Innovation

💻 SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota—In February 2026, Stayntouch partnered with Regency Hotel Management, which oversees 100+ properties in the Midwest. Regency adopted Stayntouch’s cloud PMS after a seven-month evaluation, citing its mobile-first, tablet-based operations. Properties went live in two days, enhancing guest engagement and staff training. Features include centralized reporting, rapid deployment, and cost-free integrations. CTO Jim Stark praised the partnership for its staff buy-in and operational success, while CEO Jacob Messina emphasized the focus on trust and modernizing operations.

🌐 2025: Global expansion milestone for Shiji Group, marking pivotal growth. Partnered with Marriott and Amadeus, expanding Daylight PMS to 35 countries, including the US, UK, and China. Infrasys POS deployed in 60+ countries, securing 80% of China's upscale market. February 12, 2026: Shiji Group Board outlines continued global expansion and AI-driven tech development, emphasizing commitment to open technology ecosystems. With 5,000 employees, they serve 91,000+ hotels globally, maintaining leadership in hospitality tech innovation.

💻 In 2026, business growth is set to accelerate with Gemini 3, the most intelligent model yet, powering ad tools. Google Ads Asset Studio introduces creativity-driven tools like Nano Banana and Veo 3, enabling studio-quality work in minutes. In 2025, Gemini-generated assets saw a 3x increase, with nearly 70 million creative assets produced in Q4 alone. AI is becoming a real-time creative partner, marking a scalable reality for generative media.

📦 SAN FRANCISCO, 16 FEBRUARY 2026 – Hospitable launches its Owner and Property Manager Marketplace to connect short-term rental owners with managers. 73% of managers prioritize owner attraction and retention. Managers spend 10-20 hours evaluating opportunities, often ending in mismatched expectations. The Marketplace offers curated matches based on location, performance, and economics, reducing wasted time. Hospitable's 2016-founded platform has automated 108 million messages and processed $5.2 billion in 2025.

🏨 Cocoon & Eckelmann Hotels, based in Munich, announced on February 16, 2026, that they will migrate their portfolio of six properties and three white-label operations, totaling 800 rooms, to Apaleo’s property management platform. The Hotel Europäischer Hof will also adopt Apaleo after February 15, 2026. Managed by a single team member, the first two hotels transitioned in under six weeks. The group aims to expand its tech stack and open a new hotel in Vienna by late 2026.

💻 February 16, 2026, Dubai: Shiji, a leader in hospitality tech, launched its cloud-native Daylight PMS at Pearl Continental Hotel Rawalpindi, a Hashoo Group property, marking Pakistan's first deployment. This collaboration ensures enhanced hotel operations and guest experience, with plans to expand using Infrasys POS. The setup involved detailed system mapping, scripting, and training. Shiji's entry into Pakistan aims to modernize hospitality with secure, scalable technologies.

📱 Kolet partners with Philippine Airlines to launch the myPAL eSIM in 2025, offering passengers 1GB of mobile data for two days upon landing. This service activates on arrival, selecting the best local network for seamless connectivity. The initiative aims to simplify travel by providing immediate access to data, ensuring smooth transport and communication. Kolet, recognized for its social and environmental efforts with a B Corp certification, has similar agreements with Air France‑KLM, Vietnam Airlines, and others.