Innovation

🎁 On August 24, Cheba Hut offers free Kool-Aid to its dine-in and carryout guests. The first 200 visitors receive a "Cottonmouth Cures" cup for free Kool-Aid for a year. Embracing kitchen display systems (KDS) and just-in-time service, Cheba Hut prioritizes fresh food and customer respect. Their loyalty app, featuring games like "Flippy Bird," caters to evolving customer preferences alongside a flexible approach to third-party delivery services.

🤖 Elad Inbar, CEO of RobotLAB, discusses robotics in hospitality, highlighting that sensor technology advancements dropped prices by a factor of 10. Customer-facing robots feature virtual faces and speak clearly, while industrial robots focus on utility. Robotics address labor shortages by automating tasks, with delivery robots starting at $15/day, cleaning robots at $20/day, and cooking robots at $30/day, offering a strong ROI for business owners.

👨‍💻 Attribute-Based Selling (ABS) is revolutionizing the hospitality industry by personalizing guest rooms selection and enhancing revenue. Hotels are integrating ABS into cloud-based property management systems for real-time availability and seamless guest experiences. Dynamic pricing is vital for ABS success, adjusting rates based on demand and customer behavior. Hoteliers must evaluate attributes individually for profitability and avoid overwhelming guests with excessive choices. Simplifying booking processes, listening to feedback, and using technology to analyze guest preferences are key. With continuous refinement, ABS can significantly contribute to hotel revenue and guest satisfaction.

💾 Agilysys, Inc., a global provider of hospitality software solutions, acquired the SaaS spa management company Book4Time, Inc., which serves the most Forbes 5-Star-rated spas. Book4Time operates in over 100 countries and is integrated with over 60 technology providers. The acquisition, closed for approximately $150 million USD, strengthens Agilysys' global presence and offerings. Agilysys CEO, Ramesh Srinivasan, anticipates leveraging both companies' strengths to accelerate hospitality technology innovation. Financial impacts will be discussed in the Agilysys fiscal 2025 second quarter earnings call in October 2024.

📌 In Newton, Massachusetts, Sonesta introduced a franchisee incentive program offering a 2% credit for using its procurement program, paid quarterly. The program includes a mobile app (EPRO) for cost-saving purchases and underscores Sonesta's commitment to transparency and supportive franchise relationships. The technology cost for EPRO is sponsored by Sonesta to alleviate financial burdens on franchisees and foster growth and retention.

📢 Martin Soler, former hotel general manager turned fractional CMO and co-founder of 10minutes.news, shares insights on hotel tech on Aug. 21, 2024. Soler emphasizes the importance of prioritizing guest needs over fleeting tech trends, focusing on what won't change, such as the desire for connectivity, personalization, reduced wait times, and more services. This approach echoes Jeff Bezos' philosophy of distinguishing the essential from the transient in the hospitality industry.

📄 A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a key instrument for hotels to acquire services like Property Management Systems (PMS), functioning as both a document and a structured multi-step process for collecting and evaluating vendor information. It ensures a fair assessment by detailing the hotel's needs, comparing products, services, implementation, support, and pricing from different vendors. RFP formats vary, with text-style answers considered most informative for in-depth analysis. Standard RFP structure includes business details, functionality requirements, and future expectations. Supporting templates, such as an RFP Guide (PDF), Scorecard (Excel), and Template (Word) are available for download.

✈ Thai Airways, national carrier of Thailand, announced a multi-year partnership with RateGain on 21st August 2024. The collaboration aims to redefine pricing strategies for Thai Airways' network, which includes domestic and international routes through its Star Alliance membership. In Q1 2024, Thai Airways and its subsidiaries reported a revenue of 45,955 million baht, a 10.7% increase from the previous year. The fleet, consisting of 79 aircraft, is set to expand to 89 by 2025. RateGain, surpassing a 1 billion market cap, provides advanced pricing intelligence solutions, now integral to Thai Airways' competitive strategy.

📦 Grubhub expands Campus Dining to over 60 schools, reaching half a million new students and serving a total of 4.5 million. Partners with University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Tampa, University of Missouri, Howard University, and Tulane University; now works with over 360 universities, a 21% increase. Collaborates with Cartken, Kiwibot, and Starship for robot deliveries on nearly a dozen more campuses, with over 20 campuses already utilizing robots for order delivery. Implements Amazon's Just Walk Out technology at Ursinus College, University of Virginia, and Lindenwood University, allowing purchases without traditional checkout. Introduces sustainable dining with Topanga.io's ReusePass at Virginia Tech and SUNY New Paltz, among others. Grubhub+ Student offers $0 delivery fees and other benefits to students at partnered schools.