New UI for Back End

Operators running multiple sites and outlets face a time-consuming challenge: creating, updating, and maintaining menus and guest directory items, to ensure content is always up-to-date and accurate. This complexity extends across individual venues, departments, and even group-wide operations. Recognising the need for a more efficient approach, IRIS has upgraded the functionality and UI within the back end of its app to enable operators to now update menu and guest directory items simply and efficiently. 

Now users can create or amend a section (i.e. breakfast), category (i.e. pastries), and item (i.e. croissant) in just one convenient page. Even better, once an item has been created, it is now easier and quicker for operators to add modifiers or hide/display the item as and when required.

The same approach applies for guest directory items. For example, local services or attractions which can also be uploaded and modified centrally.

For both F&B and guest directory, operators have the option to upload more images to not only save time but enhance guest appeal, overcoming the challenge often presented by language barriers. Many operators report guests find images more compelling and are more likely to respond by placing an order, compared to text listings. Adopting a more image-led approach to menu displays, whether for F&B or directory items, is key to delivering increasing orders and spend as well as boosting profit margins. 

The new functionality will enable operators to take a more dynamic, flexible approach to managing their menus, introducing seasonal menus or daily specials, and maximizing popular items at key times. This is in addition to highlighting items as popular, recommended by the Chef or as a special to enhance the guest’s experience, so they can enjoy more variety and choice according to their own preferences.

It will also be supported by a reporting function to deliver greater visibility on what items are selling when and by which outlet, so operators can take a more informed approach to managing future menus and F&B and guest directory strategies. 

Re-order and upselling

In addition to an enhanced back-end functionality, the two new re-order and upsell features have also been launched to deliver a more frictionless and personalized dining experience for guests that also delivers more orders and revenue for operators. 

Via the new “Order Again” button, guests can quickly and easily reinstate all the items from a previous order back into their cart for a quick, fuss-free and complete re-order that saves time and can be completed quickly, without the need to wait for a member of staff or run the risk of mistakes.  

Likewise, the “Related Items Categories” feature has also been built with the same ethos of equipping and enabling operators with the functionality to reduce pressure on staff and maximise each and every revenue opportunity. Operators can now include additional suggestions for nominated menu items. For example, a choice of red wines or side dishes to accompany a steak, so that guests can see at a glance how best to complement and enhance their meal and, critically for operators, increase their order size. 

These features can also include discount codes along with allergen aspects eg dairy free, for complete transparency to again enhance the guest experience and build trust. 

Martin Daniel Voštiar, B&F Coordinator, W Barcelona, comments: “It is the functionality of the new UI that holds the strongest appeal. In particular the Guest Directory and Food & Beverage buttons. They make the process much more intuitive and easy to understand how the individual parts interact with each other, which has made implementing it across our operations and our team simple and straightforward.”

David Molofsky, Product Manager at IRIS, adds: “Mobile tech has become an essential tool in hospitality, fueled by surging guest demand for mobile-first experiences. Operators must now deliver a dynamic, engaging experience that offers choice, convenience, and exceptional service – all while ensuring their mobile ordering solutions are agile, optimise operations, and unlock upsell and revenue potential.

“Many clients report that whilst room rates and occupancy rates are approaching peak levels, there is now pressure on other departments to increase revenue and average guest spend to drive profitability across the board. F&B is an incredibly important revenue stream for operators, so ensuring it is working at its full potential is critical. The new range of features have been designed to enable operators to realize their revenue ambitions beyond room rates – and are already delivering impressive results.” 

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It’s the warmth of the welcome, the empathy in the service, and the genuine connection forged between guests and hotel staff. These are the soft skills that can elevate a stay from merely functional to exceptional.

While the digital revolution has transformed to offer greater operational efficiency and convenience, soft skills are the crucial facet of hospitality that remains steadfastly human.

These skills are indispensable for hotel operations professionals and how they are the key to creating unforgettable guest experiences that technology alone can not achieve.

