Innovation

IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hospitality companies, today announces the beta launch of AI-powered conversational search on IHG.com and the IHG One Rewards mobile app, marking a new chapter in the evolution of the travel discovery experience. The new conversational search functionality brings intuitive, customized trip planning directly into IHG’s digital channels, making it easier and faster than ever for guests to move seamlessly from inspiration and discovery to booking one of more than 7,000 hotels globally. At the same time, it allows hotel owners to increase their property visibility in AI searches and connect travelers with more of what they truly want. The beta launch is a scaled approach, starting in the US before expanding to users across multiple markets, with IHG continuing to refine the experience based on user behavior and feedback. A More Intuitive Way to Discover and Book Travelers searching on IHG.com and the award-winning IHG One Rewards app can now describe their travel needs using everyday language to better explore all that IHG has to offer. Prompts such as destination, trip purpose, preferences and amenities can serve up tailored hotel recommendations and rich content including interactive maps, real-time availability, pricing and detailed property information. In addition to cash rates, travelers will have the ability to shop in points or a combination of points and cash. Recommendations are grounded in IHG's verified property data and guest reviews for reliable details, photos and amenity information. During the beta, users will also continue to see IHG’s existing search functionality alongside the option for AI search, allowing choice in how travelers find their right stay. Launching conversational search in IHG’s digital channels transforms how guests interact with IHG and discover our incredible collection of hotels around the world. It’s a milestone that builds on years of strategic investment in our digital foundations, including the unification of our data in the cloud and the continued evolution of our best-in-class technology platforms. With these capabilities in place, and more to follow, we are very well positioned to harness the power of AI at scale and deliver rich, inspiring and seamless travel experiences that delight our guests and deliver benefits to our hotel owners Elie Maalouf, Chief Executive Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts Future Ready To help IHG hotels become more AI-search ready, a new AI-optimized hotel content platform will roll out over the next several months, making it easier for hotels to upload rich, detailed information and improve how their properties are discovered. The platform will support new content such as floor plans, videos and updated imagery that reflect how travelers search today. Whether through IHG or third-party digital channels, hotels will be able to better showcase their unique attributes and improve how they are matched to travelers seeking specific experiences and amenities. The addition of conversational search on IHG’s booking channels follows the recent launch of an IHG app in ChatGPT and will be supported by further significant developments this year. These latest technology advancements

The toilet is design’s last taboo. Trone founder Hugo Volpei is on a mission to change that – turning this most overlooked of objects into an object of desire

CLEARWATER, Fla., July 2026 — roommaster, the cloud-native hospitality platform serving thousands of hotels worldwide, today announced the launch of Linq , its AI-powered guest management platform designed to manage guest conversations across web chat, WhatsApp, and email, from the first pre-booking question through post-stay follow-up. The launch comes as guest communication becomes increasingly difficult to manage manually. Industry surveys converge on 30 to 40% of calls to hotels going unanswered, and research from across the sector shows that 90% of guests now prefer messaging over phone calls, spreading inquiries across web chat, WhatsApp, email, and social channels. The average hotel now fields roughly 1,200 guest inquiries a month across these digital touchpoints. For independent properties, monitoring every channel at every hour requires human effort most teams simply do not have, and each unanswered message risks sending the booking to an online travel agency, along with a commission. roommaster Guest Management addresses this by placing an AI agent inside the hotel's existing booking engine and connecting it to the messaging channels guests already use. The system answers questions about availability, rates, and policies in seconds, in the guest's own language, and guides them to complete their booking directly on the hotel's website, commission-free. When a conversation calls for a human, hotel staff can step in with one click, with the full conversation history preserved. "Independent hoteliers are competing with brands that have entire teams dedicated to guest communication," said Kent Howard, CEO of roommaster. "Our new AI-powered guest management agent is available 24/7, answers in seconds, books direct, and remembers every returning guest. This is where hospitality technology is heading: cloud-native, intelligent, and built to serve the guest relationship, not replace it." Beyond answering inquiries, the platform unifies every guest message from every channel into a single inbox, threaded by reservation. Conversations that do not end in a booking are captured as structured inquiries for follow-up. Guest profiles are built automatically from each interaction, so returning guests are recognized and greeted with their preferences and stay history already known. Each reservation also receives a branded, mobile-friendly Guest Hub with booking details, special requests, and in-stay chat, along with a digital booklet of maps, tips, and local recommendations. According to the company, hotels using roommaster AI tools have seen a 35% increase in direct bookings, with 80% of guest messages handled automatically and full context preserved, and 15 to 25% saved on OTA commissions when guests book direct through AI chat. Implementation is designed around the hotel's existing roommaster setup. Hotels connect their roommaster account, train the AI on their tone, amenities, and policies, and activate conversations across web, WhatsApp, and email. Most properties are live within days, and the AI continues to learn from the hotel team over time. Guest Management joins roommaster Concierge, the company's AI voice agent, and roommaster Revenue Management as part of the expanding roommaster AI suite. With AI now supporting the company's own product development, roommaster says it is in a position to bring new

