BUSINESS TRAVEL
Deem | February 24, 2023
On February 23, 2023, Deem, a pioneer in mobile-first corporate travel management software, announced that its improved Etta business travel booking website is now available for early access. Deem representatives can provide customers with access, allowing them to experience new features, including:
A new e-commerce-style shopping cart enables users to search and select hotels, flights, and rental cars in any order and then check out when finished.
Responsive design that improves the booking experience no matter what device is used.
EcoCheck tool features the same functionalities and data as Etta for iOS and Android.
Etta's award-winning accessibility features are now fully realized in the desktop app, allowing everyone to book corporate travel on the Etta website easily.
The delegate booking feature, available in both classic and updated Etta, enables travel managers to book, manage, and monitor travel for their entire team.
Responsive design is a crucial requirement today, as 92% of people browse the internet on their phones. Moreover, website traffic through phones is on the rise, with 59.5% as of 2022's third quarter. The new version of Etta will automatically reformat for optimal performance on the platform used to access it.
Sustainability information is also important to travelers, with 77% of business travelers responding that reducing their carbon footprint during travel is a moderate or top priority. Those between 18-34 account for the highest percentage (86%) of the respondents. EcoCheck offers reliable carbon emissions data, contextual information, and hotel ratings during the travel booking process.
Better accessibility is crucial to enable more people to benefit from digital platforms. With Deem's award-winning accessibility functionality now on the Etta website, it meets the WCAG 2 AA-level guidelines.
Customers with early access can activate the latest Etta web experience by toggling a button in the screen's top right corner. Once enabled, the toggle is applied across the site. This new version of the Etta business travel software will be available for all locations this summer.
About Deem
Deem is a corporate travel management software provider with solutions designed to help employees work and travel more efficiently while companies can apply policies and control costs. Its platform allows travel managers to customize travel programs and easily service travelers. The company's products give employees the tools to make better travel decisions, save money, and stay connected. Its technology plugs into travel management and expense providers, and its suite of tools is used by corporate customers and travel management companies globally. Deem is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, and has offices in Bangalore, India and Dublin, Ireland. It is wholly owned by Enterprise Holdings.
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BUSINESS TRAVEL
Life House | March 20, 2023
Tech-enabled hotel management company, Life House, has announced the addition of two more properties in Mexico to its growing portfolio of 80+ independent hotels.
The two properties are Faisano Nomadas in Aldea Zama and The Carmen in Playa Del Carmen. With these hotels, Life House is now managing five independent hotels in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.
The Carmen is a 37-room hotel in the heart of Playa Del Carmen that is catered to adult vacations and is located directly on the beach. Built in 2017, the hotel features stunning views of the Caribbean from its rooftop bar and lounge, Deck5, and also hosts an Italian restaurant, La Famiglia, on the ground floor. The Owner is a long-time Denver-based developer. Ownership was very excited to have Life House take the reins given their existing presence in the Playa Market.
“We selected Life House for the promise of its advanced tech stack and the opportunity for shared services with their other hotels,” said the Owner of The Carmen. “We expect to see many improvements to The Carmen’s operations and profitability with this new partnership.”
Faisano Nomadas is a 24-room hotel in the heart of Aldea Zama. It was designed not just as a hotel, but as a destination itself, complete with a resort-style pool and a bar offering food and drinks concepted uniquely for the hotel. Francisco Mendoza and Gustavo Acosta, the developers of Faisano Nomadas, are highly experienced hotel owners and strategic growth partners for Life House in Mexico.
Francisco Mendoza shared, “Working with Life House has been really exciting. They have been supporting our project with all their experience and knowledge as we are not Hotel operators - we are just investors trying to develop a profitable business with a great customer experience for our guests. Life House has experienced specialists in all operating areas who are guiding us in this journey and giving us the structure needed in order to achieve our goals.”
Life House, founded in 2017, is uniquely positioned to manage smaller, leisure-oriented hotels and resorts across Mexico. Life House provides institutional-quality hotel management and branding services focused on profitability, ease, and long-term real estate value. They offer best-in-class hotel operations that are powered by their robust operational systems and proprietary technology that consistently drives 2x higher NOI, 40% higher net revenues, and all with a very lean on-site staffing model. Life House is therefore seeing high demand for its management platform throughout Mexico and is targeting the region as a strategic area of growth.
“We are excited to partner with Messrs. Mendoza & Acosta and the owner of The Carmen on their special hotels and forward thinking approach,” said Rami Zeidan, the Founder & CEO of Life House. “Ever since we entered the market in 2020, we have seen how many great independent hotels are underserved and we’re looking forward to helping small & medium indie hotels throughout the country in the near future.”
About Life House
Life House is a vertically integrated hotel management & technology company focused on serving small and medium independent hotels with institutional quality service. Life House uses advanced software & operating systems to increase profitability and reliability for independent hotels throughout North America. Life House was founded in 2017 by real estate, hospitality, and technology veterans and is backed by world renowned private equity and venture investors. The company is ambitiously investing in its operational systems to make hotels fare more profitable, predictable, and seamless for owners. Today the company operates over 80 hotels across North America.
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HOSPITALITY TRENDS
Plusgrade | February 01, 2023
On January 31, 2023, Plusgrade announced the acquisition of UpStay, a fast-expanding provider of upgrade and auxiliary revenue solutions for the hospitality industry.
UpStay helps hundreds of hotels in 17 different countries make more money by giving their guests more value. Meanwhile, this integration strengthens its five global travel ventures, adding hotel upgrades and other innovative ancillaries to its ancillary revenue and loyalty products. As a result, it expects to generate about $5 billion in new revenue opportunities for its partners in 2023.
Ken Harris, CEO of Plusgrade, said, "The acquisition of UpStay is another step forward for our vision and mission of becoming the Global Ancillary Revenue Powerhouse. We have been accelerating this mission through a series of innovations, launches and acquisitions, and have come into 2023 as a powerhouse for the global travel industry. We are thrilled to have the UpStay team join us, and look forward to tapping into their expertise and innovative technology to bring even more value to our now 200+ airline, hospitality, cruise, rail and financial services partners around the world."
(Source - Cision PR Newswire)
Tzafrir Blonder, CEO of UpStay, expressed, "This is an exciting day for UpStay. After 4 years of incredible growth and success, we are thrilled to be joining forces with Plusgrade to invest further in our product offerings and enhance our ability to drive ancillary revenue for our partners through upselling additional on-property amenities and services. I look forward to continuing to lead the hospitality ancillaries vertical in the company, as we grow with Plusgrade in 2023 and beyond."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
About Plusgrade
Plusgrade, one of the leading technology companies providing ancillary revenue solutions in the global travel industry, has partnered with about 140 airlines, hotels, cruise lines, financial services companies, and passenger rails worldwide since 2009. Headquartered in Montreal, it assists companies in creating new revenue streams and travel experiences for their guests and passengers. It maximizes the return on unsold premium inventory through the customer journey. The company provides travel partners with incremental ancillary revenue and merchandising strategies by introducing new products, loyal branding, and customer satisfaction.
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