Hoteliers optimistic about outlook for 2018 with stronger focus on technology and direct guests

2017 has exceeded performance expectations and 2018 is currently on track to be even better for independent hoteliers according to new research from Guestline. The optimistic view also sees many planning to increase investments in technology and refurbishment throughout their properties to deliver growth in the year ahead. 

This is according to research published today by leading global hospitality software provider, Guestline, ahead of this week’s Independent Hotel Show taking place at London’s Olympia. Nearly two thirds (60 per cent) of those surveyed confirmed that they think 2018 will be a better year than 2017. 

Almost a quarter of those researched (24 per cent) advised that the year to-date has exceeded expectations, whilst nearly half (45 per cent) felt that 2017 has performed in line with their expectations. Likewise looking ahead to the remainder of the year there is a strong excitement and commitment to developing key areas of hotel operations. This includes refurbishment for over a quarter (27 per cent) and technology both for bookings and property management software (PMS) (20 per cent) and guest technology (13 per cent). 

Growing direct guests is a key part of hotelier’s plans for 2018 with nearly half of those researched (47 per cent) identifying it as one of their key challenges for the next 12 months. This is followed by planning for challenges around Brexit and technology (13 per cent each). A focus on staff and attracting talent will also be key for one in ten owners and operators.

Investment looks set to be a key trend as in light of this optimistic view many areas can expect to see a commitment to spend and improve. Bedrooms have been identified as a key area for investment by nearly half of respondents (47 per cent), followed by design and décor (20 per cent) and technology (17 per cent). Over a third (37 per cent) also stated they expected to invest more in technology in 2018 compared to this year, with over three quarters (77 per cent) confirming that having a PMS that is easy to integrate to other software services was essential.  

“It is exciting for the hospitality sector to see that hoteliers are optimistic about the next 12 months and that the market mood is buoyant. Certainly it has been an interesting year but 
the fact that hotel owners and operators are making a firm commitment to investment across all areas of operation, including technology and staff as well as property refurbishments indicates that not only is the sector confident there is also strong potential for growth.

The sector continues to evolve apace and we look forward to supporting our existing and potential new clients in navigating their way through this changing landscape so they are equipped with the technology and insight they need to realise this growth.” 

Emma Johnstone, VP business development

Guestline this year celebrates its 25th year of offering accommodation providers revenue generating solutions, and its technology suite is now relied on by companies in 20 countries across five continents. The company will be showcasing the potential of its market-leading software to the hospitality industry at the Independent Hotel Show (Olympia London, 17-18 October, stand number 63).  

Research conducted amongst Guestline’s independent hotel client database.  

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Leave Guestline a review and we could be sending you a Hotel Chocolat hamper to say thanks!

Hotels, serviced apartments and pubs strive for positive reviews and this is the same for suppliers too. When researching the market and looking at changing your software provider, customer reviews can have a real impact and give accurate insight into the daily use of the proposed software. We always want to share how great our offering is but, when it comes to reviews, no one does is better than you, our customers!

Over the next 14 days we will be giving 4 Hotel Chocolat hampers away to randomly selected people who have left a review on any (or all!) of the below platforms.

Do you have a favourite piece of functionality? Has a particular member of staff gone above and beyond to help you? Has Guestline helped your property drive revenue? We want to hear from you!

To leave a review on Google click here

For Facebook go to Guestlines company page and rate Guestline out of 5 using the stars please leave a comment too!

For Capterra (a list of business software solutions), your review can be left here

And to leave a review on Hotel Tech Report (a comparison tool for hotel software) click here

Please leave your review on as many of the platforms as possible; we look forward to reading them!

Good Luck!

T & Cs

The competition will run from Thursday 5th October 2017 to Thursday 19th October 2017.Winners will be announced within 1 week.This competition is open to UK entrants only, aged 18 and over owning, employed at or consulting for an accommodation provider using Guestline’s software.Guestline’s decision is final and we reserve the right to change or remove competition at any time. No cash alternative.

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Guestline CTO talks about future proofing your hotel business

Most of the technology industry has moved towards the idea of seamless integration and data flows, enabling richer functionality and greater potential to enhance that functionality too. It is hard to ever fully know how the hospitality industry will evolve in a similar vein.

In some ways the sector has been slower – up until now – to adopt the integrated mindset as comprehensively as other industries. For instance, many hotels still host much of their system within their premises, largely due to the need for a physical presence. Encouragingly, more office-related systems are now hosted in the cloud, enabling workers to access systems remotely and therefore also allow the integration of other remotely-hosted systems.

