Innovation

📈 Jack in the Box Q3 2025: same-store sales decreased by 7.1%, with company stores at -6.4%. Del Taco saw a 2.2% drop in company stores. Digital sales mix: Jack 18.5%, Del Taco 20%. $5.5 million invested in marketing and operational improvements. Over 2,000 restaurants upgraded with new POS, with full rollout by month-end. All Del Taco locations have kiosks. Over 1,000 locations to be remodeled. Emphasizing tech upgrades to boost guest experience.

💻 Meyers led MGM's "Front Desk of the Future" project at New York-New York, reducing check-in time from 6 minutes to 94 seconds using custom kiosks, completed in 10 months. An AI-powered tool now streamlines banquet event orders at Mandalay Bay since February 2025, automating dish parsing and routing for chefs, enhancing efficiency without sacrificing flexibility. This highlights Meyers' innovative approach in hospitality technology.

💻 TRYBE and Revinate announced integration, August 2025. TRYBE, a cloud-native spa and leisure booking platform, connects with Revinate, enhancing guest profiles beyond accommodation. The integration allows hospitality teams to deliver tailored guest engagement and personalized upselling, boosting revenue opportunities. Ricky Daniels, co-founder of TRYBE, and Dan Hang, president and COO of Revinate, highlight streamlined operations for exceptional guest experiences and a unified view of guest data, enabling clear segmentation without guesswork.

Trying to propose a shared standard for data interoperability in hospitality is like walking through Times Square during New Year’s Eve wearing a Cannibal Corpse T-shirt. It feels like a…

💰 Zebra Technologies Corp will acquire Elo Touch Solutions for $1.3 billion in cash. Elo, with $400 million in annual sales, is known for kiosks and touchscreen solutions. The deal, expected to close in 2025, will expand Zebra's market by $8 billion. Zebra will fund the purchase using cash and credit. The acquisition aims to enhance self-service and automation across retail and other sectors, contributing $25 million in annual EBITDA synergies by year three.

🏨 Saar Shai, co-founder of Wanderland, introduces "Screener," a modular, themed room divider for hotels, inspired by observing his children on vacation. This innovation addresses the lack of connecting rooms and enhances the family stay experience, thereby boosting guest loyalty. Saar emphasizes the importance of partnerships with creative hoteliers and advocates for starting small to achieve significant wins in hotel operations.

🚀 Little Caesars teams up with Serve Robotics for autonomous pizza delivery in Los Angeles via Uber Eats. Serve robots, capable of carrying four large pizzas, expand their reach in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, and Atlanta. Trish Heusel, VP at Little Caesars, highlights innovation and reduced environmental impact. Serve aims to enhance delivery experiences, while Uber Eats' Megan Jensen emphasizes convenience and sustainability. Explore autonomous delivery on Uber Eats with Serve's robots, enhancing customer experiences.

📰 Google DeepMind's Genie 3 revolutionizes AI-generated environments with real-time simulations like "a rainy street in Venice" at 24 fps. Pew data shows AI summaries reduce Google clicks from 15% to 8%, affecting sites like Wikipedia. Brennen Bliss advises travel marketers to prioritize bookable content. Google Ads shift to conversation targeting with over 100M users in AI Mode, expanding before Q4. Ryanair's "League of Delays" highlights worsening air traffic delays in Europe. YC focuses on AI-powered startups for Fall 2025.

🏠 In 2024, U.S. OTA sales hit $108.5 billion, showing modest growth, as per the Phocuswright report. The market is stable, but supplier-direct bookings could alter dynamics by 2028. Expedia faces challenges in a softer U.S. market, while Booking.com remains more resilient. Hotel bookings drive profitability, though growth engines like short-term rentals are needed. Tech innovations, especially AI, are critical. B2B strategies are rising, yet consumer-facing packages are minimal. The 2025 report explores these trends comprehensively.

🚀 Mike Coletta hosted Phocuswright’s New Age(nts) Trend Series, focusing on generative AI's impact on travel marketing. Panelists Brennen Bliss, Michael Goldrich, and John Lyotier discussed AI's role in reshaping brand visibility, business models, and necessary marketing skills. The shift is from direct-to-consumer methods to AI-driven decision influence. Marketers must adapt quickly as AI transforms the landscape, influencing how marketing messages reach travelers. Those embracing an AI-first approach may gain competitive advantages.