Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Travel Technology

THack Mallorca Hist Mallorca Tomorrow

Aleksandr Shatskih

Coming up in the Baelerics tomorrow, THack Mallorca is a hackathon dedicated to hospitality solutions. THack Mallorca is FREE for professional and student developers and offers the chance for teams of up to five developers to win their share of at least €5,000 in cash and other prizes.

OpenKey Releases Version 3.0 Mobile App

Aleksandr Shatskih

OpenKey has just released its new mobile app Version 3.0, which is a further enhancement for hotels guests to get key amenities.

Airbnb’s Rocky Road to Vacation Bookings Supremecy

Phil Butler

Airbnb announced recently collaborations with a number of tech companies, in order to boost the company’s business conversions. API tests last year with the likes of Live Rez, BookingPal, Kigo and LeisureLink, as well as other connections, promise Airbnb hosts a billboard to reach even more guests. Tech connectedness is certainly Airbnb’s forte, as is the shared economy, but there’s some trouble brewing too. Here’s a look at what’s up with travel’s most forward thinking company this month.

SnapShot GmbH and University of Surrey Team Up

Aleksandr Shatskih

Next month, analytics startup SnapShot GmbH will team up with the University of Surrey School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, to provide a 2 day course on hotel revenue management. According to the news, the new offering will focus on pricing, marketing and distribution for hotel businesses.

SnapShot GmbH Demos to Vienna Hotels

Aleksandr Shatskih

In hotel technology news this week, analytics startup SnapShot is touring European cities demonstrating its new flagship product to hotel execs. Yesterday, company CEO Stefan Tweraser was in Vienna at Hotel Melia showing off the free cloud-based data analytics tool.

Comanche International & TravelClick Partner

Aleksandr Shatskih

Comanche International, a leading Thai property management player, and cloud based revenue booster TravelClick are now interconnected via two-way integration of TravelClick’s iHotelier reservations solution into Comanche’s property management system (PMS).

Adara Introduces Traveler Spending Scores

Phil Butler

Marketing data company Adara has just released “traveler value score”, a tool that estimates an anonymous subject’s customer’s capacity to spend on travel and lodging. The news tool can help hoteliers pitch rooms and services more precisely, thereby elevating or optimizing revenues, according to the company. While the potential for filtering spending potential seems fantastic, there may be some stumbling blocks.

Expedia Accelerator: Step Right Up, You Hotelier Fools

Phil Butler

Yesterday I wrote a short post on LinkedIn “Pulse” with my view on Expedia’s new “Accelerator” marketplace. The experiment where hoteliers get to bid for the hotels’ visibility on the OTA, it resembles a carnival act for me. At least one comment on my LinkedIn, suggesting I was a mean spirited ranter because of my […]

Using Big Data for Breakfast

Phil Butler

For a few years now digital experts have discussed the importance of “personalization”, the so-called “guest experience.” While the concept is not a new one, like so many marketing or “buzz” terms, the reality of providing real customer value is often lost in the shuffle. Is Big Data really so useful? Can your business leverage […]

The Uniquely Compelling Appeal of Big Data

Phil Butler

Five years ago the world-wide-web was horrified at the concept of usable user data. Today every business from high fashion to the local laundry-mat wants to know how to convert customers via predictive intelligence. Technology is gearing up to meet a Big Data conundrum, as marketers wring their hands awaiting the golden ring that signifies an R-O-I bonanza. But at this stage of trend analysis, most experts agree that the analytics ship has not yet arrived. Here’s a succinct look at where we really are.

Former Google Exec Dr. Stefan Tweraser Named SnapShot GmbH CEO

Aleksandr Shatskih

Hotel tech startup, SnapShot GmbH has announce the selection of former Google Germany director, Dr. Stefan Tweraser as the Austrian company’s CEO. Borrowing from the talents of this technology company manager, SnapShot hopes to fast forward development of a much anticipated new produce, as well as building a powerful business presence in the space.