Hospitalitech Magazine - June Issue

June Issue Star EMEA: Innovative POS Solutions for omni-channel ordering

SIHOT goes agile to benefit from departmental expertise

Energy now fastest growing cost for Hospitality, ‘All-Off’ can reduce your bill

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Pages 18-19

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Contents 4

Industry News

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Editor’s Choice

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Hotel In-Room Technology

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Wi-Fi & Connectivity

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Recommended Companies

To feature in an upcoming issue or to discuss advertising opportunities please contact a member of the Hospitalitech team; Publication Manager Dean Little - 01227 314 324 dean@warmwelcomemagazine.com Sales & Marketing Manager Michael Amor - 01227 314 324 michael@warmwelcomemagazine.com Editorial Assistant Carol Jean - 01227 314 324 carol@warmwelcomemagazine.com

Star EMEA: Innovative POS Solutions for omni-channel ordering The unprecedented challenges faced by the hospitality sector over the last two years have resulted in many businesses looking to alternative ways of operating and to adopting new practices. Technology has been a key enabler, allowing many to not only survive but thrive moving forward.

As a POS printer manufacturer with over 40 years’ experience, Star is at the forefront of such technology.

Whether your business is looking for a traditional POS solution or making the transition to tablet or Cloud POS to allow for online and table ordering, Star has a range of solutions to meet individual business needs. One such solution is the recently launched TSP100IV printer.

The new TSP100IV Series offers the renowned build quality of the TSP100 along with innovative new features for omnichannel commerce. The TSP143IV UE model boasts multi-connectivity to cater for traditional point of sale applications as well as mobile and cloud POS. Ethernet and USB-C interfaces are standard as well as a USB-A port with Android Open

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Accessory (AOA) support for the growing Android marketplace, offering direct cabled ‘data & charge’ for Android tablets and mobile devices.

Providing even greater flexibility, the TSP100IV can be connected over Wireless LAN using Star’s compact MCW10 module that plugs directly into the TSP100IV to provide a solution that supports the new WPA3 standard for wireless printer communication. It also supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands with 5GHz being resistant to the interference of radio waves generated by microwave ovens to provide a safe and effective wireless LAN solution. By deploying the MCW10, users can quickly and easily benefit from robust wireless communication thanks to the Star Quick Setup Utility.

For direct printing from online ordering platforms and web sites to connected Star printers anywhere in the world, Star’s unique CloudPRNT™ technology is built in to the TSP100IV. As a result, it is ideal for printing restaurant orders direct to the kitchen or bar area without the need for a local tablet or POS system.

Industry News

While CloudPRNT is already used extensively by hospitality establishments as part of an online ordering service or table ordering application, Star has recently introduced StarPrinter. online, a fully managed service for hospitality businesses to manage the printer estate with minimal set-up time and cost as well as near zero integration. If required, customers can simply send a receipt or an order as an html file or even an email directly to the printer.

With the recent growth in online orders across multiple channels along with increased allergy legislation and custom orders, Star offers the TSP654IISK linerless label printer for reliable and accurate label / order printing. Featuring a 180mm/second print speed and compact design, the TSP654IISK prints high resolution text and graphics on linerless MAXStick® media of 40mm, 58mm or 80mm roll widths.

For more information, please visit www.Star-EMEA.com

Seaham Hotel reservation platform to revolutionise each guest’s booking journey Five-star boutique hotel, Seaham Hall has launched the pioneering, experience-first software platform, OneJourney with the aim of increasing direct revenue and maximising transaction value for hotels.

The luxury hideaway, which is situated on Durham’s heritage coast and just scooped Small Hotel of the Year in the 2022 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, attracts guests from all over the country to enjoy its 23 suites (including two new Bungalow Suites with hot tubs, which enjoy direct sea views), its much-lauded dining options and its award-winning spa facilities.

The brand-new eCommerce platform has been designed to sell everything online, aggregating all the hotel’s products and services into a live inventory for sale. Guests at Seaham Hall can now enjoy a unified booking process where overnight stays, spa therapies and dining reservations can be booked in one seamless online journey.

Ross Grieve, Seaham Hall’s Managing Director, says: “At Seaham Hall we strive to provide our guests with the best possible experience, every step of their journey with us. The hotel industry generally doesn’t provide a great user experience for customers booking online - but now, with OneJourney, we can offer a tailormade booking process for each guest, allowing them to build their own bespoke packages in one seamless transaction.

