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Hospitality techtalk

Hospitality techtalk

By Hoist Group

An exciting new podcast hosted by Simon I'Anson of Hoist Group.

Each week Simon I'Anson will sit down with a new guest to:
- Uncover fascinating hotelier stories
- Understand key tech trends affecting your hospitality business
- Explore hospitality developments shaping up in your country
- Share technical innovations that Hoist Group is bringing to the market

The line up of our guests is exciting, and the conversations - simply insightful and fun!

Visit our website: www.hoistgroup.com
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Guest Internet

Hospitality techtalkFeb 19, 2020

00:00
02:39
NH Hotels’ Infinite Price Points Driving Revenue Growth

NH Hotels’ Infinite Price Points Driving Revenue Growth

In this week’s Hospitality techtalk Simon spoke with Rufino Pérez - Chief Operations Officer at NH Hotel Group with over 350 hotels spread across 28 countries in Europe, America and Africa. In this episode, Rufino reveals some of the secrets behind their success:

- Creating infinite price points to grow revenue

- Developing and successfully implementing a practical growth plan

- Leveraging new technologies such as machine learning, AI and more

- Re-opening strategy post-pandemic

- Trends in hotel guests’ behaviour and how to adapt to it


Enjoy the conversation. And if you do, feel free to subscribe to our podcast so you get notified of new episodes released each week.


Learn more: www.hoistgroup.com


Jun 02, 202120:04
The Criticality of Task Management Tool for Hotels

The Criticality of Task Management Tool for Hotels

In this week’s Hospitality techtalk Simon invited Jan Ekström, Director of Product Strategy at Hoist Group. Jan is an experienced hotelier who has launched and operated several hotels in his career. In this episode, he shares his insights on:

- Some of the key factors that drive guest satisfaction.

- Why a clean room and fast check-in are so important?


- How digitizing a hotel’s task management improves efficiency? And more


Sit back, relax and enjoy this week’s episode.



And don’t forget - We publish an episode every week. So, if you want to stay informed, subscribe today!



Visit www.hoistgroup.com for more information.

May 12, 202111:35
Relevance of Hospitality Tech for Student Accommodation

Relevance of Hospitality Tech for Student Accommodation

In this week’s Hospitality techtalk Simon speak to Ben Morley, Managing Director at True Students – a student accommodation specialist operating and owning 5,000 beds in the United Kingdom.


Ben shares with Simon his deep knowledge, vast experience and passion for student accommodation, discussing:

- How technology is now the No. 1 factor influencing choice of accommodation among the digital natives

- How to create a “get-together” spirit in the pandemic world? and

- Is a typical student really that much different from today’s typical hotel guest?


Enjoy this podcast and share your views. We would love to get your feedback!


And if you love this podcast, subscribe today to get a weekly update from the provider of the widest range of hospitality technology.


Learn more about Hoist Group at www.hoistgroup.com

May 06, 202121:32
Importance of Mobile Technology in Hospitality

Importance of Mobile Technology in Hospitality

Due to Simon’s short absence, in this week’s episode Khristina Quigley, Key Account Director for Hoist Group, talks to Jonathon Liu from glh Hotels about the relevance of mobile technology for hotels.

Jonathon who leads Marketing and Revenue Strategy for a collection of 18 luxury to mid-scale hotels across London, shares his views on:

- Use cases of mobile tech around the hotel

- The value it brings to guests, the hotel, and the wider world

- How its small savings scale up really quickly


Hope you enjoy this episode. If you do, remember to subscribe to our podcast.


Learn more: www.hoistgroup.com

Apr 28, 202108:00
Exploring Digital Transformation Means for Hotels

Exploring Digital Transformation Means for Hotels

In this episode of Hospitality Techtalk, Simon and his guest, Juan Aguirre from the leading network provider CommScope Ruckus, discuss Digital Transformation and its importance in today’s hospitality industry. 


Amongst the several angles of digital transformation they explore:

- Where should hotels start their digital transformation journeys?

- How technology can improve hotel’s operation, staff efficiency and guest satisfaction?

- Challenges of implementing technology in an operating and well-established hotel

- The future of network, connectivity, and Internet of Things


Tune in and listen to this insights-packed conversation between Simon and his guest Juan.


And remember, Hospitality techtalk is out each week. Subscribe and get notified when each new episode is released!


Learn more: www.hoistgroup.com

Apr 21, 202112:58
Easy yet Strategic Tips for Hoteliers

Easy yet Strategic Tips for Hoteliers

This week Simon speaks to the newest member of the Hoist Group family, Khristina Quigley, a Key Account Director who will nurture our relationship with Best Western.


During this session Simon and Khristina discuss:

- Digital transformation for hotels and its importance in today’s hospitality landscape

- How to use the pre-opening time and plan ahead for the recovery period; and

- Tons of valuable tips for your hotel that will boost your hotels brand, online presence as well as securing your revenues


Sit back, relax and enjoy! And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel to get weekly updates on Hospitality techtalk.


