Loughborough-headquartered The Access Group, a £1bn+ business management software provider, has added global hotel and casino technology specialist SHR to its hotel management technology suite.
The latest acquisition represents a significant milestone for the Access Hospitality division, giving it a North American footprint in its quest to become a leading global provider of the full range of hotel operations, distribution, and guest engagement solutions.
By pairing SHR’s capabilities with those of Guestline – an end-to-end hotel platform which Access acquired in 2023 – Access Hospitality customers will have a comprehensive integrated technology solution from one provider.
SHR’s 2,000 hotel customers will join Guestline’s 3,000 properties, with all clients of the enlarged Access Hospitality division benefitting from improved ability to boost efficiency and profitability, with a complete digital guest journey.
The acquisition of SHR will strengthen Access Group’s modular product approach, allowing hoteliers to design their ideal tech stack according to need.
Based in Houston, Texas – with offices in Ireland and Spain – SHR’s technology solutions include a dynamic Central Reservation System (CRS), Internet Booking Engine (IBE), Customer Relationship Manager (CRM), Revenue Management System (RMS), and digital marketing and loyalty program tools. Its use of AI personalises the content guests see on hotel websites, increasing relevance and helping hoteliers maximise direct revenues through greater conversion, upselling and cross-selling.
Access aims to become the mid-market hotelier’s ‘go-to’ technology provider, focusing on independent hotels and national and regional chains globally by combining SHR’s products with those of Guestline’s Property Management System (PMS) and the wider Access portfolio, including ResDiary, Procure Wizard, Rotaready, CPL, Trail, Access EPoS, Acteol CRM, Design My Night, Newbridge, Wireless Social and Maintain.
The appointment of former Guestline CEO Andrew McGregor as VP Accommodation of Access Hospitality earlier this year demonstrates the group’s commitment to, and investment in, developing the organisation as a leading global business software provider for the hotel industry.
The Access Hospitality division supports over 20,000 businesses including hotels, multi-site pubs and bars, restaurants, food-to-go, and leisure operators.
Champa Magesh, MD Access Hospitality, said: “We’ve always worked to provide world-class products and unrivalled technological capabilities, and SHR embodies that ambition. The acquisition further bolsters our accommodation offering following the addition of Guestline last year.
“SHR is undoubtedly the world’s leading automated hotel technology platform and a significant addition to our hospitality offering. In this increasingly complex industry, leveraging AI’s immense potential gives hoteliers a competitive edge – enabling them to revolutionise guest experiences, drive operational efficiencies, and increase revenue.”
Andrew McGregor, VP Accommodation of Access Hospitality, said: “This deal takes us a step closer to achieving our goal of being the global go-to technology partner for hotels, helping them deliver exceptional guest experiences and increase their profitability.
“SHR’s pioneering use of technology and laser focus on customer experience make it a natural fit to integrate into the Access Hospitality portfolio. This acquisition marks a key milestone in our drive to grow our market share by opening up the USA and tapping into the massive growth opportunity the market presents.”
Rod Jimenez, CEO SHR, added: “Access is already a leader in providing software and services to UK and European hotels. Its focus on offering solutions that support customers with their entire operations enable hoteliers to deliver excellent guest experiences cost-effectively, profitably and sustainably.
“By joining the Access Hospitality family, SHR’s customers gain access to a complete suite of products and services. The ability to draw on the expertise of Access’ extensive network of partners will not only help our customers; it will provide us with the ability to accelerate capabilities and innovation across our products and customer support services.”
