Sabre to Buy Nuvola in Bet on Hotel Upselling

Sabre said on Monday it had signed a deal to acquire Nuvola, a hotel software company focused on hotel operating efficiency and guest service.

The companies didn't share transaction terms for the deal.

Sabre, the travel technology giant based in Southlake, Texas, has been expanding its software services for hotels. Until now, it has mainly focused on helping hoteliers acquire guests, such as with its SynXis central reservation system that hotels can integrate with their websites to take bookings.

Nuvola, based in Fort Lauderdale, has for a decade been helping hotels upsell and cross-sell guests on amenities and ancillaries. For example, the Henderson Beach Resort & Spa in Destin, Fla., became a Nuvola customer a year ago. Guests can make any questions or service requests via text from their mobile device, thanks to the software.

Adding this tech could help Sabre widen its property and operations capabilities. The move echoes Oracle Hospitality's recent acquisition of Nor1, an upselling services provider for hoteliers.