Hospitality Trends
prnewswire | August 22, 2023
Dripkit Coffee, a leading single-serve pour over solution for a variety of roasters and wholly owned subsidiary of NuZee Inc. (Nasdaq: NUZE), is teaming up with new Columbus, Ohio hotel, The Junto, to launch an in-room coffee solution honoring Ohio State's 1926 homecoming queen, Maudine, the Holstein cow.
In 1727, Benjamin Franklin — you may have heard of him — founded a "club for mutual improvement," which he styled The Junto. Ben's club brought together people from diverse backgrounds to discuss issues and ideas of the time. The Junto hotel is a modern-day embodiment of this idea. With an emphasis on public gathering spaces, the hotel gives visitors, locals, entrepreneurs, and artists alike a place to come together, exchange ideas, and inspire one another.
In designing the packets for this collaboration, The Junto and Dripkit teams drew inspiration from the hotel's breakfast and coffee shop, Maudine's. In 1926, when Rosalind Morrison won the distinction of Ohio State University Homecoming Queen and learned that she had received more votes than there were students at the school, she passed her crown to the runner-up, Maudine Ormsby. An esteemed member of the university's dairy herd, known for her award-winning milk production, Maudine was officially declared Queen.
The black and white cow print Dripkits featuring a small yellow crown can be found in all 198 rooms of the hotel for guests that need a pick-me-up before heading down to Maudine's for breakfast, visiting the hotel's two restaurants or walkup food window, meeting in the multiple event spaces, or hitting one of the many amenities including a gym, patio, working spaces, and "Gear Garage," where hotel guests can borrow bicycles, kayaks, paddleboards, instant cameras, backpacks, and GoPro video cameras.
Founded in 2017 by Ilana Kruger, Dripkit offers single serve pour over coffee formats on a large scale to combine convenience and quality. Dripkits produce a 10oz cup of coffee using 17g of roasted and ground coffee without the prep or cleanup of a traditional pour over. The just-add-water format enables hotel guests and visitors to brew the perfect cup of coffee in two minutes and enjoy freshly roasted specialty coffee on-the-go, sans equipment, and without the mess.
The Junto joins an esteemed line of Dripkit hospitality partners, which include Kayak and Autocamp. Dripkit Coffee is a business division of the NuZee (NASDAQ: NUZE) brand portfolio. To learn more, please visit https://dripkit.coffee.
About The Junto
The Junto is an independent hotel developed by Columbus-based Rockbridge, under the company's Makeready division. This is Makeready's first Columbus hotel, following hotels in Savannah, Charleston, Nashville, Denver and Dallas. The company is planning a second hotel in the Merchant Building underway next to the North Market.
About Dripkit
Dripkit offers a large-size single serve pour over format that delivers what it believes to be a barista-quality coffee experience to coffee drinkers in the United States. The brand has combined its focus on convenience and quality, as well as a goal of using first-rate, ethically sourced coffee beans, to become a leader in the single serve coffee category.
About NuZee Coffee
NuZee, Inc., (NASDAQ: NUZE), is a leading co-packing company for single serve coffee formats that partners with companies of all sizes to help them develop within the single serve and private label coffee category. Providing innovative and eco-conscious solutions with the flexibility and capacity for both small roasters and large global brands, NuZee is revolutionizing the way single serve coffee is enjoyed in the United States. Through the brand's unique process, NuZee fulfills every aspect of co-packing needs, from roasting and blending, to packing and packaging. NuZee has production facilities in the United States and Korea.
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Travel Technology, Hospitality Trends
PR Newswire | July 05, 2023
Today, Collinson, a global leader in the provision of airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement solutions, and owner and operator of Priority Pass, announces a new partnership with Blue Sky Group, a hospitality provider in Indonesia that manages premium executive lounges in airports across Indonesia, alongside hotels and restaurants.
This partnership will allow Priority Pass Members to access 13 airport lounges, eight of which are exclusive to Priority Pass Members, in Indonesian airports. This includes Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (BPN), and Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport (PLM).
Blue Sky Group's airport lounges offer comfortable spaces for travellers to relax pre-flight, as well as VIP rooms for informal meetings. Lounges at Balikpapan (BPN) and terminal 2 of Soekarno-Hatta (CGK) airports provide complimentary buggy services that transport guests from the lounge to immigration. In addition to curated lounge spaces, members will be able to enjoy Ippolito coffee – Blue Sky's in-house brand, roasted locally – as well as sample Indonesian cuisine, such as Pisang Goreng and varieties of Jajanan Pasar.
"This is an exciting time for the travel industry in Indonesia, as the country has set a goal of attracting nearly 7.4 million international arrivals in 2023; almost double the number of arrivals when compared to last year," said Todd Handcock, Global Chief Commercial Officer and Asia Pacific President at Collinson. "We are delighted to partner with Blue Sky Group, one of the top hospitality providers in Southeast Asia, to vastly enhance our Priority Pass Members' experience when visiting Indonesia, through inventory that both provides a taste of the local culture, and a memorable airport experience."