If we also look to other industries and their systems, we can learn from their evolution. Companies like Microsoft and Apple – which previously operated a more closed source or isolated business model – have now recognised the need to partner with other leading technology companies, often even their direct competition. Social media, for instance, has forced both Microsoft and Google to require integration with Facebook and Twitter where previously they would have tried to build their own networks. Some of this is undoubtedly trial and error; indeed they tried with their own platforms but discovered that users wanted to stick to their existing networks. Now the integrations on Windows, Android and iOS with Facebook and Twitter accounts are taken for granted.

So, how does this translate to a hotelier’s property operating systems? Cloud-based software has transformed the way that hoteliers manage their properties and their distribution channels. At the heart of all this is the property management system (PMS). This part of the change has largely happened, although hotels with on–premise solutions are yet to be able to take full advantage of the next phase afforded to them.

Just like Microsoft and Google found when looking to social networks, hoteliers are finding that the next phase in the hospitality technology revolution is driven by the guest experience. The user experience for a guest will need to change in order for a hotel to stay competitive. For example, guests increasingly expect to be able to check-in on their phone, request services ahead of arrival or during the stay, to be remembered for having stayed previously and even to collaborate with other guests throughout this process.

The PMS is often regarded as the ‘beating heart’ of a hotel’s operations to manage not just the bookings, but also the whole guest experience. Plus, it has an integral role in updating staff on volume of sales, vacancies, management of room rates and much more. Taking it one step further, the PMS also now has to connect with multiple hospitality operational systems, such as electronic locking systems and energy systems, for example, to manage key cards and room temperature.

Now we need to add these guest experience elements, potentially under a banner of customer relationship management (CRM) or “socialising” the experience. Having a system that can easily and seamlessly interact with the leading players in delivering these services is going to be crucial. The factors for a PMS to achieve this include having an open ecosystem, which is most typically cloud based and therefore always connected. This also means having open API integrations and also intelligent data processing to help make important decisions, or at least recommendations, automatically. Of course, this is just a starting point.

The trend is not limited to just the guest experience. More traditional operations of a hotel also benefit from similar ecosystem integrations, and new start-ups are emerging all the time to help with a range of operational efficiencies and enhancements.

From my perspective, the priority for hoteliers thinking about future proofing their technology requires being cloud-based and open to integrations, but importantly to respect privacy concerns. As has always been number one in the hospitality sector, maintaining great quality service is an absolute essential. Technology integration is showing its prowess through new ideas and exciting opportunities that improve how hotels do business and become more profitable. It is fascinating to be part of such an exciting period for technology functionality and innovation.

To speak to a member of the Guestline team please contact us here 

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Guestline announces Chief Technology Officer appointment and huge investment in development

Global hospitality software business Guestline announces the appointment of Andrew Metcalfe to the new role of chief technology officer and a commitment to double its UK-based development team. The senior appointment for the business, and ambitious growth plans, come as Guestline expands further to support a more diverse range of new clients, including large hotel groups, universities, a wide selection of serviced accommodation providers and a growing number of international hotels.

Metcalfe will be responsible for ensuring the business accelerates its programme of innovation as one of the industry’s premier technology driving forces, and will lead all product development, infrastructure, technical support and IT functions.

“Our business has grown tremendously over recent months and we are committed to investing in our team. Andrew brings with him a wealth of experience and insight as we look to build our position as a leading innovative hospitality technology business in the market. His impressive leadership skills and forward thinking vision mean that our largest ever development programme is in good hands. This is a positive step forward in our ambitions for future growth.”

Andrew McGregor, CEO, Guestline

Under Metcalfe’s tenure, Guestline is introducing the new Guestline Labs initiative. Designed to offer a more technical focus for clients, Guestline Labs will encompass a centre of excellence for the product management team, developers, corporate IT and data centre operations. The new approach is part of developments at Guestline to gear up for further international expansion and an extensive investment programme for Guestline’s products and services.

Guestline has recently been recognised as one of 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain by the London Stock Exchange Group and has seen a huge influx of new hotel group, serviced apartment and independent hotels, along with an extensive selection of new technology partnerships. Metcalfe’s team of developers, project managers and technical specialists will work to support the company’s rapidly growing number of clients and partners across the hospitality sector.

“Guestline is a fantastic example of a company with huge potential to help its customers in so many ways. The hospitality industry is waking up to the ecosystem effect, using open APIs and integrations with 3rd party systems, and Guestline is ahead of the curve as this has been encouraged for years with the company’s software offering. I see this moment of investment in people, tools and approaches as the chance to formalise our approach to this and many other areas of Guestline’s capabilities. I aim for Guestline to be seen as a platform to enable innovation in hospitality software for all and will celebrate each success in that direction.”