For more information visit: www.hoistgroup.com

Apr 13, 202110:16
Green shoots of recovery in UK & Benelux

Green shoots of recovery in UK & Benelux

Simon goes way back with some of our colleagues. No difference is with our latest guest. Meet Bob Durie who joined Simon’s sales team over 10 years ago and currently fulfils the role of Managing Director for UK & Benelux region at Hoist Group.


In this episode Simon and Bob discuss:

- How UK & Benelux became the biggest business unit of Hoist Group

- Can pandemic situation help with deployments to the hospitality industry

- And what green shoots of recovery can be seen in the region


Subscribe and be the first to hear the latest episode of Hospitality techtalk!


Visit our website to learn more: www.hoistgroup.com

Apr 06, 202112:29
Meet the person behind the COO – Annika Rydström!

Meet the person behind the COO – Annika Rydström!

A health freak and a successful woman who has climbed the career ladder with grace and a smile – This is Annika Rydström – our Chief Operating Officer!


In this episode, Simon speaks with this accomplished executive about:

- The secret to her health and how she’s pulling the global staff with her

- Her views on Digital Transformation in Hospitality

- Developments in hotel technology


To enjoy more such conversations, subscribe! 


Visit our website: www.hoistgroup.com

Mar 30, 202110:57
From a Boutique Hotel to the launch of a new Concept-Hotel Chain

From a Boutique Hotel to the launch of a new Concept-Hotel Chain

Simon I’Anson talks to Ray Byrne from the Wineport Lodge who shares many exciting insights:

- Announces his exciting new hotel venture - REZz – A concept-hotel chain

- The secret to a profitable hotel business

- The importance of technology in a hotel business

- And – why he trusts Hoist Group for his tech needs!


Enjoy, like, share and subscribe!


Visit our website: www.hoistgroup.com

Mar 23, 202114:23
Key Trends in the Irish Hospitality Sector

Key Trends in the Irish Hospitality Sector

In the latest episode of Hospitality techtalk, Simon I’Anson welcomes the newly appointed Managing Director for Hoist Group Ireland – Dean Thompson. Dean shares:


- His plans for Hoist Group Ireland 

- Key trends shaping in the country recently; and

- How is the country preparing for the green shoots of the post-COVID world?


Listen to their full conversation >>


Visit our website: www.hoistgroup.com

Mar 16, 202109:09
Hoist Group Norway - Country Insights & Perspectives

Hoist Group Norway - Country Insights & Perspectives

In the latest episode of Hospitality techtalk, Helge Solbakken, Managing Director for Hoist Group Norway shares with Simon I’Anson:

- The secret to their success in Norway

- How Helge’s team has been helping customers during these challenging times

- How Norwegian hotels have been reaping the benefits of innovative hotel technology

- And, some advice for the post-pandemic hospitality sector in Norway


Tune in to listen to the full conversation >>


Visit our website: www.hoistgroup.com

Mar 09, 202110:22
Hilton Austria Rings Bells of Optimism & Excitement - Join In!

Hilton Austria Rings Bells of Optimism & Excitement - Join In!

In this episode, hospitality veteran with 40 years’ experience, Norbert Lessing, Country General Manager for Hilton Austria shares:

- a large hotel chain perspective on tackling the impact of COVID-19

- the benefits of a mobile key solution

- views on re-starting the hospitality industry in spring/summer 2021


Tune in to listen to the full conversation >>


Visit our website: www.hoistgroup.com

Mar 02, 202115:27
German Inspiration for Hotel Agility and Leadership

German Inspiration for Hotel Agility and Leadership

In this week's episode, Fabian Geyer, General Manager of EuroParkHotel located in beautiful Bavaria shares inspirational gems:


- How they pivoted their business in the face of the pandemic?

- The secret to the top ratings they get from their guests

- How they have geared up to welcome guests once again?


Tune in to listen to the full conversation >>


Visit our website: www.hoistgroup.com

Feb 23, 202113:13
Hospitality Innovation Line up for 2021 - A sneak peek

Hospitality Innovation Line up for 2021 - A sneak peek

In this episode, Simon I'Anson gets a low-down on what innovative tech Hoist is bringing to the market in 2021, directly from our CTO - Marco Matias.  


Learn more about: 

- our core hardware products such as Internet Access and TV Systems 

- the exciting new software and web-based solutions 

- what Marco thinks about 5G technology 


Tune in now!


Visit our website: www.hoistgroup.com

Feb 19, 202116:43
How to Use Hotel Technology to Minimize the Impact of COVID-19?

How to Use Hotel Technology to Minimize the Impact of COVID-19?

