Innovation

📅 The Travolution European Summit will take place on May 13 at Events at No 6 in Aldgate, London. New speakers announced include David Norris from Holiday Extras, Mik Ruberl from Chain4Travel, and Beatriz Oficialdegui from Destinia. The event focuses on travel and technology with discussions on AI, multi-channel search, web3, and crypto. Last year's key speakers were from companies like easyJet holidays and Amazon Web Services. Sponsors for this year's summit include Belvera Partners and Stripe among others. Tickets are available online.

🏡 Caesars Republic Scottsdale Hotel by Hilton opened in March 2024 in Scottsdale, AZ, boasting 11 stories, 20,000 sq. ft. of event space, two pools, bars, two signature restaurants, and technologically advanced services. It equipped over 700 PoE automated roller shades from PowerShades across 265 guest rooms and common areas. These shades are integrated with the Hotel’s BMS for energy conservation, adjusting to room occupancy and seasonal conditions. True PoE shades offer up to 6Nm torque, fitting windows up to 171” wide x 117” deep, introduced in 2024.

🔊 At MURTEC 2025, SoundHound AI's VP of Partnerships Mike Lauricella presented AI solutions for restaurant drive-thrus and phones. 50% of restaurant operators plan to implement voice AI, as highlighted in HT's 2025 Restaurant Technology Survey. AI assists with staff shortages, allowing employees to focus on food quality and customer service. Insights were also shared from Domino's Pizza at the 30th MURTEC anniversary event.

💳 ROH, a hospitality industry payments platform, secured $9.2 million in financing led by Highgate Technology Ventures and Acrew Capital, aiming for rapid expansion. The hotel industry sees over 80% of its $4 trillion annual payments requiring manual processing. ROH's solutions offer automation that minimizes errors and boosts efficiency. Highgate's portfolio piloted ROH, leading to this investment and broader roll-out. In 2024, ROH managed nearly $250 million in invoices and saw a 523% increase in bookings through its AI tool.

🌿 Pandan, a Southeast Asian herb described as having vanilla and coconut flavors, is gaining popularity in American cuisine. Thoa Nguyen of Banh & Butter Bakery in Aurora, Colorado, uses it in desserts and drinks. Sweet Piglet Bakery & Cafe in Randolph, Massachusetts, offers pandan cupcakes, while chef Carlo Lamagna serves Basque-style pandan cheesecake at Magna Kusina in Portland, Oregon, and Magna Kainan in Denver. Wanderlust Creamery in Los Angeles created pandan tres leches ice cream. Pandan is sold fresh for under $1 per kilogram, dried leaves for $3 to $4.50 per kilo, and pandan powder between $7 and $13. Upscale pandan offerings include Matcha Pandan Mille Crêpes cake for $100 and Pandan Pistachio Royale for $84.50 at Lady Wong Patisserie in New York City. Drinks featuring pandan, such as pandan lattes and pandan-flavored cocktails, are also on menus, as seen at Hood Famous Bakeshop in Seattle and the Welton Room’s Monkey Bar in Denver.

❄ Castle Peak Holdings acquired Snow King Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyo., joining the Trailborn brand. This is their largest transaction to date. In late 2020, Trailborn partnered with Marriott International for bookings and Marriott Bonvoy points. The portfolio includes 559 rooms across five locations, with more in development. Snow King features eight acres, ski-in/ski-out, meeting spaces, and proximity to national parks. Renovations will upgrade public areas and amenities. Trailborn's current operations are in Wrightsville Beach, N.C.; Williams, Ariz.; Estes Park, Colo.; Highlands, N.C., and soon in Mendocino, Calif.