“From the hotel’s perspective, it has given us the opportunity to upsell, encouraging greater spend from guests at the outset, whether that is adding on spa treatments and dining reservations, or retail options such as the purchase of spa products or champagne for their room.”

Describing itself as ‘the only true eCommerce platform for hotels’, OneJourney’s first-of-its-kind tech

Industry News

integrates with, and wraps around, the hotel’s existing booking engines and software systems, without impacting on existing operations.

Following its installation at Seaham Hall, significant commercial and operational returns were identified for the hotel, with a 63% increase in average booking value achieved and a 26% reduction in inbound call volumes.

Simon Bullingham, OneJourney’s CEO, says: “We’re thrilled to partner with Seaham Hall and to bring its five-star experience to life online with our ecommerce platform, OneJourney. It’s great to see the platform speedily making a real difference to the business, and driving profitability.”

To find out more about Seaham Hall’s many exciting options for visitors to enjoy, see www.seaham-hall.co.uk.

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The intelligent digital marketing solution driving more direct bookings for independent hoteliers Leading hotel technology platform Cloudbeds acquires AdsHotel and Odysys to level the playing field in the high-cost competition for direct bookings with new digital marketing service Cloudbeds, the hospitality industry’s fastest-growing technology provider, unveiled today the expansion of its hospitality platform with its newest solution, Cloudbeds Amplify. Set for release in early autumn, the comprehensive done-for-you digital marketing service leverages advanced technologies to optimise customers’ online presence, drive more direct bookings and increase revenue.

Cloudbeds Amplify services include website creation and search optimisation, metasearch advertising, search engine marketing and management of online business listings — combined into fully managed, cost-effective service packages designed to drive more traffic, boost online visibility and build a better guest booking experience.

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“Direct bookings are critical to many hoteliers’ bottom lines,” said Adam Harris, CEO and CoFounder of Cloudbeds. “Yet, many operators don’t have the marketing budget, time or skills to compete effectively against the major players. Cloudbeds Amplify makes it easy for lodging businesses to win new customers without the hassle.

They can leverage the technology and expertise used by big brands without needing big budgets.”

Cloudbeds Amplify, part of the company’s comprehensive hospitality management platform, addresses some of the most pressing pain points for the industry, including profitability and the high cost of customer acquisition.

Marina Moretti, owner of Ô de Casa Hostel & Bar in São Paulo, who joined the pilot program earlier this year, stated, “As an owner, digital marketing is not my specialty. I have always viewed it as complicated, but it is quickly

Industry News

becoming a necessity to operate a lodging business in today’s market.

With Cloudbeds Amplify, the team made the process easy by handling the entire setup and management.

Thus far, we’ve driven 57 additional bookings through our website that might otherwise have been booked via OTAs - without requiring any additional time or effort from myself or staff.”

To support the expansion of its hospitality platform and the launch of Cloudbeds Amplify, the company recently made several strategic moves, including the acquisitions of AdsHotel and Odysys. AdsHotel, formerly owned by D-Business based in Venice, Italy, is the leading ad tech platform designed for hospitality, offering independent hotels a platform to manage metasearch and programmatic advertising to boost direct bookings. Odysys, based in Bend, Ore., is a specialist marketing firm offering a flexible all-in-one marketing platform to independent lodging businesses. www.cloudbeds.com

Innovative SMARTair™ wireless access control enables intelligent lockdown of premises remotely Abloy UK is highlighting the functionality of its SMARTair™ wireless access control solution that gives Facilities Managers full control to lock down access to areas of, or an entire building, quickly and safely in an emergency.

Lockdown functionality SMARTair offers intelligent access control — opening, locking or maintaining access to individual doors or zones to deal with an emergency. With a single command, doors equipped with SMARTair devices may be set to ‘Block Mode’ and can only be unlocked with a specific credential.

This means that apart from designated staff, no one on-site can move around freely. Alternatively, the ‘Emergency Close’ function can lock all openings remotely and simultaneously, but an authorised credential may still unlock them.

highest level of protection against the unexpected.

Convenience and flexibility With intuitive management software and battery-powered locks for almost any application, a SMARTair system is easy to install and convenient to use.

