Innovation

🏖 In Falmouth, Massachusetts, Red Horse Inn offers a cozy retreat minutes from the beach, ideal for experiencing Cape Cod. The inn features a peaceful atmosphere, where guests can enjoy waterfront strolls and fresh seafood. To enhance operations, Red Horse Inn recently implemented the cloud-based WebRezPro Property Management System.

📖 In early 2024, ChatGPT ditched old plugins for new connected apps via the Model Context Protocol, launched in late 2025. A family tested seven travel apps, aiming for a July NYC trip. Apps like TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and Priceline offered live hotel data, while itineraries relied on ChatGPT's training. Hotels like Hyatt and ALL Accor revealed price ranges, with Accor's options between $4,400 and $12,400. Despite live data, ChatGPT's training influenced recommendations, highlighting a lack of connected loyalty accounts.

🏨 ChatGPT, during multiple tests, consistently recommended the same hotel as its top choice, despite variations in connected apps and live data inputs. This hotel is ranked 15th on TripAdvisor and doesn't appear on Booking.com's first page. The tests involved major ChatGPT travel apps like TripAdvisor and Booking, plus a control. Further surprises and discrepancies, such as differing app opinions on the same hotel, are detailed in the full blog breakdown.

📅 Celebrating 10 years with CEO Jane Pendlebury, HOSPA has excelled since 2016. In 2020, it adapted to pandemic challenges by going digital. The association's learner success rate is 95%, with courses like Revenue Management for Meeting Space. Pendlebury led the 20th HOSPACE event to record attendance, focusing on finance, technology, and bridging software with service values. The association's growth underscores a shift to a value-driven approach in hospitality.

🏨 Jennifer Rice-Palmer, with 35 years at Rosen Hotels & Resorts, began her hospitality career at age 14 in New Hampshire. Mentors like Eddie Palmer and Jonni Kimberly influenced her growth. In 2025, the hospitality industry showed strong female leadership, with increasing opportunities in sales and management roles. Diversity and inclusion remain priorities, especially as Orlando's tourism evolves. The hospitality sector is recovering well post-COVID, emphasizing human interaction over AI in creating a welcoming atmosphere.

🏨 PM Hotel Group, celebrating its 35th anniversary, is now the 15th-largest independent hotel management company in the U.S., with 80-90 hotels. Over 90% of its operations are third-party, focusing on smart, strategic growth. AI aids in market research and optimizing bookings. The company excels in staff retention, using its support center to maintain a positive culture. Modus by PM taps into luxury and adventure travel, with expansions like Evo hotels and glamping in San Luis Obispo.

💸 Creators connect audiences to products through posts and Reels, earning via new affiliate partners like Amazon, eBay, and Shopee. AI enhances shopping with detailed product info and one-click checkout. Meta apps engage 3.5 billion daily users, with ad impressions up 18% in Q4 2025. Over 50% of shoppers are influenced by online creators. New creator tools drive product discovery and sales. At ShopTalk 2026, Meta introduces enhanced AI shopping experiences and retail media network collaborations.

💸 OpenAI's ad pilot showed difficulties over the weekend. Despite specific searches for outdoor couch cushions, users received irrelevant ads from Pottery Barn and Bed, Bath and Beyond. The $60 CPM ads lack performance tracking and conversion funnels, disappointing both users and marketers. The initial beta is not discovery-based but mimics Google's search intent targeting, performing poorly. Success hinges on inspiring unexpected purchases, a task now backed by Meta executives joining OpenAI.

💻 Nearly half (48%) of consumers believe human interactions are crucial in hospitality, according to the latest GO Technology report with Zonal, revealing a 19 percentage point increase compared to a 2023 survey. This highlights the enduring value of personal connections amid technological integration in eating and drinking experiences. The growth in preference for personal interaction may also relate to changes in staffing within the industry.

🏨 In the hospitality industry, deploying AI is challenging due to fragmented systems and real-time operations. Many AI solutions fail, as they don't align with hotel operations like reservations and dynamic pricing. Big brands like Marriott and Hilton face similar issues, as PMS systems aren't designed for autonomous tasks. A groundbreaking nine-layer AI-native framework promises real-time data flow and dynamic pricing, enhancing operational efficiency. This architecture supports predictive staffing and seamless guest journeys, tailored for complex, program-driven businesses.