The Essence of Soft Skills in Hospitality

Soft skills are the essential qualities that empower individuals to connect effectively with others through interpersonal, communication, and emotional intelligence abilities. In the hospitality industry, these skills serve as the cornerstone for delivering exceptional guest experiences and fostering a successful business. Here are some vital soft skills that every hotel professional should embody:

Empathy

Visitors arrive with a variety of backgrounds and emotions during their stay. Practising empathy allows you and your team to establish a personal connection with guests, showing them that their feelings are acknowledged and appreciated. Whether a guest is marking a milestone or dealing with a difficult circumstance, empathy plays a crucial role in leaving a lasting positive impact.

Communication

At the core of hospitality lies effective communication. Hotel staff need to convey information, listen attentively to guest needs, and promptly resolve any issues that may arise. How staff communicates can greatly influence a guest’s overall perception of their stay. Whether it involves welcoming guests with a warm smile or handling concerns with professionalism, strong communication skills are a must-have.

Problem-Solving

Every day, hotel employees face a multitude of challenges, ranging from rooms being overbooked to dealing with guest complaints. The capacity to think critically and devise innovative solutions is a crucial soft skill for those in the hotel industry. Demonstrating resourcefulness and adaptability enables staff to navigate unforeseen circumstances while maintaining guest satisfaction.

Teamwork

Hospitality is synonymous with collaboration. It’s essential for hotel staff from various departments to seamlessly work together to create a unified guest experience. By cultivating strong teamwork and interpersonal skills, a positive work environment is nurtured, ensuring guest requests are efficiently catered to.

Cultural Sensitivity

Welcoming a diverse array of guests, hotels embrace cultural sensitivity by honouring and understanding the customs, traditions, and preferences of individuals from various backgrounds. Recognising and adjusting services to accommodate these differences can significantly enrich the guest experience.

Patience

Having patience is a valuable trait – particularly in hospitality. Hotel professionals frequently face challenging situations with demanding guests or technical issues that can push their patience to the limit. Maintaining a calm and composed demeanour is crucial to handle such situations gracefully.

Why Soft Skills Can’t Be Replaced by AI

While AI can handle routine tasks and provide information quickly, it lacks the depth of human emotion and understanding that soft skills offer. Here’s why soft skills remain indispensable in hotel operations:

Emotional Connection

Soft skills allow staff to form genuine emotional connections with guests. Guests appreciate when staff show genuine interest in their needs and well-being. While AI can simulate politeness and courtesy, it can’t truly empathise with guests.

Adaptability

The hotel industry is full of surprises. Staff with strong soft skills can adapt to changing circumstances and guest preferences, ensuring the guest experience remains exceptional, even in unexpected situations.

Complex Problem-Solving

While AI can handle straightforward issues, complex problems often require human intuition and creativity. Hotel professionals with strong problem-solving skills can find unique solutions that AI algorithms might miss.

Personal Touch

Soft skills enable staff to provide a personal touch that makes guests feel special. From remembering a guest’s name to anticipating their needs, these small gestures leave a lasting positive impression that AI cannot replicate.

Conflict Resolution

In cases of guest dissatisfaction or conflicts, hotel professionals with excellent soft skills can de-escalate situations and find mutually beneficial solutions. This human touch is invaluable in maintaining a positive reputation.

Cultural Adaptation

Understanding and respecting cultural nuances is a skill that requires human empathy and cultural awareness. AI may translate languages, but it can’t fully bridge the gap in cultural understanding.

Fostering Soft Skills in Hotel Operations

Given the importance of soft skills in hotel operations, professionals in the industry must develop and nurture them continually. Here are some strategies to help hotel professionals enhance their soft skills:

Training and Workshops: Offer regular training sessions and workshops on communication, empathy, and problem-solving.

Feedback and Coaching: Provide constructive feedback and coaching to help staff improve their soft skills. Encourage peer-to-peer feedback and mentorship.

Role Modeling: Lead by example. Managers and leaders should demonstrate soft skills in interactions with both guests and staff.

Guest Feedback: Actively seek and listen to feedback to identify areas where soft skills can improve.

Employee Recognition: Recognize and reward employees who consistently demonstrate outstanding soft skills in their roles.

Nurture Your Team’s Soft Skill Set

The hospitality industry heavily relies on soft skills, even in this era of AI-driven technology. While automation and AI can make things more efficient, they cannot replace the emotional connection, adaptability, and human touch that skilled hotel professionals bring to their roles.

