Innovation

💻 Nestor Stay, a London-based hospitality group with 14 properties, boosted Gross Booking Value by 62% and direct booking revenue by 168% using AI tools on Apaleo's platform. In 2025, they expanded by 80 units across five buildings, maintaining an 8.7 average guest review score. The AI managed 84,000 guest messages annually, with a three-person team, and integrated an AI voice agent to improve booking capture. At The Carlyle, occupancy reached 87%, with an ADR of £490.

📱 Bookboost ranked #3 in the 2026 HotelTechAwards for Guest Messaging Software. The event, hosted by Hotel Tech Report, evaluated over 200 global hotel tech products. Winners were chosen based on customer feedback and data signals. CEO Willem Rabsztyn emphasized Bookboost's mission to enhance hotel guest communication. Hotel Tech Report supports over 250,000 hoteliers monthly in tech selection.

🏨 HotelTechAwards 2026 crowned Blastness in Rome as the top "Hotel Reservations Software" provider, backed by over 2.5 million industry reviews from 120+ countries. With over €2 billion in annual bookings from 2019-2025, their CRS drove a 64% increase in bookings, with direct channels growing 104%. Direct sales hit a 30% share in 2025, compared to Booking.com's 42%. Their Booking Engine ranked 7th and RMS in the Top 10 globally. The company plans to expand internationally, including ventures in the UAE, UK, and US.

🏨 SiteMinder, headquartered in Sydney, Australia, celebrated its 20th anniversary by dominating the 2026 HotelTechAwards. The company secured the 'Hotelier’s Choice Award' for the fifth year and 'Best Hotel eCommerce Platform' for the fourth consecutive year, among other major category wins. With over 50,000 global customers, SiteMinder processes more than 130 million hotel reservations annually, generating revenue over US$55 billion. Founded in 2006, it continues to innovate in the hotel tech ecosystem with its integrated platform.

📖 Hotel General Managers need an AI Playbook now to enhance guest experience, profitability, and operational resilience with leaner teams and tighter margins. Pertlink's vendor-agnostic Modern Hotel General Manager AI Playbook & Toolkit is designed for low-risk adoption, enhancing human judgment rather than replacing it. Pertlink, established in October 2000 in Hong Kong, specializes in hospitality IT consultancy, leveraging its global network to maximize hotel guest experiences through technology. Download the playbook to gain a leadership advantage.

🏨 Mews, an operating system for hospitality, was named Best Property Management System at the 2026 HotelTechAwards in Amsterdam, marking its third consecutive win. The company also won Best POS Provider. Mews expanded its product portfolio, integrating Atomize and Flexkeeping, and scored a perfect 100 HT Score for three years straight. Mews serves over 12,500 customers in 85+ countries and has raised $410 million from notable investors.

📰 HBX Group and NYU professors reveal Gen Z travel trends and preferences. In 2023, Gen Z prioritizes personalization when it's transparent and empowering. 65% travel for leisure, with 31% spending $1,000-$2,500 annually. Personalized recommendations are favored by 66%, especially for local activities (75%). Authenticity, empathy, and context are key to successful personalization. Most Gen Z travelers reject impersonal ads and value experiences that connect them with local culture.