Markham, Ontario, Aug. 12, 2025 — Maestro PMS, the hotel industry’s leading Web Browser-based cloud and on-premises all-in-one property-management system, is unveiling its latest update to its user interface through Maestro Touch. This groundbreaking update revolutionizes Maestro PMS’ front desk operations by bringing its PMS features to all tablets or touch-capable devices on property.

With Maestro Touch, operators can effortlessly access and manage front-line PMS functions across any touch-capable device, providing unmatched mobility and flexibility while accessing the same Maestro solution you are using today. Touch-based operations simplify operations processes, reduce training time, and improve your operations team’s capabilities at the front desk.

The New Front Desk Experience

Maestro Touch features an easy-to-use and intuitive design created from the ground up to complement current user behaviors. Its simple workflow allows hotels to train new staff quickly without compromising the sophistication of Maestro’s full capabilities. Instead of cutting back on your system’s needs, Maestro Touch can be leveraged to get your staff trained and up to speed in minutes, fully overseeing front desk tasks without missing a beat.

Built specifically for tablet use, Maestro Touch prioritizes the tasks that matter most to front-line staff, helping teams respond to guest needs and property updates without being tied to the desk. Some of these elements include:

• Check-Out Functionality: Maestro Touch simplifies the check-out process with intuitive touch controls designed for tablet use. . Operators can access comprehensive guest folios, review all charges associated with a stay and generate detailed invoices while on the go, all supported by a redesigned user interface oriented around your guest’s most important information.

• Digital Signature Capture: A front desk team can easily capture guest signatures on a digital registration card on mobile devices with Maestro Touch. Access to mobile signature capture creates a digital avenue for guests to sign digital documents and preserves the simplicity and speed of front desk interactions while maintaining front desk operations’ consistency across a singular platform.

• Real-Time Room Availability: The Maestro Touch interface allows front desk operators to quickly access up-to-date information on room number availability and status, allowing hotel staff to quickly identify and assign rooms to guests based on property updates.

“Since we began using Maestro Touch four months ago, our ability to offer a unique, intimate arrival experience has only improved,” said Kevin Aanstoot, Guest Relations Manager at the Tuscany Residence Aruba. “Our property offers a personal check-in experience where we lead guests to their personal suites, and Maestro Touch has simplified our delivery. Our staff can check in guests using just a few buttons and one task form, and using mobile tablets guests can view all their details and sign documents all on the same device. We recommend Maestro Touch, 100 percent, especially for properties looking to provide a personal touch or reduce lines at the front desk.”

“Maestro continues to invest in mobile operations tools because we believe they are the future of hotel operations and profitability, and Maestro Touch is the next phase of our commitment to providing these capabilities to independent operators everywhere,” said Tim Major, President of Maestro PMS. “Through Maestro Touch, hoteliers will have access to a touch-based interface designed with hoteliers in mind, prioritizing their operations needs and considering their workflow first. Today’s workforce is well-versed in touch-based technology, and Maestro is combining this affinity with the utility of mobile operations to create a leaner, more capable workforce at the front desk.”

VICTORIA BC (Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ territories) | August 11, 2025 – This week, Canada's sex-positive hotel brand, Hotel Zed, opens The Love Nest, their swanky new specialty room intentionally designed for sex. A retro-inspired sensual escape at their Victoria location, The Love Nest welcomes all rebels in all relationships looking to achieve connection or expand on their sexual wellness journey.

“This is truly a passion project for me,” says Mandy Farmer, CEO of Hotel Zed. “Good sex can reduce stress, improve sleep and boost confidence. I’m honoured to have created an empowering destination that celebrates intimacy and exploration.”

Since opening their doors in 2014, Hotel Zed has been pushing the envelope on sex-positivity in the hotel industry with their Valentine’s Day Nooner campaigns, including 2025’s promotion. With the launch of the new Love Nest, they are taking it even further--encouraging guests to have open conversations and explore their desires without shame.

To ensure guests have the tools and resources to break out of their comfort zones, Hotel Zed has created a space that encourages exploration across every surface, while providing a library of resources to help inspire guests on their sexual journey. Specially designed features and furniture such as a Playpen Sofa, a Tantric Chaise, a dancing pole and custom grab-bar headboard offer functionality while the room itself is lavishly adorned with mood-setting retro-inspired décor and lighting that evokes the thrill of a speakeasy.

Guests also have access to Love Nest Necessities kits-- containing premium lubricant and toys—curated by BC-Based, female-owned . These unique, inclusive kits are available Love Nest guests to purchase, because every unforgettable night needs the right essentials.

For those looking for extra guidance to enhance their sexual journey, private coaching sessions will be available for booking with Certified Somatic Sex Educator. Guided sessions tailored for The Love Nest experience include (Design Your Desire, Conscious Kinks and Erotic Play,), and a special three-session journey (The Love Nest Immersion) for a deeper arc of connection, play, and post-experience integration with your stay.  Sessions are available online or in-person in Victoria. “Working with community experts in the sexual wellness space turns The Love Nest from a room to a sex-positive, immersive experience that can radically enrich our guests' lives” says Farmer.

