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Sweetgreen, Modern Market, and Starbird Introduce New Chicken-Based Dishes Inspired by Global Flavors for Spring Menu

🍗 Sweetgreen introduces the Chicken Sesame Crunch salad with 35g protein. Their KBBQ menu features Korean flavors like cucumber and apple kimchi. Modern Market offers the Seoul Bowl with blackened chicken and a Zesty Asian Chicken Wrap. Starbird debuts chimichurri-inspired dishes, including the Chimi Chop Salad and Chimichurri Wings. Papa Johns launches Oven-Toasted Sandwiches with chicken and steak options on ciabatta bread, featuring flavors like Chicken Bacon Ranch.
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Kayak Founders Steve Hafner and Paul English Develop AI Startup Lola for Booking Holdings, Launching Soon

🛫 Kayak founders Steve Hafner and Paul English teamed up for an AI startup with Booking Holdings called Lola. In early April, Booking Holdings acquired the Lola.com and Lola.ai domains from English. A new splash page was launched, stating, "Welcome to Lola," promising insider access to leading travel brands with better rates and options. The phrase "just ask" hints at upcoming conversational AI features on the site.
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AI Enhances Travel Planning at Gateway Travel, But Human Expertise and Trust Remain Crucial for Booking Decisions

🗺️ At Gateway Travel, AI is transforming travel discovery but not replacing booking. Booking remains emotional, with trust as a key factor. AI aids inspiration and efficiency, while human travel specialists provide essential trust, nuanced understanding, and accountability. Gateway Travel views AI as a tool to enhance processes, not replace the human element. The focus is on who travelers trust, not just AI capabilities. How long will it take for travelers to fully trust AI for bookings?
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Shopify Integrates AI Agent Instruction Files Across All Stores, Pioneering New Potential Industry Standards

💻 Shopify merchants now feature new AI agent files, agents.md and llms.txt, with instructions for AI interaction. While less than 5% of websites have llms.txt and agents.md is unprecedented, these files could become industry norms despite not yet being read by AI chatbots like ChatGPT. Sam Wright highlighted the inclusion of sitemap_agentic_discovery.xml, linking to these files. This innovation underscores Shopify's market leadership in experimental features.
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HTL Hotels Improves Booking.com Scores by 0.5 Points Across Properties in 12-18 Months, Unifying Reputation Standards

📈 On Booking.com, HTL properties raised scores from about 8.3 to 8.8-8.9 in 12-18 months. Google Reviews showed ratings between 4.1 and 4.5. These advancements demonstrate significant operational changes across their four properties. HTL achieved consistency by reducing performance disparities and aligning with a unified reputation standard. The guest experience improved, meeting expectations reliably and enhancing satisfaction. This change illustrates a shift toward integrating guest feedback into daily operations.
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  • 4 min

Cloudbeds Declares Traditional PMS Obsolete, Advocates Unified Platform for 20,000 Properties in 157 Countries

📅 At ILC in Boston 2021, the hospitality industry faced a turning point. Cloudbeds declared the PMS outdated and envisioned a future where AI enhances guest experiences. The $47 billion in OTA commissions in 2023 and a 41% staff churn highlight industry challenges. Hospitality's shift focuses on personalized guest data and technology, moving from fragmented systems towards a unified, AI-driven model. Cloudbeds’ global platform supports 20,000 properties in 157 countries, facilitating 10 billion transactions annually.
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Hotels' Pricing Policies for Families Drastically Increase Costs When Children Turn 13, Prompting Shift to Alternatives

🛌 In West London, late May, a weekend hotel stay for a family with teens (ages 13 and 17) skyrockets from £635 to over £1,125 without breakfast. The age of 13 marks the shift, as hotels no longer consider children as such, doubling costs by requiring two rooms. This pricing pushes families towards alternatives like aparthotels. Hotels risk losing families as teenagers, often easier guests than toddlers, are treated as adults for pricing.
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Mondrian Gold Coast Recognized Among Best New Hotels of 2026 by Forbes, Esquire, and Travel + Leisure Co.

🏨 2019, Gold Coast: Mondrian Gold Coast, a project by Mondrian Hotels, began in 2019. Collaborating with Vitale Property Group, Elenberg Fraser, and Alexander & CO., it features a hotel and branded residential tower. Recognized among the Best New Hotels of 2026 by Forbes, Esquire, and Travel + Leisure Co., the development blends coastal luxury and local art, achieving quick residential sales at record prices. The design captures the region's natural beauty and community spirit.
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Mandarin Oriental Miami Redevelopment Project Generates $1.2 Billion in Sales, Over Half of Units Sold

🏠 In early April, Miami's Mandarin Oriental hotel on Brickell Key was demolished for redevelopment into a two-tower project with 228 residences and a 121-room hotel, set to complete in 2030. The South Tower's units have generated $1.2 billion in sales. Similarly, Dallas' Hôtel St. Germain will be replaced by a $250 million mixed-use tower. Driven by demand, developers are increasingly combining hotels with branded residences to ensure early returns.
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AI Advisor Developed to Enhance Hotel Pricing and Staffing Decisions Using 3 Years of Data from 47 Properties

🏨 In a bid to optimize hotel management, an AI advisor was developed for hoteliers. With data from 47 properties and 3 years of hospitality insights, it models pricing strategies, assesses occupancy trends, and constructs testing plans. The AI integrates with Property Management Systems (PMS) to utilize real-world data, comparing rate strategies and identifying patterns. It was released to a select group for testing, promising structured decision-making over intuition-driven choices.
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