As the hotel industry prepares for its annual budget planning for 2024, we're at a critical moment where technology and financial strategy blend together. This goes beyond simply setting aside funds for new digital tools; it's about fully integrating technology into our financial and operational plans. This guide will navigate the complexities of the evolving budgeting landscape, focusing on how a tech-centric approach can reshape your hotel's path to success in the competitive world of hospitality.

VAI Resort, a $1 billion, 60-acre oasis featuring a 1,100-room luxury hotel scheduled to open in 2024 in Glendale, Arizona, has partnered with Hapi and Salesforce to personalize and differentiate guest service across the entire resort.

Diving straight into the heart of distribution challenges, this insightful session unveils actionable techniques such as personalized direct offers, competitive pricing’s conversion impact, the pivotal role of Brand.com, and the game-changing potential of AI. Unlock the key to heightened profitability and streamlined operations by catching the webinar on-demand now.

In the age of digital transformation, the hospitality industry has witnessed a significant shift in how travelers plan and book their accommodations. Hoteliers are turning to various online strategies to capture the attention of potential guests, and Google Ads has emerged as a game-changing tool in their arsenal. Searching for desired hotels on the search engine has always been a part of the customer journey, and that is why it is crucial for the hotels to appear as the top result of their prospective customer’s search results.

Cendyn, a catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry, proudly announces the strategic acquisition of WIHP, an industry leader in hotel digital marketing services and technology. The acquisition signifies a key milestone in Cendyn's quest to facilitate profitable revenue growth for the hospitality industry through continued investment in driving direct bookings.

The first thing I discovered when I started in hospitality is that it is a zero-disappointment business, particularly when guests are paying for a world-class service.

Known as “The South’s Grand Hotel, The Peabody Memphis, a Forbes Four-Star and AAA Four-Diamond rated property, is an icon in Tennessee. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel is home to five resident Mallard ducks that march daily through its lobby following their Duckmaster. Operating a property of this stature takes precision and hospitality excellence – especially when it comes to financial matters. For the last 20 years, The Peabody has relied on Aptech to automate its enterprise accounting processes. This month, the property will go live with Aptech’s budgeting and forecasting solution, Targetvue, to give its accounting team “one version of the truth.”

Artificial Intelligence or AI, is already making a huge impact on a variety of global industries, including hospitality. Google has already seen success with their own AI implementations, including their fully AI-powered Performance Max ads, which have seen ‘on average over 18% more conversions at a similar cost per action’ vs. other paid search ads. A separate case study by Google found that India’s travel booking engine, Goibio, saw a 25% increase in hotel transactions with Smart Bidding, with a 22% lower cost per conversion rate for non-brand paid search campaigns.

Shiji, a global leader in hospitality technology, is pleased to announce the appointment of Benex as its official partner for Türkiye. The partnership between Shiji and Benex marks a significant milestone as they combine their strengths to offer comprehensive and innovative ICT solutions to businesses across Türkiye.

What one guest considers as “luxury” is different from another and for that reason, luxury hotels must offer their guests a variety of choices mapped to their individual preferences to deliver a hyper-personalized luxury experience. Choice is critical for today’s luxury travelers – choice of where to travel, where to stay, what kind of experience they wish to have, and how they want to interact with a property. As noted in a recent EHL Insights article, “We keep defining the word luxury but ultimately it has to be defined by the customer.” While the level of service, convenience, and attention rank high on the luxury spectrum, providing the guest with a myriad of choices significantly enhances those luxury service offerings, and allows the property to play a crucial part in creating a unique experience catered to their guest’s unique interests and preferences.