TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
HotelPlanner | November 23, 2022
HotelPlanner, a global travel technology platform and hotel booking engine, announced a new service agreement with Roibos, one of the fastest-growing B2B hotel inventory marketplaces globally. HotelPlanner will deploy Roibos distribution channels to expand its hotel room offerings globally while improving real-time inventory efficiency.
“In today’s complex and fragmented hospitality market, we are always looking to improve efficiency and connectivity in the global marketplace of selling hotel room nights, Parnering with Roibos will help us to offer the best inventory at the best rates – at the speed of now. We look forward to expanding this partnership in the coming years.”
-Bas Lemmens, EMEA President, HotelPlanner.
The direct connection between HotelPlanner and Roibos will help Hotelplanner accelerate the go-to-market on direct contracting, as Roibos is the most cost-efficient way to grow direct hotel contracts. says Anna Igual, Chief Distribution Officer, Roibos. “Accompanying HotelPlanner on its worldwide expansion is the perfect way to expand our reach. It’s a win-win! We look forward to being an integral part of their growth strategy moving forward.
About Roibos
Roibos is a B2B hotel distribution marketplace where hoteliers and travel operators can connect directly, without intermediaries. This new generation platform helps to improve sales, margins, and distribution, while removing inefficient contracting and complex integrations that reduce profit margins on both ends. Roibos has developed an exclusive Technology Platform (100% in house development), eliminating many traditional inefficiencies, and focusing on what is important to our clients.
Roibos vision is to become the most relevant global marketplace for hoteliers and travel operators through reinforcing these three pillars: Innovation, Control and Profitability.
About HotelPlanner
HotelPlanner is a leading travel technology company that combines proprietary artificial intelligence and a 24/7 gig economy-based reservations and customer service network, to quickly and seamlessly serve all traveller hotel & accommodation needs from a single platform.
HotelPlanner is one of the world’s top providers of individual, group and corporate travel bookings, specializing in unique “Closed User Group” discount rates. Founded in 2003, HotelPlanner has enduring partnerships with the world’s largest Online Travel Agencies, well-known hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, sports franchises, universities and government agencies.
Read More
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY,AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS
Alaska Airlines | December 01, 2022
Alaska Airlines became the first U.S. airline to launch an electronic bag tag program, which enables guests to tag their luggage through the airline's mobile app before they even reach the airport.
This week, 2,500 Alaska Mileage Plan members will begin receiving their electronic bag tag. Those elite status members included in the first wave of the program are guests who have traveled in the last 12 months, checked-in at least one bag and were among the first to register to use the device."The last thing our guests want to do is stand in line," said Charu Jain, senior vice-president of merchandising and innovation for Alaska. "With the addition of the Alaska Airlines electronic bag tag, our guests can complete almost all of their check-in tasks – from the comfort of their home, at work or on the way to catching their flight."
The three-by-five-inch devices are updated with a guest's flight information through the Alaska Airlines mobile app during check-in; essentially allowing travelers to head straight to the bag drop area once they arrive at the airport.
The Alaska Airlines electronic bag tag is estimated to reduce the time guests spend in airport lobbies by about 40%, including reducing lines and the use of paper bag tags. In addition to the device's impressive lifespan and durability (Alaska Airlines employees tested it by running it over with a truck), the devices don't require charging or batteries.
"We've tested our electronic bag tags on countless flights across the country, including international routes where Alaska Airlines flies, and the devices have performed exactly as they're meant to," said Jain. "We'll collect feedback from our first wave of users before the devices become available to purchase to all our guests early next year."
The Alaska Airlines electronic bag tag will be available for purchase to all guests starting in 2023 and will operate on all Alaska Airlines marketed flights operated by Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air and SkyWest Airlines.
Along with the hardware, the software for the device is provided by BAGTAG, a Dutch company that is a pioneer in the field of baggage technology solutions.
"Alaska Airlines is an excellent example of a carrier on a mission to improve all aspects of their passenger's experience, This vision is leading their choices for innovation such as electronic bag tags and we are very proud to assist them in this project."
-Jaspar Quak, BAGTAG managing director
Click here to check out how the Alaska Airlines electronic bag tag works and join the notification list when the devices become available for purchase.
About BAGTAG
BAGTAG was founded in 2014 in the Netherlands, with the purpose of introducing the world's first flexible and secure electronic bag tag solution. Having developed in close cooperation with the world's leading airlines, the company launched its hardware solution in 2018 and is now leading the market for electronic bag tags.
