Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

SaaS firm Virdee integrates with FreedomPay

The transition allows the companies to offer end-to-end protection for credit card payments

SaaS firm Virdee integrates with FreedomPay

CONTACTLESS CHECK-IN TECHNOLOGY firm Virdee is now integrated with commerce technology platform FreedomPay. The companies will offer a PCI-validated, point-to-point encryption solution with EMV, NFC, currency conversion and real-time data capabilities.

The transition will help Virdee to offer end-to-end protection for credit card payments made through FreedomPay’s cloud-based payments platform. It also provided FreedomPay compatibility with Virdee’s check-in/check-out process with software for identity verification, payment collection, access control and remote support, according to Virdee.


“Our integration with Virdee offers our customers expanded options, flexibility and, most important, security,” said Chris Kronenthal, president of FreedomPay. “We help streamline and simplify complex payment options, while providing a single flow of data to facilitate consumer insights and engagement for our hotel clients. We’re proud to partner with best-in-class solution providers, like Virdee, as we work together to revolutionize hotel operations and guest-facing technologies.”

Virdee claimed that owners and management companies using its platform can reduce costs at any property that requires front desk payment or access control services. It also enables the ability to purchase upgrades and order room service, making real-time transactional security and data protection essential, the company said.

“Virdee is happy to announce FreedomPay as our latest payment integration partner, extending the benefits of both of our companies to our mutual hotel customers,” said Nadav Cornberg, co-founder at Virdee. “This integration further strengthens the protections we can offer FreedomPay users on the Virdee network, while growing our roster of trusted hotel payment platforms. Hoteliers and guests need to know that data is safe and transactions are secure at every stage of their journey, and Virdee and FreedomPay are working together to provide solutions.”

In April last year, Virdee brought in new funding that increased its total seed money to $4 million. Rajiv Trivedi, former brand president for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc.’s La Quinta Inn and chairman of TST Capital, is a founding investor in the company.

More for you

U.S. extended-stay hotels finished 2024 strong after a slow start, with supply, demand and room revenue growth outpacing the industry, while ADR and RevPAR remained positive but gained momentum later in the year, according to The Highland Group.​

Report: Extended-stay hotels set for faster growth

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS ended 2024 strong after a slow start, with supply, demand and room revenue growth outpacing the overall industry, according to The Highland Group. However, ADR and RevPAR growth lagged yet stayed positive, with stronger gains in the latter half.

The Highland Group’s report on the U.S. Extended-Stay Hotel Market 2025 found that although below the long-term average, extended-stay supply growth in 2024 was the highest since 2021 and is set to accelerate over the next one to three years.

Keep ReadingShow less
IHG Hotels reports 3% RevPAR growth in 2024, driven by strong demand, exceptional service, and enhanced guest experiences

IHG saw 3 percent RevPAR growth in 2024

How IHG’s Service Excellence Fuels RevPAR Growth in 2024

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS reported global RevPAR growth of 3 percent for 2024 and 4.6 percent in the fourth quarter, with the Americas rising 2.5 percent and 4.6 percent for the year and quarter, respectively. The company acquired Germany-based lifestyle hotel brand Ruby for about $116 million, aiming for global expansion, including the Americas.

It opened 371 hotels globally in 2024, up 24 percent, and added 714 to the pipeline, a 34 percent increase, including 16,832 rooms opened and 26,552 signed in the Americas, IHG said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lallani and Fan receiving the CLIC Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in hospitality service and leadership

Lallani, Fan win CLIC’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Lallani & Fan Recognized for Lifetime Excellence in Hospitality at CLIC

Dorraine Lallani, senior director of asset management at Westmont Hospitality Group, and Joseph Fan, president of Brighton Management, will receive a lifetime achievement award from the California Lodging Investment Conference. They will be honored at the Westin Long Beach on March 5 to 6.

Lallani, former senior vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, specializes in hotel acquisitions, due diligence, franchise relations and asset dispositions. Fan founded Brighton Management in 1994, serving Los Angeles, San Diego and Northern California, CLIC said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
AAHOA’s 2nd HYPE Conference in Mexico City—hospitality leaders networking, sharing expert insights, and elevating service excellence

AAHOA hosts second HYPE conference in Mexico City

AAHOA’s 2nd HYPE Conference in Mexico City: Elevating Hospitality Excellence & Networking Opportunities

AAHOA HOSTED ITS second annual “HYPE – Helping Young Professionals Evolve” conference in Mexico City on Feb. 6 to 7, marking its first international event. Ritesh Agarwal, founder and Group CEO of OYO, and Rahul Patel, managing partner at Patel Gaines, PLLC, were the keynote speakers, addressing around 240 participants.

The conference featured panel discussions on leadership, capital access strategies, multifamily housing opportunities, emerging technologies and insights for independent properties in competitive markets, AAHOA said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less