Hotel Zed recognizes that conversations of sex and consent go hand-in-hand. Hotel Zed’s initiatives are grounded in consent, education, and respect for all individuals. Hotel Zed is a long-term supporter of Good Night Out, a non-profit focused on sexual violence prevention to support their mission in promoting consent culture in hospitality, nightlife and entertainment.

Hotel Zed Victoria’s Love Nest is available to book now! More information and booking is available on the website at

Choice Hotels International has purchased InnVest Hotels’ remaining 50% share in Choice Hotels Canada, shifting to a fully direct franchising model in the country from the previous master franchising framework.

The deal was closed last month and had a value of around $112m. It was financed using Choice Hotels' on-hand cash and its existing credit line.

Choice Hotels International president and CEO Patrick Pacious said: "By consolidating operations in Canada and expanding Choice Hotels Canada's owner success system from the current eight hotel brands to our full portfolio of 22 brands, we are opening doors to remarkable opportunities for our franchisees and guests, while paving the way for accelerated growth across Canada."

The transaction signifies a focus on the Canadian market and its franchisees.

Management anticipates that for the full year of 2025, the total Choice Hotels Canada business will generate around $23m in fee revenue and $18m in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA).

Choice Hotels' Canadian portfolio comprised 350 hotels and 30,000 rooms, with an additional 2,500 rooms in the pipeline. The company noted that 26,000 of the 30,000 rooms were part of the Choice Hotels Canada joint venture.

This encompasses the introduction of its inaugural Cambria Hotel, expansion with four Radisson hotels, and more than 20 new Quality, Comfort, and Ascend Collection hotels.

Choice Hotels Canada CEO Brian Leon will continue to lead operations in Canada.

Leon said: "This is an exciting moment for Choice Hotels Canada and our franchisees.

"With the full backing of Choice Hotels International, we are well-positioned to deliver even greater value to our franchisees and guests as we write the next chapter of our success story."

InnVest Hotels, previously a joint venture partner and the largest franchisee of Choice Hotels in Canada, will continue to play a role by owning and operating 50 Comfort hotels across the country.

This acquisition is part of Choice Hotels' broader strategy to accelerate growth outside the US, which saw a 5% increase in the net international rooms portfolio to more than 140,000 rooms in Q2 2025.

Bethesda, Maryland – (August 6, 2025) – Marriott International today announced the expansion of its partnership with Canadian nonprofit , strengthening its commitment to addressing food insecurity across Canada. Through the ready-to-cook soups initiative, the two organizations will work together to distribute 500,000 portions of soups to communities in need by the end of 2025. 

(Caption: Amped Up Ready-To-Cook Soups Events Take Place in Vancouver and Montreal) 

This initiative builds on Marriott’s long-standing efforts to support and uplift local communities and is closely aligned with the company’s global sustainability and social impact platform, . The program is featured in Marriott’s 2025 Serve360 Report, which outlines the company’s progress toward its environmental and social responsibility goals.

“At Marriott International, we believe in the power of hospitality to make a meaningful difference,” said Paul Cahill, Chief Operations Officer, Canada, Marriott International. “Our expanded partnership with La Tablée des Chefs through the ready-to-cook soups initiative reflects our commitment to reducing food waste and addressing food insecurity. By engaging our hotel teams nationwide, we continue to strengthen the connection between our associates and the communities they serve.” 

Since 2023, Marriott Hotels of Canada have partnered with La Tablée des Chefs to donate surplus food to local communities. Today, more than 75 Marriott properties across nine provinces have participated by donating over 127,000 meals to local communities in need. The expanded partnership through the ready-to-cook soups program will empower Marriott teams to give back directly to local communities through the preparation and circulation of dry soup packets to food banks and shelters in their respective regions. To date, 45,000 soup packets have been distributed through participating Marriott properties across Canada. 

"I'm incredibly proud to see Marriott Hotels of Canada actively engaged in the fight against food insecurity. Whether through our Food Recovery program or by producing and distributing dry soup to families in need, this institution demonstrates a solidarity and generosity that resonates across the country," said Jean-François Archambault, founder and general director of La Tablée des Chefs. "Having started my career with Marriott, I find it particularly touching to see that they support the social movement we've built. It's always stimulating and reassuring to work hand in hand, with the same values and convictions, to build a better world." 

La Tablée des Chefs is a Canadian nonprofit organization whose mission can be summarized in two words: feed and educate. Since its inception in 2002, La Tablée des Chefs has worked closely with community and industry partners across Canada to tackle the growing issues of food waste and food insecurity for Canadians through the redistribution of over 21 million portions of surplus food provided by hotels, event venues, and other institutions within its network. With over 25% of Canadians experiencing food insecurity, these collaborative partnerships are vital in providing support to combat this widespread issue. 

As of year-end 2024, Marriott reduced waste to landfill intensity globally by approximately 23% and food waste to landfill intensity by approximately 29% compared to a 2019 baseline.  

For further details on the partnership, and additional information on Marriott International’s environmental, social and governance initiatives and developments, the full 2025 Serve360 Report can be accessed at