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Plusgrade and ALL Accor, Accor's loyalty program, partner to expand loyalty rewards exchange for ALL Accor Members

Plusgrade and ALL Accor, Accor's loyalty program, partner to expand loyalty rewards exchange for ALL Accor Members

Hospitality Net10-06-2025
ALL Accor members can exchange points from more new loyalty programs into Reward points — using Points, a Plusgrade company's industry-leading exchange solutions.
Plusgrade continues to lead in hospitality ancillary revenue and loyalty innovation, delivering exceptional customer experiences and revenue growth for partners.
MONTREAL - Plusgrade, a global leader in ancillary revenue solutions for the travel industry, and ALL Accor, Accor's booking platform and loyalty program, are proud to announce a strategic partnership to introduce an enhanced loyalty exchange solution for members of ALL Accor. This partnership enables members to seamlessly convert points from other participating loyalty programs into Reward points, reinforcing ALL Accor's commitment towards its members and more recognition in loyalty.
Transforming Loyalty Through Seamless Exchanges
Loyalty members want more flexibility, simplicity and choice in how they use their points, and ALL Accor is making that a reality. With Plusgrade's industry-leading exchange technology, ALL Accor members can convert rewards earned from institutions such as Bilt , Capital One and Citi loyalty programs — into Reward points. Plusgrade's loyalty business unit, Points, which specializes in powering loyalty commerce for the world's leading travel brands, powers this solution.
Giving loyalty members more ways to use their rewards makes their programs even more valuable. At Plusgrade, we are dedicated to helping travelers maximize their rewards while driving ancillary revenue for our partners. By working with Accor, we're bringing even greater flexibility and choice to ALL Accor members worldwide. Ken Harris, Founder and CEO of Plusgrade
Expanding Value for ALL Accor Members
ALL Accor continues to redefine what it means to be rewarded and recognized, offering members a seamless and rewarding experience across its vast global network of 45 hotels brands and 110+ partners. Built on transparency, flexibility, and a clear, unchanging points scale, the program ensures members always know the value of their rewards. ALL Accor empowers its members to transform their rewards into meaningful and personalized experiences.
Our partnership with Points, a Plusgrade company, is a key milestone for ALL Accor. It answers our members' desire for more than discounts by delivering unforgettable experiences. Leveraging Plusgrade's cutting-edge technology alongside ALL Accor's brand strength, we're creating innovative ways to recognize and reward our members while expanding value across industries and regions. Mehdi Hemici, Chief Loyalty & Ecommerce Officer, Accor
A Commitment to Innovation and Growth
This partnership is the latest example of ALL Accor and Plusgrade's commitment to delivering innovative loyalty solutions that enhance member engagement while driving revenue growth for partners. By integrating its expertise in travel loyalty and exchange solutions, Plusgrade is shaping the future of customer rewards and experiences.
About Plusgrade
Plusgrade powers the global travel industry with its portfolio of leading ancillary revenue solutions. Over 250 airline, hospitality, cruise, passenger rail, and financial services companies trust Plusgrade to create new, meaningful revenue streams through incredible customer experiences. As the ancillary revenue powerhouse, Plusgrade has generated billions of dollars in new revenue opportunities across its platform for its partners, while creating enhanced travel experiences for millions of their passengers and guests. Plusgrade was founded in 2009 with headquarters in Montreal and has offices around the world. For more information, visit plusgrade.com .
About ALL Accor
ALL Accor is a booking platform and loyalty program embodying the Accor promise during and beyond the hotel stay. Through the ALL.com website and app, customers can access an unrivaled choice of stays from more than 45 Accor brands in 110 countries, always at the best price. The ALL Accor-loyalty program gives members access to a wide range of rewards, services and experiences, along with over 110 renowned partners. ALL Accor supports its members daily, enabling them to live their passions with over 7,000 events worldwide each year: local activities, chef masterclasses, major sports tournaments and the most eagerly awaited concerts. ALL Accor is the loyalty program preferred by travellers. Discover ALL Accor on all.com.
Carrie Moench
Director, Brand & Communications
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CASE STUDY: How Texas A&M Hotel Improved Communications and Boosted Operational Efficiency with Maestro PMS and PurpleCloud
CASE STUDY: How Texas A&M Hotel Improved Communications and Boosted Operational Efficiency with Maestro PMS and PurpleCloud