01:00 Hack number one - Improved Hygiene - Take the advantage of task management software to help you structure new cleaning routines and communication within your housekeeping department.  

01:39 Hack number two - Contactless Operation - Reducing the number of physical touchpoints is very important and here technology can help to automate many processes, such as online check-in, mobile keys or usage of kiosks. 

02:42 Hack number three - Social Distancing - Use technology to inform guests about social distancing rules and available spaces but also leverage it to keep your guests entertained without the need of leaving the room; make sure your WiFi is fast & reliable and you use Cast to TV solutions or similar. 

03:19 Hack number four - COVID-19 Communication - Digital signage and wayfinding can help you, both, to lead your guests but also to maximise your marketing opportunities.  

03:37 Hack number five - Revenue Growth - Look at all added options you can offer your guests in this new world; think of gift cards as a way to upsell future stays.

Aug 20, 202005:12
10-point Criteria for Selecting an Effective Gift Card Solution

10-point Criteria for Selecting an Effective Gift Card Solution

00:57 Hack number one - Does it allow you to sell online? Digital presence is absolutely essential and inserting a webshop into your online experience and getting some marketing effort behind that to promote that to your guests is a fantastic way of promoting and pushing your brand.

01:34 Hack number two - Does it come with a core set of features? We at Hoist Group are offering a baseline package which you can build up to more bespoke and tailored packages at a later stage.

02:33 Hack number three - Will it enable you to sell gift cards over the counter? Make sure the solution is multi-channel and you can issue cards from various points in your business.

Hack number four - Can you create gift cards with zero payments? Select a solution that allows you to create gift cards instead of cash or cards refunds.

03:11 Hack number five - Does it come with a pre-integrated payment gateway? If you're going to do things online through an online gateway you need to have an integration with the payment cardholder. Make sure the provider is PCI compliant and available to you to get you up and running as quickly as possible.

03:44 Hack number six - How easy is gift card redemption on this solution? Are there apps that allow people on the fly to be able to understand what the gift card is?

04:26 Hack number seven - How soon can you go live? We are in the eye of the storm and we need to act as quickly as possible.

04:41 Hack number eight - Does it offer both physical and digital gift cards? There are lots and lots of different options available depending on your brand offering and how you want to get that across. 

05:05 Hack number nine - How good is its reporting capability? You want to know what sort of return on investment you'll get from your gift cards.

05:14 Hack number ten - What is the total cost of ownership?


May 26, 202007:17
8 Ways Hotels Can Manage Cashflow During COVID Crisis

8 Ways Hotels Can Manage Cashflow During COVID Crisis

00:55 Hack number one - Chase chase and chase again those accounts receivables, create processes and implement them for follow-up. Not only for those that are beyond the due date but also those that are close to due date.  

01:50 Hack number two - The joy of giving. Hotels are largely expected to refund guests, even on previously non-refundable rates. That seems to be the accepted norm both in the brand and the independent trade. But there are alternatives. Why not offer them a gift card instead of a refund?Especially if that gift card is bundled with a value-added service that is cheap for you as a hotelier to trade as a concession.  Birthdays and anniversaries are not on furlough. They are still happening. But we can't get out to the shops to buy things for our loved ones. Then why not as a hotelier or restaurant owner or as a wedding planner, offer packages for sale on your website or through non-digital means.  There's a very strong social aspect here as well. Buying a gift card for a hotel is a way of paying it forward and investing and supporting your local community.  

05:39 Hack number three - Get creative with your marketing. Make yourselves irresistible. Your digital presence right now is so important.  

06:30 Hack number four - If you have multiple properties leverage that in any revenue generation activities and initiatives. If you don't have multiple properties, we are a community, we need to work together. So talk to your traditional competitors and see if they're in on this.  

07:48 Hack number five - Your number one priority has to be to turn off all non-essential services. Take a long hard look at what you can do without. Before you turn off entire services, can you break it down? Are there elements of services that can be paused or cancelled?  

08:20 Hack number six - Ask for leasing options and spread your payments. It's time to really consider, perhaps non-traditional methods of acquisition.  

09:02 Hack number seven - Tap into government grants. Governments throughout the world have created many different types of support packages. Please check and check again as the measures are changing or time-limited or updated on a regular basis.  

09:51 Hack number eight - Work with staff to reduce employment costs. Avoid laying them off because when we come out of this you'll undoubtedly need those experienced workers to help you steer the ship in these troubled times.

May 19, 202012:10
How to Go About Leasing Hotel Technology?

How to Go About Leasing Hotel Technology?

0:54 Hack number one - The first benefit of leasing is it gets you to access quickly to whatever hotel technology you need without necessarily impacting cash flow, especially when capital budgets are already committed.   

1:07 Hack number two - Always check locally, but in many countries, the cost of leasing can be treated as a business expense and actually reduce your overall taxable income.  

