Hotel News Now’s Tech Impact Report each month features a news roundup from the hotel technology sector. Subscribe to the free monthly report here.
Wyndham introduces new RMS
Wyndham Hotel Group’s biggest opportunity going forward comes via technology, reports Hotel News Now’s Patrick Mayock.
The company is ditching its problematic Wynguest system in favor of Sabre Corporation’s SynXis property management system and central reservations platform as well as an automated revenue management tool in Infor’s EzLITE. The change is a mandate for all 4,500 franchises
using the Wynguest system. Costs to owners are on par with those of Wynguest.
Responsive reigns in mobile design
Responsive website frameworks have become non-negotiable for hoteliers looking to optimize website navigation across platforms and increase online conversation, according to sources.
Less of a certainty is whether hoteliers choose responsive Web design or adaptive design in their pursuit of those aims.
Responsive design uses the CCS and HTML languages common to major platforms such as Google, Facebook and Apple to create Web pages and translate them to all devices—PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone—by automatically adjusting the size of all elements in the layout according to the screen resolution, meaning no more zooming and shrinking.
NYC cracks down on Airbnb
A specialized task force of investigators in New York City is hitting the streets to combat problems associated with short-term apartment rentals in the city, according to the Associated Press.
This group, which includes building and fire inspectors, police, lawyers, city tax specialists and more have worked for the past nine years citing violations related to short-term rentals, and their activities may be set to get a boost in the face of Airbnb and other short-term rental sites growing in popularity. Some area lawmakers are calling for this special task force to get more manpower in order to “go beyond answering complaints to scour the Web for suspect listings,” according to the AP story.
If the measure passes, the city’s enforcement squad could grow from 11 to roughly 36 employees. Airbnb executives, meanwhile, are challenging local laws in hopes of exempting people who are renting their own space via the shared-lodging site.
London is not cracking down on Airbnb
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom: London joined the list of cities embracing Airbnb. Parliament passed legislation allowing London residents to share their homes without permission from local authorities. Matt Hancock, minister of state at the U.K. department for business, innovation and skills, spoke out in support of the legislation, saying that “platforms like Airbnb are empowering a generation of innovators and everyday entrepreneurs. … We will back them all the way and continue to remove barriers to their success. This new law will unlock opportunities for this dynamic, growing sector and cements our commitment to be the world leader for the sharing economy.”
TripAdvisor: 50% of hoteliers expect to raise rates
You’ll see more data represented in the Tech Impact Report’s infographic for this week’s issue, but TripAdvisor’s “TripBarometer March 2015” report has found that half of all hoteliers will raise rates this year. And 35% of those will increase rates by 3% to 10%.
Compiled by Shawn A. Turner.