Hospitality Net

time5 days ago

  • Hospitality Net

CASE STUDY: How Texas A&M Hotel Improved Communications and Boosted Operational Efficiency with Maestro PMS and PurpleCloud

MARKHAM, ONTARIO, July 29, 2025 — The Doug Pictock '49 Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center sits at the heart of the Texas A&M campus, known for its striking glass towers and renowned service. To support its high operational standards and continue delivering exceptional guest experiences, the hotel sought to elevate internal communication and improve workflows — particularly in housekeeping, one of the most complex departments in hospitality. Hotel leadership turned to Maestro PMS and PurpleCloud Technologies to enhance collaboration, support staff, and unlock new efficiencies. The Opportunity for Growth: While the Texas A&M Hotel team already maintained strong service routines, they recognized opportunities to further optimize internal processes and eliminate inefficiencies stemming from disconnected legacy systems. For example, housekeepers were able to report work orders, but the system lacked detailed input options such as photo attachments or contextual notes. As a result, interpreting requests occasionally took longer, leading to delays and extra coordination among teams. These small communication gaps could add complexity to daily operations. Without real-time tools, room inspectors needed to make judgment calls with limited information, and frontline staff often had to physically visit the front desk for updates or clarifications — sometimes spending up to 10 minutes per trip. Despite the team's commitment and effort, the absence of an integrated digital solution meant important details could be lost in translation, making it harder to respond swiftly to evolving guest needs. Recognizing this, leadership at the Texas A&M Hotel prioritized upgrading to a modern, mobile-first technology platform that could better support their proactive service culture and reduce operational friction. The Solution: To solve these challenges, hotel leadership began searching for a mobile-first technology partner capable of providing continuity between departments through more dynamic communication tools. The hotel wanted to reduce traffic to and from the main office and enable its operations to take charge and respond to new developments. These desires led them to partner with Maestro PMS, enabling them to leverage the company's suite of All-In-One PMS capabilities alongside PurpleCloud's service optimization platform. Communication improved virtually overnight after the onboarding process, breaking down silos and boosting efficiency and team cohesion. 'Using Maestro PMS' GuestXMS, workers were able to quickly and easily report any issues or needs without breaking away from the task at hand, supported by expanded features offered through PurpleCloud's messaging platform,' said Margaret Legum, Senior Account Executive for Maestro. 'Housekeepers improved contact with the front desk and maintenance, and they could see how much time was spent cleaning each room. These features helped increase productivity and engagement with the property by enabling them to communicate more clearly.' One of the most critical elements of the combined efforts of Maestro PMS and PurpleCloud was the ability to send images to select individuals or departments. With a few additional prompts, team members could quickly build and deliver complete work orders without the need to describe most issues in full. 'PurpleCloud and Maestro have been wonderful partners, and I could not be more pleased with the performance of their technology and the relationship with our property,' said Greg Stafford, General Manager of the Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center. 'These partners have given us the customization we needed in an easy-to-use software suite. It is great to see our rooms team so engaged and excited about using the joint system, particularly the built-in gamification tools and ease of work order creation. I truly believe Maestro PMS and PurpleCloud are a large reason why our guestroom satisfaction scores continue to rise. We recently reached a 96.6-percent satisfaction, and our productivity continues to improve.' Gamification is a strategic approach to improve a hotel's operations, efficiency, and worker satisfaction by drawing on employees' natural inclination to complete tasks that can be tracked and subsequently rewarded. Gamification strategies are more effective than traditional workforce management tactics because they provide an equal sense of levity and control to the work environment. When used properly, both workers and managers benefit from their availability. 'Creating and responding to maintenance requests has never been easier thanks to PurpleCloud's built-in work order function,' said Lacey Lewis, Director of Rooms at the Texas A&M Hotel. 'Using this, any employee can snap pictures and create a ticket that shoots right over to our engineers. On top of this, the gamification option makes efficiently cleaning a room and entering tickets fun and rewarding.' Gamifying a housekeeping worker's shift may involve ranking their time to clean a room or the number of rooms they complete across several shifts, giving them rewards for reaching specific milestones. Using their phones, housekeepers can track progress toward rewards and view performance dashboards directly from PurpleCloud, enabling any department to build toward unique long-term goals regardless of property size 'Gamification is often infectious,' said Adria Levtchenko, Co-Founder and CEO of PurpleCloud. 'It is not uncommon for one department's success with gamification to spill into others. When this happens, an entire property can benefit from a unified improvement process that benefits everyone through individual growth. This is much more than a reward system. It is a tool for constantly refreshing the core lessons that support hospitality while creating a more enjoyable work environment for hotel employees. Gamification helps associate a positive work environment with positive employee performance and goes a long way toward retaining workers in the long term.' Integrating Maestro PMS and PurpleCloud eliminated manual systems like paper-based boards used to track room status and guest requests. Now, all staff can access up-to-date information from their mobile devices at the start of each shift. The Result: Since implementing PurpleCloud, housekeeping boards now take only 20 minutes to create. Room inspections used to take 30 minutes and now take less than 10. And after one year of having PurpleCloud, the hotel saved close to 12% of its budgeted payroll. Likewise, the real-time visibility provided by Maestro PMS has improved the hotel's ability to manage room inventory and reduce overbooking, providing significant cost savings. The organization's 360-degree room analysis dashboard and reputation management tools allow hotels to thoroughly understand their property's performance while identifying areas for improvement. This visibility has also worked to raise accountability for each department, creating a culture of efficiency and satisfaction by breaking down the minutia of daily operations. 'We could not be happier with Maestro and PurpleCloud's product,' said Patti Culwell, Director of Operations at the Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center. 'The software's ability to auto-assign housekeeping boards is robust and allows us to target our hotel's specific needs using an array of available filters. Using PurpleCloud, we can set a maximum number of room types assigned per room attendant and can filter by room type, such as double queens. Our team loves this feature.' Conclusion: Following the adoption of Maestro PMS and PurpleCloud, the Texas A&M Hotel saw an increase in operational efficiency, positively impacting every department. Maestro's full suite of All-In-One PMS features gave Texas A&M a balanced understanding of its operations while expanding its ability to interact with team members and guests. By working with Maestro PMS and PurpleCloud, the Texas A&M Hotel has optimized workflow processes, empowered hotel workers, and boosted overall productivity. The mutual collaboration instilled a newfound sense of efficiency and productivity in the hotel, ultimately enhancing the guest experience while reducing operational costs. PurpleCloud and Maestro offer game-changing technology that has helped the Texas A&M Hotel remain competitive in an evolving marketplace and set the standard for excellence in its competitive set. 'Thanks to PurpleCloud and Maestro PMS's support, the Texas A&M Hotel is more effective at managing many elements of our property, from payroll to minutes per room,' Culwell said. 'Their support and willingness to make their system work for our hotel's specific needs are impressive. They provide a greater level of support than what we experienced with previous providers. Every time we have requested new features, such as the ability to add, change, or write custom reports, we are always met with positivity — and they deliver results.' About Maestro PMS Maestro is the preferred Web Browser based cloud and on-premises all-in-one PMS solution for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups. 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Dusit International expands across the lodging spectrum, launches ninth hotel brand
Dusit International expands across the lodging spectrum, launches ninth hotel brand

