Partner News

NATIONAL 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:

APF Provides FF&E Financing for Nebraska Hotel
Access Point Financial, LLC (APF) has completed an agreement with Center 60 Hospitality to finance the FF&E at the recently built Aloft Omaha Aksarben Village in Omaha, NE. The 120-room hotel opened its doors in August and is managed by Lincoln Hotel Group.

Center 60 Hospitality sourced APF to secure a $450,000 loan to finance the hotel’s FF&E as part of the construction and opening of the hotel. The borrower approached APF for the loan due to the company’s flexibility with regard to the terms of the transaction, as well as its ability to work alongside Lincoln Hotel Group’s initial mortgage lender.

Alplina Makes Face Shields, Sneeze/Spray Guards
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chicago-based Alpina Manufacturing is now offering face shields and sneeze/spray guards.

The face shields are extended below the chin, and are adjustable with a hinged/rotating design that allows users to angle them up or down. They feature super clear PETG material and offer room for masks, glasses and goggles.

Alpina’s sneeze/spray guards can be laser cut to any size or shape to protect employees from droplets that could contain viruses. They can be placed on top of a cubicle or desk and are easy to clean.

Oracle Acquires Nor1
Oracle announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Nor1. The acquisition extends Oracle Hospitality’s Opera Cloud Suite by adding Nor1’s Merchandising platform that enables hotels to provide personalized offers throughout the guest journey using AI and machine learning, thereby improving guest engagement, and driving incremental revenue and improved loyalty for hotels.

“Nor1, the industry’s only real-time decision engine for premium inventory, uses powerful algorithms to identify underperforming inventory and provide targeted upsell offers to help increase hotel revenue and operational efficiency,” said Alexander Alt, SVP/GM, Oracle Hospitality Global Business Unit. “Nor1’s ability to quickly generate consistent conversions and revenue from the very first point of contact throughout the stay is one of many critical capabilities it delivers to their customers.”

IDeaS, Mews Partner to Provide Two-Way Data Exchange
IDeaS and Mews have developed a two-way data exchange that automates the seamless transfer of information between IDeaS’ revenue management solutions and Mews Commander, a property management system (PMS).

Both IDeaS Revenue Management System (RMS) and IDeaS G3 RMS enable hoteliers to optimally manage and analyze the data behind forecasting and pricing. These sophisticated solutions feature robust reporting tools and utilize the latest in automated, machine-learning technology. Mews brings automation to manual tasks, payments, booking management, upselling, online check-in, housekeeping and accounting. This automation allows hotels to focus on creating great guest experiences. Commander’s modern, intuitive design allows new users to quickly find their way around, whilst gaining access to all the tools and reports needed from a PMS.

RMS Launches New and Improved Internet Booking Engine
RMS North America has unveiled its updated internet booking engine (IBE) to address the needs of modern travelers and help property owners increase their direct bookings.

In the new RMS booking engine, guests will see a clean layout with a snapshot display screen showing relevant content, a shopping cart-style booking process, the ability to view cancellation policies and a handy map link for travel directions—all guest-centric improvements to create a better booking experience.

For property managers, an additional perk is the ability to make it a seamless extension of their current website. They can add logos and customize colors to match their brand, and enterprise users can tailor the booking engine to each individual property in their portfolio.