Innovation

📌 Jon Pickles elected as new chairman of Travel Technology Initiative, succeeding Tim Wright on January 1. Pickles, with extensive experience in travel technology, aims to expand TTI's initiatives like TTIcodes, TTIplaces, TTIrooms, increase revenue and membership. Actively involved for over 2 years, he'll promote innovative technology at the Spring Conference on March 19 at Holiday Inn London - Regents Park.

🏨 PKFARE, a global travel product aggregator, has partnered with hotel booking API provider ZentrumHub. The collaboration grants travel sellers access to over 650,000 hotel properties via ZentrumHub’s API. The deal aims to expand distribution reach, enhance pricing intelligence, and facilitate AI-driven searches with minimal integration effort. ZentrumHub’s CEO, Abhinav Sinha, and PKFARE’s SVP, Jason Sui, express optimism about the growth potential and technological innovation the partnership promises.

✈️ Accelya, an airline retailing software firm, reported a record day for corporate New Distribution Capability (NDC) bookings on January 7. The company saw a 146% year-over-year increase in corporate NDC volumes for 2024 compared to 2023. Tye Radcliffe, Chief Customer Success Officer, indicates 2025 as pivotal for NDC adoption in corporate travel, highlighting the industry's shift towards modern retailing technologies and customer-centric approaches. Accelya's FLX ONE platform supports this transformation.

💰 emerchantpay, a global payment service provider founded in 2002, partners with Oasis Travel, a near 40-year-old independent travel agency in Northern Ireland. Oasis Travel will use emerchantpay's advanced solutions like Pay by Link, MOTO payments, and smartPOS PAX A920 terminals to enhance customer payment experiences across their high street branches and multiple channels, aiming for efficient, secure transactions and operational streamlining.

📢 HiJiffy, a conversational AI hospitality firm, launched its Campaigns Manager tool to enhance guest communication automation by integrating with a hotel’s Property Management System (PMS). The AI-driven platform can send messages via WhatsApp or SMS and includes SMS fallback for areas with poor internet. Tiago Araújo, CEO of HiJiffy, emphasizes its utility for operational efficiency and personalized guest engagement. It offers targeting, dynamic messaging, and an analytics dashboard, boasting a 99% message delivery and 84% open rate during tests. The tool is free for HiJiffy clients with Premium and Enterprise plans.

🔔 Club Quarters, a hotel brand, now allows guests to use digital wallet-enabled mobile room keys across all its properties in the US and UK. This is a first for a hotel chain to implement such technology at all locations. The system includes Vostio Access Management by Vingcard, offering enhanced security with data encryption. Digital keys activate upon electronic check-in and work on both Apple and Android devices without unlocking the phone. Additionally, the digital key can access the hotel's fitness center and update automatically for extended stays. Club Quarters CEO John Paul Nichols emphasizes the move towards digital keys for improved convenience and security. Physical key cards remain available.

🏩 Hospitality industry faced an all-time high exit rate last year with over 3 million people quitting. Millennials and Gen Z, being the world's largest demographic entering the workplace, are redefining hiring with their digital savvy and value-driven job expectations. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and AI are utilized to optimize recruitment, reduce response times, and automate workflows. 43% of hotels report housekeeping as an ongoing staffing challenge. The article emphasizes the importance of company culture and personalized recruitment strategies to attract and retain top talent.

💾 At NRF, Cook's strategy for transforming technology infrastructure at Jack in the Box was unveiled, focusing on Stabilize, Modernize, and Optimize pillars. Operational stability was prioritized by reducing help desk calls, improving system availability, and refining legacy applications. The modernization phase recruited digital talent and executed a tech roadmap, including POS systems. Optimization introduced digital menu boards, AI for personalization, and automation. Comcast Business provided essential connectivity and managed services, facilitating innovation and ensuring scalability. Cook acknowledged tech partners like Qu POS, World Wide Technology, Verifone, and others in a LinkedIn post.

🏨 In 2025, Moore's Law appears outdated compared to the rapid technological advancements affecting the hotel industry. The Destination AI conference saw Microsoft, Hilton, and Thayer Ventures discussing changes in hotel bookings, staffing, and guest services. Hilton's Kevin Jacobs highlighted automated revenue management as a key to profitability. The 2024 EMEA Hotel Asset Managers Association's Annual Meeting focused on global geopolitical instability and AI's impact. Sustainability and diversity are now essential in the industry, with over 200 hotel professionals stressing the need for collaboration among tech providers. The industry faces the challenge of adapting to the swift changes in demographics, technology, and finance.

🧸 Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, a 5* London hotel, outfitted its kitchens with Williams Refrigeration equipment in a project completed in spring 2024. The hotel features multiple restaurants, including Akira Back and Dosa, totaling 800 covers daily. Executive Head Chef Jihun Maxime Kim oversees culinary operations, emphasizing the importance of reliable, easy-to-clean, and energy-efficient refrigeration. The project included coldrooms, blast chillers, and custom Chef's Drawers. The Galgorm Group and consultant Humble Arnold Design worked on the project, overcoming Covid-related delays.