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We emphasize low fares and award-winning customer service. Alaska is a member of the oneworld global alliance. With the alliance and our additional airline partners, our guests can travel to more than 900 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow @alaskaairnews for latest news. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group.
Read More
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY,HOSPITALITY TRENDS
Sandpiper Hospitality | December 20, 2022
Sandpiper Hospitality – a Virginia-based hotel management company with vast expertise in the extended-stay segment – has partnered with ProfitSword by Actabl, the industry’s only integrated hotel operations, business intelligence and labor management solution platform.
Each of Sandpiper Hospitality’s 60 managed properties nationwide will have access to ProfitSword’s industry-leading suite of advanced budgeting and performance forecasting tools designed to provide accurate, data-driven decision-making capabilities, increase operational efficiency and drive revenue growth for each property, as well as for the entire organization.
“ProfitSword is a game changer for Sandpiper Hospitality as it gives us access to highly customized data and precise real-time analytics,” said Sandpiper Hospitality President & CEO Jim Darter. “We believe this significant move will have a uniquely positive impact on our business by helping us to differentiate ourselves from our competitors and prove our strong return on investment to all our clients.”
Sandpiper Hospitality is approved by Marriott International, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Extended Stay America to manage their select-service and extended stay brands and now manages over 10 different brands in its burgeoning portfolio.
"We are excited to partner with the Sandpiper Hospitality team, ProfitSword by Actabl’s powerful business intelligence, reporting, and financial solutions will enable Sandpiper properties to better serve their guests and enable operations leaders to maximize profitability across their full portfolio.”
-Lindsey Goedeker, Vice President Sales, Actabl.
Sandpiper Hospitality has seen strong growth in 2022, adding three newly developed Wyndham Hotels & Resorts properties in Texas to its managed portfolio, including a first-of its kind dual-branded La Quinta Inn / Hawthorn Suites in Pflugerville, TX, along with the WoodSpring Suites Orlando I-4 & Convention Center in Florida for new client Sunburst Hospitality.
Sandpiper Hospitality has a portfolio of 60 hotels open or under contract with 22 of them under management for third-party clients. Sandpiper Hospitality continues to demonstrate its unique ability to combine a flexible approach to third-party management with extra-ordinary financial results for its investors and clients. For more information, please visit http://www.sandpiperhospitality.com.
About Sandpiper Hospitality
Sandpiper Hospitality is a high-performance hotel management firm recognized as experts in the extended stay hotel space. With 60 hotels open or under management for a diverse group of clients across the country, Sandpiper Hospitality is on the leading edge of the hottest segment in hospitality. Hotel Business ranked Sandpiper Hospitality as a Top 50 Management Company in its 2022 Green Book and for the second year in a row, ranked it as one of the fastest growing companies in hospitality management. The firm has earned its position as the leading operator in the extended stay hotel segment of hospitality by virtue of superior returns on investment for its investors and clients. Sandpiper Hospitality - where expertise grounds us and flexibility elevates us. http://www.sandpiperhospitality.com
About Actabl
With a comprehensive suite of industry-leading technology solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of the global hospitality industry, Actabl provides all the insight and intelligence today’s hoteliers need to enhance operational efficiency, improve guest experience, and increase profitability at the individual, team, property, and enterprise levels. Bringing together the industry’s most powerful and proven brands, Actabl’s integrated solution includes the ALICE hotel operations management platform, ProfitSword’s AI-powered business intelligence technology, Transcendent’s advanced asset management, and Hotel Effectiveness’ complete labor optimization system designed for hotels and hotel management companies. With a global team of 250+ employees boasting over 1,000 years of combined hospitality experience, Actabl serves the technology needs of more than 10,000 properties in hospitality markets around the world. To learn more, please visit http://www.actabl.com.
About ProfitSword by Actabl
Founded in 2001, ProfitSword by Actabl’s mission is to provide exceptional business intelligence tools to the business community, specializing in data collection and integration, data analytics, operational functionality and reporting at all levels of the organization. The ProfitSword Suite is now in use by more than 30,000 users across 3,000+ business units. ProfitSword’s award-winning SaaS solutions provide the end user with applications for consolidated, real-time reporting and data management. ProfitSword uses various available methods of gathering data from disparate sources to create a powerful data warehouse. The suite of applications is accessible to all levels of users throughout the organization.
Read More