News Briefs

Agilysys Inc. announced the launch of Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. (Stay Package Entitlement New Dynamic), a technology breakthrough that increases ancillary revenue and guest personalization by simplifying how hotels sell and fulfill packages. HITEC attendees can see the solution in HITEC Booth 1611.

Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. enables guests to reserve all entitlements in a package — from spa and golf to dining and activities and tours — in a single, guided online experience without requiring calls, emails or manual coordination with a property’s staff. Other booking systems cannot deliver this convenience because they lack the technology to see real-time availability and make reservations in the different systems that manage included entitlements.

Key benefits for hoteliers include:

• Ancillary revenue increases when guests accept real-time upsell offers during booking
• Heightened guest personalization and convenience, as guests booking packages can select entitlements and itineraries for each guest in the booking during one online session and receive consolidated itineraries reflecting all reservations for each guest
• Improved guest satisfaction through curated selection views and prompts that ensure guests reserve all due entitlements without inadvertently selecting items outside the package that incur additional costs
• Reduced operational overhead as staff do not need to fulfill package entitlements
• Improved staff insights resulting from being able to view the same consolidated itinerary as guests without having to check multiple systems
• Automated and simplified package management as packages are no longer promoted when any included entitlement becomes fully reserved
• Scalability across all property types, from luxury resorts to midscale and urban hotels

“Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. empowers properties to monetize experiences by offering compelling package bookings while simplifying execution,” said Frank Pitsikalis, SVP of Product Strategy at Agilysys. “Offering packages without creating more work for call centers and guest-facing staff is a step-level revenue advantage and a win-win for guest satisfaction and operational efficiency,” he added.

Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. is fully integrated with Agilysys PMS, POS, spa, golf, dining, and activity systems.

At its Leadership Experience event earlier this month, Starbucks announced its first generative-AI powered solution to support its frontline employees is being piloted in 35 locations.

Green Dot Assist is a virtual assistant built to help baristas in real time. Instead of flipping through manuals or searching for answers, partners can now ask questions on in-store iPads and receive instant, conversational responses. 

"With this new solution, we’re simplifying access to essential information in the flow of work for partners, making their jobs a little easier while they build confidence and expertise. For example, if a barista needs a quick reminder of the ingredients for a seasonal beverage, Green Dot Assist provides guidance in seconds—helping partners feel confident in delivering exceptional customer service," according to an annoucement on its website.   

Starbucks says this marks a significant step forward in its commitment to streamlining operations, reducing friction, and giving partners more time to focus on crafting beverages and connecting with customers.     

WATCH the Starbucks annoucement.

UrVenue launches  UrResort, its newest product developed in response to the growing demand from hotels and resorts for a more tailored solution. At its core is UrVenue’s proven platform for venue management, now expanded to support the full spectrum of experience-led operations, guest engagement, and enterprise-grade distribution. UrResort brings together a connected suite of solutions designed to help resort operators centralize and commercialize non-room inventory at scale.

 With an advanced distribution engine, UrResort connects experience inventory to both owned channels—like brand websites, booking engines, and in-room kiosks—and third-party affiliates such as ResortPass and PlanADay. The result is a fully integrated platform that empowers operators to streamline operations, drive revenue, and elevate the guest experience from pre-arrival through the on-property journey.

UrResort key features include:

• Experience Center – The core of the UrResort platform, centralizes all resort experiences, from cabanas to activity rentals, into a single interface. It serves as the operational hub, housing these key modules:
• Itinerary Builder & Manager – A dual-functionality tool that offers both a self-service interface for guests and a staff-facing backend. Each itinerary is personalized to the guest’s stay and powered by real-time inventory, including availability from integrated partners like OpenTable and Book4Time. Guests can plan and manage their experiences, while staff can build or modify itineraries on their behalf — all within a unified calendar view.
• Group Itinerary Builder – Designed to enhance group travel and events, this module allows attendees to explore resort experiences and manage their event schedules through an interactive, personalized guest portal. It improves operational efficiency by automating manual processes for meetings and events, while enabling real-time messaging, pre-arrival communication, and opportunities to drive incremental revenue through activity promotion and extended stays.
• Venue Management System – Provides operators with tools to manage inventory, optimize yield, and view live floorplans and reservations across all venues within a resort.
• Distribution – UrResort redefines how resorts distribute experience inventory, making it possible to surface bookable activities, events, and services not just at the property level, but across enterprise-owned channels. This includes brand.com websites, loyalty apps, and mobile platforms — something large hotel groups have traditionally lacked. With built-in integrations to partners like OpenTable and ResortPass, UrResort enables real-time distribution of on-property experiences through both direct and third-party channels, giving hotel brands the infrastructure needed to scale experience commerce in an increasingly AI-driven, inventory-connected world.
• Advanced Integrations – A newly expanded collaboration between UrVenue and OpenTable allows hotels to offer in-house guests and those with upcoming stays priority access to premium OpenTable reservations and OpenTable Experiences, before they’re available to the public. This access is seamlessly integrated into the Itinerary Builder as part of the guest’s pre-arrival journey.