To ensure guests have exceptional experiences that go beyond the capabilities of AI, hotels must prioritise the development of soft skills. Doing so will create memorable stays for guests and foster loyalty and long-term operational success.

For more, check out iVvy’s article ‘Hospi-Tech Harmony: How to Integrate Technology Without Losing the Human Touch’.

Lauren Hall is the CEO and Founder of iVvy, a a renowned software company that provides automation and cloud-based technology to help venues fill their function calendars and planners create unforgettable events. Lauren’s passion for entrepreneurship and over 25 years of business management experience at the executive and board levels make her a highly successful businesswoman. She has built multiple companies from startup to strategic and financial exit in various industries, including manufacturing, retail, advertising and technology, both in South Africa and Australia. Lauren co-founded iVvy in 2009 and has since overseen its growth to 10,000+ clients in 13 countries, expanding to New Zealand, Asia, Europe and North America.

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The sleek and modern hotel, which is part of IHG Hotels and Resorts and located next to Atlanta International Airport and the Porsche Driving Experience, boasts 214 guest rooms, including 18 executive suites, nine track-view suites and one presidential suite.

Kimpton Overland Hotel recognized the evolving needs of their guests (mainly business and corporate travellers) seeking comfort and convenience after a long day. As such, the hotel implemented IRIS Mobile Ordering to streamline its room service process, drive F&B revenue, and provide a faster and more efficient digital ordering solution so guests could enjoy dining in the comfort of their rooms.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with IRIS to elevate our guests’ dining experience with mobile ordering,” said Kerry Ringham, General Manager at Kimpton Overland Hotel Atlanta Airport. “As a hotel situated in a bustling travel hub, it’s imperative for us to offer innovative and convenient solutions that save our guest’s time and enable us to boost order volumes and F&B guest spend. IRIS provides us with the perfect platform to enhance our room service operations, increase revenue and exceed guest expectations.

We are excited to watch it grow, especially when we leverage this service at our Rooftop bar when the weather improves to enrich the guest stay further.“

The integration of IRIS mobile ordering allows guests to easily and swiftly place F&B orders directly from their rooms, eliminating the need to physically visit the restaurant or call the front desk. By simply accessing the digital menus via prominently placed QR codes in their rooms, on flyers, tabletops, and at the front desk, guests can effortlessly browse and select their desired items. Furthermore, the platform enables guests to schedule their orders for delivery at their preferred time, offering unparalleled flexibility and convenience.

“Our partnership with Kimpton Overland Hotel Atlanta Airport underscores our commitment to revolutionising the hospitality industry through innovative technology,” said Graham Rushin, VP Sales and Marketing at IRIS. “By leveraging our platform, the hotel is not only enhancing guest satisfaction but also driving operational efficiencies and increasing revenue streams.”

Since implementing IRIS Mobile Dining, Kimpton Overland Hotel has witnessed a surge in room service orders and a notable increase in average guest spend. The seamless integration of digital ordering has not only expedited the ordering process but has also improved order accuracy, resulting in heightened guest satisfaction and loyalty.

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Cendyn’s new value proposition presents a powerful collection of integrated solutions, enabling hoteliers to find new guests, book more direct, and grow revenue.​ Representing key parts of its product portfolio, Cendyn’s new consolidated Revenue Growth Package – powered by artificial intelligence (AI) – is designed to unlock a hotel’s full revenue potential across the digital landscape.

Establishing a robust online presence is paramount for hoteliers as social media and search channels play a critical role in effectively sourcing direct bookings to grow revenue. With 90%* of searches for hotels conducted on Google, Cendyn’s Revenue Growth Package prominently ranks hotels through metasearch and paid search strategies, utilizing competitive pricing that resonates with a hotel’s target audience.​ Coupled with Cendyn CRM, hoteliers can deploy personalized marketing, offering guests bespoke experiences and targeted social media and multi-channel ad campaigns.

Direct bookings offer huge revenue opportunities for hotels without third party commission costs. Last year, direct-online bookings^ reached an all-time high, however, OTAs still managed to regain market share* since 2021 claiming back 20% of bookings from hotels.

