News Briefs

Knowland, a provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, and Amadeus, a global leader in hospitality technology, today present the metrics from the companies’ Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index (the “Index”). The fourth quarter of 2023 demonstrated that group business in 10 of the top markets in the U.S. has recovered 110 percent compared to the same time in 2019. Group bookings are calculated using occupancy and average daily rate (ADR).

The Index combines event data from Knowland with hotel booking data from Amadeus’ Demand360+ to provide individual and aggregate views of the key drivers of hotel performance and is updated quarterly. Q4 data shows that the top 20 markets have reached 100 percent of 2019 and 10 of those have reached 110 percent or more, including:

1. Las Vegas        144.1 percent
2. Phoenix           123.9 percent
3. San Diego        122.5 percent
4. Tampa             121.3 percent
5. Boston             120.3 percent
6. Austin              116.6 percent
7. Miami              115.4 percent
8. San Antonio     112.0 percent
9. Seattle              110.9 percent
10. Los Angeles       110.0 percent

By using industry-leading data from the Knowland platform and trusted Sales & Catering solutions like Amadeus' Delphi, hoteliers can develop precise, data-driven strategies to boost group sales and efficiently manage the entire process from lead to event execution.

Key insights from the Index are as follows: 

• Group business was up across key metrics –Q4 group business achieved a 110 percent health index by consuming 95.5 percent of the group rooms sold in 2019 and increasing the average rate by 14.8 percent. Overall growth in 2023 was 103 percent, with 92.5 percent of group rooms sold in 2019, increasing the average rate by 11.7 percent.
• The volume of smaller groups provides stability – The meetings and event business recovered to 91.9 percent in Q4 as compared to [2019], with end-of-year recovery at 91.2 percent. Today, 70.0 percent of events have 200 attendees or less, and notably, smaller meetings of less than 25 attendees have experienced the most growth, with a 19 percent increase since 2019. 
• Corporate groups continue to drive meeting and event volume – The larger percentage of events in the corporate segment bodes well for business travel. In 2023, corporate segment events made up a larger share than in prior years.  In Q4 2023, 63.9 percent of event days were corporate.      For the full year of 2023, that was 58.4 percent compared to 2019 at 57.3 percent.
• The negotiated rate index strengthened in Q4, exceeding all prior quarters in 2023 – The negotiated index achieved a 90.2 percent health index by consuming 84.0 percent of the negotiated rooms sold in 2019 and increasing the average rate by 7.3 percent.
• Segments normalize across the board– The overall health index for Q4 is 94.5 percent, with Group, Negotiated, and Events stabilizing at 90.0 percent or more compared to 2019.

Go here to download the full report.

The aggregated index for 2023 end-of-year achieves 91.2 percent overall health compared to 2019 across all segments. Starting Q1 2024, the Index will shift to a year-over-year comparison. The Index helps hoteliers identify top drivers of group business and assess industry ‘health’. It offers filters for event market segments and booking industries, empowering hoteliers, DMOs, and CVBs to adapt strategies effectively.

Vindow, a transparent marketplace for buyers and sellers of contracted hotel accommodations, is proud to announce that Globespan Travel Management, a top-tier corporate travel management firm, has selected their platform to manage all their transient and group hotel sourcing. Designed for both group and transient programs, Vindow harnesses the power of advanced data analytics to empower decision-makers with insights that are crucial for making informed and strategic buying decisions.

Vindow’s cutting-edge platform will revolutionize the way that Globespan manages their hotel sourcing and travel program management. The platform’s user-friendly interface and machine learning features enable travel managers to extract valuable insights into traveler sentiments and anticipated trends, making it easier for travel managers to pick the best destinations and/or properties, and making it significantly simpler to negotiate and manage large-scale corporate transient programs.