Hospitality Net

time14-07-2025

  • Hospitality Net

Dusit International expands across the lodging spectrum, launches ninth hotel brand

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This new brand allows us to bring our unique Thai-inspired gracious hospitality to a broader range of properties, while giving owners the scope to tailor experiences to their specific markets – all backed by our proven systems, global distribution, and operational excellence. With a strong focus on comfort, character, and locality, each hotel will resonate deeply with domestic and international guests seeking purposeful, memorable stays. Mr Gilles Cretallaz, Chief Operating Officer, Dusit International Dusit's global portfolio currently comprises 294 properties across 18 countries, including 55 hotels and resorts and 239 luxury villa rentals. The company's nine brands span the lodging spectrum from affordable lifestyle to bespoke luxury. 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Reflecting strong demand for this offering, we anticipate signing eight additional Dusit Hotels within the next two years, in key gateway destinations, both cities and resorts. For developers seeking a refined, versatile, and future-ready concept with proven performance and global support, Dusit Hotels presents a compelling opportunity. Mr Siradej Donavanik, Vice President – Development (Global) About Dusit Hotels and Resorts Dusit Hotels and Resorts is the hotel arm of Dusit International, one of Thailand's leading hotel and property development companies. With a heartfelt belief and commitment to introducing Thai-inspired gracious hospitality to the world, Dusit Hotels and Resorts offers guests a uniquely special stay in high-style surroundings and a personalised approach to service. 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For more information, please visit Sureerat Sudpairak Corporate Manager – Public Relations +66 (0) 2200 9999 ext. 3321 Dusit

