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  • 6/11/2025

    Unifocus Launches Staff Collaboration Suite to Power a Human-First, Frictionless Hospitality Workforce

    logo, Unifocus

    Unifocus, a complete labor and operations platform, announced the launch of its Staff Collaboration Suite (SCS) — the latest in a suite of dynamic solutions designed to eliminate the operational disconnects that slow teams down, integrating chat, mobile training and AI-powered knowledge into a single, integrated experience. SCS is a foundational release within the company’s newly established Communications pillar. 

    “Hospitality is built on human connection—but the tools we’ve given teams have too often gotten in the way,” said Karie Kelly, CPTO at Unifocus. “This launch marks a turning point. It’s the start of a platform experience that removes friction, reinforces people, and keeps the focus where it belongs: on service.”

    The Staff Collaboration Suite includes:

    • Chat – Real-time messaging for hotel teams, embedded into the same system they use to manage schedules, tasks, and service. Chat replaces radios and third-party apps with something better: integrated communication that’s role-aware, property-specific and secure.
    • AskAI – A customizable, AI-powered assistant that delivers instant answers to SOP, policy and operational questions. Teams get what they need in the moment—no paperwork, no guesswork.
    • Training (LMS) – Mobile-first onboarding and continuous learning, assigned by role and trackable in real time. Training happens where teams actually work—not in back-office binders or classroom sessions.

    Optional Add-On:

    • UAT Environment – For enterprise-scale testing and validation.

    The End of Patchwork Systems

    For decades, hotels have relied on a mix of radios, clipboards, emails, and apps—each solving one problem while creating others. The result? Friction. Between teams. Between systems. Between people and their work.

    The Staff Collaboration Suite is Unifocus’ answer to that problem. It’s not just new features—it’s connective tissue. And it’s built to work across the platform, layered directly over the company’s Workforce Management and Hotel Operations pillars.

    “Communication isn’t just a function,” said Corey McCarthy, CMO at Unifocus. “It’s the space between people, between tasks, and between systems. When we get it right, everything flows. And when everything flows, hoteliers do their work better, more efficiently – and more profitably.”

    Shaping the Future of Hotel Technology

    The launch follows the introduction of XiQ (ExperienceIQ), Unifocus’ newly rebuilt feedback engine. Together, XiQ and Staff Collaboration form the foundation of the Communications pillar—a long-term strategy to unify the signals, conversations, and workflows that define hospitality.

    Where other vendors offer standalone apps, Unifocus is designing something more: a fully connected platform where insights flow to the right place, people stay aligned in real time, and technology never distracts from the moment—it supports it.

  • 6/10/2025

    VSR Launches Conversational AI Assistant VAIA at HITEC 2025

    businessman showing graphics Ai chat application, a digital chatbot assistant. Robotic smart customer access internet network data, futuristic technology discussion concept. high tech artif; Shutterstock ID 2357629235

    VSR introduces the next-generation VAIA®, multimodal conversational AI voice assistant purpose-built for hotels. The platform is designed to enhance both guest satisfaction and hotel efficiency throughout the complete guest journey with intelligent and expressive generative multilingual responses across voice, text, chat, and email with no app download required. 

    VSR will debut the new VAIA at the HITEC hospitality technology show in Indianapolis – Booth 3214. A Demo of VAIA can be viewed here. 

    VAIA conversational AI assistant enables hotels to provide 24/7 service, enabling guests to receive immediate answers to their questions, make reservations, request housekeeping or maintenance, and access concierge services through the communication channel of their choice. Whether by phone, text, email, or chat, VAIA speaks with a warm, empathetic and conversational tone that reflects the property’s brand voice.

    “VAIA represents the future of hospitality service,” said Mark Cederloff, CEO of VSR.  “It’s human-like, intuitive and most importantly, deeply aligned with each hotel’s unique identity. We’ve created a solution that simplifies operations, enhances service, and contributes directly to the bottom line.”

    Deployment is fast and scalable, often taking just days to implement with minimal IT resources. VAIA is already proving to be a game changer for hotels looking to enhance the guest experience while reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency.

