Innovation

🚀 Just 10% of travel buyers currently trust AI for booking support, with only 10% using AI for dynamic pricing insights, and 30% planning to adopt it within 12 months. 25% want AI to automate tasks, while 23% seek real-time travel updates. Steve Clagg emphasizes AI's role in reducing manual work and improving efficiency. The inaugural Business Travel Show America is set for 15-16 October at Javits Center, New York, featuring over 100 exhibitors.

📱 London’s The Ned saw a 16% revenue boost in Q1 after launching a new IRIS mobile ordering app. Set in the former Midlands Bank building, the app allows guests to order room service via QR codes, cutting wait times by up to 10 minutes and improving order accuracy to nearly 100%. Orders are primarily app-based, easing pressure on staff. The venue, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1924, features 12 restaurants, 17 bars, and 250 rooms.

🏨 Alix Boulnois, Chief Commercial, Digital, and Tech Officer at Accor, oversees a robust digital strategy for 45+ brands. Since joining in 2020, Boulnois emphasizes personalization, with the ALL Accor loyalty program exceeding 100 million members. Accor leverages AI to enhance guest and employee experiences and plans major tech developments, including API platforms. As traditional search declines by 25% by 2026, Accor focuses on AI-driven booking experiences, balancing partnerships with OTAs to boost direct bookings.

💻 Cendyn facilitated digital growth for Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka's largest hotel chain, enhancing digital user experience across 17 properties in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Within six months, active website users increased by 71% and conversion rates by 5%. The transformation included a new tech stack integrated with enhanced storytelling and security features. This initiative aligns with Cinnamon Hotels' strategy to meet evolving guest expectations and boost direct revenue.

📸 Midjourney is undergoing a branding revolution, utilizing AI image generation to offer complete control over style, colors, emotion, objects, and people. This technology allows for the creation of uniquely recognizable brands or projects with unlimited options and consistency.

💻 Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple, discusses the creation of "Chat Pineapple," an AI tool that integrates guest insights. This initiative emphasizes the importance of a culture that enables creativity, converting surveys and guest histories into unique experiences. Belon highlights the significance of the human element in personalizing hospitality services. The conversation also touches on pre-stay guest responses and scaling a culture of surprise and delight.

💻 Sunnyvale, CA, 25 September 2025 – LodgIQ has integrated its AI-powered RMS with D-EDGE Hospitality Solutions, a French hotel distribution provider serving over 17,000 clients globally. This marks LodgIQ's first foray into the European hotel tech ecosystem, enhancing pricing optimization and channel distribution for French hotels. The integration facilitates real-time connectivity, streamlining workflows and ensuring rate parity. LodgIQ aims to expand its European presence, leveraging D-EDGE's infrastructure to provide localized support and services.

🤖 MCP (Model Context Protocol) standardizes communication between large language models and external systems in hospitality. MCP integrates AI with core systems like PMS, RMS, CRS, POS, and CRM. Examples include AI concierge services and revenue management enhancements, such as suggesting a 12% rate increase due to high demand. MCP promises efficient, secure, AI-ready integrations, potentially transforming operations, guest messaging, and management dashboards in the hospitality industry.

📈 SAS company IDeaS partners with Brown Hotels to implement the G3 Revenue Management System (RMS) across properties in Israel, Greece, Cyprus, and Croatia. Since deployment, Brown Hotels reports improved forecast accuracy and room optimization, with a significant revenue uplift. The implementation process included online training and live virtual sessions, aiding in a smooth transition. The system allows Brown Hotels to base rates on demand forecasts, enhancing operational efficiency and strategic decision-making.