INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Whether it’s celebrating an anniversary, receiving an award, earning a certification, debuting a new product or expanding the business, hotel companies and vendors achieve new milestones on a daily basis. Here’s a look at recent accomplishments:
PureStar Salutes Housekeeping Teams
PureStar recognizes guestroom attendants for the essential services they provide to help create safe stays for enhanced guest experiences as International Housekeepers Week (Sept. 13-19) approaches.
Sebastian Mitchell, PureStar’s COO said, “The efforts of our clients’ housekeeping teams are core to enjoyable, safe and clean hotel stays. PureStar is proud to partner with these dedicated heroes and heroines by providing them with the hospitality laundry solutions they need to create high-quality experiences for hotel guests.”
International Housekeepers Week is celebrated globally to honor the efforts of hardworking custodial and housekeeping staff members. Established in 1981, the tradition is celebrated annually during the second full week of September.
Shannon McCallum Appointed VP of Hospitality for Volan Technology
Volan Technology, a provider of AI-based safety and contact-tracing software, has appointed Shannon McCallum to VP of hospitality. Leading the company’s newly formed hospitality division, McCallum will leverage her hotel operating expertise to drive new business standards for client experience, talent development sales and financial performance. With her comprehensive knowledge of the hospitality industry, she will effectively translate the benefits of Volan’s advanced solutions for workplace and school safety to hotel and cruise line operators, and offer a keen understanding of how it can be most efficiently implemented, according to the company.
McCallum, who is currently chair of the Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association, most recently served as VP of operations for both Aria Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa as part of her nearly 10 years with MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas. She also spent 15 years with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, holding several management and executive roles with the luxury brand.
Hotel G San Francisco Adopts BeyondTV GuestCast by HIS
Hotel Internet Services (HIS) has implemented BeyondTV GuestCast at Hotel G San Francisco, a lifestyle hotel located in the heart of the Northern California city. BeyondTV GuestCast will provide each guest with the ability to instantly stream virtually any kind of personalized content as they would when still at home.
The property selected HIS and its BeyondTV GuestCast solution due to its ability to provide the latest in content casting functionality, along with the company’s expertise in accommodating specific hospitality market needs. With BeyondTV GuestCast, Hotel G San Francisco property leadership was significantly able to discontinue the need for costly premier channel subscriptions while still providing guests with the option to access such content on guestroom televisions using their own personal accounts.
The Gale South Beach Adds Volara + Google Contactless Guest Engagement Solution
When The Gale South Beach, a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel, reopens in October, Volara’s contactless guest engagement and touchless room controls solution on the Google Nest Hub will be available in its guestrooms. Rather than picking up the phone to call room service or request a forgotten amenity at the front desk, guests can speak commands in their guestroom to enable private, automated and live conversational interactions with staff.
Volara’s integration into the hotel’s operations platform from Alice drives additional efficiencies, as all item and service requests are seamlessly routed to the appropriate department for fulfillment of each command. Whether guests request an item (“Hey Google, bring a bottle of champagne”), schedule a service (“Hey Google, bring my car around front”), seek recommendations (“Hey Google, where I can get a good steak?”) or just need to know how to access a hotel amenity (“Hey Google, how do I connect to the WiFi?”), the highly secure, privacy-centric voice technology will streamline all guest communication and give visitors a way to connect virtually.