Innovation

📈 At the CONNECT 2026 Marriott Conference, resilience emerged as the key theme, highlighting Marriott's commitment to supporting owners amid economic challenges and rising operational costs. Discussions focused on improving profitability, with strategies for maximizing ancillary revenue and leveraging AI in marketing. Attendees noted better-than-expected performance, a relaxed atmosphere, and Marriott's efforts in refining marketing campaigns and operating models. Hotel owners face rising labor costs and inflation, and Marriott aims to aid in navigating these pressures.

📈 San Antonio, Texas, June 2026 - A shift in how travellers discover hotels is noted, with AI platforms like ChatGPT gaining favor. The Q1 2026 HotelWorld AI Visibility Index analyzed 2.36 million data points, revealing only 16% of hotels appear in AI recommendations. The Top 25 threshold rose by 25%, and Hyatt nearly doubled its visibility. Luxury brands Aman and Auberge entered rankings, while Hilton nears Holiday Inn Express. AI language impacts recommendations, emphasizing competitive AI visibility.

💻 June 15, San Antonio, Texas: HITEC conference gathers thousands in the hospitality industry at Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center to explore innovative technologies. AI is a key focus, with discussions on its impact on booking, discovery, and guest experiences. Panelists like Keryn McNamara and Floor Bleeker highlight AI's potential to democratize distribution and enhance guest services. New roles like "agent supervisors" may emerge. Big brands may need to adapt to AI-driven changes.

💻 AI is revolutionizing hotel searches, moving from keyword searches to tailored AI assistant queries. Large Language Models like ChatGPT influence hotel recommendations, highlighting the need for Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect AI with hotel systems. This shift impacts direct bookings, blending brand.com with AI-driven channels. Hotels must ensure AI-ready content, structured data, and collaboration with tech partners to thrive in this evolving landscape. AI visibility is crucial for hotels to maintain influence in the booking process.

💰 Barcelona, Spain — Shiji expands Stellaris Digital Dine with Open Tab and Pay Only features. These capabilities, designed for hotels and resorts, enhance guest dining experiences by eliminating waiting times. Research indicates 73% of diners dislike waiting for checks. Open Tab allows guests to start a tab via QR code, order multiple rounds, and pay at the end, boosting table turnover. Pay Only reduces bill settlement times, saving up to 15 minutes per cover and easing peak period staff workloads.

💻 "Open" in hospitality tech is vital, yet its meaning diverges. True openness allows replacing and controlling every stack part freely. This is crucial with AI's rapid evolution, altering needs within 12 months. Apaleo, since its launch, champions an API First architecture, enabling full functionality via API, unlike limited API overlays. Stephan Wiesener explores this in Hotel Yearbook AI Edition 2023. Read more [here](https://lnkd.in/egqZEzXk).

💻 Oracle announced the Oracle OPERA Cloud Assistant, AI-powered features for OPERA Cloud used by over 2,100 Wyndham properties. These tools automate room assignments, generate rate descriptions, and support global operations in 230 countries. The AI capabilities streamline operations and improve guest experiences by personalizing services, optimizing revenues, and facilitating multilingual communication, enhancing productivity without disrupting workflows per Scott Strickland of Wyndham and Laura Calin of Oracle.

🌍 Spain, DACH, the UK, and Benelux are key markets, while France and Italy are strategic priorities for RateGain's expansion. By April 2026, Oscar Ganuza was appointed Senior VP Revenue, Europe. Since September 2025, the UNO Direct Stack platform, focusing on AI-powered solutions, has seen accelerating adoption. RateGain's region accounts for 31.6% of FY2025 revenue, doubling its European commercial team and expanding to eight countries to support growth. The Sojern acquisition reinforces their European position.

🖥 Oracle announced OPERA Cloud Assistant, a new AI-powered tool for OPERA Cloud. Available worldwide at no extra cost, it streamlines hotel operations, automates guest room assignments, and enhances revenue management across 230 countries. Wyndham Hotels, with over 2,100 properties, utilizes it to boost efficiency and revenue. Visit HITEC booth #842 on June 15-18 to see it in action. The tool offers real-time guidance, supports language translation, and integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, enhancing productivity and service delivery.

💳 Barcelona, Spain, June 16, 2026 — Shiji expands Stellaris Digital Dine with Open Tab and Pay Only features. Open Tab and Pay Only simplify the dining experience, reducing waiting time for 73% of diners. Pay Only saves up to 15 minutes per cover, enhancing table turnover and reducing staff workload. Both features integrate seamlessly with Shiji's POS system, optimizing operations for over 91,000 hotels globally. With Shiji's solutions, guests enjoy a streamlined "Scan, Pay, Go" process.