Sean O'Neill, Skift
For too long, Oracle Hospitality, a giant in the hotel tech space, has prioritized internal needs. Now it's changed its tune. It says it's making hotels the boss. The long overdue customer-first approach is laudable. But there's still work to do.
4 months ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Oracle Hospitality's Alex Alt sees two gaps in his company's suite: distribution services and customer relationship management tools. Yet the opportunities with both are dynamic, not static, because of fast shifts in hotel company priorities and traveler behaviors. That will require Alt to be one very adaptable executive.
4 months ago
Wouter Geerts, Skift Research
Legacy property management systems (PMS) missed the boat when tech innovation started ramping up. Now they are playing catch-up. Cloud computing, open APIs, marketplaces, and middleware layers are shaking up this stale corner of hotel tech, and it’s crazy exciting.
4 months ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Hotel tech innovation has been partly hampered by high tolls that property management systems charge for accessing critical data. Impala, Hapi, and other companies hope to bring that connectivity cost down, which could be a windfall for vendors.
8 months ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Game on, Oracle. But like everything in the hotel sector, the battle between next-generation hotel tech players and established titans will take years to play out.
9 months ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Beijing-based Shiji serves more than 47,000 hotels outside of China. This is the first time it has spoken candidly with independent English-language media about its acquisition strategy. This year its subsidiaries have won deals with MGM Resorts, Radisson, and other major brands. Reading between the lines, it has big plans in the works.
2 years ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
The revenue management industry picked an odd time to have an identity crisis, given the opportunity for additional profit that new rate-setting and distribution software could bring.
2 years ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Meliá has followed the path of Disney and Carnival to introduce wearable tech. But it has taken the concept further, enabling nearby merchants like Starbucks to also accept payments made by guests via its new smart wristbands.
2 years ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Oracle Hospitality is the market leader in selling hotel tech software. But the company has made some missteps. It is adjusting course, and two weeks ago it appointed a new top boss, Greg Webb. The industry will watch his moves closely.
2 years ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Shiji is a Beijing-based company that provides hotels and restaurants with operational software and hardware. It was already on an overseas acquisition spree before this new funding. Global leader Oracle Hospitality should be on guard.
2 years ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
Oracle Hospitality doesn't fold sheets, bus tables, or stock shelves, but its software does keep hotels in order. It's taking a few years for the company to get itself in order, too.
3 years ago
