For everyone whose lifeblood is the hotel industry, the last few months have been heartbreaking. Of course, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc and unimaginable pain and hardship for countless people around the world, but we could never have imagined seeing the entire world stop traveling completely.

Ireckonu solidifies itself as hospitality's premiere Customer Data Platform. Ireckonu has continuously showcased their Guest Experience Framework as a Middleware platform that enables true guest experience.

Oracle Hospitality is committed to helping the hospitality industry get back to business. To support this effort, Oracle, with support from HTNG, recently hosted Innovation Week, a collaborative event dedicated to accelerating the industry's recovery and accommodating the rapidly evolving demand for low or contactless guest and employee interactions. The inaugural event drew 465 attendees across more than 200 hospitality technology organizations from 48 countries who came together to not only foster dialogue about innovation, but make it a reality. The event offered an expedited pathway to integration with Oracle Hospitality solutions, offering hoteliers more choices in technology to help them prepare for the new next.

As I've reviewed the "Commitment to Cleanliness" tomes released by major hotel brands and management groups over the past month, I've been impressed by the dedication and attention to detail from the teams' that put each together. Operating under extreme pressure as many of their colleagues faced furlough, they've outlined cleaning solutions and processes that will indeed make their guests feel more comfortable and mitigate risks to the health of both their staff and guests. These commitments create a new baseline standard — like air conditioning or hot water — without which it's not plausible to label a building with the term "hotel."

In the past, exploring opportunities in new source markets and demand channels came with both risk and time-consuming implementations on the part of the hotelier. To start, the exploration in itself was challenging and often left to vague promises and hope. It was hard to know what channels were producing, what the real target audience was, and what their buying power was. In simple words, "is this audience a good fit for my hotel, and will the revenue generated be worth the investment in time?"

INTELITY®, the provider of the travel industry's most comprehensive guest engagement and staff management platform, announced today a new partnership with JTB Corp, Japan's leading hospitality and travel service, to create VIP travel experiences for guests globally. The initiative will deliver robust digital capabilities and custom content in Japanese to guests through the INTELITY platform, giving JTB's travelers personalized experiences crafted for their specific needs.

PITTSBURGH - "I came onboard Horizon Properties Group in late 2015 and started to review cloud-based hotel accounting software systems. This was three years before the CV19 difficulty began. When we deployed Aptech's PVNG Enterprise Accounting this February we did not plan for a pandemic, but PVNG has been instrumental in our business continuity because now we can oversee financial performance and effectively manage operations remotely," said Joshua M. Morgan, CHTP, director of technology and infrastructure for Horizon Properties Group, LLC.

ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions has announced the successful implementation of its advanced VingCard Essence and VingCard Signature RFID door locks at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Florida. A world-renowned integrated resort known for its hospitality and musical entertainment, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood selected the stylish VingCard Essence to be implemented at its recently opened Guitar Hotel while ensuring the maximum safety of guests at The Oasis Tower with the installation of VingCard Signature RFID.

Cendyn, the leading innovator in CRM, sales, and revenue strategy for the hospitality industry, announces that Lily of the Valley has selected Cendyn to power CRM at their luxury resort in the South of France.With eInsight CRM, Lily of the Valley will benefit from a CRM and guest intelligence solution that allows them to learn more about their guests. Collecting data from multiple sources to provide an accurate, single source of truth for each guest, eInsight CRM will provide enhanced guest profiles, automation, segmentation, and reporting to put the power of true personalization with Lily of the Valley. As the luxury resort plans to open in mid-June following the COVID-19 closure, implementing CRM now will enable them to listen to their guests, provide peace of mind and drive success through the recovery as hotels across the globe re-open."We pride ourselves on the fact that our guests are given a tailored experience throughout their stay at Lily of the Valley. A big part of this is providing a truly unique experience for them," said Manon Smagghe, Rooms Division Manager. "The only way to do that effectively now is with a truly integrated CRM system. eInsight CRM will enable us to learn more about our guests and tailor their experiences based on their preferences. Our guests' needs and safety has never been as important as it is now, so we are pleased to partner with Cendyn to help us achieve this.""Lily of the Valley is a truly unique resort, providing tailored experiences for every guest. This is the core foundation of what they do, and what makes them stand out, so we are delighted that they have chosen to partner with us to power their CRM and continue to build on that guest experience," said John Seaton, Chief Commercial Officer at Cendyn. "Using data from multiple sources and creating a single source of truth for their data will allow them to take their offering to the next level and provide a truly tailored experience throughout the travel journey."Lily of the Valley is a resort that offers so much; all guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor activities, light and delicious cuisine, and expert wellness treatments. Founded by a father and his daughter, Lily of the Valley is set between the tranquil charm of the Riviera and the bustling atmosphere of Saint-Tropez, in La Croix Valmer. The hotel takes pride of place on the hills of Gigaro, looking as if it has always been there, surrounded by unspoiled nature and with over three miles of fine sandy beaches below.

In the past few years, the importance of technology in our daily lives has increased exponentially - and this is no exception when it comes to hotels. The growing need for connectivity in our world today demands that hotels provide guests with the ability to use multiple devices at high speed in their room. The guests intensified desire for a home away from home, or an experience that they can tailor to their own needs means that features such as the ability to stream own entertainment or personalize the ambiance of their room are becoming the new norm.