Andrew Metcalfe, chief technology officer, Guestline

Previously, Metcalfe headed up London based engineering at OpenTable, working for the company for over six years in roles including head of search engineering, and head of international engineering.

He joins Guestline from Ve Interactive, an e-commerce technology company, where he held the roles of development director and most recently chief technology officer, overseeing teams in the UK, Spain, Romania and France.

Guestline’s multi award-winning software for hospitality businesses is cloud-based. The software enables hospitality business owners and managers in sectors such as hotels, serviced apartments, pubs, student accommodation and more, to manage bookings and operations both efficiently and profitably.

Innovative technology developments include integration with many leading 3rd party applications, tokenisation for PCI compliance and additional functionality to improve customer service and capture more revenue.

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Direct bookings increase by 21% for Matfen Hall using Guestline

Matfen Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa is located just 15 miles west of Newcastle in the charming village of Matfen and is the ancestral home of Sir Hugh and Lady Blackett. It was proud winner of ‘Large Hotel of the Year 2015’ at the Visit England Awards.

Challenges:

The team at Matfen Hall were struggling with property management software (PMS) that could meet the needs of the hotel. Many of the processes the hotel was operating were completed manually and proving to be very inefficient. Any non-generic requirements of the PMS had to be created through structured query language (SQL) queries.

The system was not supported by a UK-based team and the hotel team were not always able to secure the necessary support; this was particularly concerning when the system was at risk of crashing. A sizeable investment in hardware was required from the previous provider to get the whole system up to date, with a large installation and training cost in addition. The hotel team realised it was time for a change.

Solutions:

Matfen Hall selected the comprehensive suite of Guestline hospitality solutions to better suit the needs of the hotel. This included:

Rezlynx Property Management System

EPOS

Advanced Conference and Banqueting

Online Booking Module (OBM)

The team required all processes to be streamlined and as automated as possible and, with a sizeable wedding business, they needed the powerful functionality of Advanced Conference & Banqueting to optimise the wedding operational processes for the hotel and the wedding experience for the happy couple. Seamless implementation of the Guestline EPOS across the hotel’s four food and beverage outlets and integration with the spa and golf operational software was also delivered.

Benefits:

The hotel has seen a wide range of benefits thanks to the implementation of Guestline’s suite of hospitality software.

These have included

Optimal automation of processes and procedures delivered in the implementation has given the hotel team more time to take care of helping hotel customers

Reduced costs/ commissions thanks to improvements in processes

Matfen Hall team full confidence in the hotel’s PCI compliancy

Strong integration of systems across the hotels whole operations

More control over the system than with the previous PMS and any support issues get fixed quickly by Guestline’s UK-based teams

Greatly reduced commissions payments. In the first month after implementation, direct bookings increased by 21%

The team has experienced time reductions and better management and selling of the hotels various rates and room types, especially their important groups business

The Guestline team delivering the implementation worked very closely with the Matfen Hall team – becoming part of that team through the process!

The Guestline team’s project management was extremely important for the hotel as they needed that expertise to make the whole implementation a success, helping the hotel team every step of the way.

“Guestline’s software solutions are really effective and suited the requirements of Matfen Hall extremely well and they are now at the heart of the hotel’s operations. They work hard for us and have vastly improved the operational processes at the hotel. The implementation of the Online Booking Manager in particular has helped widen our appeal, and delivered an impressive increase in direct bookings and a welcome reduction in commission payments!

In addition, we chose the Guestline team because they knew exactly what we wanted and delivered exactly what we needed. They are a very supportive, understanding and most importantly knowledgeable team of people who really help us at Matfen Hall. We have a close and productive partnership with Guestline who keep in regular contact, offering us guidance where they think it’ll benefit us the most. We are very pleased with our choice of Guestline! ”  - Matfen Hall’s Sarah Barber, Sales & Marketing Director

Emma Johnstone, VP Business Development from Guestline said, "Across our suite of tools and technologies we have an unfailing commitment to delivering efficiencies and cost savings to all our clients. Working so closely alongside the team at Matfen Hall meant that we are able to gain a real insight into their operations and identify where and how improvements could be made.

Knowing that our technology has delivered significant dividends in terms of revenue and time is extremely rewarding and we look forward to continuing to work with the team in the future."

To arrange a demonstration of Guestline’s solutions which include property management. distribution, digital marketing and EPoS contact a member of the team here. 

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Avvio and Guestline partner to create more efficiency for hoteliers

Avvio, who provides Europe’s leading booking engine, has now integrated with Guestline to improve efficiency and revenue for accommodation providers.

Hoteliers and other accommodation providers who partner with Avvio will now be able to manage their accounts, inventory and bookings easily and efficiently by making use of the new two-way Guestline integration. The interface will ensure that all the information about rates, restrictions and availability can be instantly exchanged from Guestline to Avvio Convert booking engine and vice versa.