The Evolving Commercial Landscape: Key Takeaways from HSMAI's 2025 Strategy Conference
The Evolving Commercial Landscape: Key Takeaways from HSMAI's 2025 Strategy Conference

Hospitality Net

time14-07-2025

  • Hospitality Net

The Evolving Commercial Landscape: Key Takeaways from HSMAI's 2025 Strategy Conference

Three members of our leadership team from Cogwheel attended The HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference in Indianapolis in June 2025. The conference was dominated by three major themes: artificial intelligence's impact on marketing, the realignment of commercial strategy through data storytelling, and the growing need for authenticity in audience segmentation. Each insight reflects not only where the hospitality industry is headed but also what hotel marketers and revenue teams must do now to remain competitive. Here are our three top takeaways, with context, facts, and Cogwheel's evolving approach to each. AI, AI, AI… and Yes, More AI—But SEO Is NOT Dead Let's address the elephant in the conference hall: if you didn't hear the term 'AI' at least 15 times per session, were you even paying attention? The HSMAI event made it clear that artificial intelligence is top of mind across all commercial functions, but particularly in marketing and sales. That said, the chatter often masked a more balanced reality—AI is here, but SEO is far from obsolete…and AI is NOT destroying marketing. For starters, what AI giveth, it doesn't always giveth accurately. Studies by Stanford in 2024 show AI language models can deliver factual correctness only around 52%–60% of the time when asked direct queries—a coin toss at best. And while AI is great at binary questions ('Does the Marriott Chicago offer parking?'), it's nearly useless at context-heavy, personalized travel planning. For example, try asking ChatGPT, 'what's the best pet-friendly hotel in Chicago?' At best, you'll get a generic list that you could have gotten through a regular Google search. AI doesn't—and won't for some time—know what is 'best' for you or what you mean by 'nearest' or 'luxury'. Make no mistake…AI HAS and WILL get better. But then there's Google's rollout of Search Generative Experience (SGE) that we have all seen. It gives AI-generated answers into search results, and early data suggests this has triggered traffic declines for hotel brand sites. Some hotels have been quoted they are experiencing a 19% drop in organic search traffic. But we have always known that part of our organic SEO traffic was attributed to simple, black-and-white answer queries like: 'Is the spa open past 9pm?' or 'What's the valet fee at Hotel X?' These queries do not contribute meaningfully to driving new business. With our own Cogwheel Analytics data of the past two years across hundreds and hundreds of branded properties, we are seeing an organic drop…BUT…we are also seeing an INCREASE in 'direct' traffic. This is traffic that comes to a property page with no other link or search assistance. This all combines to point towards the need to focus on ensuring hyper-accurate content, but NOT panicking about a meaningful loss of exposure and awareness. At least not if you prep your property correctly. At Cogwheel, we've been guiding our clients toward GEO With SEO: Generative Experience Optimization with Search Engine Optimization. We're adjusting content strategies to be AI-friendly while still rooted in traditional SEO best practices. That means structured data, schema markup, DEEPLY informative landing pages, and more human-readable content that answers both AI and user intent. Our enhanced SEO packages are future-proofing visibility in both search engine results and AI-fed experiences. Hotel Commercial Strategy Must Be Integrated and Data-Driven One of the most refreshing shifts at this year's conference was the focus on true cross-functional integration. No longer can sales, marketing, revenue, and distribution operate as isolated departments with overlapping agendas. Today's commercial leaders are expected to lead a holistic strategy, and storytelling is their most effective tool. The message was clear: KPIs like ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), once considered the pinnacle metric of performance, are now just one (small!) part of a broader dashboard. Speakers Derek Brewster from Lotte Hotels & Resorts and Dan Fernandez from Concord Hospitality emphasized more multidimensional metrics like booking lift, channel mix, and campaign traffic quality as top indicators of success. These are better aligned with long-term profitability and owner value creation, which is increasingly under scrutiny. Another recurring theme was the misused (but real) concept of the funnel. While some of you roll your eyes at this cliché, the data supports its continued SIGNIFICANT relevance. Expedia's 