    “We’ve been using VAIA for a few years now, and it’s made a real impact across our hotels — helping us improve communication, guest satisfaction, and overall efficiency. With the new updates like multi-lingual support, Quore integration, and the ability to handle reservations, VAIA is taking things to a whole new level. It’s a major step forward that will make a big difference for both our teams and our guests,” said Jon McMillian, Vice President of Marketing and Ecommerce, AD1 Hospitality

    Hotels that implement VAIA experience a significant reduction in front desk workload, allowing staff to focus on in-person guest interactions and other high value tasks.  VAIA boosts incremental revenue by offering timely upsell opportunities for room upgrades, spa appointments, dining reservations, and more - triggered automatically based on guest behavior and intent. 

    Operationally, VAIA’s API integration with leading PMS, POS service ticketing tools, and point-of-sale platforms; allows hotels to upgrade service while maintaining current property operational platforms. Additionally, VAIA now supports MCP (Model Context Protocol) Integration. This allows VAIA to offer dynamic tool access and connect to any MCP-compatible server with access to thousands of app integrations through providers like Zapier (7,000+ apps and 30,000+ actions). This translates into simplified integration process, reduced development time and flexible deployment options (local or remote).

    VAIA seamlessly handles routine hotel requests and most any question; related to the property, geographic area or general curiosity; from pre-arrival through post-stay at a time that is convenient for the guest. Guests enjoy responsive, friendly service without delays or hold times, while hotels benefit from improved satisfaction scores, better online reviews, and increased guest loyalty.

    Hotels may utilize to a real-time dashboard that provides valuable insights into guest behavior, service trends, and staffing needs. VAIA is built on a secure, cloud-native architecture to ensure enterprise-grade compliance. The platform is PCI, GDPR Compliant and HIPAA Compliance to protect healthcare-related information (PHI); and has cloud storage options of AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage and Cloudflare R2.

  • 6/11/2025

    Actabl Eliminates Manual Hotel Night Audit Processes

    Actabl night audit image

    Actabl, a software company dedicated to empowering hotels with actionable insights to drive profit, today announced the launch of Digital Night Audit, a new feature within its ProfitSword platform that eliminates manual nightly audit processes with a fully digital, automated workflow.

    Hotels have long relied on paper reports, manual binders, and repetitive data entry to complete nightly audits, consuming valuable staff time and introducing compliance risks. Digital Night Audit is designed for both on-property teams that complete nightly audits and finance and operations leaders who oversee compliance across hotel portfolios. The feature eliminates these inefficiencies by enabling hotel teams to configure customized workflows, automatically compile and store packets, and easily track submissions, edits, and approvals in real time. All packets are digitally archived within ProfitSword for up to seven years, making them instantly accessible for compliance reviews or audits.

    “For most hotels, night audits are still painfully manual. Dozens of reports are printed, marked up, scanned, and then filed away in storage units that cost money and collect dust,” said Stephen German, SVP of Product Development at Actabl. “With Digital Night Audit, we’re removing that pain and replacing it with a smarter, faster way of working. Hotel teams and leadership get a standardized, real-time view into audit activity across their entire portfolio—bringing greater consistency, accountability, and efficiency to one of hospitality’s most outdated workflows.”

    Hotel management companies benefit from Digital Night Audit through enhanced visibility, consistency, and control across their entire portfolio. Instead of relying on inconsistent audit processes or ad-hoc update requests, the solution offers a standardized view of daily audit activity, allowing management companies to monitor completion rates, surface exceptions in real-time, and ensure compliance without micromanaging property teams.

    Previously, operators relied on emailed spreadsheets and paper packets to verify audit completion, causing unnecessary bottlenecks and increasing the risk of errors. Digital Night Audit replaces that with a streamlined digital checklist for auditors and a centralized dashboard for managers to track progress and approvals in real time. Every step is electronically recorded—who completed what, who approved it, and when—making edits faster, workflows more standardized, and compliance easier to manage. By eliminating paper, it also reduces waste and supports more sustainable operations.

    Learn more about Digital Night Audit here.

