As we approach the end of 2023, let's pause to celebrate the incredible journey we've had—a year defined by remarkable growth and successful projects. Today, our gratitude goes out to each client and colleague whose support contributed to our achievements.
This past year saw a surge in new features, exciting events, and major milestones. From meeting clients face-to-face at the world's largest tourism trade fair in Berlin to improving services for over 50,000 river cruise passengers in just six months, we've been on a roll. Notably, the HotelFriend family has grown, with our team of developers, marketers, and support agents nearly tripling in size!
We didn't just focus on making software but set a goal to become your reliable partner, whether you're running a hotel, a cruise ship, or even accommodations for a church. We listened to what you had to say and worked together to make HotelFriend better, adding many new integrations and features along the way.
The year 2023 was a year of action and leadership, full of new and exciting ideas. But there's so much more to talk about—let's dive into all we've achieved together this year!
HotelFriend's year in review 2023
1. Company contributions
✅ Actively participated in live events, including ITB Berlin, Bits & Pretzels, HSMA annual meeting, and Seatrade Europe.
✅ Renewed our DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 certification to continue providing quality products and top services to our clients.
✅ Continued our volunteering project, offering free HotelFriend PMS access to support properties accommodating Ukrainians displaced by war.
2. Collaboration & partnerships
✅ Established strategic partnerships with Adyen, resulting in HotelFriend Payments, and collaborated with Papagena PayCruise, Salto SVN, Thales, DATEV, and Fiskaly Austria.
✅ Collaborated with clients in the maritime industry and assisted a church community in managing properties for their congregation.
3. Product improvements
✅ Developed tools for event management, hotel POS, self-check-in kiosks, chats for the Booking Engine, and added more Concierge app features alongside advanced data management services.
✅ Introduced integration with ChatGPT, which led to the creation of the hotelier’s AI Assistant.
✅ Implemented significant enhancements in SaaS projects for hotels and apartments.
✅ Provided extended support and training, as well as custom development solutions.
4. Marketing & brand development
✅ Partnered with Google Hotels to empower hoteliers to drive direct bookings with ease.
✅ Revamped our website for improved usability, structure, and customer-centricity.
✅ Earned "Customers love us" badges from SourceForge and Slashdot, along with more positive reviews.
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✅ Published articles on Cruise Addicts and Hotel Revenue Insights and conducted "meet the team" interviews for you to get to know us better.
5. Custom projects
✅ Crafted custom solutions for river cruise hospitality businesses, introducing end-to-end solutions including Tour Planner, Cruise Control, Menu Generator, and Shore Leave.
✅ Helped “Stäy” streamline inventory management for 180 apartments, as well as automate billing and invoicing for their corporate clients.
✅ Developed bespoke features to help GG Boardinhouse manage 100+ rooms, addressing the need for automated distribution of OTA-related bookings to specific room categories.
✅ Embarked on "The Place" project, enhancing their daily operations with Remote Reception, which helps them to run their apartments with no staff on site.
As we express our sincere gratitude for being part of our journey, we invite you to anticipate more exciting projects in the future.
Denis Severyuk
May the new year bring you joy, success, and unforgettable journeys!
Thank you for your continued trust and partnership; here's to another year of making your hospitality dreams a reality!
