Check out the industry reads we've put together for you this week!

At SnapShot, we believe in flexibility and openness when it comes to data and technology. I mean, we built the SnapShot Marketplace with the idea of allowing hotels of all sizes from all around the world with different property management systems to access the hotel applications we've created and that developers have placed onto our platform. In the first read, you can catch a glimpse of where the industry is now and where it's going in regards to hotel technology integrations and application programming interfaces (APIs). It's well-known in our industry that integrations between hospitality technology providers can be costly and time-consuming, but with the way hotel technology is progressing, open APIs are seemingly becoming more popular. Read the first article to see how some hospitality vendors are responding to the increase in demand for open APIs and integrations. (With a little shoutout to our CCO and co-founder, David Turnbull!) The second read focuses on how one property management system is expanding its cloud-based software. With a recent investment of €6 million from venture capital firm Notion, Mews plans to grow its business in new parts of the world and what do you know? They offer an open platform through APIs as well! While a hotel's choice in technology provider determines much of its operations and business strategy, there are also many external technologies that affect a hotel's success just the same. One major technology influencer is TripAdvisor, where customer reviews have the power to truly make or break a hotel based on its rankings. Want to know how TripAdvisor ranks hotels? The third read breaks down the review website's algorithm to demonstrate how TripAdvisor assesses hotels. If 95% of travelers are reading reviews before they book their trips, it's probably worth seeing how TripAdvisor ranks hotels and know what your hotel can do to improve its ranking.

Happy reading. 

The SnapShot Marketplace was created to house pre-integrated applications created by both SnapShot and third-party developers. One of the innovative applications featured on the store is MyStay, the global relationship app that allows hotels to engage with guests through it's simple, open platform where hotels can place relevant information and specials. The MyStay app allows hotels and guests to interact through welcome SMS, real-time instant messaging, pre-arrival check-in with digital signature, instant feedback, navigation with points of interest, and more! Hotels are given countless opportunities to upsell room upgrades, spa services, F&B outlets, and activities, and increase their revenue while improving guest experiences. In order to better understand the story behind how MyStay was created and how the platform works, SnapShot interviewed Pavlina Zychova, the co-founder and CCO of MyStay, studied lawyer, and passionate traveler, to learn more.

We have some exciting hospitality news for you this week!

We hate to say, "We told you so," but... we told you so. Data analytics is fundamental to the success of a business, big or small. In the travel industry, there is a gargantuan amount of data that is still being unused, which is why we got into the data business in the first place! In the first read, Travel Appeal highlights the competitive advantages of using data analytics to not only improve your hotel's business performance, but also enhance customer engagement. And in the world of hospitality, customer engagement is what we're after at the end of the day, so why wouldn't we want to use data to benefit both our hotels and our guests? Looking ahead into the not too distant future, hotel technology is already advancing to the next level: robotics. While robots aren't necessarily considered new technology, according to our second read, more hotels are adopting robotic technology into their daily operations. Read the second article to find out why 56% of consumers and hotel operators think robotic services will be more prevalent in hotels by 2025. Jumping back to the present, the battle continues to wage on between hotels and online travel agencies (OTAs). However, as the saying goes, "If you can't beat them, join them," which is exactly what Hyatt has done with Ctrip, the Chinese online travel services giant. Instead of fighting over online bookings, the two companies have collaborated on the launch of an online flagship store for Ctrip members to access Hyatt hotels. Read the third article to see how the companies plan to expand from the Greater China region to the rest of the world.

Happy reading.