HotelsMag November 2013 | Page 82

TECHNOLOGY 4 HOTELS TEAMS WITH VTECH
A-1 TEXTILES OFFERS ONLINE BED DESIGNER
SUPPLYLINE

TECHNOLOGY 4 HOTELS TEAMS WITH VTECH

Technology 4 Hotels has formed a new Australian-based channel partnership with VTech . This relationship gives VTech a local presence for its hotel phones and has already seen the phones adopted by hotels including Fraser Suites Perth , Shangri-La Hotel Sydney and Sofitel Melbourne On Collins .
“ Technology 4 Hotels ’ experience and reputation for superior service in the hospitality industry makes them an ideal channel partner for VTech ,” says Dan Seale , president of VTech Hospitality Division . “ We are pleased to welcome them to our international family .”

HEIMTEXTIL EXPERTS FORECAST DESIGN TRENDS

London agency FranklinTill has presented the 2014-15 Heimtextil interior design trends forecast . Highlighted trends include the move to “ engineer nature ” as designers copy biological and texture technologies from nature to form novel fabrics . Another trend is a push to “ exalt purity ” as the interest in objects that have personalities and are accompanied by stories is increasing . In the quest for meaning , this movement honors natural materials by embracing their imperfections and highlighting their origins deliberately .
“ The design landscape of the future will be divided into two opposing , innovative powers ,” says Caroline Till , co-founder of FranklinTill . “ One is the desire to look forward and propagate tech-savvy advancements ; the other is the relevance of the look backward and the renewal of past traditions in our quest for authenticity .”

STEINER SPA INDEX ASSESSES SPA PROJECTS

Steiner Spa Consulting has launched the Steiner Spa Index , a predictive tool determining the success and viability of spa projects . The template , which is available for free at steinerspaconsulting . com , analyzes the key factors of hotels that will impact spa business and benchmarks these against industry metrics through a proprietary algorithm . The resulting findings — Steiner Spa Index Scorecard — produce a big-picture snapshot of how a spa will fare before it ’ s built .
The Steiner Spa Index reviews metrics including hotel occupancy , average room rate , average food and beverage check , hotel guest demographics , nationality and market segments to predict the revenue potential of the spa . It also factors in variables such as cost of treatment , product , utilities and staffing to arrive at an overall profitability of the spa .

A-1 TEXTILES OFFERS ONLINE BED DESIGNER

A-1 Textiles aims to make building a better bed easier with the online Bed Designer . The new tool allows hoteliers to mix and match decorative top sheets , runners , bed skirts and bolster pillows to complement existing rooms . Users enter the Bed Designer through A1Textiles . com . Once the Bed Designer program loads , hoteliers choose the carpet that matches their rooms best and click on each part of the bed to change colors and styles .

IN BRIEF

� The Rainmaker Group has appointed Mark Sohl vice president of technology operations .
� Rivolta Carmignani has launched a new website available in English and Italian at rivoltacarmignani . it .
� British hotel group PH Hotels has partnered with SiteMinder ’ s global distribution platform to boost online visibility and webbased bookings .
� Hotel voucher agency Animod , which currently works with
Sohl approximately 800 partner hotels in 26 countries , is celebrating its 12th anniversary this year .
� Foodloose was elected “ bio brand of the year 2014 ” by the German trade press magazine Lebensmittel-Praxis .
� SpaFinder Wellness has named Mia Kyricos chief brand officer .
� More than 25,000 spectators attended the inaugural Hotel Fitness Championship golf tournament at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne , Indiana .
� Emirates , the official international airline of the United Arab Emirates , has chosen technology from commercial dishwasher manufacturer Meiko to expand its flight catering operations .
� Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group has named IDeaS Revenue Solutions its exclusive provider of revenue management solutions .
� Nine Harbor Hotels properties in Brazil have been using eRevMax ’ s RateTiger to improve rate management efficiencies across third-party sales channels .
80 HOTELS November 2013 www . hotelsmag . com