Marriott and Other Hotel Brands Start 2023 With New Tech Partnerships

25.08.2023 - 14:32 / skift.com / Ihg / Justin Dawes / Marriott International / With New

Several big-name hotel companies have entered 2023 with tech partnerships to modernize operations and services. 

The tech adoption is in line with what CEOs have said about increased plans to modernize in the near future as they seek to recover financially after the pandemic, though those plans are moving slowly overall. 

It’s a significant topic that we are continuing to keep an eye on in 2023.

Most recently, Marriott International partnered with Groups360 on software that streamlines the process of booking rooms and spaces for meetings and events. Historically, this can be a time consuming process, considering the need to book meeting spaces and guest rooms separately, factoring in discounted rates that often come with that type of business. 

Using the software, organizations can view the best available group rates and inventory online before booking. For small events, planners can then make their selections and book instantly. For larger events, planners can view the available inventory before inquiring about booking. Marriott is piloting the software at more than 1,500 properties in the U.S. and Canada, with plans to expand throughout 2023.

“This offers our group customers what they have told us they are looking for, which is a much more seamless and efficient booking experience,” Drew Pinto, global head of sales, distribution, and revenue management for Marriott, said in a statement. Tennessee-based Groups360 already provides services to Accor, Hilton, IHG, Omni, and Premier Inn. 

Aside from a general lack of modern digitized operations, another criticism from experts is that hotels have come to lack even basic amenities that people are now used to having in their homes, like smart TVs with streaming services. 

IHG Hotel and Resorts is addressing that through a new partnership with PPDS, a company that provides Philips products to companies in hospitality and other sectors. Through the partnership, Philips MediaSuite TVs will be placed in certain hotels early this year. The TVs feature Chromecast, giving guests the ability to stream content from smart devices onto the TVs. IHG brands include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Holiday Inn brand family, Crowne Plaza, Voco, and Hotel Indigo.

Among other recently announced partnerships:

Shiji Group, a Beijing-based company that provides a number of software solutions to hotels, has said it has made partnerships recently with OTH Hotels Resorts and Bluesun Hotels & Resorts, and it’s continuing to expand its existing partnership with Hyatt. 

The Maho Group, which manages a portfolio of hotels in the Caribbean, recently selected software company Cendyn to power customer relationship management, revenue management, and