Industry News

Sam Nazarian and SBE have launched a new lifestyle hospitality brand named Project HQ, supported by a strategic alliance with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The launch comes following strategic investment from entrepreneur Marc Anthony and his company Magnus. The first hotels in HQ’s brand portfolio will be based in Montreux, Switzerland and Detroit, Michigan. The brand will focus on savvy Millennial and Gen Z travellers through a unique blend of cultural and lifestyle elements.  The first property, HQ Montreux Hotel & Spa, is set to open in 2025, following transformation of the existing Royal Plaza & Villa Toscane, originally constructed in 1905 by Swiss architect Louis Villard. Two signature restaurants will find home at the property, courtesy of SBE’s Disruptive Restaurant Group, while a lobby cocktail bar and on-site coffee shop will also be available. Additional amenities will include a spa and fitness centre, along with significant events and meeting space.  The next opening, HQ Detroit Hotel & Spa, will be the first US-based property for the new brand. The transformation of the existing property will include its 174 guestrooms, while a speciality restaurant and cafe will also be available upon opening.  HQ Montreux Hotel & Spa “In the 22 years since establishing SBE, we have always been looking around the corner and understanding the ever-changing landscape of consumers – the tidal wave of consumers coming into the marketplace from the Millennial, Gen Z and Latino audience is staggering,” says Nazarian, founder and CEO of SBE. “They’re eager to partake in communal celebrations, create new memories and relish moments of wonder – and we are creating the spaces to do just that." “Having established our first locations in Montreux and Detroit, we’re steadfast in our commitment to meeting the evolving desires of upcoming generations. This marks the genesis of Project HQ, and we eagerly anticipate unveiling more exciting initiatives in the months ahead, alongside Geoff Ballotti and his tremendous Wyndham team. With our sights set on the future, we aim to build tremendous momentum as we continue to innovate and inspire.”  Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, adds: “We’ve seen tremendous interest from owners looking to enter the smart lifestyle category created by Sam Nazarian’s SBE. These initial projects in Montreux and Detroit set the stage for a brand that will benefit from SBE’s legendary lifestyle experience and Wyndham’s unmatched scale and resources, creating a turn-key solution unlike anything in the market today.” Project HQ currently has over 15 additional hotels under discussion, with applications in both adaptive reuse and conversion developments. LionGrove meanwhile has committed to building 10 HQ hotels across the Caribbean and long the Sun Belt of the US.

In preparation for the busy summer, Shiji Infrasys Cloud POS and Shiji Digital Dine launch new features and integrations to improve staff mobility, guest payments, business intelligence.

The latest issue offers insights into artificial intelligence and its impact on the future of work.

Luxury boutique property addresses guest demands for seamless internet access and the ability to instantly stream personalized content on guestroom televisions.BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — April 4, 2023 — Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced a successful WiFi network upgrade alongside the implementation of BeyondTV with GuestCast streaming services at Hourglass Hotel. A property that combines modern-day elegance and convenience into a resort style setting, Hourglass Hotel’s recent investment with HIS will ensure that total guest satisfaction and relaxation extends to both in-room entertainment and the quality of online connectivity.As part of a renovation featuring a modern refreshment of its lobby, open courtyard, swimming pool, cabanas and guestroom/suite areas, Hourglass Hotel leadership also placed a priority on providing its guests with exceptional internet service quality and access to personalized in-room entertainment. By partnering with HIS, the upscale boutique property was notably able to address its WiFi service needs while working around other renovation projects in order to minimize disruptions or delays. With HIS technicians performing any necessary hardware installations as blocks of rooms become available following renovation, Hourglass Hotel was nonetheless able to swiftly deploy a WiFi network upgrade ensuring fast speeds and connection reliability. This was achieved thanks to HIS utilizing the latest in network hardware technology in addition to leveraging its industry-specific expertise. Examples include the strategic placement of advanced Ruckus access points, guaranteeing a strong and uninterrupted WiFi signal  while eliminating any WiFi coverage dead zones that can often result in guest frustration.“Both internet access and streamed entertainment rank high on the list of guest priorities, so we likewise made it a priority to adopt the latest capabilities and ensure that when guests stay with us, they experience something that is both exceptional and memorable,” said Sonny Gulati, CFO, at Hourglass Hotel. “From the start, HIS has been very accommodating in serving our needs while our building underwent renovation and have continued to make themselves readily available should an issue suddenly arise. Our WiFi service now consistently operates at 200Mbps, which is sufficient to cater to bandwidth-intensive activities such as online streaming and ensure that guest experiences are always seamless. With casting services available in each guestroom, guests staying at our property can also look forward to effortlessly accessing the content they enjoy at home while on the road.”Using BeyondTV enabled with GuestCast, Hourglass Hotel guests can personalize their in-room entertainment experience thanks to the platform’s compatibility with thousands of mobile-based streaming apps. This includes instant access to all of the leading streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, HBO Max and more. The solution also importantly addresses guest concerns over security and privacy by automatically erasing all usage data when a guest checks out.For more information about the full range of technology solutions available from Hotel Internet Services, please contact Shelly Chandler at 866-265-7575 Ext. 737 or email shelly@hotelwifi.com.

