Your Destination Has a Story You’ve Never Read - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers

5 min

Your Destination Has a Story You’ve Never Read

🗺️ Couples planning trips often rely on AI and search engines, rather than destination websites. Marriott Bonvoy's 2026 study shows 50% of travelers use AI for trip planning, up from 26% two years ago. A TakeUp survey indicates 94% trust AI recommendations, despite 52% citing inaccuracies. A simple 20-minute audit using incognito mode can identify errors in online information. The Tennessee tourism board improved visibility by correcting incomplete online profiles, highlighting the impact of accurate data.

8 min

Travel Tech Essentialist #196: Rebundling

🛫 On March 24, Propellic, an AI-first marketing agency, partners with Phocuswright in NYC for a Travel Marketing AI Summit featuring executives from major companies like Google and Booking.com. Contrary’s 2026 Tech Trends Report mentions Waymo achieving 100 million driverless miles by July 2025 with 80-90% lower crash rates. AGC Partners highlight that the travel tech market grew 2.8x since 2019. Google searches for "solo travel" spiked in late 2024, reaching record highs by 2026.

1 min

How I Travel – Bashar Wali

💻 Bashar Wali redefines travel by spending under 24 hours in cities, focusing on conversations rather than landmarks, for personal insight and self-discovery. He emphasizes connecting with locals at coffee shops and bars. Wali suggests hospitality leaders prioritize understanding cultures through people. Hospitality Daily, supported by Mews, highlights tech innovations in hotel management. For more insights, listen to Richard Valtr's discussion on AI in hotel tech. Share these ideas for impactful business and service transformation.

1 min

Are OTAs actually at risk from AI? Over the past couple of weeks, OTAs, including Airbnb, have taken a noticeable hit to valuations as investors wrestle with a big question: If AI changes how… | Jamie Lane | 14 comments

💸 Airbnb, Expedia, and Booking.com face potential AI disruption in travel planning. Investors question if AI will reduce these OTAs' relevance. On Airbnb's earnings call, Brian Chesky highlighted Airbnb's robust infrastructure: an 18-year host platform, complex customer service, a vast payment system, 200 million verified identities, and proprietary data. Airbnb aims for an AI-native product enhancing trip planning. The debate centers on whether AI will mainly affect discovery or also impact booking processes.

3 min

Airbnb claims AI search drives higher conversion than Google

📱 Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, on 12 February, emphasized AI's role in boosting conversions from chatbot traffic, higher than Google. The company reported $2.78bn Q4 revenue, a 12% rise, and $12.2bn full-year revenue, up 10%. Airbnb focuses on AI-integrated customer support, resolving a third of issues without humans. CTO Ahmad Al-Dahle, ex-Meta, is pivotal. Airbnb partners with the Olympics, enhancing brand awareness and launching Olympian-hosted experiences for financial and career opportunities.

2 min

Hilton and Marriott International just added AI to their risk factors in regulatory filings this week. The two largest hotel companies in the world are formally warning investors that AI could erode… | eric lutz 🫒 | 28 comments

💻 Hilton and Marriott International, the largest hotel companies globally, have incorporated AI as a risk factor in their regulatory filings this week. They warn that AI might erode brand loyalty, shift bookings from direct channels, and increase distribution costs. AI could revolutionize hotel bookings by surpassing loyalty programs and offering personalized experiences, potentially diminishing brand value. The future success of hotels will depend on direct guest relationships, independent commerce, and unique experiences that AI cannot replicate.

1 min

Curiosity Is the First Act of Hospitality – Bashar Wali

🏨 Bashar Wali, founder and CEO of Practice Hospitality and This Assembly, challenges the common habit of asking “What do you do?” He argues this question limits connection and hierarchy, advocating for curiosity by asking “Where are you from?” instead. Hospitality Daily is supported by Mews, enhancing hotel management systems. The episode encourages sharing insights for business improvement. Music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound for Hospitality Brands.

2 min

OUTRIGGER’s Fiji resorts earn Green Key Certification

📍 OUTRIGGER Fiji Beach Resort and Castaway Island, Fiji, earned Green Key Certification in December, becoming the first in the South Pacific to do so. Managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education, this certification highlights their sustainability efforts, including hiring locals and coral conservation. OUTRIGGER Fiji Beach Resort was the first in OUTRIGGER’s global portfolio to gain this certification. OUTRIGGER aims to achieve Green Key Certification for all its 31 properties worldwide, enhancing their commitment to environmental responsibility.

3 min

Why value engineering is failing hotels—and what needs to change

📈 Value engineering in hotel development should align design with commercial reality from the start, not as a late-stage cost-cutting tool. Often, it arrives too late, leading to diluted brands and increased costs. Early-stage integration can enhance guest experience and operational flow. Misunderstanding value engineering as mere cost reduction leads to lower-grade materials and higher long-term costs. Strategic, early incorporation ensures hotels remain distinctive and efficient, balancing lifecycle costs, brand identity, and guest satisfaction.

1 min

AC Marriott Ann Arbor Downtown now open

🏨 AC Marriott Hotel Ann Arbor Downtown opened by First Martin Corporation and First Hospitality, located in Downtown Ann Arbor Main Street District, Michigan. Spread over 81,745 sq. ft., it features 139 rooms. The hotel includes local art, a solar array generating over 50 kWh daily, a sixth-floor lounge, and a 500 sq. ft. executive boardroom. The first AC Hotel in Ann Arbor, it offers modern amenities, marking the brand's fourth location in Michigan.

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