Innovation

💻 Valk Exclusief, the Netherlands' largest independent full-service hotel group, began a digital transformation in September 2024 using Apaleo's API-first platform. By December 2025, all 43 hotels, covering 7,100 rooms, will migrate. The project includes 55 restaurants and 475 meeting spaces across the Netherlands and Germany. Ten hotels, including Düsseldorf and Amsterdam Zuidas, went live mid-year. The new system enhances guest services and reduces staff onboarding time, benefiting over 11 million guests annually.

📈 Oct 9, 2025: IDeaS' 2026 forecast stresses tech simplification, AI acceleration, and workforce transformation in hospitality. Only 54% of hoteliers use integrated systems; nearly 90% plan new AI solutions like chatbots and intelligent assistants. Future-ready hotels will unify revenue, marketing, and sales for a cohesive strategy. The report highlights the gap between sustainability goals and actions, suggesting resource optimization as a solution. Automation and cross-training are key for workforce resilience.

💻 Oct 9, 2025, hotels witness a booking transformation as OpenAI integrates Stripe for bookings through ChatGPT, shifting from traditional OTAs to AI interfaces. The Agentic Commerce Protocol facilitates real-time transactions, emphasizing the need for structured, machine-readable data. GDS providers like Amadeus gain relevance, offering essential data pipelines. Hotels must optimize for AI visibility instead of traditional SEO. This shift redefines marketing from traffic to conversion-based models, emphasizing AI compatibility for continued success.

📈 IDeaS, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, released the 2026 hospitality tech predictions eBook. Only 54% of hoteliers use integrated tools, despite tech simplification being deemed crucial. 89% plan new AI applications for enhanced operations. The report emphasizes unifying sales, marketing, and revenue management, while still prioritizing sustainability and workforce stability. Insights come from industry experts like Clément Dénarié, Katie Moro, and more. IDeaS aims to empower hoteliers to transform disruption into opportunity.

💻 Valk Exclusief, October 2025, Netherlands and Germany, initiates final digital transformation phase with Apaleo. By December 2025, all 43 hotels (7,100+ rooms, 55 restaurants, 475 meeting spaces) will migrate to Apaleo's platform. The process started September 2024, with 10 hotels live by mid-2025. Valk Digital's custom tech stack enhances guest experiences and reduces staff onboarding from days to hours. Over 11 million guests served annually, supported by 4,000+ staff.

🚿 RoomChecking's Intelligent Skip Rules optimize hotel operations by eliminating redundant room cleanings before guest checkouts. Implementing the "Skip cleaning if less than X days from Check Out" rule led to 8% savings on daily cleanings and linen changes for one property. Staff efficiency increased by removing unnecessary tasks, while flexibility was maintained by allowing manual cleaning requests. This approach enhances operational efficiency, offering control beyond standard automation systems. #HotelOperations #Housekeeping #CostSavings #OperationalEfficiency #HotelTech #Automation

💵 HotelRunner and Visa are uniting to enhance cross-border payments for SMEs in travel and hospitality. This partnership leverages Visa's global payments and HotelRunner's tech reach, benefiting businesses from Morocco to Bali. Ali Beklen highlights the creation of financial rails for the next decade of tourism, while Tania Platt notes the innovation potential. The collaboration aims to support travel companies in Europe, APAC, the Middle East, and Africa, driving safer and smarter global travel commerce.

💻 Global hotel operators are expanding brands to meet growing guest demands, risking the "cookie cutter" brand label. Hotels are advised to standardize technology systems to improve operations. The tech stacks in hotels evolve over time, often resulting in inefficient setups. Establishing a unified "brand book" for technology aids in consistent standards. This foundation allows hotels to innovate on top, enhancing guest personalization and experience. Ultimately, consistency in systems simplifies operations and facilitates learning across hotel estates.