Automatic - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 27

2 min

Guests prefer direct when hotels make it personal

📈 Dec 17, 2025: Amid the rise of OTAs and AI travel assistants, travelers still choose direct hotel bookings, valuing recognition and personalization. Direct bookings thrive with explicit benefits like upgrades and exclusive perks. Human interaction, first-party data, and automation create emotional loyalty, encouraging long-term shifts from OTAs. Effective direct booking systems align data, technology, and staff to enhance guest relationships, making them more rewarding than intermediaries.

2 min

Berlin court rules hotels can claim damages from Booking.com

💰 Over 1,000 German hotels can claim damages from Booking.com, confirmed by the Berlin Regional Court on Dec 17, 2025. Between 2013 and early 2016, 1,099 hotels were affected by anticompetitive price parity clauses that restricted pricing freedom. Booking.com’s liability is established, but compensation amounts are undetermined. This ruling is part of a European trend reinforcing hotels' distribution strategies. Despite some claims being rejected, Booking.com maintains its clauses benefited both travelers and partners.

2 min

Connection becomes hospitality’s defining theme for 2026

💻 Dec 17, 2025, The Future Laboratory reports that for 2026, hotels must enhance guest experiences by aligning people, systems, and sensory design. Successful integration of digital infrastructure with human services enhances recognition and empathy. Prioritizing connection, reducing technological complexity, and valuing genuine storytelling over luxury are key. Cross-department collaboration in hotels is essential for delivering consistent guest experiences. Investing in empathetic and connected systems now equips hotels for evolving guest expectations.

2 min

U.S. hotel dealmaking shifts from growth to focus

📈 Dec 17, 2025, U.S.: Hotel transactions focus on sharpening portfolios. Buyers prioritize digital capabilities, guest experiences, and brand strength over expansion. Late 2025 saw increased deal activity, yet average deal sizes decreased, with strategic acquisitions favored. Luxury hotels outperform, while economy hotels lag. Hotel groups lead acquisitions, emphasizing loyalty and personalization. Digital gaming investments illustrate a blend of hospitality with entertainment. Modern back-office systems and customer data are pivotal in hotel valuations and future growth strategies.

2 min

Google says AI search optimization mirrors traditional SEO

📈 Dec 17, 2025, Google emphasizes that AI-powered search in the hospitality industry relies on traditional SEO fundamentals like strong content and clear information. No special "AI SEO" exists; successful strategies still depend on high-quality content and trustworthy websites. AI search impacts will vary among hotels, offering new discovery opportunities, especially for younger travelers. Google maintains that its model focuses on directing traffic to original sources, not replacing them.

2 min

Why hotel loyalty is harder to earn than it looks

🛁 Dec 17, 2025, Phocuswright research reveals that traveler loyalty to hotels is increasingly unstable. Less than 50% of travelers consistently choose the same hotel brand, with many opting for variety despite past positive experiences. Only 40% of leisure travelers stick to one or two brands. Younger travelers prioritize novelty over consistency. Fundamental quality standards like cleanliness are expected but don’t drive loyalty. Emotional connection is crucial in loyalty programs, as switching often stems from curiosity, not dissatisfaction.

5 min

The Silent Revolution: How Every Hotel Website is Becoming an Actionable Endpoint for AI

💻 In a quest to revolutionize the web, a new model is transforming each URL into an interpretable endpoint by layering intelligence on the existing web. Using structured data like Schema.org and JSON-LD, each webpage becomes an API, making the web readable and executable by AI. The Model Context Protocol (MCP) connects AI understanding with business systems. Agentic Hospitality, led by Brad Brewer, implements this model to enhance guest experiences, with support from Google Cloud and Brewer Digital.

WTTC Recognized China’s Strategic Initiatives Driving Growth in Travel & Tourism

🗺️ Chinese Travel & Tourism, 2025: Harbin hosts the Global Tourism Economy Forum, spotlighting China's key role. WTTC reports the sector's $1.9TN economic contribution and 15.8% growth. Inbound visitor spending projected at $144.1BN, with domestic spending near $968BN. Employment to reach 83.4 million jobs. By 2035, GDP contribution to hit $3.8TN, supporting 103 million jobs. Harbin attracted 90 million visitors last winter, boosting spending to $19BN.

1 min

roommaster Recognized as a 2025 Trusted Vendor by Crozdesk

📑 roommaster was recognized as a 2025 Trusted Vendor by Crozdesk for its high market presence. The cloud-native software aids over 100 countries' independent hotels by streamlining operations like reservations, payments, and guest engagement. CEO Rachel Douglas emphasizes its reliability and ease of use. Formerly innQuest, roommaster has a 30-year history of simplifying hospitality with innovative tools tailored for independent hoteliers.

2 min

Efteling raises the bar for guest experience with Mews’ open API platform

🎪 Efteling, a renowned European theme park, has adopted Mews' hospitality operating system to enhance guest experiences at their four hotels: Efteling Grand Hotel, Wonder Hotel, Loonsche Land, and Bosrijk. Mews' open API platform integrates with Efteling's digital ecosystem, offering seamless services like digital room keys and automated check-ins via mobile. This synergy has streamlined operations and empowered staff, setting a new guest-centric standard in European hospitality. Mews supports over 12,500 customers in 85 countries.

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