Innovation

💻 Actabl, a leading hospitality software company, introduces AI Asset Setup to automate asset data collection for hotels. This new capability addresses the time-consuming manual setup by allowing hotel teams to capture asset data via photo-based input, extracting details like equipment type and serial numbers. By improving data quality, hotels can launch preventative maintenance programs faster and gain better performance visibility, crucial for managing costs and aging assets. Roger Robles, Director of Product Operations at Transcendent by Actabl, highlights the importance of reliable asset data.

💻 AI is transforming travel planning in Europe, becoming the primary tool for inspiration. Meanwhile, Airbnb's growth includes mundane additions like airport transfers. Major events show a disconnect with strong ticket sales but weak hotel bookings. A 40-day booking window trend indicates cancellations are high. In luxury markets, consistency over creativity is emphasized, with Belmond succeeding by slowing down. Social media faces scrutiny for promoting addiction, akin to tobacco's past. An underlying software layer, often run on Excel, may soon be absorbed by AI.

📈 In 2026, the Retail & Hospitality ISAC and IANS report shows AI as the top cybersecurity concern for over 71% of CISOs, surpassing ransomware and phishing. Cybersecurity budgets rose slightly from 0.57% to 0.75% of revenue, with IT spending increasing from 3.2% to 3.9% in 2025. Despite 54% anticipating budget growth in 2026, most expect modest hikes. Staffing remains stable, focusing on efficiency and AI, while 70% of CISOs assume AI governance roles.

💳 On April 2, 2026, RateGain Travel Technologies partnered with Razorpay in Noida, India, integrating Razorpay’s payment capabilities into RG Pay. This alliance aims to enhance global travel bookings by offering preferred payment options, like UPI and cards, reducing checkout friction and improving booking rates. RateGain, founded in 2004, supports over 13,000 customers across 160 countries, working with major hotels, airlines, and car rental companies to boost revenue and enhance payment experiences.

🏨 Nomada Hotel Group in San Luis Obispo, California, launched the Nomada Collection, a management platform for independent hotels. This initiative aims to help hotels maintain their unique identity while enhancing performance. The model, based on five California properties, integrates design, marketing, revenue optimization, and modern technology. The flagship property, Skyview Los Alamos, a restored 1959 motel, saw increased ADR, occupancy, and direct bookings after adopting this model, reducing OTA dependency.

Opinion article based on Martin Soler’s linkedin post. There is a common denominator among the elite tier of hospitality professionals, a shared trait that borders on the supernatural: I have…