Alongside the brand revamp, Cendyn has reinforced its technology, services, and account management teams to support the company’s market development plans for further expansion and market penetration. The company’s headcount has seen double-digit growth in the past year, particularly in its key growth regions of EMEA and APAC. Cendyn now employs over 750 people across the globe, covering the USA, France, UK, Spain, Germany, Singapore, India, and Australia serving over 32,000 hotel customers in more than 150 countries.

“Cendyn has massively evolved over the past couple of years, taking time to develop a fully integrated platform following the acquisition of a number of key technology partners,” said Jack Blaha, CEO, Cendyn. “Our new visual identity captures the momentum and growth which hotels can achieve through our extensive range of products and services. It’s important that every guest interaction provides an opportunity to nurture relationships as well as maximize profit. Our integrated technology underpins these relationships to help hoteliers make sense of digital marketing and create deeper human connections for continual success.”

Cendyn’s integrated platform provides hotels with a seamless advertising strategy, ensuring marketing spend makes the most impact and converts more profitable revenue.​

“We’re enabling hotels to leverage all their data,” said Blaha. “By using AI to create audiences, identifying and communicating with people who should be your customers, hotels are able to allocate marketing budgets in a more targeted manner, spending it where it makes the most difference and converts the most profitable revenue.”

Available now, Cendyn’s Revenue Growth Package provides hoteliers with all the functionality required to drive growth for their business across the digital landscape, maximizing profits across every guest interaction and touchpoint and engendering a deeper customer lifetime value.

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Record-Breaking Growth

Over 2023 GoAudits has seen accelerated company growth, with over 1000 global businesses using its solutions daily. Its customer list boasts several Fortune-500 companies spanning a broad range of verticals, with a strong focus on hospitality and food & beverage. With significant investments in staff and product innovation, GoAudits has solidified its reputation for delivering superior auditing and inspection solutions. 

100 Million Checks Milestone

GoAudits celebrated a pivotal milestone with the successful performance of 100 million checks using its software across thousands of customer locations worldwide. This achievement highlights the efficiency and scalability of GoAudits’ solutions, and the value they bring to businesses seeking operational excellence.

Product Innovation

With a focus on continued improvement and innovation, in 2023 GoAudits launched a state-of-the-art mobile app, leveraging the latest technologies to enable seamless audits and inspections on-the-go. Available in six languages, the new app caters to a diverse international clientele, ensuring a more inclusive user experience. 

Global Reach and Strategic Expansion in the Middle East

The impact of GoAudits’ solutions has expanded to over 72 countries, demonstrating the global appeal and effectiveness of its software. In response to a growing customer base in the Middle East, in 2024 GoAudits is opening a new office in Dubai, in addition to existing offices in the US, UK and India. This strategic move enhances GoAudits’ ability to provide localized support and services in the region, marking a significant step in its global expansion strategy. 

“Reflecting on our journey and achievements in 2023, it’s evident that hospitality businesses continue looking for solutions to resolve challenges around manual work, inefficiencies and siloed data,” said Ram Bukka, CEO of GoAudits. “This trend, which gained momentum during the pandemic, shows no signs of slowing down. In particular, there is still a lot to be done in order to better connect frontline workers and management. At GoAudits, we’re excited to be at the forefront of this transformation, ensuring our clients stay ahead in this rapidly evolving digital landscape.”

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Influencers have emerged as a modern iteration of travel agents, guiding audiences towards their next destination and shaping their travel experiences. The digital age has seen a surge in the influence of social media on travel decisions, with TikTok’s “travel” hashtag amassing over 185 billion views and Instagram’s equivalent reaching 700 million posts. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger audiences, with approximately 40% of users aged 18-24 turning to platforms like TikTok and Instagram for travel inspiration, even before consulting traditional search engines like Google.

While the abundance of travel content on these platforms serves as a rich source of inspiration, there’s a notable gap in the infrastructure needed to translate this inspiration into actionable travel plans. Influencers, despite their significant impact on travel decisions, often lack straightforward mechanisms to monetize their influence. Similarly, followers seeking to emulate the experiences of their favorite influencers encounter difficulties in finding the necessary details to do so. The tools available to traditional travel agents, designed for direct, one-on-one transactions, do not cater to the one-to-many interactions that define the relationship between content creators and their communities.

