TOP NEWS

💾 Stayntouch, a hotel technology provider, released UpsellPRO for Attribute-Based Selling (ABS) to help hotels market room features separately during booking. A partnership report with NYU's Tisch Center showed half of respondents with over a month booking window would pay more for ABS. Experts highlighted the benefits of ABS for hoteliers, including better booking control, increased upselling, and dynamic pricing. Insights suggest ABS enhances guest preference insights, satisfaction, revenue, and engagement with hotel services. Leaders in hotel tech and consulting shared their thoughts, emphasizing the importance of industry consensus and the potential of ABS to revolutionize hotel profitability.

📊 The RTN community, formed five years ago, aimed to simplify integration in the restaurant industry. It has since established three main data standards: RTN Menu Synchronization, RTN Transactional Data, and RTN Customer Record Data Standards. The standards are designed to allow systems to consistently access and exchange data. RTN's Object Model Repository now makes these standards more accessible by providing visual attributes and enabling JSON or XML message generation. Industry leaders like Jim Clagett from Jack in the Box, Russel Cotter from Chipotle, and Shelly Rupel from Devour acknowledge the positive impact of these standards. These efforts are likened to the "Rosetta Stone for Business and IT" and the "DNA for application integration." Sandy Angel of AHLA relates over 20 years of similar work in the hotel industry. Christopher Sebes and Robert Peterson, both RTN Industry Champions, emphasize the ease of building integrations with these standards. A case study with Cacy Bedoka-Merrifield from Jack in the Box and Del Taco demonstrates the practical benefits of the Object Model Repository for standardizing menu data.

🏀 Sports tourism is a rising trend, prompting tour and activity companies to adapt with new strategies. To leverage this, companies are advised to diversify activities, comply with local regulations, ensure operational flexibility, and utilize technology for enhanced experiences. By doing so, providers can improve satisfaction and inclusivity for sports tourists, potentially leading to increased success.

🔔 Stayntouch, a leader in cloud hotel PMS and guest-centric technology, introduced UpsellPRO, enabling hotels to market room features individually during booking. Partnering with NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, they found that roughly 50% of respondents with over a month booking window would pay more for ABS. The panel, including experts Flo Lugli, George Roukas, John Burns, Klaus Kohlmayr, and Nichole Dehler, discussed ABS benefits like expanded booking control, increased visibility for upselling, and enhanced personalization. ABS offers insights into guest preferences, creating opportunities for higher satisfaction and revenue. The industry, influenced by the airline's unbundling approach, seeks a unified definition of ABS to avoid consumer dissatisfaction and an overload of choices.

🍴 Thomas Straker plans to open a second café-style eatery in Notting Hill at 60 Golborne Road. The UK Government, with the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act received in May last year, will enforce new tipping measures in October 2024. John and Desiree Chantarasak are set to open AngloThai, a 50-cover restaurant in Marylebone this autumn. Turtle Bay's '4 days at the Bay' initiative has seen a 'phenomenal' response, improving 90% of staff well-being. Philip Warren's Native Burger opened in Launceston, offering a 20-cover space with nine burger options.

🍴 Restaurant365's midyear industry survey of nearly 3,700 QSR and dining locations reveals top 2024 challenges: labor cost increases (80% of operators, with 64% noting a 1-5% rise), food cost increases (80% reported, 51% seeing 1-5%, 40% noting 6-14%), and sales concerns (38%). Despite challenges, 49% experienced sales growth. Investment shifts towards back-of-house tech, marketing, and staff training with 37% focusing on staff enhancements, and 55% allocating 1-2 hours weekly for training. Sustainability measures are adopted by 68%, including food waste tracking (39%).

💰 Marriott International reported Q2 2024 results with worldwide RevPAR up 4.9%, U.S. and Canada RevPAR up 3.9%, and international markets up 7.4%, compared to Q2 2023. Diluted EPS was $2.69, net income $772 million, and adjusted EBITDA $1,324 million. Added approximately 15,500 net rooms, with a development pipeline of 3,500 properties and over 559,000 rooms. Repurchased 1 million shares for $1.0 billion and returned $2.8 billion to shareholders through July 29, targeting $4.3 billion for the full year.