“Ultimately, we chose to work with Vindow for two key reasons: the advanced functionality of the platform, which I know will make our travel managers’ jobs much easier, and the company’s willingness to develop customizable functionality to enable their clients to manage their sourcing more effectively, according to their specific needs and goals,” said Daniel Moretta, President from Globespan. “As our client list continues to evolve into new verticals, we know that, if necessary, Vindow’s development team will be willing to support our growth by making updates to the platform which will enable us to be more effective in our sourcing, giving our clients better results, and improve our overall business success.”

“We are very excited to help Globespan and their team take their sourcing to the next level,” said Victor Pynn, CEO of Vindow. “We built Vindow with a strong dedication to customer support and, because three-quarters of our staff are on the development team, it gives us the ability to incorporate buyer feedback into our innovation pipeline and quickly deliver solutions that solve our partners’ real-world problems. In short, this partnership will be a win/win for us and for Globespan."

The partnership with Vindow not only equips Globespan's travel managers with enhanced options for hotel procurement and travel program management today, but also positions them as contributors to future innovations in the industry.

Innrly, the brainchild of Vimal Patel, is ushering in a technological revolution in the US hospitality sector. By integrating advanced AI and automation, Innrly aims to be a pivotal player in enhancing the efficiency and guest experience in American hotels.

Industry Challenges and Innrly’s Unique Solutions:

The US hotel industry faces unique challenges, such as diverse staff management and catering to an international clientele. Innrly’s suite of tools, including OTA Reconciliation, automated night audits, and guest feedback management, are specifically designed to tackle these issues. Each module is crafted to streamline operations, ensuring that hotels operate with precision and care, focusing on what truly matters – the guest experience.

Technology at the Core:

Innrly’s technology goes beyond mere automation. By leveraging AI, the platform provides predictive insights, enabling hoteliers to make data-driven decisions. This advanced capability allows for enhanced customer service, optimized room pricing, and efficient resource allocation. Innrly’s impact is evidenced by its growing popularity among US hoteliers. The platform has shown to significantly reduce labor hours and improve operational efficiency, directly translating into increased profitability and improved guest satisfaction. Testimonials from various hoteliers highlight the transformative nature of Innrly’s technology in their day-to-day operations.

Trends and Future Outlook:

As the US hotel industry evolves with digitalization and changing customer expectations, Innrly is at the forefront, offering solutions that align with these trends. The platform's adaptability and innovative approach position it as a leader in the industry’s future.

Special Offer for Industry Members:

Innrly acknowledges the importance of accessibility and offers AAHOA members one year of free access to its OTA Reconciliation Module. Additionally, all hoteliers are invited to explore the full suite for three months, free of charge.

Conclusion:

Innrly represents a new chapter in hotel management in the US. With its blend of AI and automation, Innrly is not just a software provider but a partner in ensuring the success and growth of hotels across the country.

Experience Innrly:

For a firsthand experience of how Innrly can transform hotel operations, visit www.innrly.com and sign up for a free trial.

 

InnSpire, the leading provider of innovative hospitality technology solutions that help drive seamless, world-class guest experiences for some of the world’s most iconic hotels and brands, has announced a strategic partnership with RealTime Reservation (RTR), a centralized inventory control and management platform that assists hotels in maximizing ancillary revenue from services and amenities.

The new partnership integrates RealTime Reservation’s robust inventory mapping and booking capabilities into InnSpire’s award-winning mobile app solution to create a single sign-on (SSO) experience for guests. The unified interface gives guests the ability to see everything a property has to offer and book a host of property services, amenities, and experiences from their mobile phones or in-room tablets without the need to log in to multiple applications. This includes dining and restaurant reservations, as well as beach chairs, pool cabanas, spa/golf reservations and other onsite experiences.

“Our partnership with RealTime Reservation consolidates disparate guest reservation systems at a property into a single platform that is meant to give travelers seamless and personalized command over their stay at the property from their device of choice,” said Martin Chevalley, CEO of InnSpire. “The combined solution also enables greater operational efficiency and enhances ancillary revenue for the property by maximizing guest convenience and satisfaction.”