2023 Path to Purchase report shows that U.S. travelers visit an average of 277 pages of travel content over a 70+ day booking journey…and then take an additional 60 days before their check-in date. The conference presentations backed this up! And while last-minute bookings exist, they're the exception, not the rule. Marketing strategy must reflect this longer research-to-booking cycle. Ownership of results also stood out as a leadership principle. Several panelists shared both wins and failures, emphasizing the importance of learning from both. Campaign didn't meet its goals? Great—what insight did we gain? Campaign exceeded expectations? Perfect—how can we replicate that performance next quarter or next year? At Cogwheel, we're merging storytelling with data through customized analytics dashboards. We help clients visualize multi-channel performance over time, not just week-to-week or month-to-month. And by integrating campaign data with operational results, we're telling stories that resonate with asset managers, ownership groups, and stakeholders—not just marketing teams. Audience Segmentation and the Call for Authenticity The third key takeaway—one still evolving into a broader theme—was the critical importance of segmentation and authenticity. The days of creating marketing for 'everyone' or assuming internal stakeholders know 'our guest' better than the data are over. Let me say that again…they…are…OVER. At HSMAI, several sessions stressed that brands must reassess their true audience. Are your campaigns designed for your loyal customers, or are they reaching potential new ones? The difference is huge and usually overlooked. The key is moving from assumption-based or opinion-based personas to data-defined segments. That means pulling insights from booking trends, user behaviors, geographic origin data, and campaign engagement, not just gut instinct or what your brand-book wants you to be. It also means tailoring tone and content accordingly. Today's traveler is allergic to anything inauthentic. Your messaging can't sound like a brochure for a unicorn petting zoo. It has to be real, grounded, and aligned with the motivations of the customer. Multi-channel engagement is critical here. Effective segmentation doesn't stop at knowing who your audience is—it's about delivering personalized content across platforms where they spend time. Paid media, especially targeted paid social, plays a growing role in this. Simple creative—when it's specific and audience-informed—often outperforms elaborate campaigns. And of course, none of this works if organic and paid channels aren't aligned. At Cogwheel, we're refining our audience segmentation models using both first-party analytics and third-party insights. We're combining that with tailored creative strategies across display, search, paid social, and email, always anchored in authentic messaging. Whether it's a simple story about why a boutique hotel matters to a certain neighborhood or a short-form video on Instagram, the voice must be real. Final Thoughts And, our very own CEO, Stephanie Smith, spoke about the tried and true creation of hotel marketing budgets, which still has a ways to go to truly be done to solve commercial strategy issues. The HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference reinforced that while technology is changing the landscape, the fundamentals of hospitality marketing remain constant: know your audience, align your strategy, and tell the truth, backed by data. AI is transforming how travelers access information, but it isn't replacing the need for a deep search strategy. Commercial leaders are being asked to connect the dots across departments and timeframes. And marketing content, more than ever, must reflect not just what the brand wants to say, but what the customer needs to hear. At Cogwheel, we're committed to helping our clients navigate all of this change with clarity, creativity, and measurable impact. Because while the tools may evolve, the mission remains the same: reaching the right guest, at the right time, with the right story. About Cogwheel Marketing Cogwheel Marketing™️ is a full service digital marketing agency specializing in branded hotels, first leveraging brand systems then coupling that with supplemental strategies to maximize total online presence. Their reporting and business intelligence tool, Cogwheel Analytics, aggregates data from multiple sources to allow companies to identify trends and opportunities in their online presence. Our defined processes ensure the best positioning for your hotel against the competitive set and against other hotels of the same brand. Let us work with your sales and revenue management teams to identify and close the gaps and target your ideal guests. View source

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