London, June 6, 2024 – Visit GroupA $1.3B+ Business Management Software Provider Adds Global Hotel and Casino Technology Experts Spontaneous hypertension Its expanding AI-powered, end-to-end platform for hotels.
Access will combine the functionality of SHR with Guest Hotlineis a property management software (PMS) company with customers across DACH and Europe, which the company acquired last year. SHR’s 2,000 hotel customers will join Guestline’s 3,000 hotels, and all customers of the expanded Access Hospitality division will benefit from the ability to increase efficiency and profitability, as well as the complete digital guest journey.
The SHR transaction establishes the Access Hospitality division as one of the few truly comprehensive software providers to the global hotel industry. SHR is key to achieving its vision of becoming a one-stop shop for the full range of hotel property management, operations and front-office tools.
The acquisition of Houston, Texas-based SHR will allow Access to further penetrate the US market and serve larger hotel groups, whose distribution needs are often more complex than those of smaller boutique and independent hotel operators. Access Group has revenues of more than £1 billion, employs more than 7,000 people worldwide and provides software solutions to more than a dozen other industries.
The expanded Access Hospitality division will serve 5,000 existing hotel clients, including 2,000 SHR clients, who will benefit from its ability to increase efficiency and profitability and deliver a fully digital customer journey. Access takes a modular approach, allowing hoteliers to design their ideal technology stack based on their needs, but all key components remain natively integrated.
SHR includes a dynamic central reservation system (CRS), Internet booking engine (IBE), customer relationship management (CRM), revenue management system (RMS) and digital marketing and loyalty program tools. It uses artificial intelligence, which means that the content guests see on direct booking sites is tailored to them, which increases relevance to customers and helps hoteliers maximize revenue through conversion, upsell and cross-sell.
Access aims to become the preferred provider in the mid-market by combining SHR’s products with Guestline and nearly 10 other Access Hospitality products, focusing on independent hotels around the world as well as national and regional hotel chains.
Earlier this year, the group appointed Jonah Paransky as President of Access, Americas, demonstrating the group’s commitment and investment to grow the company into the region’s leading global business software provider. This, coupled with the acquisition of ERP provider Construction Industry Solutions (COINS) in 2022, has fueled the group’s determination to expand its footprint in the US market. The company already has a strong presence in Europe and Asia Pacific. The group’s hospitality division already supports more than 20,000 hotels, multi-site bars, restaurants, takeaways and leisure operators with software designed to enhance the guest experience and increase venue profitability.
Champa Magesh, Managing Director of Access Hospitality, said: “We have always been committed to delivering world-class products and unrivalled technical capabilities, and SHR embodies this ambition.
“SHR is undoubtedly the world’s leading automated hotel technology platform and a great addition to our hotel offering. In this highly competitive and increasingly complex industry, harnessing the vast potential of AI will give hoteliers a competitive advantage – enabling them to revolutionize the guest experience, improve operational efficiencies and increase revenue.
“This further strengthens our accommodation offering following last year’s acquisition of Guestline, a leading hotel distribution and operations platform provider.”
Jonah Paransky, President of the Americas at Access Group, said: “This transaction brings us one step closer to achieving our goal of becoming the global technology partner for hotels, helping them deliver exceptional guest experiences and increase profitability.
“SHR’s pioneering adoption of technology and strong focus on customer experience are a perfect match for Access. This acquisition is an important milestone in our efforts to expand our U.S. market share and tap into the tremendous growth opportunities the market presents.”
Rod Jimenez, CEO of SHR, added, “We are delighted to announce that Access has acquired SHR. Access has established itself as a leader in hotel software and services in the UK and Europe. Its focus is on providing solutions that support customers across their entire operations, enabling hoteliers to deliver an exceptional guest experience in a cost-effective, profitable and sustainable manner.
“This strategic move by SHR brings numerous benefits to our customers. They will gain access to a complete suite of products and services, including HR, payroll, learning management and employee scheduling software specifically for the hospitality industry. They will be able to tap into the expertise of Access’ extensive partner network and find opportunities to learn, collaborate and grow with a larger customer base.”
“We look forward to working with Access to accelerate capabilities and innovation in products, customer support, and security.”
