“Cyndi is an excellent addition to our executive team and we’re very fortunate to have her on board,” remarked Dan Meub, Eleven’s CEO.

Shepley was the VP and GM at Hospitality Solution International (HSI), a division of Micros. Prior to HSI, Shepley was the Director of Business Development at InfoGenesis, a leading developer and marketer of enterprise software, services and solutions to the hospitality and retail industries.

“Her extensive background in hotel technology along with her sales and general management experience will help us continue to accelerate Eleven’s growth and emergence as hospitality’s guest facing technology standard,” Dan Meub commented.

“Eleven embodies my values for exceptional products and services while leading the industry in technology solutions,” said Shepley.

See the original release here.

In Vizergy’s Digital Marketing for Hotels and Resorts in a Multiscreen World (available through sign up). The white paper talks about 4 screens, including:

1)    Television

2)    PC (desktop or laptop)

3)    Mobile phone

4)    Tablet

The Truth is in the Numbers: 2013 is Undoubtedly the Year of the Three Screens in Hospitality by Hotel Technology Resource, who mention only 3:

1)    The desktop

2)    Mobile

3)    Tablet

What does this Mean for Hotels?

These articles tell us there are more screens but more personal devices, too. This equals scalability in physical assets hotels offer on premise. We’ve already begun to see smaller, more integrated business centers and lobby computers amongst high business traffic properties and we only expect this trend to continue as more of us bring our own devices.

Future for Two?

Also on the horizon, televisions and desktops are becoming one in the same. These and personal computing categories will eventually converge. With products like Google Glass causing quite a stir, this could be right around the corner.

What’s Significant Now

Both articles note television and desktops are still ruling our time. However, while we watch television or use our computers (desktop or laptop), 77% of us are also using another mobile device at the same time. So don’t count mobile out when you can double your impact.

What do you think will come first? A convergence of desktops and televisions or better mobile devices that will allow us to be mobile connected while we do absolutely everything?

In this recent Hospitality Net article Calum McIndoe writes in detail about 6 trends that are revolutionizing hotels, which we summarize here:

Click here to read the complete article.

Which of the above have you taken advantage of so far? What’s next?

Recently published survey results about lodging tech trends done by Hotel Interactive reveal some great opportunities for hoteliers. We drilled down the data to summarize what you should be focusing on as far as new technology in your hotel:

·     Leveraging technology to lower operational costs

·     Providing better guest-focused technology

·     Getting more technology in guest rooms

·     Using technology to create more personalized guest experiences

·     Offering more technology driven entertainment options

·     Finding mobile technology for more personalized property experiences

·     Adopting informational apps for activities within the hotel

·     Gaining more technology for attracting meeting planners

As Hotel Interactive points out, the hospitality industry is historically slow to react to trends, and we want to start changing that. There are countless opportunities to grow profits and increase guest satisfaction with hotel technology, the trick is to choose just one or two trends and adapt quickly.

What hospitality technology are you coveting most? Why?

It’s been said that the U.S. dominates in the bandwidth game. Several other countries are in the Internet dark ages –people are still reporting dial up connections!

Commenter, Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, said it best in his breakdown, which we summarize below. It’s not enough for Wi-Fi to just be free, it must meet performance requirements of users.

• User Interface: the sign on process should be simple and straightforward – guests should just have to agree to terms of use and click to sign on.
• Security: does the system appear safe to login to? Further, would you trust putting your email and banking information on it?
• Speed & Capacity: sufficient bandwidth at all times of the day is a must. No one wants to wait more than 10-20 seconds for a page to load.
• Availability: is the Wi-Fi signal consistent between the guest rooms and the main lobby? Spotty service is a sure way to upset guests.
• Cost: if you do offer paid upgrade options, the offer must be worth it; premium guest Internet users should be able to stream video, etc.

We believe that free Wi-Fi certainly has its place in hospitality, but we can’t ignore the rest of the picture – bandwidth, user experience, security, etc.

Do you offer free Wi-Fi? Why or why not?

In his relatively short time here Shaun has taken the initiative to become well versed in all of Eleven’s products including our guest Internet management software, ElevenOS. He also acts as a back up for our Senior Systems Engineer. It is a pleasure to have him as a member of the Eleven team.

Everyone at Eleven appreciates Shaun’s welcoming personality and take-action attitude. He never waits for someone else to follow up; he gets to the base of any issue and has a passion to see projects to completion.

Fave Food: Sandwiches!

Fave Movie: They Live

Fave Band: Boards of Canada

Power Animal: A sheagle: half shark and half eagle.

We will continue to introduce members of the Eleven team throughout the year so you can better get to know the Eleven team.

A few more staggering statistics:

• Travel queries via mobile have jumped 8% in the last year.
• An estimated 36 million Americans use smartphones to research and plan their travel.
• Almost half of all travel searches on a mobile device result in a purchase.

When building your mobile strategy and website, consider the tips below.

