TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
businesswire | April 24, 2023
Canada Jetlines Operations Ltd. has confirmed that Travel Agents in Canada will soon be able to view and book Canada Jetlines inventory via the Travelport Distribution System.
Travelport, a global technology company that powers bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide, and Canada Jetlines, have executed a long-term agreement to bring New Distribution Capability (NDC) content and travel retailing technology solutions to the airline.
Joining the Travelport global marketplace will enable Canada Jetlines to enhance its geographic reach and target new leisure traveler segments, while providing travel agents with increased options to create optimal travel experiences for their clients.
"Canada Jetlines’ business plan from day one believed that having our content on as many shelves as possible, at the right time, and at the right price, while offering our travel trade partners competitive earning opportunities, would contribute to our growth plans. We are looking forward to providing rich content through the Travelport+ platform, placing Jetlines inventory and services in the hands of travel agents around the world,” said Canada Jetlines Chief Commercial Officer, Duncan Bureau.
“As the only travel retailing platform built for agents, our partnership with Canada Jetlines will further expand our content portfolio on Travelport+ so that our customers can offer more choice and the best options for their customers. Our Travelport+ platform will greatly support Canada Jetlines to help them expand their reach to more retailers,” said Craig Banks, Head of Commercial, Air Partners – Americas.
The implementation of the Travelport Distribution System is expected to be completed and ready for use during the current quarter.
About Canada Jetlines
Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Jetlines, an airline with a value-focused leisure carrier, utilizes a growing fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft for more travel options to preferred locations within the U.S., Caribbean, and Mexico. It has been connecting with travel agencies for transformation and convenience in the air travel industry since 2021. With an experienced team and efficient aircraft design, it provides cost-effective and competitive flight options to the Canadian market and beyond. With a state-of-the-art web booking platform, it makes turnkey solutions available to travel agents, tour operators, and consumers. In addition, it generates revenue from reservations and ancillary sales.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
Marriott International | May 26, 2023
Marriott International announced today that it has signed an industry-first agreement with Rappi, Inc., the multilatina technology company. The collaboration aims to increase everyday earning opportunities and offer an elevated travel experience for both Marriott Bonvoy members and Rappi users.
Marriott Bonvoy members will soon be able to link their Rappi and Marriott Bonvoy accounts, which will result in exclusive benefits, like earning Bonvoy Points for qualifying Rappi purchases while offering additional benefits to Rappi Prime users. This unique arrangement marks the first time that a global hotel company has entered into a strategic collaboration with a Latin American technology company, showcasing Marriott International's continued commitment to innovative and tech-forward collaborations that meet the evolving needs of its guests.
"As the largest hotel company in the Caribbean and Latin America, we continue to be committed to enhancing the travel experience of our Marriott Bonvoy members, from booking to check-out, ensuring we are meeting our guests where they are. Working with one of the most innovative startups will allow us to keep our promise of providing more everyday earning opportunities for members and introduce us to Rappi users who may still be unfamiliar with our award-winning travel program," said Diana Plazas-Trowbridge, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Marriott International in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International's award-winning travel program and marketplace, currently has over 5.8 million users in the Caribbean and Latin America. The collaboration with Rappi will enable Marriott International to offer its services to Rappi's more than 30 million users across nine countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay.
"With this strategic partnership with Marriott Bonvoy we continue to strengthen our position as a leading multi-vertical technology company in Latin America, ensuring the best offer and experience when booking travel through Rappi, and continuing to make our Prime subscription the highest value program in Latin America," said Guido Becher, Global Head of Rappi Travel.
The collaboration between Marriott Bonvoy and Rappi will roll out first in Mexico, Marriott's largest market in the region, and will be followed in the upcoming months by Colombia and other markets where Rappi operates.
Rappi, which has quickly become one of the most popular and trusted technology companies in Latin America, is a leader in digital services that offers innovative solutions to unmet needs, as it manages to connect users, commerce and courier in a strong digital ecosystem. Among its verticals, Rappi offers restaurant, grocery & pharmacy delivery, courier, Fintech, ecommerce and travel, and a Prime subscription service offering free delivery and numerous other benefits. Rappi is headquartered in Bogota, Colombia, and currently services over 350 cities in 9 Latin American countries.
About Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 8,500 properties under 31 leading brands spanning 138 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy, its highly awarded travel program.
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HOSPITALITY TRENDS
businesswire | May 05, 2023
Life House has been selected to manage two more hotels in California - Hotel Royal in Long Beach and Hotel La Rose in Sonoma County. Life House now operates seven hotels throughout California. Both owners faced similar challenges prior to switching to Life House, including fatigue keeping up with the day-to-day operations and a heavy reliance on expensive OTAs, all while desiring to preserve their connection to the property.
Hotel La Rose, a landmark 48-key property in the heart of Santa Rosa, has been welcoming travelers for over 100 years. The owners were attracted to Life House's ability to enhance their hotel's profitability while allowing them to devote more time to their other businesses. For the hotel’s owners, Lukhbir Gill, Hardeep Gill and Jim McCalligan, preserving the historic charm and unique character that had been cultivated through a century of heartfelt operations was very important.
“We wanted to free up our time, but deeply care about Hotel La Rose and the special experience our guests have enjoyed for so many years. Therefore, we could never see it being flagged,” said Hardeep Gill. “Life House is the perfect solution to operate this historic asset in a very sophisticated manner to optimize profitability, whilst maintaining the specialness & extraordinary charm.”
Hotel Royal, a 1923 Art Deco boutique hotel in Long Beach’s trendy East Village Arts District, had just celebrated its 100 year anniversary when the owner Victor Beauchamp retained Life House to take over management. “I had spent 20 years renovating and building our unique brand,” Beauchamp shared. “I was exhausted and needed help but couldn’t allow our family legacy to become just another corporate hotel. Life House’s personalized approach really appealed to us as a chance to maximize performance and compete with bigger, better resourced hotel brands while retaining what we love most about our property.”
This is a familiar tale for independent hotel owners who pour their heart into their properties but have difficulty keeping up with technological advances and increasing operational complexity. From transition through ongoing management, Life House’s partners have a dedicated Asset Manager who liaises with 140+ corporate experts within all pillars of hospitality operations, ensuring that the hotels employ best-in-class systems & processes at all times.
The owners of both Hotel Royal and Hotel La Rose were encouraged by the 258% increase in NOI versus pre-Life House management that was experienced by a historic property in close proximity to Hotel La Rose. Life House boosted revenue and decreased operating expenses by automating back-of-house functions, increasing profitability without adversely affecting the guest experience.
The Management Agreements for both properties were executed early this year. With an efficient transition process, they have both already launched under Life House management.
We are excited to partner with the owners of these special hotels, as they seek to spend their time in more meaningful ways,” said Rami Zeidan, Founder & CEO of Life House. “We’re excited to continue growing in California as there is an abundance of quaint independent hotels with similar attributes to the many hotels we’ve helped on the East Coast.”
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 far more profitable, predictable, and seamless for owners.
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