1:17 Hack number three - Leasing simplifies the budget process because it brings in predictability to your financial operation. As in most cases, leases are set over a finite contract term and at fixed rates of interest and regular payments.   

1:32 Hack number four - The cost of money i.e. interest rates remain at a historic low. So why not benefit from it for your next hotel technology acquisition?

Mar 05, 202002:24
Should Hotels Go for Managed Services?

Should Hotels Go for Managed Services?

0:39 Hack Number 1 - Understand your business processes. What are your requirements? And do you have the knowledge and resources in house to meet those requirements? Let's take two very much on topic examples.  Example number 1 - Everybody's heard about GDPR. But how robust are your processes if a guest generated a subject access request, how would you deal with it? Can you deal with it?   Example number 2 - We're all used to upgrading software on our own devices. And it's becoming more frequent. Often those software upgrades are feature related, but just as often if not increasingly so, they are security patch related. In a hotel environment, this is a much more complex operation. And if you're going it alone, who's responsible to ensure that these are done in a timely basis and are you doing them across the multitude of systems that you operate in that hotel?   

1:32 Hack Number 2 - Analyse your risks. What happens if a subject access request or security patch is not applied or dealt with?  What's the cost both to your reputation and potentially directly to your business? And is that an acceptable cost?   

1:49 Hack Number 3 - Once you've analysed your risk do a true cost comparison.  If in a standalone mode or go alone mode bringing in a consultant is cost-effective then consider it, but you may well find that a managed service is a cheaper option in the long run and could be far less risky.   

2:07 Hack Number 4 - Understand your options.  Talk to people and check the small print. If you're going down the managed service route, does it clearly state in the GDPR example - who the data owner is? Does it define a process for handling of subject access requests? Insist on service level agreements. Do they include updates as part of the management fee that you're paying?   

2:32 Hack Number 5 - Only make your decision once you've thought about all the points I've raised in this episode.

Feb 25, 202003:08
Guest Internet

Guest Internet

This Podcast is brought to you by Hoist Group (hoistgroup.com) - the provider of the widest range of hotel technology right across EMEA. In this episode of Hacks for Hoteliers, we look at Guest Internet.   

When a guest's internet experience is poor, it reflects terribly on the brand of the hotel. So in this episode, we explore steps to try and avoid this situation.  

0:41 Hack number 1 - Plan properly. And this starts with a comprehensive Wi-Fi survey to match the coverage with the topography of your hotel.   

0:50 Hack number 2 - Understand how your guest consumes internet. Don’t waste money on investing in wired connections to the desk. It's all about Wi-Fi these days and 70% of usage is mobile. So they’re probably not sat at the desk anyway.   

1:07 Hack number 3 - Use enterprize-grade equipment. This way you can ensure good coverage, good stability, and scalability as usage continues to grow. Cheap single-band access points may look like a good idea on paper, but they often fall over when usage is intense and that can affect your brand.   

1:29 Hack number 4 - Productize everything. The freedom that the internet affords us is sadly matched by the risks posed. So you don't want to have simple open networks. There are security implications and what's more if one user hogs all the bandwidth, you might be in a situation where other users or other guests suffer. And again, this is bad for your brand.  

1:50 Hack number 5 - Only invest in systems that allow you to extract accurate data on usage and consumption. This analysis will allow you to continually evaluate the service performance and point you in the right directions when it comes to reinvestment in the platform for the future.   

There you have it 5 Hacks for Hoteliers for Guests Internet.

Feb 19, 202002:39
Dashboards - for Hoteliers

Dashboards - for Hoteliers

Hoist Group is the provider of the widest range of hospitality technology right across EMEA. In this series, we bring you a regular series of podcasts where we discuss the role of technology within Hospitality. We welcome your input on topics you'd like to learn about, so feel free to add your suggestion in the comments below.  

In this episode, we discuss Dashboards.  

0:47 Hack #1. If you aren't already using a dashboard, start doing so. WHY? Because dashboards allow you to get an instant overview of your business operation. 

0:57 Hack #2  Before investing in a dashboard check the level of data you can drill down to. Is it's superficial? Or can it give you the level of granularity you need to truly drive your business forward.  

1:09 Hack #3 - Don't fall into the trap of investing in multiple dashboards. Work with partners and providers who espouse an open architecture approach and allow you to consolidate your data in a single place to give you a unified view of your business performance. 

1:28 Hack #4 - Push the envelope. Having the data is one. Being able to cross-reference that data from multiple sources will allow you to have a unique insight into your interaction with your guests - before, during and after their stay.   

So in summary: Hack #1 - Start using a Dashboard. Hack #2 - Just check the level of data you can drill down to.  Hack #3 - Don't fall into the trap of investing in multiple dashboards. Hack #4 - Make us work for our money.  I hope that's been useful and interesting. Until next time. Goodbye!

Feb 10, 202002:08