1. 1. Design to work on the most popular mobile devices and browsers.
2. 2. Add aesthetic elements, but keep speed in mind – images are data heavy.
3. 3. Make it simple to complete and change reservations via mobile.
4. 4. Make the most of the mobile revolution with easy navigation and apps.
5. 5. Be social savvy; most of your users are sharing while on the go.
6. 6. Make it easy to find deals and promotions via mobile sites and apps.

We’ve collected these recommendations based on these published articles:

• Hotel News Now’s Mobile Rates: Should They be Discounted
• 4Hoteliers.com’s Critical Mobile Optimization Tactics Every Hotelier Should Know
• VFM Leonardo’s hotelier guide

More on mobile strategy:

• Making a Guest-Facing Mobile Strategy in 9 Steps
• 5 Building Blocks for a Mobile Strategy
• 5 Tips to Improve Your Online Guest Experience

	1. Local and sustainable food is good for business. Instead of looking for the most inexpensive options, we recommend offering locally sourced, fresh foods both for rooms and meeting spaces. Sustainable and healthy dining can be a way to attract more guests.
	2. Internet is becoming a commodity; treat it like one. Just like we don’t look at hot water and door locks as optional, neither should we question the need for guest Internet anymore. Instead, figure out ways to offset your costs with things like tiered bandwidth, charging for group use, etc.
	3. Differentiate your property. Brand loyalty is not what it used to be, especially among Millennials; however, as this USA Today article and HotelNewsNow.com article explain travelers still appreciate personalized, customized, and reliable service.
	4. Localize and win. Understanding local culture can certainly be a challenge when growing into new markets, but adopting the local art, food, and customs create experiences guests won’t forget and even locals will appreciate. Check out our post on local amenities that shine.
	5. Let competition fuel you. Fierce competition is usually a sign of a successful industry; learn from competitors and do better. Unique amenities, great staff, stellar customer service, fair prices –these are just a few ways to set yourself apart.
	The 5.5 – No matter what strategies you are using, you can enhance your impact by connecting via social media and reviews. Respond quickly to comments and make it easy for your guest to spread the word.

We would love to address more, what challenges have you experienced?

More of the latest Connected Hotel news:

• 11 Ways to Boost Conference Business
• Millennial Mania in the Hospitality Industry
• 9 Ways to Attract Millennials

Appropriately, HotelsMag.com recently published this article on the features and services that motivate meeting planners to recommend your venue. The article highlights results from a 2012 global survey of 10,000 respondents and over 400 hotels. Findings support 3 key opportunities for venues to consider offering:

1. 1.   High quality food and beverages: healthy and allergen-friendly diets are no longer a trend, but a new way of life for many.
2. 2.   Knowledgeable and well-trained staff: good event staff is essential to a successful and smoothly-run event.
3. 3.   Reasonably priced A/V equipment rentals: according to those polled, the range of equipment and pricing were inconsistent.

Further research from another 2012 survey, revealed 3 more important trends to note.

1. 4.   Electronic communication rules: planners prefer to communicate with venue partners via laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
2. 5.   Online surveys are mainstream: when giving feedback 97% prefer completing surveys online rather than on paper.
3. 6.   High Speed Internet is a must. 80% of planners say Wi-Fi is required to gain their business.

What do you expect to be the next “must have” for meetings and events?

Earlier this week, we highlighted how Millennials are important to your business. In this article we’ve sifted through several articles to bring you the most relevant tips to appeal to this digitally enhanced and influential group.

1. 1.  Wi-Fi: Clumsy passwords and permissions are passé. Make online access as simple as possible without compromising security. Most of us have agreed to Facebook, Twitter, and Google’s terms with just a click.

1. 2.  Bandwidth: Millennials stream content more than other generations. Tiered bandwidth plans allow you to offer these data-hogs the option to upgrade their connection plan without sacrificing the experience of other guests.

1. 3.  Minimal Amenities: Gen Y-ers often adopt the moniker, “less is more”. Make amenities customizable, ideally either online or with a mobile app. Check out  this USA Today article for more ideas.

1. 4.  Games: You’ve probably heard of “gamification” – it refers to anything that improves user engagement with some type of reward in a game-like activity. These can be literal games, customized apps or social media contests.

1. 5.  Culture: Add some culture to your hotel with pieces from a local artist, showcase local attractions, tell them the best places to shop and eat nearby – show Millennials why your hotel is unique, just like the city you’re in.

1. 6.  Luxury: This group tends to find value in small luxuries; they don’t skimp on approachable and affordable services like individually customized and personalized services, as mentioned in this HotelNewsNow.com article.

1. 7.  Dining: Keep quality food in-house. Millennials will likely still venture out for evening dinner or drinks, but the convenience of good, fresh food in your hotel is not lost on them.

1. 8.  Sustainability. Recycling, composting, reusing linens and towels, and even soap recycling, can really improve the perception of your brand and leave your guests feeling better about their stay.

1. 9.  A different kind of social responsibility. Gen Y-ers are always connected; they go online for recommendations and to report experiences. Be sure to respond promptly to their social needs both online and off.

What are you doing in response to your future guests?