Innovation

🍸 Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg launched "Still G.I.N. By Dre and Snoop" in the UK on March 27th, following their successful "Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop." Priced at £38 RRP, this ultra-premium gin features tangerine, jasmine, and coriander and is sold on www.dreandsnoop.com. The 70cl bottle was designed by Ini Archibong. The launch includes an ad with AI-recreated Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., directed by Dave Meyers and produced with Metaphysic and Rosewood Creative.

📌 The article discusses the significance of Property Management System (PMS) User Experience (UX) in improving hotel operations, emphasizing the role of PMS UX in automating tasks, increasing bookings, and enhancing guest satisfaction. However, there are no specific dates, locations, numbers, statistics, or other factual data provided in the text to extract. The content is mainly promotional and lacks concrete data related to PMS UX implementations or outcomes.

🛫 EaseMyTrip UAE, part of Indian parent EaseMyTrip, expanded into Saudi Arabia and launched two new ventures in Dubai. Easy Trip Planners Saudi Arabia caters to domestic and international travellers with tailored experiences, including airline ticketing, hotel bookings, and holiday packages. The company, founded in India in 2008, reported a 73% growth in 2024 over 2023 and has a network of over 400 airlines and two million hotels. For Eid 2025, it offers packages to destinations like Georgia, Thailand, and Bali. Offices are located in various countries, including the UK, US, and Brazil.

💰 HBX Group refinanced all outstanding debt with credit facilities maturing in 2030 and 2032. The refinancing includes a €600 million Term Loan A (Euribor + 2.00%), a €400 million multi-currency Revolving Credit Facility (Euribor + 2.00%), and a €600 million Term Loan B (Euribor + 2.75%). Moody's gave a Ba3 rating to the Term Loan B due 2032, and S&P rated HBX Group and the loan BB, both with stable outlooks. Joint Lead Arrangers are notable banks including BBVA and Barclays, with Deutsche Bank as the Sole Physical Bookrunner.

💻 STAAH's March 2025 product update enhances Channel Manager, Booking Engine, and ReviewMinder. New Channel Manager features include customizable landing page options (Availability, Bookings, Reports), smooth navigation, and easy updates. Multi-currency support and currency conversion tools are now integrated into the Reports (V2) with feature parity with V1. Booking Engine upgrades allow customizable booking page views, list view as default, easy toggling between views, and timezone selection for reports (UTC or local). SwiftBook offers a single page confirmation, optimized payment gateways, and no redirection for credit card collection. ReviewMinder introduces an AI-Assisted Response Tool for Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, and Google (Meta), editable before submission, and requires a subscription. Victoria, Australia, enforces a 7.5% Short Stay Levy starting April 1, 2025, with property managers required to collect 8.11%. New integrations include Little Travel Group and Nexi, a leading European PayTech.

💻 Susan Lucas, after an elective in college sparked her interest, combined tech and business and entered the restaurant industry as an interim IT leader. Advocating for mentorship and cross-generational learning, Lucas values the guidance received and given throughout her career. She was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at MURTEC on March 11, recognizing her journey, contributions to restaurant technology, and efforts in nurturing future leaders. The awards were sponsored by Milagro.

🛡 Marriott International partners with PathSpot Technologies for enhanced food safety across its 9,300+ properties. PathSpot's real-time hygiene management system, including hand scanners and SafetySuite software, helps Marriott properties save 2-8 hours daily in back-of-house operations, improves health standards, and reduces food waste and energy consumption. The collaboration also involves Marriott's minority equity investment in PathSpot. The company emphasizes innovation in hospitality, focusing on health and safety for guests and efficiency for associates.