Here's our roundup of the people, product and partner news from the global travel industry this week.
Sabre Hospitality, Lotte Hotels & Resorts
Sabre Hospitality is now the primary reservation platform for Lotte Hotels & Resorts, a hotel group in Korea.
Lotte Hotels & resorts will transition into the capabilities of Sabre’s SynXis Central Reservation System (CRS) which will streamline reservation processes and distribution capabilities across their portfolio, enhancing their retailing opportunities and supporting their growth ambitions in South Korea and internationally.
“We’re laser focused on enhancing the end-to-end experience
for our guests, which is why we chose to deepen our alliance with Sabre
Hospitality,” said Jaehwan Kim, chief data officer of Lotte Hotels
& Resorts.
“By adding our properties to the SynXis CRS, we are
positioning ourselves to better serve our guests with more efficient and
seamless reservation experiences. This enhanced collaboration with Sabre marks
an exciting new chapter for us, as we continue to expand our footprint and
deliver exceptional luxury experiences across the globe.”
Sabre, Tiket.com
Sabre Corporation has announced the extension of its partnership with Indonesia-based online travel agency Tiket.com.
With the new agreement, Sabre will continue to be Tiket.com’s preferred global distribution system technology partner, using a variety of advanced technology solutions to enhance operations and customer offers.
Tiket.com will adopt Sabre Direct Pay to support its virtual payment needs, which will deliver a more secure, automated and integrated payment process. The agency will also continue to deploy Sabre’s advanced automation tools to enhance time and cost efficiencies, while improving customer service through Automated Exchanges and Automated Refunds.
Custom Travel Solutions, DidaTravel
Custom Travel Solutions (CTS), a software-as-a-service private label platform, has announced a new partnership with DidaTravel, a tech-driven global travel wholesaler.
This integration will enable CTS clients to have access to DidaTravel’s portfolio of more than 1.5 million accommodation products, sourced from over 75,000 direct hotel contracts and 600+ global suppliers. In addition, DidaTravel will benefit from this partnership by gaining access to a growing client base within CTS’s network and enhancing its visibility in international markets.
“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with DidaTravel, which allows us to further expand our global portfolio of accommodations,” said Mike Putman, CEO & Founder of CTS. “With this integration, our clients will benefit from an even larger selection of competitively priced travel products, enabling them to provide their members with exceptional travel experiences. As we continue to grow our supplier network, our goal remains to deliver the best value and convenience to our clients and their members.”
Brex, Navan
Brex, the corporate card and spend management platform for startups and enterprises, and Navan, the all-in-one solution that makes travel and expense easy, announced the launch of BrexPay for Navan.
This integrated business travel and payments solution brings together Navan’s world-class travel services and Brex’s industry-leading global corporate cards. BrexPay for Navan streamlines travel payments into one workflow when using the Navan travel management system.
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“With BrexPay for Navan, we are bringing something truly unique and monumental to the market,” said Pedro Franceschi, CEO of Brex. “By combining Brex’s fast onboarding, global acceptance, and homegrown financial stack with Navan’s end-to-end business travel offering into one solution, customers now have access to a payments and travel experience that is beyond any other corporate travel and payments solution.”
Hapi appoints new president
Hapi, a provider of hospitality data and connectivity solutions, has announced the appointment of Jeff Bzdawka as company president.
Bzdawka brings over 30 years of experience in hospitality as well as building customer and colleague-focused solutions, scaling times and driving growth.
"I am thrilled to join Hapi at this exciting time for the hospitality industry," Bzdawka said. "Hapi has a strong track record of providing innovative solutions that help hoteliers improve their operations and guest experiences through the transport and transformation of data. I look forward to working with the Hapi team to continue to build on this success."
SHR, Host Hotel Systems
SHR, a hotel technology specialist has partnered with Host Hotel Systems, a property management system(PMS) for hotels.
This integration allows SHR to introduce Host’s PMS and channel manager and Host will recommend SHR’s revenue management system (RMS), central reservation system (CRS), internet booking engine (IBE) and digital marketing tools.
“These are some of the most popular travel destinations in the world and this partnership dramatically upgrades the sort of conversation we’re able to have with those responsible for hotel technology,” said Luis Martins, senior director business development at SHR. “They simply won’t need to do nearly as much research and due diligence because what we’re presenting is a ready-made solution that takes care of every pain point in hotel management. That ranges from property management and marketing right the way through to personalization, guest journey, direct bookings and channel management.”
AmTrav appoints SVP of relationship management
Travel management company AmTrav has announced the appointment of business travel veteran Ted Perlstein as senior vice president of relationship management.
With prior experience at Orbitz, Starwood Hotels, LastMinuteTravel.com and Career Education Corporation, Perlstein plans to lead Amtrav’s team of expert relationship managers who help customers reach their travel goals.
“I’m excited to have Ted lead AmTrav’s next phase of growth and service for our customers,” said AmTrav co-founder, president and chief operating officer Craig Fichtelberg. “AmTrav customers love their Relationship Managers, and under Ted’s leadership our team will continue to grow and identify new opportunities to deliver value to customers.”
Bob W appoints new CFO
Bob W, the tech-powered hospitality operator redefining the world of hotels and short-term rentals, has announced the appointment of Hervé Deligny to chief financial officer.
With over 25 years experience in financial leadership and scaling global businesses, Deligny brings a wealth of expertise across the hospitality and real estate industries to Bob W.
“The fast-growing European aparthotel market presents a wealth of opportunities, and I am eager to help drive Bob W’s tech-powered, sustainable model further forward,” Deligny said. “The demand for experiences that combine the consistency of a hotel with the flexibility of short-term rentals is only set to grow further, and Bob W is perfectly positioned to lead the way across Europe.”
PriceTravel appoints new head of sales for U.S. and Canada
PriceTravel Holding, a travel distribution company in Latin America, has appointed Mikael Hellstrom as the new head of sales for the United States and Canada markets for its wholesale brand, PriceTravel Connect.
In his new role, Hellstrom will be responsible for leading the expansion of PriceTravel Holding’s presence in the U.S. and Canada, fostering partnerships and accelerating business development across the region.
"We are thrilled to welcome Hellstrom to the team," said Ivonne Arriola, wholesale director of PriceTravel Holding.
"His proven track record in establishing strong relationships and delivering significant sales growth in North America aligns perfectly with our goals as we continue to strengthen our presence in the region."