It can handle a large number of users and offers a choice of credentials, including standard RFID cards, tags and fobs along with Mobile Keys via the SMARTair Openow™ app.

The system is more cost-efficient to run than wired access control, which needs mains electricity, or traditional mechanical security, where locks must be managed manually and individually. Doors require minimal alteration when SMARTair devices are fitted because no cabling is required.

Ifazaad Liaqat, Technical Sales Manager SMARTair explains: “With mechanical security systems, remote lockdown is impossible, and many existing wireless electronic access control systems do not have the ability to lock down efficiently — or even at all.

“With the comprehensive range of SMARTair devices — escutcheons, cylinders, locks and a wall reader — plus flexible control from the SMARTair software, facilities managers can run their site efficiently, safely and with confidence, even in an emergency.”

For further information on products and services available from Abloy, visit https://bit.ly/3QmzAqu, call 01902 364 500, or email info@abloy.co.uk.

As a third option, every device can be set to ‘Emergency Open’, which unlocks them all. This could provide fire services with instant access to a whole building or site, for example.

Easy online management With the SMARTair solution, full building lockdown may be initiated from the system’s software interface or Web Manager. It can also be activated via an emergency pushbutton connected to a SMARTair HUB. In addition, SMARTair enables control of each individual door, if required.

A facilities manager can pre-define over 250 different lockdown ‘zones’.

In any emergency, they choose whether to lock down a whole zone or just specific doors. This level of control could protect people and valuable assets — or in extreme situations, even save lives.

With the control provided by SMARTair’s ‘Global Lockdown’ feature, managers can be confident building users have the

Industry News

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SIHOT goes agile to benefit from departmental expertise Leading hotel management system reinvents product development embracing cross functional teams for faster deployment SIHOT has created dedicated product and system development teams using an agile methodology utilising specialists from across different business units.

SIHOT aims to address customer requests faster and move forward quicker in the market by benefiting from wider experience and expertise to improve speed of development delivery. Taking an agile approach involves constant collaboration with stakeholders and continuous improvement at every stage as projects are split into several phases.

SIHOT has compiled its cross functional teams from across its 200-strong workforce including Development and Operations, Customer Support, Account Management, and Sales and Marketing departments.

The first phase of cross functional teams will give greater attention and focus on four projects; User experience and user interface (UX/UI), SIHOT.GO! (guest mobile app), SIHOT.KIOSK (lobby check in terminal) and Security Innovation.

As part of the evolution of SIHOT’s modular hotel management system, the platform is undergoing a complete redesign to support a plethora of hotel users from across roles and positions. The Germanbased hospitality IT company is also investing further in hotel digitalisation of contactless guest

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Industry News

engagement to reduce repetitive manual hotel processes while enhancing the guest experience.

Head of Global Marketing, Sarah Mildenberger is part of the development of SIHOT.GO!, “It’s great to be part of actually developing a product rather than just promoting the solutions to the industry. I can contribute my knowledge and experience, while keeping a pulse on developments in the sector to share with my colleagues to put SIHOT at the forefront of development.”

Each team will continually undertake the cycle of planning, executing, and evaluating every stage to meet market demand, customer expectations and support the wider global vision of the business. “We’ve been really proud of the willingness and uptake of this new approach. We opened positions for people from across the business to join and contribute to our product and ultimately the success of our platform.

We’re already experiencing vast improvements in the development of the products,” said Carsten Wernet, Chief Executive, SIHOT. SIHOT has expanded in recent years with new offices in Australia, Portugal and Austria, plus Turkey due to open in 2022. In 2021 it launched a number of products to facilitate the evolution of hotel management including SIHOT. KIOSK, SIHOT. INSIGHTS and SIHOT.360 partner programme.

To find out more about SIHOT’s hotel management system, visit www.sihot.com

Conker launches most powerful devices to date New 8“ NS85 handheld tablet and NS105 10“ tablet most powerful when it comes to RAM and storage capability for logistics productivity Conker, which provides reliable devices for mobile workforces, will be prototyping its new NS85 8” handheld tablet and 10” NS105 tablet at this year’s Final Destination Logistics event.

The latest products are Conker’s most powerful yet when it comes to memory (RAM) – standing at 8 GB (upgraded from 4 GB), and data storage of 256 GB, (compared to the current range at 64 or 128 GB).