Linan Kurniahu, CEO of Blue Sky Group said, "We are thrilled to partner with Priority Pass to provide their members with access to our premium airport lounges in Indonesia. Our airport lounges combine the best of local culture and cuisine with the highest levels of international travel service. This partnership represents a significant milestone for us as we continue to expand our footprint across Asia Pacific's travel industry."
Indonesia has a rapidly growing economy and is fast becoming a major international business and leisure travel destination. Recognising the importance of this market to Priority Pass Members, together, both partners will make travel to and within the Indonesian archipelago more comfortable and relaxing than ever before.
About Collinson
Collinson is the global, privately-owned company dedicated to helping the world to travel with ease and confidence.
We work with the world's leading payment networks, over 1,400 banks, 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide. We deliver market-leading airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement, and insurance solutions for over 400 million end consumers.
About Priority Pass
Priority Pass is the world's original and market-leading airport experiences programme. We provide travellers with access to 1,300 airport lounges and travel experiences in over 650 airports in 148 countries. Members can access an ever-growing range of premium experiences – from spas to sleeping pods to dining – that help elevate every journey into something special. By building partnerships with other leading brands, we help to bring a better travel experience to the world.
About Blue Sky Group
A nationwide company focusing on hospitality, property services and restaurant management, Blue Sky Group started in 1973 as one of the few hotels in Balikpapan, Indonesia. Since 2003, Blue Sky Lounges serve in major cities in Indonesia, such as Balikpapan, Jakarta, Pekanbaru, Pontianak, etc.
We are the sole privately owned brand with multiple outlets that have partnership with major banks and corporate & government entities in Indonesia. Our aim is to continue to be the destination for travellers before their journey, with the goal of going to international market in the future.
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Travel Technology
Hyatt Hotels | September 22, 2023
Hyatt Hotels Corporation embarks on a strategic expansion journey with over 30 luxury and lifestyle hotels planned for the Americas by 2025.
The brand's rapid growth includes doubling luxury room inventory and increasing lifestyle rooms, making it a premier choice for high-end travelers.
The strategic acquisitions of Mr & Mrs Smith and Dream Hotel Group enhance Hyatt's offerings for members of the World of Hyatt.
The Hyatt Hotels Corporation has strengthened the brand with ambitious plans to expand its luxury and lifestyle presence throughout the Americas. With a robust development pipeline encompassing more than 30 planned hotels and resorts slated for completion by 2025, Hyatt is poised to make a significant impact. This strategic initiative includes venturing into new markets, reflecting the company's unwavering commitment to enhancing its brand offerings. Over the past half-decade, Hyatt has achieved remarkable milestones on a global scale, including doubling luxury room inventory, tripling the number of resort rooms, and quadrupling the availability of lifestyle rooms. The momentum behind this growth shows no signs of abating. Hyatt now proudly stands as the fastest-growing luxury portfolio, with luxury, lifestyle, and resort properties constituting over 40% of its extensive portfolio. This success solidifies Hyatt's position as the ultimate choice for discerning high-end travelers seeking unparalleled experiences.
This brand expansion has new properties in sought-after destinations, including the Hyatt Centric Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Cas en Bas Beach Resort in Saint Lucia, and Hyatt Centric Querétaro in Mexico. Additionally, Hyatt is introducing Boundless Collection hotels, featuring Thompson Hotels in various U.S. and Mexican locations. Timeless Collection hotels will offer a home away from home experience, with Park Hyatt Los Cabos in Mexico and Grand Hyatt Scottsdale in Arizona among the highlights. The Inclusive Collection will welcome new resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, including Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spa and more. Several luxury and lifestyle Hyatt hotels have recently opened in the Americas, with exciting additions like Andaz Mexico City Condesa and Dreams Flora Resort & Spa in Punta Cana. The Fordson Hotel in Oklahoma City will soon join The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.
Hyatt's transformative growth journey extends further through strategic acquisitions that enhance the offerings for its valued guests and members. The recent acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith, a global travel platform renowned for its curated collection of boutique and luxury properties, is a testament to Hyatt's commitment to delivering exceptional experiences. This move significantly enriches the choices available to World of Hyatt members, providing them with an even more comprehensive array of rewarding stays and memorable experiences. In addition to this, Hyatt's earlier acquisition of Dream Hotel Group in early 2023 has opened up new horizons for World of Hyatt members, enabling them to access an expanded portfolio of stay options and lifestyle experiences in vibrant destinations like Nashville, Hollywood, South Beach, and New York City.
Additionally, this acquisition catalyzes Hyatt's brand expansion into an emerging leisure market in Mexico, with the upcoming Dream Valle de Guadalupe (slated for 2024). Nestled across 35 sprawling acres in the picturesque Baja California region, this property will feature a sprawling vineyard, 61 well-appointed guestrooms and villas, a luxurious spa and wellness facility, and a trio of vibrant dining and nightlife venues, including an exclusive tasting room and pool bar.
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