💳 OneJourney, based in Miami, announces a referral partnership with Dublin's Managed Payment Services (MPS) to expand its reach in Ireland and the UK. The collaboration aims to connect hospitality and travel businesses to OneJourney's SwiftPay platform, enhancing financial operations through embedded payments. This aligns with OneJourney's strategy to grow its European partner network. MPS will leverage its connections in the hospitality sector to introduce OneJourney’s solutions, promoting efficiency and profitability for hotels.

📈 In 2020, David Garabedian acquired Newbury Guest House, a historic Boston brownstone from the 1800s. By utilizing the cloud-based roommaster platform, the guest house competes with major hotel chains, enhancing direct bookings and pricing strategies using AI-powered tools. The platform offers stability and sophisticated pricing akin to larger competitors, contributing to the property's modernization and growth without expanding its back-office team. Roommaster supports independent hotels with consolidated hospitality management solutions.

💻 Modern PMS software, like Maestro PMS, revolutionizes hotel operations by connecting data across departments, eliminating inefficiencies from disconnected systems. This technology enhances real-time visibility, allowing staff to anticipate and prevent issues, improving guest experiences with seamless check-ins and personalized services. As labor shortages persist, efficient coordination replaces the need for additional staff, enabling hotels to operate smarter. The future of successful hotel management lies in proactive problem prevention rather than reactive issue resolution.

CHICAGO — Travelers are increasingly seeking authentic cultural experiences that extend beyond traditional sightseeing. As a result, Hotel Communication Network (HCN), the hospitality industry's leading provider of in-room guest engagement technology, and Artography Limited , a technology and licensing company built around a proprietary portfolio of more than 200,000 licensed visual and photographic artworks, announce a new partnership that will transform hotel guestrooms into interactive digital art galleries. Through the smart in-room HCN Tablet platform, guests staying at participating four- and five-star hotels across the United States and Canada can browse, discover, and purchase from one of the world's largest privately held licensed art collections. Purchases are delivered directly to guests' homes or businesses after their stay, allowing travelers to bring home a lasting reminder of their journey. Today's guests expect hotels to deliver experiences that are as memorable as the destinations themselves. Hotels have invested significantly in creating beautiful environments through architecture, interior design and curated artwork. By partnering with Artography, we're extending that experience into the guestroom, giving travelers the opportunity to discover and own exceptional artwork while creating additional value for our hotel partners. It's another example of how our platform continues to evolve beyond guest communications into a true guest-engagement ecosystem. Kevin Bidner, HCN CEO Meeting Cultural Tourism Demands This partnership arrives as cultural tourism continues to gain momentum worldwide. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, nearly one-third of international visitors to the United States include museums or art galleries in their travel itineraries, while industry research shows travelers are increasingly selecting destinations based on their arts, culture, and creative experiences. At the same time, luxury and lifestyle hotels have embraced curated artwork, local artists, and gallery-inspired public spaces as important differentiators that create a stronger sense of place. Cultural and heritage travelers spend an average of $994 per trip and contribute more than $192 billion annually to the U.S. economy. According to the Ontario Arts Council , 30% to 45% of leisure travelers will visit an art gallery or museum when travelling. The type of traveler is also important to note: 25% to 40% of General Leisure guests are likely to visit an art gallery while traveling; 35% to 50% of Urban Leisure guests will likely visit a gallery; 40% to 60% of International visitors to major cities; and 50% to 70% of Self-Identified Arts/Culture guests. The global art tourism market is projected to exceed $54 billion by 2030, driven by travelers seeking immersive cultural experiences rather than traditional sightseeing. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Survey of International Air Travelers, 28.3% of international visitors to the U.S. visit art galleries or museums during their trips, making art one of the country's leading leisure activities. UN Tourism estimates that roughly 40% of international travelers participate in cultural tourism, and those travelers typically stay longer and spend more. HCN's collaboration with Artography extends the cultural experience into the guestroom. Instead of simply viewing artwork displayed throughout the hotel, guests can now immerse themselves in

Island nations like the Maldives need to move on from fossil fuels. US-based electric hydrofoil manufacturer Navier wants to be in on these new nautical networks

