delivery marketplaces with point-of-sale (POS) systems, has acquired Koala, a guest experience platform that empowers established and emerging restaurant brands to elevate their digital ordering experience across web, app and kiosk to drive immediate results. The combined business will represent over 16,000 restaurant locations on the platform, integrating over 350,000 orders per day across the US.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Koala to the Chowly team,” said Sterling Douglass, co-founder and CEO, Chowly. “Merging these two businesses together represents a major leap forward in the mission of both organizations as we help restaurants navigate today’s complicated digital world. Koala’s open platform meshes perfectly with Chowly’s, while also giving restaurants a simpler experience for their off-premise strategies. We plan on bringing Koala’s best-in-class, enterprise-grade ordering to the SMB restaurant space and blend our partnership ecosystems while continuing to support their success in the enterprise restaurant space.”

71% say the ability to integrate with other systems is driving their POS purchase decisions, according to HT’s2 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

SMB and independent restaurant owners will soon gain access to a more sophisticated and holistic solution, including enterprise-grade online ordering, advanced data analytics, and proven machine learning recommendation engines for increasing basket sizes. Sophisticated native iOS apps, open platforms, and multi-platform support have long been relegated to the largest of enterprises, but are now being democratized for the independent restaurateur.

The leadership team at Koala, Walter Beller-Morales, Melanie Norton and Brett Spiegel will play a critical role in integrating the two companies’ solutions in conjunction with Chowly’s leadership. Koala’s CEO Nat Trienens will remain temporarily to help shepherd the integration of the two companies.

Chowly brings significant scale to the expanded organization, representing more than 12,000 locations and 3,000 brands. The company has delivered a consistent record of product innovation, best-in-class implementation time and POS integrations, and a strong value-driven sales team. By adding Koala’s strengths with product-leading features such as top tier conversion rates, enterprise-grade stability, a highly-customizable user experience and a machine learning engine for recommendations to maximize basket size, the combined company will be positioned for significant growth as a market leader.

Hostaway, a vacation rental management software company, has partnered with global travel technology provider Amadeus to distribute short-term rental properties worldwide.

This partnership supports a growing interest in alternative accommodations within the travel industry, both from leisure travelers and business travelers craving more flexibility and choice. As the number of remote workers increases, ‘blended’ travel combining work and leisure time has firmly rooted itself in corporate culture. As such, travelers and their agents are looking for properties that can satisfy their unique needs more than ever before.

Now Hostaway property managers looking to expand their distribution networks have the option to connect with Amadeus and distribute their own content thanks to LinkHotel technology. This not only adds to the wide variety of accommodations available in the Amadeus Travel Platform but allows Hostaway users to reach Amadeus’ vast network of travel agents to unlock new revenue. 

Marcus Räder, CEO & Co-Founder of Hostaway, said: “Short-term rentals have always attracted a dedicated customer base of leisure travelers. Over the last two years, they have also proved their value to business travelers who want more flexibility. We wanted our property managers to be able to reach these guests and connecting with Amadeus was by far the best way of achieving this on a large scale. We’re proud to reveal it today.”

Mirja Sickel, VP Hospitality Distribution, Amadeus, said: “As global travel resumes, it’s important we continue to grow our network with a wide range of properties suited to today’s life and travel-styles. By selecting Amadeus’ LinkHotel, Hostaway property owners are empowered to update and send information to a global network of travel agencies instantly with complete control over changes to inventory, rates, and availability.”  

Property managers can learn more about the Amadeus connection by visiting the Hostaway marketplace at hostaway.com.