“The launch of UrResort marks a pivotal moment, not just for UrVenue, but for the hospitality industry,” said Tracee Nalewak, Chief Growth Officer at UrVenue. “As AI transforms how travelers discover and book experiences, hotels need more than just room distribution—they need the ability to surface all experience inventory, in real time, across brand websites, loyalty apps, and partner channels. That’s what UrResort delivers. It gives hotel groups the infrastructure to connect, personalize, and monetize every part of the guest journey—at both the property and enterprise level.”

CommScope announced new AI-driven Wi-Fi 7 and Gen AI-based solutions from RUCKUS Networks. The portfolio of solutions provides full-service, mid-scale, and limited-service hotels a range of connectivity options for delivering customized guest Wi-Fi experiences that meet the unique demands of each market segment—from luxury to budget hotels.

Custom Connectivity for Every Tier

The RUCKUS hospitality solutions work together seamlessly, allowing businesses to pick and choose the right combination for their specific needs. LAN service providers are enabled to provide more customized solutions to their hospitality clients. Also RUCKUS has pre-configured bundles for each of the following market segments:

• Full-service hotels—Elevating the guest experience with the new H670 access point (AP)
  This option is the ideal choice for hotels investing in digital transformation and guest experiences because it provides the industry’s first RUCKUS One managed AI-driven hospitality focused Wi Fi 7 solution for premium hotel environments. The RUCKUS H670 solution, a tri-radio wall-mounted AP, offers dual concurrent IoT radios and dual multi-gigabit Power over Ethernet (PoE) output ports, enabling seamless IoT integration and powering of next-generation in-room technologies, from smart locks to environmental sensors. With support for high device density and offering superior RF efficiency, the H670 solution enhances the guest experience with fast, reliable and uninterrupted connectivity for streaming, video conferencing platforms and smart room controls.
• Mid-scale hotels—Expanding our mid-scale offering with the new R370 AP
  Featuring the AI-driven dual-band RUCKUS R370 solution, this option allows hotels to simplify operations and leapfrog technologies with the benefits of Wi-Fi 7. The R370 solution enables secure, reliable and easy-to-manage wireless coverage in guest rooms, small lobbies and small dining areas to enhance guest satisfaction. Its dual-band Wi-Fi 7 capability doubles the PHY data rate of entry-level Wi-Fi 6 APs and supports seamless streaming, video calls, and IoT integration, providing a future-ready network experience without a costly infrastructure overhaul.
• Limited-service hotel turnkey solution
  This new bundle is designed specifically with affordability and simplicity of limited-service offerings in mind. This suite features cloud-connected remote management services for the RUCKUS Unleashed™ platform—an integrated guest Wi-Fi portal—and high-performance, cost-effective hardware, featuring the RUCKUS R350e AP and the new ICX^® 8100 Ethernet switch. Built for cost-conscious organizations, the RUCKUS ICX 8100 switch delivers simplified, secure, enterprise-grade networking at an affordable price.

The Next Generation of RUCKUS Hospitality Suite

• RUCKUS One Hospitality Edition—The latest release enables automated onboarding and dynamic network access based on guest identity. The next generation includes:
  • Agentic AI-powered customizable dashboard canvas, a purpose-driven interface that allows users to interact with and automate their networks using plain English.
  • RUCKUS DPSK3, which enable hotels to offer secure, seamless Wi-Fi 7 access at scale via this patented technology.
  • Role Based Access Control (RBAC) that enables brands to confidently delegate responsibilities without compromising security or visibility.
  • RUCKUS One dynamic configuration template engine that streamlines the deployment process, provides consistency and reduces the potential for configuration errors.
• Brand 360 Dashboard—The enhanced dashboard gives brands a global view with real-time visibility into how each property is performing, measuring compliance with brand standards, quality of guest connectivity, and the effectiveness of network service partners.
• AI Onboarding Assistant—The assistant improves efficiency, productivity and accuracy while creating and deploying configurations and managing policy enforcement to enable every property to operate within brand guidelines. Improved single sign-on and multi-factor authentication adds layers of administrative security.

"I've been very impressed by how intuitive RUCKUS One is! It makes managing the entire network effortless for any hotel in Sonesta's portfolio, regardless of which provider we are working with. The full visibility it offers means I can pinpoint issues, down to the AP level, before it becomes a problem, making operations smoother and more secure every day,” noted Jillian Kenney, Property Internet Services Manager, Sonesta International Hotels Corporation.

AI-Driven RUCKUS Wireless APs

Two new APs join an already existing AP solution. Each option supports faster speeds, ultra-low latency, increased capacity and reliable connections to empower hotels to deliver high-performance connectivity experiences.

• New RUCKUS H670 Indoor AP—Wall-mounted, tri-band Wi-Fi 7 AP with dual concurrent IoT radios and dual multi-gigabit PoE output ports for in-room connectivity. applications and IoT devices.
• New RUCKUS R370 Indoor AP—A compact, enterprise-grade entry-level, dual-band Wi-Fi 7 AI-driven AP offering economical multi-gigabit performance and future-ready connectivity for low to medium-density environments with patented RUCKUS innovations.

