Innovation

💻 On August 29, 2025, Vanshikha Dhar explored Guestline alternatives for Malaysian hotel chains. These Property Management System (PMS) solutions include central dashboards, OTA synchronization, billing, and multilingual support, offering scalable options for hotel groups in Malaysia.

🧪 In 2025, a study with over 500 hotel consumers emphasized sanitation as crucial for guest satisfaction. Since COVID-19, the hospitality industry has prioritized comprehensive disinfection, with products like Ecolab's Rapid Multi Surface Disinfectant Cleaner and Wexford Labs' Purefexion Wipes. These advancements, driven by efficiency and safety, cater to guests' expectations and enhance worker experience. The EPA's Safer Choice and Design for Environment logos guide sustainable product choices.

🎧 Fairmont Hotels & Resorts partners with Devialet to enhance guest experiences with sound technology. In New York, as of 2025, Devialet provides audio solutions for Fairmont, including in-room and lobby soundscapes. Established in 1907, Fairmont integrates music into its heritage. Devialet products like Gemini earbuds and Mania Bluetooth speakers are available at Fairmont stores. This collaboration aims to create immersive, multi-sensory environments with bespoke soundscapes and lighting.

📱 In 2025, Hotel POS systems revolutionize hospitality by offering real-time synchronization with PMS, fast billing, and enhanced guest data management. Mobile compatibility ensures smooth service. These systems are essential for efficient hotel operations. Written by Vanshikha Dhar on August 28, 2025, this article highlights eight reasons why these systems are transformative for the industry.

💻 August 2025: Boutique hotels are struggling with digital optimization. Many have 12-second website load times, outdated Google Business Profiles with only 21 photos, and blogs not updated since 2019. Critical questions include: Is the website fast? Is the Google Business Profile complete? Are FAQs and service pages updated? Addressing these basics is essential before focusing on AI search optimization. Fix foundational digital aspects to prepare for new tech advancements.

🏨 Leipzig, August 28, 2025 – Onsai, a startup founded by Ralf Bonin, Christian Mueller, Tobias Koehler, and Jochen Emig, secured over €1 million to enhance their AI for the hospitality industry. With 84% of hotels facing labor shortages, Onsai's AI streamlines tasks, operating nonstop in multiple languages. Backed by VC Fonds SIVentures and industry leaders, only 41% of European hotels utilize AI, a strategic necessity. Onsai plans global expansion and system integration within 12 months.

🏨 Explore the five critical phases of a hotel guest journey—Attract, Capture, Prepare, Deliver, and Review—to build a distinct atmosphere. Mega-brands use big data for precise targeting, while independents leverage authentic stories. Global chains like Marriott and Hilton employ sophisticated CRM and loyalty ecosystems, ensuring efficiency and consistency. Independents focus on personal connections and authenticity. Success lies in crafting experiences that transform first-time guests into loyal community members.

📈 Channel Manager and Booking Engine updates in August 2025 enhance room management and booking experiences. The new "Hide Parent Room" feature allows simplified inventory management without disrupting existing channel mappings. "Combo Rooms" improve room type distribution by bundling multiple room types into a single booking option. SwiftBook introduces "Image Labels" and a "Flexible Dates" grid view for clearer rate displays. Additionally, new integrations with Hibeds and Fliggy expand global channel reach.

📶 Hospitality leaders face increased cyber threats, notably from Scattered Spider, emphasizing the need for robust security. Loyalty programs, described as "death by a thousand paper cuts," are exploited for fraud, costing millions. Call centers, vulnerable to social engineering, require improved identity verification. A "Zero Trust" model and better vendor governance are essential. Lessons from aviation and finance can help secure digital access and enhance guest trust, positioning hotels as leaders in guest safety and resilience.

🚗 Skyscanner partners with Turo, the largest car-sharing platform, now operational in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. Turo offers 1,600+ car models from 16,000+ cities. Top UK cars: Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz; popular UK places: Heathrow, Gatwick. Australians prefer Toyota HiAce, Kia Carnival, mainly from airport areas like Sydney's Mascot. Rory Brimmer of Turo and Kacper Trela of Skyscanner highlight the convenience and demand met by this integration. Skyscanner attracts 160 million users monthly.