Innovation

📱 At QT Sydney and Leura Gardens Resort, digital wallet keys have been adopted by 25% of guests for room access, with 30% opting for digital check-in. This tech, launched one month ago, is part of Liverton Group's SmartStay platform. Liverton plans to expand to 20–30 more properties globally. The digital key system allows seamless check-in and room access, enhancing guest experience and operational efficiency in the hospitality industry.

💻 Duetto acquires FLYR Hospitality, augmenting its Revenue & Profit Operating System with advanced AI and business intelligence capabilities. This acquisition strengthens Duetto's tools, including HotStats data (acquired in 2025), enhancing revenue management and profit benchmarking. FLYR's real-time pricing engine and plain-language BI tool offer hoteliers more choice between automation and control. The expanded suite supports all hotel scales, aiming to improve commercial performance with innovative technology and talent.

🔌 On October 8, 2026, a McKinsey webinar highlighted that global energy demand grew by 2.7% in 2025 and is expected to rise by 20% by 2040. AI infrastructure spending will hit $758 billion in 2026, and data center capacity could grow 6.5× by 2035. EU electricity costs 120% more than in the US. Airlines face a 70% fuel cost increase in 2026, with ticket prices likely rising. Grid investment needs $443B to $970B annually until 2050.

💻 Users of Emperador and Moderno hotels in Madrid, Porcel Hoteles in Granada, and Gloria Thalasso & Hotels in the Canary Islands can now book directly via ChatGPT. Mirai's AI infrastructure and MCP layer power this plugin integration, unlike traditional interfaces. The rollout is experimental, focusing on direct hotel sales through natural language processing. As OpenAI shifts to plugins, Mirai aims to prepare hotels for AI operability in booking systems. Initial deployments are strategically limited for learning and insights.

Heads up ----- this message might not land well with some hospitality technology providers. I keep hearing some version of: "If hotels really want to …

I spent 25 years building hotel tech and had 2 exits. Now I'm building new products with AI, and I'll show you how to develop AI superpowers in …

💨 October 6, 2026, Westfield, IN — Airbotx, LLC's Airbotx 440X won the Maintenance Sales News 2026 New Products Award for Green Cleaning Products. The award acknowledges innovative solutions addressing labor and productivity challenges in the Jan/San industry, which serves around 25,000 stakeholders. The Airbotx 440X improves air quality and odor control, initially targeting disaster restoration, but now recognized for broader applications. It is manufactured in Westfield, Indiana.

✈️ Agentic AI in travel is advancing rapidly. Companies like Priceline and Agoda are integrating AI for booking, with Instinct claiming $1 billion in transactions. Despite AI's efficiency, human oversight remains crucial when disruptions occur, such as flight delays or hotel overbookings. The challenge is determining responsibility when AI decisions fail, as travel is a significant expense for families. The true test will be when AI seamlessly resolves complex travel issues beyond mere bookings.

This article was written by Lodging Magazine. Click here to read the original article While industry fundamentals are arguably the best they’ve been in a decade, “we still have work…

💻 Avalora, a global hospitality tech firm, has integrated its Cloud PBX with TigerTMS's iLink, enabling seamless updates of guest details via PMS-PBX integration. This union aids staff efficiency and guest personalization while cutting costs for hotels. Avalora operates across North America, the UK, and Europe, supporting over 100 property management systems. TigerTMS's iLink connects hotels to more than 250 systems, fulfilling individualized tech needs. Trusted by 10,000+ properties, TigerTMS enhances operational simplicity globally.