They are launched in response to client demand for driving logistics productivity during these competitive times – with a view to increasing operator efficiency and uptime, due to the faster processing capacity.

The tough dustproof, drop-proof and waterproof devices run on the

Windows 10 operating system with a powerful Intel I5-8200Y processor.

They are touchscreen, have a 2D barcode scanner, and can work in storage temperatures of minus 25 to plus 80 degrees centigrade and operational temperatures of minus 20 to plus 60 degrees centigrade.

James Summers, CEO at Conker, said: “Our focus is centered around continued innovation to support the logistics sector in driving operational efficiencies - these latest launches are testament to that mission. With massively increased storage and memory, the new devices will remain quick to respond for the operator, whilst storing vast amounts of data – helping to improve workflows.

“The Conker team will be demonstrating the NS85 and the NS105 at Final Destination Logistics and inviting companies to be part of the prototyping. Conker will be

Industry News

testing them thoroughly and once fully tested they will hopefully be released in later 2022.

“All Conker devices have a wide range of features essential for the workplace. The NS85 and NS105 are also IP65 rated for ruggedness - with a real focus on supporting mobile workforces with reliable devices.”

All Conker products come with a free one-year ‘Relax’ accidental damage warranty, which means customers are covered on all their devices, whatever happens, no quibbles. Three- and five-year accidental damage warranties are also available with no small print and no exclusions, with comprehensive cover to include fire and theft, batteries, and a 20 percent reduction on fees for full replacements.

For further information, please visit www.weareconker.com

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Insurtech pioneer PassportCard awarded US patent in recognition of its revolutionary technology Travel and health insurtech leader, PassportCard has been granted a US patent for its real-time claims payout through a debit card which gives customers access to a global and 100% cashless insurance service.

The patented technology, driven by AI, predictive analytics and a vast medical services database allows customers to facilitate automated, instant processing of insurance claims - without having to pay with their own funds and waiting for the claim to be validated and reimbursed.

The system pre-emptively processes a claim, activating the dedicated debit card issued to the customer when they purchased the policy. Following treatment, the customer pays with their card or digital wallet, without having to deal with the usual pain points of paperwork, processes and personal expenses.

PassportCard is the only company in the world to offer real-time payment via a rechargeable debit

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card, in the event of any insurance related scenario. This includes payment to medical services, medication and/or compensation in the case of baggage loss, delays and other emergency situations.

Since entering the market, PassportCard has steadily become a frontrunner in key travel insurance markets across Europe and the Pacific. With this new patent - which will provide IP protection and additional growth potential in North America, one of the key insurance markets in the world – the business has set its sights on further global expansion, to bring superior crossborder insurance services to more locations and customers than ever.

Partnership discussions are also underway, in multiple geographies, to allow other organizations to benefit from this revolution in customer experience and business results, via potential licensing and white-labelling agreements.

PassportCard Group President, Alon Ketzef said of the news:

Industry News

“It is an honour to have received this recognition for PassportCard’s innovative technology in the United States.

“Continuous innovation to eliminate the inherent friction in insurance has always been our main focus; we will always seek to meet customers via their preferred channels. Whilst our end-toend digital solution is important, it’s equally paramount that the personalised, 24/7 customer support we provide fully aligns with our tech advancements – a perfect combination that delivers PassportCard’s unique and unparalleled customer experience.

“With our technology being recognized to be unique, and other pending patents for additional innovation in customer experience, we feel in a stronger position than ever stronger than ever to expand into additional territories.

“We look forward to this next exciting step in our mission to bring seamless and fuss-free insurance to the masses.”

Spabreaks.com integrates with Core by Premier Software® - Spabreaks.com is the UK’s leading spa booking agency - Premier Software provides leading business management software solutions - The integration helps to deliver cost efficiencies and greater customer loyalty - This leads to improved diary management and supports increased sales Leading spa booking agency, Spabreaks.com, has integrated with specialist spa, wellness and leisure business management system, Core by Premier Software®, to make it easier for spa partners to manage and increase bookings.

Working with more than 600 spas and arranging spa days and breaks for up to 10,000 people each week, Spabreaks.com is integrating into Premier Software’s flagship system, Core, to give spa partners greater visibility of booking levels and ultimately deliver cost efficiencies, improved customer experiences and increased sales.