InnSpire’s full-featured, mobile phone-based digital guest journey application combines a host of powerful features that allow hotel guests to check-in and out remotely, securely access their accommodations using a mobile key, view menus and order in-room dining or drinks and snacks by the pool, send requests to the guest services team in real time, book restaurant and spa reservations, check their folio and access an extensive range of property information, all from their own smart phones.

“Our integration with InnSpire creates a single guest profile that makes it simple to navigate the property’s offerings and manage all aspects of their stay, down to the details that matter most to them, like a cabana nearest the ocean or pool, for example,” said Shawn Tarter, Founder and President of RealTime Reservation. “The result is one easy-to-use branded platform, so the experience is intuitive and seamless for the guest. It also allows the property to better manage their inventory, operations, and staff resources for service fulfillment.”

HID, the worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, and Olea Kiosks, a visionary provider of self-service kiosk solutions, today announced a new collaborative engagement that revolutionizes the user experience when it comes to access control and user authentication across a range of applications. 

WHAT: Industries from healthcare, hospitality and retail to banking, government, transportation and beyond are primed to empower people with unsurpassed levels of security and user convenience when it comes to countless check-in and access scenarios. The HID U.ARE.U™ Camera Identification System – featuring remarkable facial recognition technology (FRT) – can now be incorporated into the Olea HYPERMODULAR™ Kiosk to address the rising demand for flexible, customizable ID authentication and verification across various vertical settings.

WHY: Facial recognition technology continues to gain traction based on its unique combination of high security and user convenience. Paired with the extremely flexible Olea kiosk, HID’s AI-powered U.ARE.U Camera Identification System is an ideal solution for applications needing to handle high throughput. HID FRT is:

• Fast and Accurate: On-the-spot verification authenticates and validates an individual’s identity in seconds, reducing wait time in line.
• Easy to Use: One look is all that’s required to securely capture a facial image for frictionless identity verification.
• Secure: Biometric traits provide irrefutable proof of identity and presence to prevent fraud.
• Convenient: One’s face is now their ID card, pin and password, so there’s nothing to carry, forget, lose or have stolen.
• No Human Intervention: This seamless technology requires no dedicated staff to check IDs.
• Contactless and Hygienic: Facial recognition offers a touchless way to authenticate individuals' identities, minimizing exposure to health risks by reducing shared touchpoints. 

Olea selected the HID U.ARE.U Camera Identification System for its many notable features, including:

• Top NIST ranking for matching performance & accuracy
• Ethically trained with AI to reduce matching bias
• Exceptional ‘In-the-Wild’ recognition (precise capture and authentication regardless of variances in lighting, backgrounds, pose, expression, etc.)
• Extraordinary presentation attack detection (PAD) against spoofs
• Stellar security & privacy with on-device (Edge) biometric processing
• Easy to configure (leading to faster deployment and faster ROI)

Olea developed the HYPERMODULAR kiosk in response to market demands for flexible, customizable kiosks for the security and access control space. In addition to housing HID’s leading facial recognition camera, Olea’s kiosk design can also accommodate fingerprint scanners, barcode scanners, ticket and ID document readers, RFID readers, card printers, and other HID offerings within its HYPERMODULAR footprint.

HOW: Bringing together HID facial recognition with Olea kiosks supports myriad use cases for reliable self-service check-in and authentication. Just a sampling of applications include:

• Retail & Hospitality: Hotel self-check-in, self-checkout/face pay, ticketing at theme parks and VIP customer identification
• Banking: ATM verification and VIP customer identification
• Healthcare: Patient check-in and registration, manage personal data, scan and record insurance/ID cards, telemedicine services and payment collection
• Airport and Border Crossing: Passenger self-check-in, bag tag printing and bag drop, VIP lounge access and security and immigration checkpoints

WHEN: The HID-Olea Kiosks are available now. To learn more about HID’s facial recognition technology and Olea Kiosks, visit our solution pages:

• HID AI-powered facial recognition
• HID U.ARE.U Camera Identification System
• Olea HYPERMODULAR Kiosk