Recognizing this gap, a new wave of startups is stepping in to bridge the divide, developing tools specifically aimed at enabling content creators to monetize their influence effectively. Hospitality brands are taking note. One such brand is Arlo Hotels, a lifestyle hotel brand known for its properties in New York, Miami, Chicago, and an upcoming location in Washington D.C. The company has launched If You Arlo (IYA) app, a loyalty program that seeks to introduce a new era of travel, where traditional travel agents are replaced by a network of social media influencers, friends, family, and content creators. These social media agents drive bookings while earning various perks, including credits, status, and surprise rewards at Arlo Hotels.

The initiative is based on the understanding that social media significantly influences travelers’ decisions, with 83% of millennials more likely to book a hotel after seeing images from someone they follow on social media. Arlo Hotels aims to capitalize on this trend by rewarding those who influence their guests’ decision-making process through the IYA app. This program allows influencers to share exclusive discounts and insider tips with their followers, fostering a community-driven approach to hospitality.

According to Jimmy Suh, Chief Commercial Officer at Arlo Hotels, the new app provides influencers with the infrastructure to monetize their passion for travel and Arlo Hotels. The app aims to bridge the distribution gap faced by independent lifestyle hotels compared to larger chains, offering a more personalized and authentic insight into the unique stay experiences these hotels provide.

The IYA app is available for download from the Apple App Store, with a Google Play version expected later. Interested individuals can join the waitlist to become a social media agent for Arlo Hotels. Once approved, agents can share their unique IYA code to accrue points towards future savings and rewards at any Arlo hotel location.

This innovative approach by Arlo Hotels not only empowers influencers but also addresses the challenges faced by independent hotels in competing with larger chains. By leveraging the power of social media, Arlo Hotels is seeking to pioneer a new distribution channel that, according to the company, promises a more relevant and engaging way for consumers to discover and book their next hotel stay.

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Why notice? Cite whatever stat and the story is the same: the wellness industry is booming. As one tool in the trade to capitalize on this growth, welltech nevertheless has capex considerations but also the promise of sizable ROI.

Framing this from the macro before getting to the micro, what you should know for this megatrend is that the rate of medical research discoveries is compounding (especially now with the help of artificial intelligence) and these findings about how to spot bodily irregularities or improve one’s health are slowly but surely disseminating into the public sphere. This process is occurring both with people of all ages or dispositions who are opting for healthier lifestyles as well as through entrepreneurs who are introducing new wellness products in order to serve this ever-increasing wellness market.

With many of these new products and companies opting for a direct-to-consumer business model, our homes are destined to become ‘high-tech health hubs’. The challenge therein that hotels face is straightforward: as one does at home, one will expect at their chosen accommodation.

While it may be easy to shrug this off as a topic of concern for those brands and executives solely focused on the spa or spatech spaces, lest we forget the technology adoption life cycle which compels new trends, styles and habits to naturally but inevitably shift from niche (dedicated spa goers or wellness junkies) and luxury (early adopters with lots of disposable cash) to all other categories as economies of scale and induced demand work their magic.

Even as we must contend with the burgeoning marketplace for welltech, the hospitality industry is already derided for being a tech laggard – unfairly so, in our opinion, given the complexities of managing a live property’s tech stack. Yet now, with the proliferation of all these fancy smart furnishings and devices available at home, hotels that don’t have a wellness strategy will be lag even further behind as consumers start voting with their wallets for health-oriented lodging brands.

Another essential element for figuring out how to incorporate welltech in hotels pertains to how many of these tools can be scaled in a labor-light manner. There’s spatech that can be assembled in a treatment room for a ‘set it and forget it’ guest experience; of course, there are wellness apps with minimal unit economics; and there are handheld or wearable equipment that can be made as an in-room brand standard or upsold rentable.