At HITEC 2025, Anacove is showcasing its full suite of AI-enabled energy and operations management devices running natively on the LG Pro:Centric  hotel TV platform — potentially turning thousands of LG hotel TVs into powerful, data-driven hubs for energy savings, water leak detection, safety alerts, and real-time asset tracking. The integration is being demonstrated at LG Booth 3805 at HITEC 2025.

“This is a game changer for the hospitality industry,” said Ian Lerner, CEO of Anacove. “With the integration of Anacove IoT devices onto the LG Pro:Centric platform, the in-room LG hotel TV becomes more than a screen — it becomes an intelligence node that helps hoteliers to significantly improve the efficiency of their hotel operations in ways that were never possible before without adding expensive, standalone hardware.”

According to Jake Benner, Senior Director of Hospitality at LG Electronics, “The LG Pro:Centric platform has redefined the role of the hotel TV. It’s a platform for entertainment and for delivering integrated services that reduce operating costs, simplify installations, and increase staff effectiveness. Anacove’s IoT tools show exactly what’s possible when you bring operational intelligence directly into the guest room — without adding a single extra device.”

The LG Pro:Centric platform is designed to support a wide range of best-in-class third-party services — like Anacove — running directly on the TV interface. Once approved by LG, these services operate independently but harmoniously, unlocking new opportunities for cost savings, guest engagement, and streamlined operations.

Anacove’s integrations include:

• Smart Thermostats that go far beyond basic climate control. These devices use advanced sensors and AI to monitor temperature, humidity, air quality, light, barometric pressure, and occupancy — including pets or sleeping guests. Connected via existing Wi-Fi and fully integrated with HVAC systems, they optimize energy use based on each room’s unique thermal behavior.
• Toilet Leak Detectors that combine hardware sensors with AI analytics to detect and diagnose leaks early — minimizing water waste, avoiding expensive repairs, and preventing guest disruption.
• Asset Trackers that use location tagging and AI to monitor rollaway beds, cribs, luggage carts, and housekeeping equipment. The system streamlines item retrieval and reduces loss, improving both service speed and resource management.
• Staff Safety Devices that provide wearable emergency alert capabilities for housekeeping and maintenance personnel.

All devices are connected to Anacove’s AI-powered cloud system, which treats the hotel as a unified ecosystem— delivering automated reports and actionable insights that show clear ROI and support smarter operations.

Meyer Jabara Hotels is cloud-connected, AI-accelerated, and future-proofed thanks to the recent recruitment of Chris Clap as Chief Technology Officer – a first-time position for the 48-year-old hotel ownership and management company. As its portfolio of branded and independent hotels continues to grow across the U.S., MJH is aligning its tech strategy and business ambition to build a better foundation for the future. 

“We’ve long been committed to leveraging technology to drive better outcomes,” said Ted Jabara, Meyer Jabara Hotels Senior Vice President Technical Services. “Having worked with Chris in the past and being extremely impressed with his IT leadership experience, we recruited him to build a team and a vision that will enable us to better serve our properties, staff, and customers. Chris has the experience, professionalism, and customer service centric mindset we need to stay ahead of the technology curve and be truly future ready.”

MJH’s technology roadmap centers on three core pillars:

1. Cloud-First Operations: Leveraging Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Azure, the company will build a mobile-first digital ecosystem that enables staff to access data securely from anywhere, untethered by VPNs or legacy systems and results in faster, smarter decision making.
2. Proactive Security: Leveraging a resilient, layered security framework that integrates proactive and reactive tools, MJH will ensure up time and protect data integrity. From endpoint protection to real-time monitoring, the company is developing a depth-of-defense strategy to ensure technology roadmap success.
3. AI and Automation Analysis: Leveraging workflow automation analysis – from accounting to revenue management – along with AI, the company will reduce manual data entry, increase speed, and eliminate inaccuracies.

Professional & People Focused

“Having worked with Meyer Jabara Hotels as a vendor, I know the team and what they stand for,” Clap said. “Their values and culture were a significant factor in my decision to join the company. This is a place where I can make a real impact, not just on systems, but on people’s day-to-day experiences. Meyer Jabara Hotels is embracing technology not to replace people, but to leverage human capabilities and allow our teams to focus on high-impact work. It’s all about building a foundation for how hospitality will be delivered in the future.”

Clap comes to Meyer Jabara Hotels with nearly 30 years of IT experience. Previously, Clap worked as a Senior Systems Engineer and Professional Services Engineer for Managed Services Providers (MSP), designing IT networks, security assessments, and custom solutions for customers. He started his career working for IBM supporting both internal and commercial accounts in application virtualization technology. Clap resides in Connecticut with his wife and has two adult children.

“My goal at Meyer Jabara Hotels is to work on the business, not in the business,” Clap said. “Our focus will remain on the strategy, growth, and systems that improve the business overall and allow it to scale, improve, and succeed.”