Innovation - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 11

Shop Like a Traveller: A Practical Guide to Your Hotel’s Online Visibility

📈 How can hotels stand out online? Identify gaps and optimize presence in search results, listings, and reviews. Google your hotel like a guest would, ensuring consistent and engaging content across channels. Highlight amenities, maintain updated visuals, and encourage guest reviews. AI now plays a critical role, providing instant information and recommendations. Ensure Google and AI tools understand and promote your unique offerings. Adapt frequently to evolving search behavior and turn online searches into bookings.

Maraleina Sports Resorts Koh Samui, has successfully live with Shiji’s Daylight PMS, alongside a full rollout of Shiji’s integrated hospitality technology ecosystem.

🏀 February 19, 2026, Bangkok, Thailand: Maraleina Sports Resort Koh Samui launches Shiji's Daylight PMS and integrated tech ecosystem, enhancing operations and guest experience. Located on Bang Kao Beach, the resort offers FIFA-standard pitches, world-class squash courts, and an 800 sqm fitness center. Shiji solutions streamline operations and secure payments, supporting Maraleina's commitment to innovation and guest-first design. Shiji serves over 91,000 hotels globally, employing more than 5,000 people.

happyhotel raises €6.5 million in Series A funding

💸 Germany: In February 2026, happyhotel secured €6.5 million in Series A funding led by Reimann Investors. Existing investors included Start-up BW Innovation Fund, seed + speed Ventures, and Wecken & Cie. The funds will facilitate European expansion and AI agent development. happyhotel optimizes 50,000+ hotel rooms across 12 countries, increasing revenue by 15% and managing over €1 billion annually. CEO Rafael Weißmüller aims to automate hotel revenue management, focusing on enhancing guest experiences.

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#ai #artificialintelligence #ainative #traveltech #extendedstay #proptech #hospitalitytech #otas #startup #futureoftravel #b2b #platformeconomy #dynamicpricing #dubaistartups #estaie | Nimit Solanki 🚀🦄 | 12 comments

🗺️ Sabre, PayPal, and Mindtrip announced their partnership to create an agentic AI travel booking system, where AI completes bookings autonomously. This system connects Sabre’s vast inventory of airlines and hotels, with PayPal for payments and Mindtrip for AI planning. This innovation allows booking through AI without multiple platforms, challenging Big Tech's dominance in travel distribution. The AI can autonomously book and manage trips, prompting travel companies to rethink strategies for staying relevant.

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The way travelers find and book trips is changing faster than most operators realize. And the companies that controlled travel distribution for 20 years are scrambling. Expedia dropped 6.7%… | Ari Adnan Cibari

🌎 Expedia's stock fell 6.7%, Booking.com 17%, Airbnb 24%, and TripAdvisor trades at $9. AI agents, including OpenAI’s Operator, are transforming travel booking by negotiating reservations via chat. Apple's Siri can book through Expedia without user interaction. OTAs might become obsolete as AI handles bookings. The EU regulates Google, but AI assistants like ChatGPT lack similar rules, risking exclusive deals with hotel chains. Operators must adapt for visibility in AI-driven travel searches.

Booking.com strengthens outlook while accelerating AI investment

🗺️ Booking Holdings, February 19, 2026. Despite economic concerns, there's a 15% growth in gross bookings, with $700 million invested in AI, marketing, and expansion. This aims to generate $400 million in revenue, although average daily rates drop due to cautious spending. Competition is fierce, with Expedia and Airbnb also performing well. Booking's 25-for-1 stock split responds to AI-driven market pressures.

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OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Paradise joins GHA DISCOVERY

🏨 OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Paradise Hotel joined GHA DISCOVERY, integrating with OUTRIGGER's global portfolio. In 2025, GHA DISCOVERY achieved record loyalty revenue. The 443-room hotel, formerly Princess Ka‘iulani’s ʻĀinahau estate, offers flexible accommodations for events and sports teams. It features Art + Flea markets and dining venues. The 2024 reimagination was influenced by local artists. GHA DISCOVERY connects 45 hotel brands, enhancing global competition while retaining brand identity.

A 1914 department store becomes a 2026 growth signal for Líbere Hospitality Group

🏢 Líbere Hospitality Group has acquired a historic building on Church Street in Liverpool ONE, originally designed in 1914 by Gerald de Courcy Fraser. It's being converted into a 148-key serviced apartment scheme with 141 units and seven coffee-station studios. Líbere operates across 5 countries and 16 cities. In 2025, it managed 28 assets, hosting 227,174 guests. This Liverpool project follows expansion into Italy and plans to increase its Paris capacity to 19 apartments.

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“AI Is Agenda Item 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5” for Hotel Leaders – Ryan Mann, McKinsey & Company

💻 Ryan Mann of McKinsey & Company spoke at ALIS in January 2026 about AI's pivotal role in hospitality, emphasizing its transition from experimentation to executive priority. He highlighted three key areas: internal automation, operational efficiency, and search/booking disruption. The focus is on AI adoption challenges, data readiness, and trust. Leaders are encouraged to adopt scenario-based thinking as OTAs, suppliers, and systems vie for booking control. This episode outlines actions for navigating the evolving distribution landscape.

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Hostaway partners with Plum Guide to expand premium European distribution for property managers

📅 Finland, 18 February—Hostaway partners with Plum Guide, offering property managers a platform to display high-quality listings across Europe. The integration provides real-time access to pricing and availability, streamlining operations within Hostaway's system. Plum Guide's selective property criteria complement Hostaway's multi-channel infrastructure, linking with major agencies like Airbnb and Booking.com to optimize distribution strategies. CEOs Marcus Rader and Doron Meyassed highlight the partnership's focus on quality and operational efficiency.

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