Radisson Hotel Group has collaborated with Accenture (NYSE: ACN) in launching an AI-powered hotel discovery app in ChatGPT, helping travelers move from trip intent to search, comparison and planning through natural conversation. Available as @RadissonHotels in ChatGPT, the app enables travelers to search for Radisson Hotels properties across over 100 countries, and more than 1,000 hotels through natural conversation. Through starting a new ChatGPT conversation with @RadissonHotels at the start of the prompt, travelers can ask for advice to plan a family-friendly weekend stay in Amsterdam, or a hotel in Paris with a gym and spa near the Eiffel Tower. The app will respond with relevant Radisson Hotels properties with live inventory and rates, location context, amenities, hotel details, and interactive map-based results. When ready, travelers are directed to complete the reservation through the Radisson Hotels website. The launch marks an important step in Radisson Hotel Group’s move toward agentic commerce : a shift from traditional, channel-based booking journeys to AI-led experiences where discovery, comparison, and decision-making happen through conversation. As travelers increasingly turn to AI to ask questions, narrow down options, and plan trips, hospitality brands need to be visible, accurate, and actionable at the moment of intent. This shift is already underway. According to Accenture’s Consumer Pulse Research , 87% of travelers are open to collaborating with an AI-powered travel agent to find the best option, and 71% of travelers say that at least half of their spend for hotels or airlines will be influenced by AI over the next 12 months. Radisson Hotel Group is seeing the change firsthand, noting that organic and direct web traffic channels that have historically driven online bookings are giving way to new touchpoints like ChatGPT. AI is radically transforming how people search for and book hotel stays, and we are committed to being at the forefront of this shift. With Accenture, we are reimagining hotel discovery for the next generation of travelers—meeting guests in the planning moment with a branded experience that makes it easier to find, compare, and book Radisson Hotels properties. Gianni Di Fede, Chief Commercial Officer, Radisson Hotel Group The collaboration began with Radisson Hotel Group using an MCP accelerator that is part of Accenture’s AI Merchant Center, an agentic readiness and intelligence platform. This helped structure, validate, and optimize how Radisson Hotels’ content, inventory, rate, and booking signals could be monitored for AI-led discovery. Accenture then worked with Radisson Hotel Group to design the app experience, shaping how travelers interact with it and how it works across devices. The app connects directly to Radisson Hotel Group’s existing systems, delivering real-time hotel information that helps travelers move from a broad idea to a relevant shortlist more quickly. Over time, the companies plan to expand this experience to include deeper personalization, loyalty recognition, in-chat booking, reservation management, trip modification, and AI concierge capabilities. Agentic commerce is fundamentally changing how people discover and choose brands. As journeys become more conversational and intent-driven, companies have to rethink how they show up

Recycled fibres are gaining attention as industries look for practical ways to reduce waste and use resources more efficiently. The idea is simple: materials that would otherwise be discarded, burned, or treated as low-value by-products are processed into fibres for new paper, packaging, and textile products. Paper and many fibre-based products have traditionally relied on wood pulp. Although responsibly managed forests remain an essential source of fibre, concerns over forest conservation, deforestation, and supply chain transparency have encouraged manufacturers to diversify their raw materials. Recycled fibres provide one of those options. These fibres come from various sources. Agricultural residues such as wheat straw, rice straw, and sugarcane bagasse can be converted into pulp instead of being burned or discarded. Recycled fibres also come from post-industrial and post-consumer textiles, including cotton offcuts, surplus fabric, and used clothing. After collection, cleaning, sorting, and processing, these materials are transformed into new paper, packaging, and other fibre-based products. The benefits go beyond waste reduction. Recycled fibres reduce agricultural and textile waste, expand raw material choices, and lower reliance on virgin wood pulp. A broader mix of fibre sources also strengthens supply chain resilience and supports responsible resource management. Recycled fibres are not a universal solution. Feedstocks differ in quality, availability, cleanliness, and processing requirements. Their environmental performance also depends on energy use, chemical inputs, transportation, and the intended application. Like any material, recycled fibres must meet practical requirements for quality, safety, traceability, consistency, and cost. At GCSTIMES, we view recycled fibres as an important industry development. While our sustainability strategy remains focused on FSC-certified materials, product carbon footprint management, greener transportation, and energy efficiency, we continue to follow innovations that improve material sustainability and circularity. By understanding new materials and responsible sourcing practices, we help our hospitality partners make more informed purchasing decisions. The future of sustainable materials is not simply about discovering better materials; it is about creating smarter systems where resources are used more efficiently, waste is minimised, and environmental impact is reduced throughout the product lifecycle.