Innovation

🏨 The 28-room hotel will operate as-is until November 2025 when it will be refurbished. Located in Paris, it will fully join the Korner universe, featuring 'Korner Hosts', who take on multiple roles, fostering dynamic management. The hotel will provide top-tier bedding, a central Espace Korner with dining, coworking, and relaxation services, and tech enhancements like contactless check-in. Korner plans expansion in France, with a new hotel opening in Lyon, boosting its strategic growth.

🍽 Saladplate, part of Informa Markets, serves as a key hub for the Hospitality, Food, and Beverage industry, offering insights into trends and innovations. It features weekly news, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-monthly e-magazine. The platform provides access to 10,000+ brands and companies, alongside updates from over 35 international trade events.

💻 In 2021, Penta Hotels faced a ransomware attack that disrupted multinational operations. They rebuilt their IT framework, focusing on cybersecurity with six pillars: protect, prevent, detect, respond, recover, and review. Key strategies include IP restrictions, real-time monitoring, and phishing simulations. They transitioned to cloud-native solutions, partnering with Mews for enhanced security, featuring continuous monitoring and compliance with GDPR and PCI DSS. Cybersecurity is now a priority to safeguard trust and business continuity in hospitality.

🛌 In 2025, citizenM continues leading in hotel tech innovation under CEO Lennert de Jong, emphasizing automation and AI. CitizenM aims to streamline check-ins, transitioning from a one-minute to a one-touch system, focusing on guest experience. AI handles 96% of booking.com inquiries and repetitive tasks. The industry anticipates shifts in hotel search interfaces, influenced by AI like ChatGPT. Tech integration and agility are key, as seen through citizenM’s simplified check-in tech using iPads and payment terminals.

📈 Complexity, not competition, is the real challenge facing revenue managers, leading to burnout and financial losses. Overwhelm from managing multiple systems causes stress, hindering decision-making and resulting in pricing errors. A Hotel Business Intelligence tool is crucial for automating data collection, providing real-time market insights, and optimizing total revenue, not just room rates. Streamlining processes empowers managers to focus on strategic planning, enhancing profitability and retaining valuable human capital.

📱 Nékter's tech refresh features a redesigned mobile app with real-time POS data integration. Location-specific menus reduce ordering errors. The CMS-powered app allows for faster content and promotion updates—three times quicker, bypassing app store approvals. Improvements include clearer menus with images, enhancing user experience. The app has received 30,000 5-star reviews, showcasing guest satisfaction.

🏨 Set in Barham, New South Wales, Barham Bridge Motor Inn is a 23-room, 4-star motel that completed a full refurbishment. Transitioning to STAAH's suite, including Channel Manager, Booking Engine, and WatchMyRate, improved their OTA management and direct bookings. Features like real-time sync and Google Hotel integration enhanced online presence. The upgrade, guided by STAAH consultant Harsha Karam, streamlined operations and boosted bookings, showing promising growth even in quieter months.

💻 In the latest episode of Matt Talks, Matt and Manisha discuss the process of migrating to a new Property Management System (PMS) for hotels. The transition, averaging around two months, can be completed in as little as a week, offering a strategic overhaul of operations. Key steps include account setup, guest journey definition, training through Mews University, and system audits. With AI enhancements, the switch is faster and aims for improved efficiency, guest satisfaction, and revenue.

💻 fidelis hospitality has implemented SIHOT’s digital infrastructure across its branded properties in Germany, including THE Hotels, Felix Hotels, and Ibis. The integration of self-service check-in kiosks, online bookings, EV charging payments, and centralized guest billing significantly reduced administrative errors and saved staff hours. SIHOT’s platform, including SIHOT.PMS and SIHOT.POS, streamlined operations with advanced integrations like Adyen for payments. This transformation positioned fidelis as a leader in digital hospitality, enhancing operational and commercial efficiency.

🗺 Ant International launched Alipay+ Voyager, an AI-powered travel companion integrated with digital wallets, on platforms including Alipay, AlipayHK, and GCash. This tool assists in itinerary planning, booking, and purchasing, offering local language support through text or voice. It initially partners with Agoda, Fliggy, and Trip.com. The service also enables local ride-hailing, shopping, dining, and sightseeing options, aimed at enhancing engagement for travelers and merchants. Expansion plans to more Alipay+ partners are underway.