Innovation

📈 AI is set to transform the hotel industry in 2025, enhancing guest experience through personalization with AI chatbots and facial recognition, refining revenue management with AI-powered analytics predicting demand, streamlining maintenance and housekeeping via real-time updates, predictive maintenance, and possibly robotic assistance, and bolstering security with AI tools monitoring sensitive information and detecting threats. Careful planning and investment in staff training are essential for successful implementation of AI technologies, which promise to deliver exceptional experiences in hospitality.

💸 The Franco Grasso Revenue Team (FGRT) has collaborated with over 2500 properties in 30+ countries and advocates that revenue management increases hotel profits and revenue. Common mistakes include ignoring the sales-service link, underestimating hotel business complexity, resistance to change, focusing on discounts, equating price with quality, believing fixed costs dictate sales price, and overvaluing property uniqueness. Effective revenue management involves dynamic pricing, data-driven strategies, and adapting to market demands to maximize profitability and competitiveness.

🏁 LVMH signed a €150 million annual partnership with Formula 1. TAG Heuer, part of LVMH's watchmaking division, will allocate funds across communication, product development, and customer experience. TAG Heuer targets the CHF 4,000–8,000 range but offers products like CHF 40,000 tourbillons reflecting R&D investments. No layoffs at TAG Heuer despite industry struggles; the brand maintains a balanced inventory with retailers. With 1.5 billion global F1 viewers, TAG Heuer leverages its motorsport heritage and sponsorship of Red Bull Racing. The brand embraces competition and maintains partnerships, such as with Porsche in motorsport.

🚫 Amid increasing robocall scams, 68% of consumers ignore calls from unknown numbers and 87% want businesses to protect them more. Spoofing scams cost MGM Resorts over $30 million last year. A survey showed 94% of contact centers worry about the impact of fraud on outbound calls. To combat fraud, the hospitality industry is focusing on Branded Calling and Call Authentication, with 92% of executives acknowledging their role in customer protection. Additionally, 63% of consumers would respond to branded calls from hospitality brands.

🏨 Claudia Infante, Chief Data Officer at Margaritaville Enterprises, with 27 years in hospitality technology, has significantly contributed to the brand's data management, customer engagement, and operational efficiency. Key initiatives include the adoption of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Hapi ETL, and SynXis CRS, and the development of the Master Data Management Program. Infante launched the Margaritaville Perks loyalty program, which gained over 350,000 members and generated more than $150 million in revenue in two years. At Hard Rock International, she assisted in opening 26 hotels and implementing revenue strategies. Infante's legacy in hospitality technology leadership is recognized by her Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting her influence on industry standards and mentoring efforts.

🏦 Bob W, a tech-powered hospitality provider, partnered with Aroundtown to launch a 52-unit serviced apartment offer in Dortmund, Germany, in a former post office. The long-term lease is for 3,300 sq m at the Alte Post building, which hosts over 10,000 sq m of office space, retail, and commercial facilities. This marks Bob W's fifth location in Germany and will expand its presence to 18 European cities across 10 countries. Fit-out work has started, with a planned opening in 2026. Further expansions in key German cities like Stuttgart, Cologne, and Hamburg are under discussion.

💰 Guestline, an Access Group company, enhanced GuestPay to include contactless payments with Google Pay and Apple Pay. These digital wallets can be used for in-store, online, or direct hotel bill payments with no limit on transactions or value, and no user fees. In 2023, mobile wallets were used for 50% of global online transactions, with over 300 million Google Pay or Apple Pay users, signaling a significant retail opportunity for hotels. Manish Madnawat, Senior Product Manager at Guestline, emphasizes the convenience, efficiency, and reduced fraud risk that these mobile wallet payment options offer for the hospitality industry.

🚀 Dolphin Dynamics enhanced their booking capture module to support TUI bookings, streamlining the booking process for travel agents. This integration results in a one-click import of booking details into Dolphin's platform and allows for updated data recapture. TUI saw "significant double-digit" growth in the past year, with the independent sector claiming a larger sales share. The new feature reduces manual data entry and reflects TUI's strategy to strengthen trade relationships. Dolphin Dynamics aims to save agents time and minimize errors with this update.

🏨 Net Affinity, a hotel tech provider founded in Dublin in 2000, serves over 400 UK and Ireland hotels. Partnering with PXP, they aim to simplify hoteliers' reservations and payments, enhancing guest experiences and securing transactions. PXP processes over €30bn yearly and offers advanced fraud detection to reduce chargebacks. Net Affinity's William Cotter and PXP's Christopher Gilderson highlight the partnership's focus on streamlining payment management and fraud prevention for hotels. Future plans include new payment features and improved fraud detection for the hospitality sector.