The integration means that spas will be able to show live availability and that all bookings through

Spabreaks.com will be automatically added to their reservation system. The result will be improved reservations management with a minimised risk of overbooking. It will also minimise unnecessary administration for spas and their teams.

Spabreaks.com Founder, Abi Selby, said: “I am thrilled to bring this partnership to fruition. Our spa partners work incredibly hard. Our role is to showcase their destinations to as wide an audience as possible, and to make generating business easy and seamless. The partnership with Premier Software is the perfect way to develop that commitment for the market.”

Oliver Cahill, chief commercial officer at Premier Software, added: “Maximising sales opportunities to improve turnover and profitability is essential for our clients. The partnership with Spabreaks.com adds a new dimension to the software and will enable our clients to tap into an additional sales channel.

“The ethos behind Core is to make our clients’ customer journey seamless, from bookings right through to the spa experience,

Industry News

without losing the personal touch.

Spabreaks.com shares that ethos and like Premier is a leader in its field, so can provide the best solution to our clients.”

One spa partner at Chakra Spa at Crowne Plaza Felbridge Gatwick said: “It’s working really well and we are so happy with the amount of business we are gaining from this!”

Since it was founded in 2008, Spabreaks.com has built its platform based on a two-pronged approach: supporting spas and supporting spa guests. Key to those goals has been an ongoing commitment to innovation and listening to the needs of stakeholders. The partnership with Premier has been in response to their ongoing desire to make the booking process as seamless as possible for all spas, as well as provide the best customer experience.

The partnership is the first of its kind for Spabreaks.com, which plans to roll out other similar software integrations with leading providers to support the operating systems of all spa partners.

For more information: www.premiersoftware.uk

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How can hotels become more intelligent?

By Ryan Haynes, Director, Haynes MarComs - travel and hospitality marketing - technology expert The hospitality industry has been slow to pick up on business intelligence and the optimal use of data, but in a post-Covid world it is more important than ever that hotels use data effectively to predict future trends and make quick, responsive and intelligent business decisions.

We’ve seen how powerful the right data can be to bounceback;

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ensuring the optimum rates are distributed to maximise bookings and profit, understanding guest demographics and high value customers, and identifying the most profitable booking sources.

Beyond this, intelligent insights are helping hotels to capture demand, respond to market changes and adapt services particularly when experiencing staff shortages.

‘Big Data’ which is irrelevant to their functioning. “Big data is important when you’re trying to come up with macroeconomic trends,” he said. “But we don’t play in the macroeconomy. Just tell us plain microeconomics. So you need to take a look at the unit-by-unit level activity. So for that reason, I have a favourite – small data over big data.”

Information not data

Another problem is businesses just wanting software that will automate what they already do with Excel. As Dermitas pointed out, making the best business decisions isn’t just about automating existing processes and analysing historical data, it’s about new insights and robust predictive ability.

On the Travel Market Life podcast Apo Demirtas, founder of Intelligent Hospitality, spoke about how the hotel industry is, “data rich, information poor”. Demirtas explained how many businesses, including even the biggest, are sitting on mountains of data that they are unable to utilise effectively because of outdated practices.

One of the typical misunderstandings that Demirtas sees throughout the industry is the confusion over big and small data, with businesses obsessing over

Editor’s Choice

Robert Marusi, Chief Commercial Officer for Turtle Bay Resort agreed with Dermitas’, pointing out that, post-Covid, historical data has become somewhat meaningless in terms of its predictive capacity.

“We’ve got to make decisions looking into the future and

now more than ever it’s superimportant. The historical data is now not relevant.” For Marusi, data from 2020 and 2021 will provide little support to his commercial strategies as the travel sector returns to pre pandemic levels.

Targeted data So how can hoteliers turn their mountains of data into useful information? According to Marusi, the first step is to integrate the data from all the disparate systems that hotels use, then segregate and personalise that data so that communications, marketing campaigns etc are targeted at the right customers.

“I understand the persona of my hotel. I have to go out and understand the persona of the buyer, so it’s a match, not just throwing thousands of fish hooks out there.”