  • 6/11/2025

    SURVEY: 70% of American Travelers Want to Skip the Front Desk

    MEWS survey infographic

    A new U.S. survey commissioned by Mews reveals a major shift in guest preferences toward digital check-in. Among 2,000 American travelers surveyed, 70% say they’d prefer to use a hotel app or self-service kiosk over a traditional front desk. That number jumps to 82% among Gen Z respondents, underscoring a generational expectation for seamless, tech-enabled experiences.

    Self-check-in isn’t just popular—it also drives business results. Hotels using Mews Kiosks report that 30% of guests choose the kiosk, reducing check-in time by a third and boosting upsell conversion by 25%. U.S. hotels outpace global peers in digital adoption, with 10.5% of guests using the Mews Guest Portal, compared to a global average of 8.6%.

    Other key findings include:

    • 79% of returning guests value personalized amenities, especially Gen Z (89%).
    • 93% of travelers are open to sharing personal data to enhance the hotel experience—especially for check-in/out preferences, F&B choices, and amenities.
    • Guests using kiosks generate 70% more upsell revenue per check-in than those checking in at the front desk.

     

    Executives from Generator and Mews both emphasized that this trend is not about removing human interaction—it’s about reallocating staff time to more meaningful guest engagement and reducing operational friction.

     

    Analysis: What This Means for Hotel IT Roadmaps

    This data validates a growing imperative: self-service is not a luxury feature—it’s the new baseline. Hospitality IT leaders should treat digital check-in and personalized guest flows as core infrastructure, not fringe innovation.

    Key implications:

    • Front desk redesign is now a tech challenge. Expect higher investment in guest-facing interfaces—whether kiosks, mobile apps, or web portals—and the APIs and middleware that connect them to PMS, CRM, and upsell platforms.
    • AI-ready data architecture is critical. With 93% of travelers willing to share personal preferences, IT teams must ensure systems are prepared to securely ingest, structure, and use guest data for real-time personalization.
    • Upsell and loyalty are increasingly tied to digital touchpoints. Hospitality technology roadmaps should factor in commerce capabilities at check-in—making it easy to present targeted offers based on guest profiles and booking context.
    • Flexibility and autonomy are non-negotiable. Gen Z’s preference for self-check-in is a bellwether for future expectations across demographics. Hotels that don’t adapt risk falling behind not just in satisfaction but in revenue performance.
  • 6/11/2025

    Agilysys to Debut Game-Changing Innovations for Package Booking and Intelligent Guest Profiles at HITEC 2025

    agilysys

    Agilysys, Inc., a  global provider of hospitality software solutions, announced it will showcase revenue-enhancing innovations and executive-led insights at HITEC 2025, held June 16 – 19 in Indianapolis, Indiana. In Booth #1611, Agilysys will demonstrate ways hospitality operators can leverage technology innovations to elevate revenue, personalize guest journeys, offload repetitive tasks from staff so they can focus on guests, streamline operations, and boost profitability.  

     

    New solutions and embedded technology featured include: 

    • Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. (Stay Package Entitlement, New Dynamic booking) Technology – A powerful new booking engine add on that enables properties to streamline how they promote and fulfill packages without burdening staff and enables guests who select a package to easily reserve all entitlements in one “prompted” session without having to visit multiple sites or make multiple phone calls.   Guests can reserve full experiences beyond their room selection, such as spa services, dining, golf tee times and course selection, and more in one seamless, guided journey. It brings together real-time inventory, pricing, demand and availability across all components, reducing complexity for staff while increasing convenience and satisfaction for guests. When any of the entitlements in a package is fully-booked, the system has the intelligence to remove that package from the promotional offers to prevent disappointing guests who might choose that package only to find an included entitlement no longer available to reserve. 

    • Intelligent Guest Profile – Technology that runs through all Agilysys solutions to facilitate the uniform sharing of guest preference and experience data among applications to continuously and intelligently build a guest’s profile so that understanding and serving each guest can be consistent across a property’s experiences and revenue centers. This unified data solution empowers staff to understand guest preferences across every touchpoint: pre-stay, on-property, and post-stay. Operators can deliver tailored offers, smarter upselling, and more personalized service at scale, improving both guest loyalty and revenue performance. 

