Innovation

4688 posts

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Let’s Learn from Sonder: Insights for Owners, Operators, Brands & Tech Companies – Rob Blood, Lark

🏨 Rob Blood, founder of Lark, discusses the collapse of Sonder, highlighting the issues with the master lease model. Control and transparency are essential for large-scale hotel operations. The podcast examines the role of technology, the limits of venture-driven growth, and the importance of strong partnerships for fast recovery. It offers practical insights for building resilient hospitality businesses. Music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound.
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The Acceleration of “Hard AI”: Why CES 2026 Changed the Operational Blueprint

🤖 CES 2026 showcased Soft AI generating instructions for Hard AI, revolutionizing hospitality with autonomous robots. Singular Task Robots perform specific tasks like cooking, while Multi-Task Humanoids adapt roles. Tensor Robocar redefines guest transport with Level 4 autonomy. High-density energy setups and data bays are crucial for robot fleets. As robots become more capable, they may replace human roles, offering a strategic advantage in operational efficiency and data gathering.
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Is your hotel visible in ChatGPT search? A quick guide to help you compete with OTAs for AI planned trips

📱 For over 20 years, hotels have battled Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) for booking control. AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are changing this landscape, enabling direct guest engagement. With partnerships like ChatGPT's with Booking.com and Expedia, hotels must adapt to stay competitive. Utilizing AI-driven strategies like specific keyword optimization, leveraging user-generated content, and employing Lighthouse Connect AI for data accessibility can enhance visibility and direct bookings, bypassing OTA commissions.
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The Modern Hotel General Manager AI Playbook and Toolkit | Terence Ronson

📖 The Modern Hotel General Manager AI Playbook & Toolkit is crucial for GMs facing responsibilities like guest experience and profitability with leaner teams. Pertlink's guide, vendor-agnostic, enhances decision-making by using AI as a management co-pilot. It boosts control across operations and improves human judgment without disrupting hospitality's core. The playbook offers low-risk, high-impact AI adoption strategies to enhance consistency, resilience, and confidence in leadership. AI is set to shape hotel leadership dynamics.
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Maestro’s 2026 Software & Innovation Roadmap Focuses on Intelligent Growth, Elevated Experiences

💻 Maestro PMS, on January 14, 2026, in Markham, Ontario, unveils its 2026 Software & Innovation Roadmap. The plan emphasizes AI-driven capabilities for operational efficiency, elevated guest experiences, and new revenue through intelligent yielding. Mobile functionality improvements include mobile check-in and integrated upselling. The roadmap extends multi-property management features, enhances digital commerce, and integrates Apple Pay and Google Pay via MezzoPay. Maestro continues investing in browser-based technology and robust cloud infrastructure to align with client feedback and industry needs.
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eDreams ODIGEO scales Rail for Prime…

🚄 eDreams ODIGEO expands its Prime subscription to the rail sector in Spain and Italy, targeting the €40 billion European rail market. With 7.7 million members, they introduced flexible monthly and quarterly payment options to boost accessibility. The platform integrates flights, hotels, car rentals, and now rail, using AI to streamline bookings. CEO Dana Dunne highlighted early success in Spain and Italy as a validation of their strategy to offer seamless travel solutions.
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Perk launches new AI-powered events…

📆 Perk has launched Perk Events, an AI-powered solution to automate event planning, addressing 76% of UK employees involved in event coordination. Key pain points include venue sourcing (43%), budget management (43%), and accommodation (37%). A Forrester report highlights 53% of UK firms lack event automation, contributing to £95 billion in lost productivity annually. Perk aims to eliminate this "shadow work," streamlining event processes to enhance focus on core tasks, saving $1.7 trillion globally.
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WeRoad closes 2025 on revenue high

🛫 WeRoad closed 2025 with €130M (£112.6M) in revenue, marking a 62.4% increase from 2024. It served 300,000 travelers by year-end, with nearly 110,000 in 2025. Top destinations included Italy, Morocco, and the US. The company’s 4,000 Travel Coordinators played a significant role. New initiatives like WeMeet and a platform for creating itineraries bolstered growth, as did partnerships with Travel Counsellors and Tourhub. 📈
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Guest discovery is moving upstream

📅 Jan 14, 2026: AI tools are redefining travel planning, with decisions increasingly made in AI environments rather than on OTA or hotel websites. Traditional search visibility is waning, fragmenting control over the guest journey. OTAs like Expedia risk losing early influence, though they still manage bookings. Marketing expenditures may shift as AI holds users longer. Emotional resonance and clear hotel content gain importance. New AI-driven distribution could challenge intermediaries, while OTAs remain vital for booking execution.
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Two futures for Siri in travel

📡 Jan 14, 2026, Apple partners with Google to integrate Gemini models into Siri, enhancing its capabilities in travel. Siri processes 1.5 billion daily requests across 2 billion devices, impacting travel discovery by possibly bypassing traditional browsers and apps. Apple's focus on privacy may limit Siri's booking potential, posing a risk to travel brands by reducing website traffic. The future of Siri could either support booking functions or serve as a planning tool.
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