According to Tanya Stallard, Director of Business Development at SHR, the product itself doesn’t have to be personalised, just theway it is targeted at different customers. “Netflix is a great example of this,” she said. “If I watch a TV series and they recommend another one for me to watch, the picture on the icon may be different to, say, my partner but

it’s the same TV show. So it’s all about having that dynamic content that would drive the attention of that particular persona type.”

Marusi indicated some of the software that is enabling the shift in the way data is used by hotels.

He talked about the benefits of Salesforce for segregating data and targeting the right customers; of Hotel IQ for intelligent reporting and predictive analysis; and of Opera Cloud for fast, easy access to systems and data at any time and place.

Innovating guest services VIVOOD Landscape Hotel is a set of 35 suites and villas scattered amongst 81,000 sq m of Alicante’s rolling countryside. The size of the resort posed challenges for staff to engage with guests due to reduced in-person engagement moments. SIHOT.PMS provides live data as guests move around the property, to allow the team to tailor their service without waiting for a daily staff briefing or a customer call.

When staff engage with guests at the restaurant or spa, they want to cut through small talk to forge genuine connections. Staff have access to in-depth guest profiles at

Editor’s Choice

their fingertips enhancing its decision making framework.

They can see guests’ needs, requirements and sentiments, so they can create a heightened experience by knowing details such as a guest’s preferred cocktail or that they have been on a hike that day and may need a relaxing foot massage in the spa.

“Any employee can easily visualise what is happening in the hotel. We can know at any moment of their stay the level of satisfaction of each guest, and any special needs, so our team can act and interact accordingly.

Whether in the restaurant, spa or reception, having the data at their fingertips lets our team build meaningful relationships with our guests” - Daniel Mayo, Managing Director.

Navigating the future Perhaps digital transformation has been slower in the hotel industry than other sectors but with a new wave of technologies and innovative start-ups, the transition to intelligent use of data seems now to be well underway.

For more information please visit: www.haynesmarcoms.agency

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INTELLIGENT GUEST SERVICE TECHNOLOGY

Interaccve Compendium Digital Guest Experiences Instant Room Service With a booked-out hotel comes a lot of demands on you and your staff, especially if you have unfilled vacancies. Providing first-class service takes me and money that you might not have right now.

That’s where Crave can help. Offer your guest instant and interaccve service straight to their own phone Digi Guest Service plaaorm. You can offer with our Digital more and save me and money with Crave - in fact, our clients typically slash operaaonal costs by 50% while increasing sales by 20%.

Our ground-breaking AppLess™ Mobile technology is designed to enhance guest experience, convenience and communicaaons. Allowing your guests to access all relevant hotel services, wherever they are in or around your hotel.

Our hotel soluuons are highly flexible and customised to your brand and services, giving your guests the full

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hotel experience. Provide infinite oppons and possibiliies from room service, housekeeping, service to meeengs, events, bar, restaurant, lobby areas and even by the pool, a mull-lingual menu and directory, in-room calls or chat, concierge services and much more!

Did you know... You can budget for higher profits with AppLess™ Mobile? Our plaaorm drives addiional revenue, increases F&B orders and facility bookings as well as extended stay and late check out. With Crave, you go paper-less, saving on costs and labour! No more prinnng or manual updates which increases staff efficiency.

A low cost and scalable digital soluuon that boosts your booom line. Designed from the ground up to make life easier for hotel staff.

We started using Crave from the first Covid lockdown and they have genuinely saved our business!

– Managing Director, Pub Company UK

Besides being a hit with our hotel guests the system has improved our IRD revenue 16% year on year - Hotel Area Director, New York

Scan here for full demo

Craveinteraccve.com info@craveinteraccve.com 15

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Energy now fastest growing cost for Hospitality, ‘All-Off’ can reduce your bill Guest satisfaction is the number one priority for hoteliers. Operators are often hesitant to make changes that could be perceived as reducing comfort, convenience, or the overall brand experience. However, energy represents the single fastest-growing operating cost for this industry.

There is a fast, growing expectation for energy efficiency and to demonstrate commitment to climate stewardship. So, what should you being doing to reduce your energy waste?

The Answer Is Occupancy Sensing One approach is to add occupancy sensing. This can be used to detect movement in guest rooms. Unlike motion-activated lights, occupancy sensors detect when someone has left an area and then switch off anything ‘wasting’ energy. One such product is Light Symphony’s aptly named ‘All|Off’ which quietly and unobtrusively switches off lights, heating, air-conditioning and even unattended taps, (preventing flooding).