So, what kinds of welltech are consumers looking for? As technology now pervades all things, this term ‘welltech’ is quite the umbrella for anything and everything like:

• D2C apps: offering various health tracking, nutrition, mindfulness and wellbeing functionalities
• Club management: on the B2B software side, it goes without saying that advances are being made in the systems that ensure operations proceed smoothly, with AI now being embedded to drive staff and equipment efficiencies
• Cosmetics: leveraging the latest research and technology in health-promoting ingredient purity, stability and bioactivation to produce high quality serums, creams and also fragrances to tap into the aromatherapy wellness niche
• Supplements: still the Wild West in terms of regulation and precision, new brands are emerging that emphasize good manufacturing processes for the latest in vogue longevity pills
• Light therapy devices: whether handheld, wearable or mounted, running the range of infrared and red light therapy through to sad lamps and IoT circadian room lighting
• Hydrotherapy machinery: applicable more so as spatech but nevertheless a consideration as part of a total sensory activation for a new wellness program
• Soundscapes: yet more sensorial experiences that can run the gamut of curated environmental music through to binaural beats and neuroacoustics
• Biophilic design: hinging on the conceit that being in nature promotes good moods, hotels now have more live plants, living walls and artificial or digital greenscapes, yet all this still relies on BOH maintenance and energy management systems
• All things fitness: this banner can include new types of machinery to enhance exercise in various ways, handheld fitness devices, muscle recovery products and mobility tracking apps
• Massage devices: with some fittech overlap, this can be chairs, handheld massage guns, compression suits that amplify lymphatic drainage or even vibration plates
• Sleep tech: whether that’s cooling mattresses, bedside air purifiers, sound plates underneath the mattress or wearables that monitor your sleep
• Body scans: whether looking at muscular imbalances, fat disposition, bone density (DEXA) or movement mechanics, a lot of personalized health advice can be driven by scanning the body
• Diagnostics: whether from drawing blood to look at one’s epigenetics and multicancer early detection (MCED) or evaluating one’s gut microbiome from a stool sample, hotels can play a key role in introducing guests to the incredible world of preventative health screening

From that quick list alone, you should at least get a sense of how big the world of welltech is. But no matter what device, app or six-figure spatech equipment you purchase, all of it still relies on the core hotel tech stack for effective commercialization.

Some technology questions to consider as you refine your wellness strategy:

1. How are you marketing and packaging these new amenities?
2. Can you merchandize these wellness activations as prearrival upselling offers, on-prem purchases via the hotel app or other stages of the guest journey?
3. How will you use your wellness offers to encourage brand loyalty and return visits?
4. Operationally speaking for handheld device rentals, how do you manage inventory, delivery, cleaning and attachments to the guest folio?
5. For consumables like supplements or cosmetics, do they work with your procurement systems?
6. To help make your branded app as the one-stop shop, can partnered wellness apps integrate for frictionless guest access?
7. How can you use your existing market intelligence data feeds to spot upticks in wellness travel consumption as well as segment your wellness-primary and wellness-secondary guests?
8. Are you able to map the ROI of your wellness investments through a long-term total revenue metric such as customer lifetime value?

As you can see from these eight questions, for this new frontier of welltech at hotels, it all still relies on your core stack to make any programming a financial success. Knowing that the opportunities out there are quite lucrative for early adopters in this area, what we advise is that you start by learning the jargon. There’s a ton in the welltech lexicon and also in the theory behind how all these devices and diagnostics work, so it won’t happen in a day. Once familiar, you’ll then have a better grasp of what’s required from your traditional hotel technologies to guide your technology investments so that whichever wellness applications you deploy are a resounding success.

Together, Adam and Larry Mogelonsky represent one of the world’s most published writing teams in hospitality, with over a decade’s worth of material online. As the partners of Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited, a Toronto-based consulting practice, Larry focuses on asset management, sales and operations while Adam specializes in hotel technology and marketing. Their experience encompasses properties around the world, both branded and independent, and ranging from luxury and boutique to select-service. Their work includes seven books: “In Vino Veritas: A Guide for Hoteliers and Restaurateurs to Sell More Wine” (2022), “More Hotel Mogel” (2020), “The Hotel Mogel” (2018), “The Llama is Inn” (2017), “Hotel Llama” (2015), “Llamas Rule” (2013) and “Are You an Ostrich or a Llama?” (2012). You can reach Larry at larry@hotelmogel.com or Adam at adam@hotelmogel.com to discuss hotel business challenges or to book speaking engagements.

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A future-proof approach

Over the past two years, THN has invested in extensive research and development to create a cutting-edge platform that relies on AI models instead of cookies. With the imminent phase-out of third-party cookies, this forward-thinking approach eliminates the reliance on traditional tracking methods and allows hoteliers to confidently implement personalized marketing strategies without compromising on regulatory compliance.

