Innovation

💻 Hotel operators face challenges when adopting new Property Management Systems (PMS). Claudia Meglin, Director of CMC Hospitality Software, discusses with Mews CEO Matt Welle the pitfalls, including unchanged processes that negate tech benefits. Franchise hotels often have brand-imposed systems lacking operational support. Successful adaptation requires team involvement, training, and continuous change management beyond go-live day. Effective integration involves new SOPs, internal champions, and regular feedback, transforming tech from "new" to integral.

📈 Oravel Stays Limited rebranded to PRISM in September 2025 in Dallas, Texas. Founded in 2012 by Ritesh Agarwal, OYO expanded globally, now serving 100 million customers across 35+ countries. PRISM includes brands like Motel 6, Studio 6, and more. The rebrand follows a global naming competition with over 6000 entries. In 2025, PRISM plans to add 150 hotels under Motel 6 and Studio 6, and OYO added 150 U.S. hotels in the year’s first half.

🌐 Asiatic Hotel in Malacca, Malaysia, transformed its operations in 2022 by integrating STAAH's channel management tools. With STAAH, real-time updates eliminate overbookings and manual OTA updates, resulting in increased direct bookings and revenue. The hotel's user-friendly tech setup allows for quick adjustments in room availability and packages, enhancing guest experience and operational efficiency. The collaboration with STAAH has been pivotal in the hotel's improved performance and growth.

🚪 Over 500 UK travelers lost a combined £370,000 to fake hotel bookings between June 2023 and September 2024, as reported by The Guardian. Fraudsters exploit legitimate-looking sites, aided by the rise of AI agents which lack real-time verification capabilities. A proposed solution, a verified agentic web, aims to restore trust in online bookings by authenticating hotel rates and content, allowing travelers and hotels to interact with certainty.

🏨 Last week, the hotel industry explored AI in revenue management. A revenue manager discussed a 30% rate increase recommendation for next Thursday, taking 6 minutes and three dashboards to explain. Unlike other industries, hotels lag in AI adoption. Effective AI systems are transparent, relevant, and allow human override. Transparency involves clear explanations like "medical conference in town" instead of vague suggestions. The key is AI learning from human input, enhancing rather than replacing human judgment.

🏨 Brett McManus, owner of Après Inn in Killington, Vermont, and founder of Inndependent Stays, tackles the challenge of discovering independent hospitality. He discusses the high costs of relying on OTAs and proposes AI-driven matching as a solution to reshape travelers' experiences. The focus is on storytelling and connecting people-first. Follow Inndependent Stays on Instagram for updates.

📰 **Danubius Hotels Energy Overhaul** 2022, Danubius Hotels initiated a renovation with Yabune Solution using Z-Wave technology in Budapest. The pilot phase involved a 51-room wing, later expanding to 3,000 endpoints over 664 rooms by 2024. The upgrades, completed in winter to avoid peak season, reduced HVAC energy use by 15-20% and saved 1.5-2% on electricity. Automation enhancements saved staff hours and optimized operations, while occupancy analytics curbed unreported rentals. Future plans include Z-Wave Long Range for extensive coverage.

🤖 In 2023, AI reshapes the travel and hospitality sectors. Amadeus uses AI to optimize hotel pricing with its Demand360 tool. Mobi, founded at MIT, enhances travel planning through AI interfaces. Agentic Hospitality connects hotel systems to increase revenue. Reeco reduces procurement times by 60% with AI in P2P processes. Tailos' AI-powered robot vacuum, Rosie, aids hotels in labor efficiency, cutting overtime costs. AI's rapid evolution continues to transform the industry.

📈 Travel industry updates: Since January 2021, Booking's value soared by 158%, reaching nearly $180 billion, while MakeMyTrip jumped 255% due to India's market growth. eDreams increased nearly twofold, and Expedia rose 63%. In contrast, Tripadvisor dropped 39% and Airbnb by 11%, yet Airbnb remains valued at $67 billion. Ground and sea transportation, worth $198 billion, is often overlooked despite its scale compared to cruises, car rentals, or home rentals. AI in travel: Expedia's AI enhancements boosted partner revenue by $6 billion, conversion by 1.3x, and flight price predictions by 15%.

💻 60% of hotel consumers return after personalized service, and 62% spend more on brands offering it. Staff shortages and rising labor costs challenge this. Traditional human-only service models lack scalability. Hospitality AI, involving AI Agents, Customer Data Platforms (CDP), and Customer Experience Platforms (CXP), offers solutions. AI Agents can resolve up to 80% of common guest queries, boosting efficiency and revenue. TrustYou’s AI Agents provide 100% coverage 24/7 across channels, enhancing guest engagement and loyalty.