Singapore, 1 December 2022 – This festive season, in line with the launch of the new global LUX* campaign Life Extraordinary, The Lux Collective presents the very first NFT (Non-Fungible Token) brand activation – LUX* Christmas Collectible Raffle. With innovation in its DNA, the Group aims to elevate the unique LUX* brand positioning globally across channels, now including the web3 platform (also known as Web 3.0 - a new iteration of the World Wide Web). With the quest for bespoke travel experiences on the rise, LUX* invites consumers to gift their loved ones a LUX* Christmas Collectible. 1000 collectibles will be for Sale on 11 December 2022 – participants can also register now to access an exclusive Pre-Sale. Each of these collectibles includes a hotel stay and one of the four Extraordinary Experiences exclusively designed for this Christmas Raffle: a private whale shark dhoni boat trip with a marine biologist at LUX* South Ari Atoll in the Maldives, an infinity pool rooftop breakfast and massage private experience at LUX* Grand Baie in Mauritius, a traditional pirogue boating experience at LUX* Grand Gaube in the northern lagoon of Mauritius or an encounter with wild dolphins at LUX* Le Morne in Mauritius. Attractively priced at USD1000, each collectible will stand the chance to win and enjoy up to two nights for Standard Collectibles or five nights for Silver and Golden Collectibles. Once the collectible is purchased, it will reveal itself on Christmas Day. Through a uniquely immersive metaverse-inspired experience, the owner of the raffle token will discover the hotel and destination. “LUX* is designed on the promise of a different kind of luxury – to excite and delight. At LUX*, time is luxury. Moving in tandem with digital-forward trends and lifestyle, this innovative campaign allows us to reach savvy luxury audience in the digital space. We have specially curated Extraordinary Experiences for this Christmas Collectible Raffle as we believe in gifting your loved one something meaningful this year - time in stunning locations to celebrate life,” said Ms Caroline Gaud-Perrier, Vice President Marketing of The Lux Collective.“Community is at the heart of Metalyde, a studio specialised in designing interactive experiences that connects brands to the consumers. We fell in love with LUX* and its passion to celebrate life. Sharing this common vision, we have embarked on a collaboration to create Extraordinary Experiences through NFTs to transport travel-inspired consumers into the beautiful world of LUX* resorts,” said Mr Antoine Lepetitgaland, Chief Executive Officer of Metalyde.It is all about gifting differently this year. Gift moments, not things. The LUX* Christmas Collectible Raffle with surprise gifts can be purchased via luxresorts-ntf.com.Driving the digital transformation journey forward, The Lux Collective looks ahead with a customer-centric digital-first approach. Traversing offline and online, its flagship luxury brand LUX* will continue to transform the everyday into the extraordinary through beautifully designed spaces and crafted immersive experiences. With this first NFT kick-off, more exciting plans on web3 will be unveiled in 2023.