Enhanced targeting

The upgraded platform provides hotel marketers with a more effective approach to connect with visitors through personalized online experiences. The enhancement of targeting and segmentation translates into a seamless direct channel user experience and increased conversion rates.

Pioneering AI

With a commitment to safety and user identification, THN’s machine learning models stand out by significantly reducing collisions and ensuring identity consistency across a vast user base of 150 million yearly visitors, particularly on mobile devices. The technology further enhances THN’s Predictive Personalization platform, equipping hoteliers with improved segmentation and more impactful engagement strategies.

VP of Data Science at The Hotels Network, Albert Pujol, emphasized the cutting-edge nature of this development, “At THN, we have pushed the boundaries of machine learning by leveraging our unique advantage of having access to billions of web page visits across our network.” He added, “This has enabled us to develop an innovative AI architecture that has learned to reconstruct the navigation paths of website visitors in real-time with unprecedented accuracy, without relying on cookies and ensuring user privacy at all times.”

This innovative technology will be seamlessly deployed to all existing THN customers, allowing current users to immediately benefit from these advancements without disrupting their ongoing operations. As THN continues to lead the way in delivering cutting-edge solutions, it sets a new standard that redefines the landscape of online user experience in the hospitality industry.

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One of the app’s early adopters is Le Thi To Mai, Revenue Manager at Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion in Vietnam, who says, “SiteMinder’s new app has streamlined our revenue management with quick availability checks, performance reports and rapid rate updates – perfect for our dynamic pricing strategy. It’s been a game-changer for us.”

Adds Encarni Ogea Bermúdez, Director at Costa Azul Hostel in Spain: “The mobile app is super practical, fast and easy-to-use. It allows me to instantly visualise key information, like availability and minimum stays, from the palm of my hand.”

SiteMinder’s mobile app has been unveiled at ITB Berlin, where the company’s revenue product consultant, Aimee Olley, will provide a keynote presentation about what the release means for the world’s hotels. 

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The large funding round is a testament to Mews’ growth, including a more than 60% increase in revenue year-on-year, surpassing $100 million in annualized net revenue. Additionally, the company has reportedly seen a considerable rise in Gross Payment Volume, reaching over $8 billion, and has facilitated over 16 million annual check-ins at hotels worldwide. Mews has also expanded its marketplace to include over 1,000 integrations with leading technology solutions in hospitality.

The company’s growth strategy includes global expansion, research and development, and further acquisitions. Mews aims to empower innovative hospitality organizations to expedite their digital transformation. Founded in 2012 by Richard Valtr, a former hotelier, Mews seeks to revolutionize hotel operations through its cloud-based system that integrates with a wide array of tech solutions. Currently, Mews manages over 350,000 hospitality spaces across 5,000 customers globally, including notable names like Strawberry Hotels, The Social Hub, and Airelles.

In a company press statement, Valtr highlighted the industry’s shift towards digital transformation and Mews’ role in reshaping hospitality interactions. CEO Matt Welle emphasized the opportunity to assist hoteliers in streamlining operations and enhancing guest experiences through modern technology.

This latest funding round follows a $185 million investment in December 2022, led by Kinnevik and Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s Growth Equity business. Mews’ Hospitality Cloud serves customers in over 85 countries, including Accor and Generator-Freehand, with offices in Europe, the United States, and Australia.

In January, Mews announced the acquisition of Frontdesk Anywhere, marking its third acquisition in North America in less than a year. Frontdesk Anywhere, known for its cloud-based property management system, aligns with Mews’ mission to automate operations for hoteliers. This acquisition follows a successful year for Mews, with the company surpassing 5,000 customers worldwide and processing over $5 billion through Mews Payments. This acquisition is part of Mews Ventures’ strategy, marking its eighth acquisition, including HotelPerfect, Cenium, Bizzon, Hotello, and Nomi.

Mews has achieved a number of impressive milestones in the past year, including a $185 million Series C funding round, expanding its North American operations, and accelerating AI guest experiences and personalization. The company has seen a 115% increase in customers across more than 85 countries and a nearly 60% growth in its North America team.

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