Innovation

📱 Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, on 12 February, emphasized AI's role in boosting conversions from chatbot traffic, higher than Google. The company reported $2.78bn Q4 revenue, a 12% rise, and $12.2bn full-year revenue, up 10%. Airbnb focuses on AI-integrated customer support, resolving a third of issues without humans. CTO Ahmad Al-Dahle, ex-Meta, is pivotal. Airbnb partners with the Olympics, enhancing brand awareness and launching Olympian-hosted experiences for financial and career opportunities.

💻 Hilton and Marriott International, the largest hotel companies globally, have incorporated AI as a risk factor in their regulatory filings this week. They warn that AI might erode brand loyalty, shift bookings from direct channels, and increase distribution costs. AI could revolutionize hotel bookings by surpassing loyalty programs and offering personalized experiences, potentially diminishing brand value. The future success of hotels will depend on direct guest relationships, independent commerce, and unique experiences that AI cannot replicate.

🏨 Bashar Wali, founder and CEO of Practice Hospitality and This Assembly, challenges the common habit of asking “What do you do?” He argues this question limits connection and hierarchy, advocating for curiosity by asking “Where are you from?” instead. Hospitality Daily is supported by Mews, enhancing hotel management systems. The episode encourages sharing insights for business improvement. Music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound for Hospitality Brands.

📈 Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano announced on Tuesday that Marriott is working with Google to integrate a booking system using Google's AI Mode. This integration will streamline the booking process by enabling users to make reservations through Google's AI platform. The announcement was made during Marriott's fourth-quarter earnings call and marks the first public reveal of how AI Mode will be used in hotel bookings, following Google's AI travel planning announcement last November.

🏠 Airbnb's Q4 2025 saw a 12% revenue increase and a 16% rise in gross booking value, the highest in over two years. The company's progress stems from rebuilding its tech platform and enhancing guest and host experiences. Innovating faster with small teams tackling specific issues led to hundreds of millions in revenue. Airbnb is leveraging AI, led by new CTO Ahmed Al Dali, to deepen engagement without billions in data center investments.

📖 Bashar Wali, founder and CEO of Practice Hospitality and This Assembly, emphasizes the responsibility of staying culturally relevant. Hospitality Daily is supported by Mews, a connected system for managing hospitality operations. Listen to a discussion with Mews founder Richard Valtr about AI and hotel tech. Subscribe for daily episode summaries and insights. Follow Hospitality Daily on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Advertise and collaborate via Passionfroot. Music by Bespoke Sound.

📍 SmartFlyer, founded in 1990, is a luxury travel advisory that booked $1.02 billion in travel in 2025 across 250 agencies. Known for deep client relationships and exclusive access to destinations, they prioritize personalized experiences, with notable bookings like Italy's Hotel du Cap. The agency, led by COO Erina Pindar, emphasizes human touch over AI in hospitality. Their advisors are selective, managing high-value transactions, and offer unparalleled expertise through a global network, focusing on unique, immersive travel experiences.

🏨 Barcelona, Spain, February 13, 2026 – Shiji expands PMS-RMS integrations with IDeaS, Duetto, FLYR, EzRMS, and others, facilitating real-time data flow for hotels using Daylight PMS. This integration enables faster pricing and revenue decisions by synchronizing pricing, availability, and demand data. Key benefits include quicker, data-driven pricing, reduced manual workload, and improved revenue performance, particularly for multi-property and luxury hotels. Shiji supports over 91,000 hotels globally with seamless technology solutions.

📈 New Delhi, 13th February 2026: RateGain Travel Technologies reported a 93.8% YoY revenue increase in Q3FY2026, hitting INR 5,400.3 Mn. The company’s EBITDA margin stood at 16.1%, while PAT reached INR 264.5 Mn. Following Sojern's acquisition in November 2025, RateGain repaid 20.2% of its acquisition debt. A global team of 1,250+ supports operations. Recognized by ET Corporate Excellence Awards, RateGain was named Emerging Company of the Year.