1. Best Boutique Travel Technology: Vertoe
“Vertoe fills a need where we make the travelers journey more seamless as they don’t have to worry about schlepping their bags and lose precious vacation time that could have otherwise been used exploring the city. We nicely fit in as a value add to the larger travel planning experience where predominantly, users are booking transportation, accommodation and activities they want to do at their destination. By getting rid of your luggage when you have a few hours to kill either before check-in, post checkout or during transit layovers and day trips, you get to maximize your vacation experience.”
2. Best Boutique Travel Technology: The Guestbook
“The Guestbook was founded specifically to help boutique hoteliers compete with chain hotels by providing them with a cashback program to increase retention and loyalty. Our core belief is that a direct relationship between hoteliers and their guests is more rewarding for everyone. With over 200 years of hospitality experience, The Guestbook team is committed to helping independent hoteliers increase net revenue while reducing dependence on third-party booking sites and online travel agents. CEO and Founder James Gancos set the tone for the company and brings years of executive experience and leadership to the table. He has worked as a manager at large hotels in Istanbul, Las Vegas, Seattle, and Hawaii, and he served as the North America Director of Operations for Starwood Hotel & Resorts for three years. Throughout his career, James has seen what it takes to make a hotel flourish and create a wonderful guest experience from start to finish. As a graduate from Duke and Harvard Business school, James has a mind for business strategy, and he developed the Guestbook as an innovative way to help independent hotels compete with the loyalty programs of big-name resorts. ‘Nurturing guest loyalty is undoubtedly one of the most productive marketing activities that a boutique hotelier can engage in to ensure ongoing revenue,’ James said.”
3. Best Boutique Travel Technology: Volo Hospitality Solutions
“We started our company focused on the boutique hotel segment, and it remains the majority of our client base. We love working with boutiques as we feel we very much align with their individualism and taking the road less traveled approach. Our clients attract the boutique-loving travelers, and we do our best to enhance the travelers’ experience by providing curated guides of the unique city they are visiting. We also partner with many independent/boutique businesses because of that same like-mindedness I mentioned before.”