    • IG Fly Mobile POS with FreedomPay Integration – A mobile, all-in-one ordering, payment and receipt printing solution that enables staff to serve guests anywhere on property while accepting secure EMV, contactless, and mobile wallet payments. IG Fly also will be showcased at the FreedomPay booth #1203, highlighting the power of integrated, on-the-go hospitality commerce. 

     

    These innovations reflect Agilysys’s continued leadership in delivering modern, connected hospitality experiences and will be featured in two executive-led sessions at HITEC 2025. 

    • Rohith Kori, SVP of Corporate and Product Strategy at Agilysys, will moderate a panel discussion among Jeffrey Parker (VP of Property Systems, Sage Hospitality Group), Michael Blake (VP of Information Technology, Kemper Sports), and Neil Smith (Director, Onsite Digital Products, Marriott International Inc.) during Technology Showcase Session 6 on Wednesday, June 18, from 3:15 - 4:05 PM (Location 124). The session, titled “Beyond RevPAR: How Focusing on Revenue Per Available Guest (RevPAG) and Leveraging AI Unlocks Ancillary Revenue and Elevates Profits,” will explore how hoteliers can go beyond room-based metrics to optimize total guest value through technology that (1) aligns offers with guest preferences and behaviors and (2) curates at scale experiences that are both personal and profitable.  

    • Rohith Kori, SVP of Corporate and Product Strategy, will immerse the audience in a vacation adventure with his family, revealing how integrated technology and Intelligent Guest Profiles equip properties to deliver tailored offers at just the right moment, give guests choice, streamline operations and foster loyalty.   

     

    “We’re excited to return to HITEC and showcase how our latest innovations are helping hospitality providers move beyond transactional service models toward truly personalized, experience-led relationships with their guests,” said Terrie O’Hanlon, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Agilysys. “Whether increasing guest spend through personalized booking or improving operational efficiency with intelligent data and AI, our solutions are helping properties turn every interaction into an opportunity for growth and loyalty.” 

     

    Visit Agilysys at Booth #1611 at HITEC 2025 to see Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. Technology in action and learn how your property can enhance bookings, increase revenue, and deliver next-level guest experiences. 

  • 6/10/2025

    Donatos Debuts Fully Autonomous Pizza Kitchen at Columbus Airport

    donatos pizza

    Donatos Pizza has opened its first fully autonomous restaurant at John Glenn Columbus International Airport  in Columbus, Ohio, powered by robotic technology from foodtech startup Appetronix and operated by HMSHost.

    The 24/7 location leverages robotics, AI, and data science to deliver made-to-order pizzas with speed, consistency, and minimal human involvement. Travelers can watch their meals being prepared through an engaging, transparent cooking process, giving a glimpse into the tech-powered kitchen of the future.

    Occupying just 150 square feet, the compact kitchen runs entirely on robotic and AI-powered systems to deliver hot, made-to-order pizzas 24/7. Orders can be placed via QR code on a smartphone or through a touchscreen kiosk. The first pizza is ready in about five minutes, with each additional pizza completed every 2.5 minutes.

    Kevin King, President and CEO of Donatos, emphasized the alignment of this new venture with the brand’s long-term strategic goals:

    “This aligns perfectly with four key pillars: people, innovation, brand, and growth... We're so excited about the opportunity and where this innovation will take us over the next several years.”

    Nipun Sharma, Co-Founder and CEO of Appetronix,  noted the four-year journey to build a fully autonomous kitchen and called the collaboration with Donatos a “defining moment” for the industry:

    “This is more than innovation—it's a transformative leap for the QSR space,” added“We're delivering hot, fresh pizza with unprecedented precision and efficiency ... We are truly honored that Donatos trusted us with this partnership... I can assure you that this is the Donatos Pizza that you’ve loved for 60 years, and it’s going to be the same quality, ” Sharma said.

    Appetronix’s autonomous platform fully automates kitchen operations—from portioning and cooking to plating and cleaning—paving the way for deployment in airports, hospitals, universities, and other non-traditional restaurant spaces.

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