Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Virdee, HotelKey launch improved guest relations platform

LivAway Suites became the first hotel chain to adopt the Virdee-HotelKey solution

Virdee, HotelKey launch improved guest relations platform

VIRDEE AND HOTELKEY recently launched an improved guest relations platform with streamlined check-in and more support. Salt Lake City-based LivAway Suites is the first hotel chain to adopt the Virdee-HotelKey solution.

Virdee, a self-service technology and check-in automation company, is led by cofounders Nadav Cornberg and Branigan Mulcahy, while HotelKey, a cloud-based hotel property management system, is led by cofounder and president Aditya Thyagarajan.


“The ability for our property management system to integrate with Virdee’s self-service check-in solution ensures that guests receive excellent service whether interacting with staff or using our automated systems,” said Thyagarajan.

The new Virdee-HotelKey product includes:

  • Improved check-in for guests, including those from OTAs like Expedia and Booking.com, can check in and access room keys via mobile devices or iPad kiosks, without staff interaction.
  • Remote assistance to help guests with requests such as room lockouts or amenity restocks, even in unstaffed lobbies.
  • More self-service options and reduced wait times, especially for after-hours check-ins.
  • Allows staff to focus on other tasks while maintaining visibility and service for check-ins.

LivAway Suites, the extended-stay brand launched in early 2023, recently opened its second location in Richland, Washington. The system allows front-desk operations to be managed remotely via video calls or fully self-service, straight-to-room experiences. Virdee’s technology enhances HotelKey’s staff-facing iPads by enabling guest self-service check-ins via mobile phones and iPad kiosks.

“LivAway is excited to be the first extended-stay hotel brand to leverage this powerful combination of Virdee and HotelKey technologies,” said Kevin Dailey, LivAway Suites chief operating officer. “Our guests love the convenience of checking in at any time, day or night, and our staff can provide more personalized service. Virdee and HotelKey understand the needs of LivAway Suites and have been an integral part of our launch this year.”

Mulcahy said that their partnership with HotelKey takes the guest-centric approach to new levels of convenience and customization.

“Hotel staff can now deliver exceptional service through our integrated front-of-house platform, and guests benefit from the freedom of a self-service model that works on their terms, whether through their smartphones or our iPad kiosks,” he said.

Last year, Pinak Soni-led GuestTouch integrated its guest review and messaging system with HotelKey’s property management system, offering hotels a multifunctional solution to serve guests from check-in to check-out.

More for you

ExStay Washington DC

Third regional ExStay workshop set for D.C.

Summary:

  • ESLA and Kalibri will hold the third ExStay workshop on July 30 in Washington, D.C., following sessions in Atlanta and Dallas.
  • The event will feature experts from brands, operators, data firms and advisory groups.
  • Sessions will cover investment and include Q&As on developing, renovating, converting and operating extended stay assets.

THE EXTENDED STAY Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs will host the third quarterly ExStay workshop on July 30 in Washington, D.C., following earlier sessions in Atlanta and Dallas. The event will bring together extended stay lodging executives for networking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Deloitte value-seeking report 2025

Study: Consumers seek value over low prices

Summary:

  • Consumers are prioritizing value over low prices, pushing brands—including hotels—to adapt, Deloitte finds.
  • Economic uncertainty and inflation are driving caution and shifting views on pricing and spending.
  • Value-seeking by generations: 49 percent of Gen X, 43 percent of Boomers, 40 percent of Millennials and 44 percent of Gen Z.

AMID ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY and inflation, U.S. consumers are prioritizing value over low prices, favoring brands with added benefits, according to a Deloitte study. This shift is reshaping the market as companies, including hotels, adapt to changing expectations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gen Z Shifts Hotel Shopping: Tech, Experiences & Values

Survey: Gen Z redefines hotel shopping

Summary:

  • Younger consumers are redefining hotel discovery through platform-hopping and peer input, according to SOCi.
  • Fragmented search and discovery are reshaping how trust is built.
  • About one-third of consumers aged 18–34 report less brand loyalty than a year ago.

GEN Z IS RESHAPING hotel shopping through multiple platforms, peer input and real-time research, according to SOCi, a marketing platform for multi-location businesses. Unlike previous generations who relied on a single search engine or map app, the younger consumer moves through a series of smaller decisions - starting on TikTok, checking Reddit or Yelp and ending with a Google Maps search.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hotel Tech Advances; Outpaces Operational Readiness

Report: Tech outpaces readiness in hotels

  • A gap is growing between technological potential and operational readiness, with many hotel teams still early in AI use.
  • Distribution teams are evolving with limited resources and uneven investment in talent and automation.
  • The report outlines how commercial teams in hospitality are managing transformation.

THERE IS A widening gap between technological potential and operational readiness, with many hotel staff still early in using AI effectively, according to “The State of Distribution 2025” report. Despite the availability of technology, training, systems and workflows remain in development.

The second edition of the industry benchmark report—published by NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and its Hospitality Innovation Hub, in collaboration with RateGain Travel Technologies and HEDNA—noted that as traveler expectations rise, aligning people, processes and platforms is becoming a driver of performance.

Keep ReadingShow less
G6 Hospitality RMS Program Powers Q1 2025 Growth

G6 RMS properties log 11 percent Q1 revenue gain

Summary
  • The G6 RMS program uses automation, comp tracking and strategy calls.
  • RMS properties saw 11 percent year-over-year revenue growth in Q1 and a 10 percent higher ADR.
  • Revenue-managed properties posted 11.5 percent growth through web and app channels.

PROPERTIES OF G6 Hospitality enrolled in its “G6 Revenue Management Services” program saw 11 percent year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter of 2025, more than double the rate of the rest of the portfolio. They also recorded a 10 percent higher ADR than non-RMS properties.

The RMS program uses proprietary automation tools, daily competitive set monitoring and bi-weekly strategy calls with revenue managers, G6 said in a statement. G6 is the parent company of Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands.

Keep ReadingShow less