Accommodation providers will be able to manage their inventory, upsells, pricing and restrictions on Guestline and send them directly to Convert by Avvio. They can also pull reservations, modifications and cancellations from Convert into Guestline. In short, everything is integrated and organised in the same place, so it’s easier for accommodation providers to manage their bookings with minimum stress and confusion, and without having to switch back and forth between different software.

"Accommodation providers are tight for time and we're constantly striving to find new ways we can make their lives easier, while improving their direct booking revenue. We’re delighted to be integrating with Guestline  as it allows Avvio partners to save time and effort managing their channels and inventory, while still boosting their revenue using our Convert booking engine. They get the best of both worlds."

Frank Reeves, Avvio's Co-founder and CEO

Rupert Gutteridge, Sales & Marketing Director at Guestline added:

“Guestline is delighted to be working with Avvio, It’s important to be partnering with other leading technology providers within the hospitality industry to give hoteliers a choice of tools to improve their business. We believe the future of our success is based on offering clients a solid platform that allows great partners such as Avvio to plug into. Offering hoteliers an enhanced range of solutions and benefits”.

In a world of constant digital evolution and ever-shortening consumer attention spans, it’s more important than ever for accommodation providers to keep their guests’ booking experiences as quick and seamless as possible. Industry leading software providers, Avvio and Guestline, help their clients to achieve this efficiency, both at back-end and client-facing level. To find out more about how this new integration can help you improve your direct booking revenue and efficiency in your business, get in touch here.

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Cyber experts have warned that the travel industry as a whole is particularly exposed to criminal activity

At a special Travel Weekly summit, a group of travel experts examined the growing threat from cyber criminals and what travel firms can do to protect themselves from attack. We heard from experts in cybercrime and data security. It covered fraud, security, cyber-crime, compliance, payments, data, company structures to cope with all this and disaster recovery.

In the hospitality industry, as in the wider travel industry, it has become vital that IT security is given priority focus as firms become increasingly global, embrace new forms of payment, outsource to third-party Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions and move to cloud computing. The threat of cybercrime has never been so acute as some major companies outside of the travel sector have found to their cost. Indeed, most recently here in the UK we have also seen the widespread chaos in the NHS that the huge ransomware attack brought about.

Within the broader travel industry, the travel industry association ABTA was targeted earlier this year when hackers exploited a third party service provider and stole the personal data of 660 members and some 430,000 of their customers. Cyber experts have warned that the travel industry as a whole is particularly exposed to criminal activity due to the sheer amount of data that is collected by companies and the degree to which that data has to be shared.

Official figures put the cost of cybercrime to the UK economy at £10.9 billion in 2015-16 and yet it is estimated that only 10% of chief executives have taken steps to protect their companies. In addition, with the new EU GDPR regulations governing the protection and processing / handling of data due to come in during May next year, along with the associated severe penalties for companies that breach them, it is more important than ever for senior management to take steps to protect their companies and the personal data they hold.

In this world of increased threat to a company’s IT infrastructure, there are many areas of focus for companies to understand the importance and relevance related to safety and security in their business processes. One area in particular of utmost importance in our super connected and highly transactional hospitality industry is that of payment security.

With the explosion of service providers in the hospitality industry enabling payments in the online environment, it’s never been more important to provide customers and hospitality providers with secure environment and functionality to ensure payments are made safely and securely with as seamless a customer journey as possible. In addition, the rise of virtual digital payments in travel and the implications for security, has made this a very hot topic for the industry and we’ve seen several hospitality providers experience cyber security threats in recent times.

For Guestline, ensuring that the provision of payment services in the world of hospitality offers peace of mind to customers - with Level 1 PCI compliance – is vital. Secure payment gateway services enable hoteliers to process their customers’ card payments in a totally PCI compliant way, when the company’s suite of hospitality software solutions are utilised.

Clients benefit from a safe and secure method of storing and processing credit card details which can form part of the hotel’s overall PCI compliancy policy. Guestline has Level 1 PCI –DSS compliancy for hosting and payment processing and is listed on the VISA approved merchant list. PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is the standard payment card issuers have created to help reduce the level of fraud and card data loss.

There are strong reasons for maintaining PCI-DSS compliance. Guestline has developed a very simple, efficient and completely compliant suite of solutions for hotels and hospitality businesses in order to address all these issues, along with money-saving and revenue generating opportunities.

For further information on how you can work with Guestline to ensure your business is Level 1 PCI Compliant please contact the Guestline team on 01743 282300 or request further information on enquiries@guestline.com

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