First Impressions Count The clever kit also initiates ‘welcome lighting’ so when you first enter a guest room, you aren’t scrambling around in the dark, trying to find the light switch or

card slot. Instead, the door swings open and you can see the room in all its glory, lit to perfection, because we know it’s that first impression that counts.

Once in your room, Light Symphony’s solution links occupancy information to an app for House Keeping, so they know when your room is free to clean.

Hopefully leaving those choosing to have a lie-in, undisturbed by nuisance door-knocking but also ensuring that staff are more efficient by routing them to vacant rooms.

Happier Guests Well so far it sounds like every room should have a kit but has anyone proved it saves them money?

You’ll be pleased to hear that they have and that unsurprisingly the cost savings can be significant. In fact, savings of 40% are typical and that is demonstrated in studies at a real-life project for hub@Premier Inn. 40% Real-life Savings ‘All|Off’ reduces the bills for large hotels but what about a B&B or smaller boutique hotel? From installations to date, 30-40% bill reductions are typical, so there is potential for industry-wide savings.

Do you have to wait for your next refurb? Certainly not. The simple kit has been designed & developed for easy retro-fit and will not affect your existing décor. Just 30 minutes and a room can be converted.

They can be installed room by room, no need to close off areas of your hotel to install them. Try it in 1 or 301 rooms the choice is yours.

The more you add, the more you save £££ There’s no complicated programming, the kit is sold on-line and both Sales and Support are UK based.

So, what are you waiting for?

On your marks … get set … Go! That’s what the team at Silverstone’s newest hotel have done. They have recently incorporated ‘All|Off’ into every guest room.

The kit includes a door sensor which has undergone stringent fire compliant tests.

“All|Off” is finding traction with large brands like Hilton and with soaring costs, it is set to be a winner.

This is not a surprise to the team supporting the product as it won the “Product Excellence Award” @ The Caterer.

“All-Off is the first energy saving product designed for hotels that gives you light control & anti-flood options. One prevented leaky bathroom would pay for the system so it’s a no brainer” says All|Off’s MD. “All-Off” is UK designed and we are proud to be helping hospitality back on the road to normality and profitability after the pandemic.

We wanted a simple, yet effective kit that could be installed and maintained by the hotel locally. The feedback is phenomenal, it just works!”

Info: 01442 817 592 ‘All|Off’ available at: www.LS4H.com

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Hotel In-Room Technology

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MUSIC FOR Y

Rightsify provides you with cu rights included. No more

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YOUR HOTEL

ustom music for hotels with all e license fees to PRS/PPL

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Game changing Wi-Fi The pandemic has accelerated our adoption of new technologies.

Without consistent internet and suitable Wi-Fi, many hospitality venues are impacted by loss of revenue.

Here we catch up with Ben Jones from Roxy to talk about how they stay connected with Switch Networks.

Ben Jones Commercial Director of Roxy - Please can you give us an intro on Roxy.

Roxy is for social people who want to embrace their playful side, Roxy brings the playground to the bar, with a huge variety of games, and massive rock & indie tunes. Their venues provide a range of entertainment including pool tables, ping pong, bowling, shuffleboard, mini golf, arcade gaming and karaoke.

Tell us about the Roxy experience and how Switch Networks help you to achieve this?

We want customers to get the most out of visiting our venues and always wanting to come back for

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more, that’s why it’s important for our venues to run seamlessly and we invest heavily into our network to ensure the customer experience is excellent. Everything from our bookings system, telephones, drink QR codes and tills are networked so having a good infrastructure is key to delivering a successful offering. We always get Switch Networks involved early in our build process to ensure we have the required infrastructure and over the years we have used more and more of their services.

In a time where your operations rely so heavily on technology, how have Switch Networks helped your business to adapt?

As the world changes and ever more technology runs on internet we have realised the need for a reputable company who can help with networking and IT. We started using Switch Networks years ago just to supply our IP telephone system so we could link all our businesses with our head office easily, we now use them to look after everything Network related from CCTV installs and upgrades to leased lines and secure guest networks.

Wi-Fi & Connectivity

They have a wealth of knowledge and have helped design a reliable network infrastructure within our estate of 10 venues.

