Embracing its one-of-a-kind appeal, Casa Pepe, a boutique hostel in the beautiful historic center of Mexico City, announces the addition of OpenKey's mobile technology to its suite of guest services. The OpenKey mobile app will provide guests with the comfort of easy check-in at their fingertips.

ASSA ABLOY Hospitality, provider of advanced security solutions for the hotel industry, is announcing an enhancement of its VingCard RFID electronic locks with the support of NXP Semiconductors' MIFARE Plus® EV1 smart card IC. Through this strategic collaboration, ASSA ABLOY Hospitality is further strengthening its security protocol with the addition of a seamless and cost-effective upgrade path for hoteliers that also provides heightened security features for hotel staff and guests.

HTNG's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Workgroup developed a CRM (i.e. Global Customer Profile) Centric Architecture for Hospitality White Paper to develop a framework and associated data sets that allow companies to build and integrate a next generation CRM solution.

Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that its industry-leading property management system, Visual One® has added additional mobile capabilities that provide hospitality operators with key features that improve their guests' experiences. The new features enable guests to check in and out online and allow staff to increase productivity with mobile housekeeping. An integration with the company's booking engine, rGuest® Book, has also been added, allowing operators to offer seamless online booking. In line with the company's growing commitment to its global customers, Visual One has also added additional payment integrations and increased support for regional settings.

The San Luis Resort, which consists of three properties and Convention Center, has selected ALICE to enhance their internal communication, concierge operations, and guest engagement at their beachfront property. ALICE is the hospitality industry's leading operations technology, connecting every department of the hotel with one platform for all staff communication and guest requests. Last year, ALICE acquired concierge software provider GoConcierge to augment its technology and customer service offering.Prior to implementing ALICE, The San Luis Hotel communicated with radios and documented guest and internal requests manually. The hotel team sees ALICE as an opportunity to respond to guest needs more quickly and provide service efficiency across their hotel teams without having to increase labor cost or staff count. The rollout of ALICE's suite of products on the property includes ALICE's concierge software, preventative maintenance software, and integrated hotel guest messaging. Located a short distance from Houston on the Texas Gulf Coast, The San Luis Resort offers the perfect Galveston Island experience with lavish accommodations, breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico and personalized service. With such customized services, The San Luis Resort has a strong base of loyal guests, and was searching for a technology solution they could help them deliver the best experience the island has to offer. "ALICE allows us to enhance the guest experience, providing consistent and reliable service for our returning customers," said Steven DeFelice, Regional Director of Sales for The San Luis Resort."The San Luis Resort has always been the premier hotel in Galveston. The hotel is robust with meeting space, multiple restaurants, an amazing pool with cabanas and a swim-up bar, and is as close to you can get to the beach. With an operation as expansive as theirs, a system like ALICE is a natural fit." said ALICE's Director of Sales, Darien Long. "In the short term, they will be able to more quickly service guest demands and begin to understand where they can preemptively meet the guest's needs before the request has been made. Over the long term, the hotel can expect to understand trends that can help them control operational expenses. We are so excited to have our first ALICE hotel on the Galveston Island and another partner with Landry's Hospitality."When asked about the ALICE training process, DeFelice highlights, "I have been happy with how the ALICE team has rolled out training on the property and how they work hand-in-hand with each of the departments to make this a seamless and exciting transition."

Infor, a leading provider of industry-specific cloud applications, today announced that The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts has deployed Infor Hospitality Management System (HMS) for its hotel operations, and Infor SunSystems for its financial operations in its Bali, Phuket, Madrid, and Amsterdam properties. The Hong-Kong based company owns and operates luxury hotels, resorts and manages experiential travel across Asia and Europe.

B2 Hotels, one of the biggest hotel chains in Thailand, are enjoying a significant boost in occupancy following installation of Guestline's award winning property management, central reservation and distribution solutions to power the day-to-day management of each property.

ALICE sat down with Les Clefs d'Or member and Chief Concierge of The Dewberry in Charleston, Laura Cunningham, to discuss the current opportunities and challenges for the concierge, the impact of technology on the profession, and the future of the concierge industry.

In the heart of the Windy City guests of the refined Silversmith Hotel can enjoy a high-tech experience, starting with a seamless keyless check-in process thanks to OpenKey's innovative technology. OpenKey is the industry standard for universal mobile access in hotels.

Patrick Fisher of Thomson Reuters notes that, "As technologies become more and more pervasive across industries and functions, companies as varied as Goldman Sachs, Exxon, GE, Citi, and Walmart are all becoming technology companies as well." Hotels may not be peddling technology, but they are profiting off of their ability to offer guests innovative technology solutions as well as their ability to use technology to do better business. Even if hotels aren't ready to be labelled technology companies, hotel operations have evolved from an industry that once utilized technology to a technology-dependent industry.