Innovation

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota—SONIFI announced the deployment of SONIFI Central. After the initial launch of SONIFI Central earlier this year, the platform is now available to SONIFI’s 5,000 customer properties as an enterprise tool with real-time monitoring of multiple guest-facing technologies, including WiFi, interactive TV, casting, linear TV, and telephony services. “SONIFI Central is becoming a force multiplier for hotels. Customer feedback reinforces the tool is reducing staff burden, creating ancillary revenue opportunities, and solving […] The post SONIFI Announces Deployment of Centralized Platform appeared first on LODGING Magazine.

🏕 Grevon announced an integration with Indio by Big Rig Media, showcased at OHCE 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas, November 9–11. RV parks and campgrounds can offer availability checks, recommendations, reservations and payments within one AI-powered conversation. Connected to real-time property data and existing reservation systems, the integration aims to increase direct bookings and reduce routine staff inquiries. Grevon’s Echo voice agent supports telephone bookings around the clock.

🏨 Miami Beach-based OneJourney made PhocusWire’s Hot 25 Travel Startups for 2027, published November 9 in the list’s ninth year. Led by co-founder and CEO Brian Dass, its SwiftPay platform helps independent hotels earn cashback on eligible supplier payments and automate invoices without subscription fees. A WEX partnership supports its commercial card program across the United States and Europe. OneJourney also earned a 2026 Phocuswright Global Startup Pitch wildcard and plans further expansion in 2027.

🏨 Phunware reports that 50%–60% of app usage on its platform happens before guests arrive. Hotels can encourage adoption through booking-focused emails, a reminder 48 hours before arrival, and a clear pitch during check-in’s first 30 seconds. QR codes on key card sleeves, in elevators and in rooms connect guests to useful answers. AI concierge services, itinerary planning and maps encourage repeat use, while guest searches reveal demand and help staff respond during stays.

🏨 Six Senses Samui in Ko Samui, Thailand, has deployed Shiji’s cloud-based Infrasys POS across nine resort outlets. The platform connects Sun Systems, TableCheck, Okami and Purchase Plus, unifying finance, reservations, operational workflows and procurement. Real-time transaction processing and centralized menu management replace disconnected systems, reducing manual work and improving coordination while supporting personalized guest service. Shiji’s hospitality technology portfolio serves more than 91,000 hotels worldwide.

🏨 Zenzap’s Rebecca Lazar outlines six AI workflows for 24/7 hotel operations: temperature monitoring, shift coverage, procedure guidance, maintenance routing, guest requests and shift handoffs. Agents connect hotel systems to team chats, alerting staff and sharing updates. One example flags a freezer at 18°F at 11 p.m., above its 0°F target; another schedules overnight summaries for 6 a.m. Managers control permissions, while staff retain responsibility for important decisions.

🛏 Hotel Items’ e-commerce manager Camilo Sosa recommends 200–300-thread-count hotel sheets, prioritizing weave, fabric and fit over inflated counts. Percale feels cool and crisp; sateen feels silky. Cotton-polyester blends offer durability, while 100% cotton provides breathability. Hotels should stock at least three linen sets per room; many target four during busy seasons. Hotel Items, a family-owned supplier founded in 1986 near Miami, Florida, also offers 90 GSM microfiber sheets with 12-inch-deep fitted options.

🏨 Mews announced its Preferred Hotels & Resorts Alliance Partner affiliation in New York on November 9, 2026. Member properties across the Americas and EMEA gain preferential pricing on its AI hospitality platform, connecting reservations, payments and operations to reduce manual work. Preferred represents 650+ properties across 80 countries; more than 15 already use Mews. Mews serves 15,000 customers in 85 countries.

✈ Amadeus CFO Carol Borg said on November 6, during the company’s Q3 2026 earnings call, that Meta’s Muse partnership with Duffel reinforces the global distribution system model. Muse uses Duffel to access flight inventory, giving Duffel—not Amadeus—the direct relationship. Borg argued that AI platforms will rely on aggregators rather than build booking systems themselves, as competitors pursue similar roles in airline distribution, hotel bookings and payments.