City centre locations have notoriously poor internet connections. How have Switch Networks helped you overcome this?

City Centre internet is some of the worse internet speeds and is inaccessible which is unbelievable considering how much it has progressed over the years. Switch have helped us manage this by sourcing leased lines in all our venues and project managed from ordering through to install of the lines, they have even helped some of our neighbouring bars that we have shared our lines with.

Switch also recommended 4G back-ups in all venues in case our primary line lost connection which is a great comfort considering how much we rely on the internet.

To find out more about Switch Networks please visit: www.switch-networks.co.uk/ or call on 01653 917000

REFRESHINGLY GOOD WI-FI Designed for the hospitality sector Call us on 01653 917000 or Email us at info@switch-networks.co.uk www.switch-networks.co.uk 23 21

Hospitality WiFi Services Deliver outstanding customer experience and improve your hotel IT infrastructure with our managed Hospitality Wifi solutions. With our reliable hotel wifi, you can cope with the demands of business operations and guest expectations – whether it’s reliable internet for streaming video or business travellers using their hotel rooms as a virtual office.

Our efficient network solutions enable you to provide an excellent service that will help your hotel grow.

Expert Hotel Wifi Providers As a business within the hospitality sector, you might have anywhere between 2 or 2000 devices connected to your network at any one time. Your wifi needs a set-up that can flexibly cope with this demand – providing a consistent service throughout. Our reliable hotel services will guarantee

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stability and guest satisfaction, no matter how busy your network.

Find The Perfect Hotel Wifi Solution For You At Orbiss, we take care of the whole package — giving you secure, flexible technology that’s easy to manage.

There are many factors that need to be taken into consideration when deciding which kind of broadband connection is right for you. We’ll talk you through three main kinds: ADSL, leased line and superfast fibre, finding the perfect solution to meet your requirements. Find out more about our hotel wifi solutions and their benefits, here.

Hospitality Wifi Installation Implement your new wifi infrastructure without interrupting existing business operations.

Wi-Fi & Connectivity

At Orbiss we understand the need for business operations to run smoothly and with minimum interference to your guests’ experience.

Our efficient consultants will design and install your hotel wifi seamlessly, ensuring that the impact on your business is minimised and guaranteeing a smooth transition to your new system.

Guest & Social Portals Turn your guest wifi into a valuable marketing opportunity with our dynamic guest portal solutions. Gather a wealth of data in exchange for access to your wifi facilities and turn these insights into personalised targeted information for your customers.

Find out more about our guest portal solutions, here.

What To Expect When investing in a solution delivered by Orbiss, you can be confident that our specialist team will handle all aspects of the project efficiently. After an initial consultation our engineers will work with you to design the best hotel wifi solution for your organisation.

We’ll identify unique challenges, such as obstructions to signal and coverage of all areas of your property.

Following this your dedicated Account Manager will work towards a quick and effective installation and help you understand the opportunities that your new network can provide. We understand that a reliable internet connection is essential for any business, which is why our national network of trained engineers are on hand for all-year-round support.

Why Choose Orbiss?

Orbiss are an industry-leading hotel wifi provider, guaranteeing internet performance for your business, no matter what your requirements. Our engineers strive to offer comprehensive support and maintenance, ensuring that you can rely on our services to provide consistent and quickspeed coverage.

Taking into account your bespoke challenges, we plan your network to include coverage for even the smallest devices – providing a seamless wifi experience for your guest throughout their stay.

Get Your Hospitality Wifi Today If you’re a business within the hospitality sector looking to implement a dynamic wifi solution, get in touch with our friendly team today. Contact us now to discuss your requirements and book an initial consultation. Call our team on 01872 561 656, email hello@orbiss.co.uk

Wi-Fi & Connectivity

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Fill your seats with the world’s largest diner network Amplify and manage your business while reaching millions of people around the world and in your neighbourhood.

OpenTable helps your restaurant thrive with its reservation software that goes beyond just bookings.

Let’s help diners discover your restaurant.

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“ OpenTable has over 20 years' experienfe of helping restaurants attraft guests and it shows. With effient and helpful team members who know their stuff!

Noel Hunwick Marketing Director & Co-Founder inamo restaurants

Learn more at

restaurant.opentable.co.uk 27

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