Innovation

💻 Christopher Thomas-Moore, ex-SVP and Chief Digital Officer at Domino’s, unveiled tech strategies at MURTEC 2025: Experience Matters. Domino’s achieved digital excellence with innovative e-commerce, loyalty, and retail tech under his leadership. The three-minute video highlights “CTM’s” influence in restaurant technology and digital transformation to boost customer loyalty.

🏨 Kenyan Sentrim Hotels & Lodges faced backend challenges like manual errors and overbookings. Switching to STAAH's Channel Manager improved efficiency by automating rate updates and availability across all OTAs, reducing errors and increasing direct bookings. Tools like RatesTalk and ReviewMinder enhanced pricing strategies and guest feedback management. As a result, Sentrim saw growth in online visibility and bookings, shifting focus back to enhancing guest experiences.

📈 Hotels adopt AI-driven revenue management by setting goals and providing comprehensive information to optimize pricing. AI systems adjust rates in real time using historical data and trends to handle market changes from events and seasons. AI reacts swiftly to unexpected demand shifts, while hotel teams set and control response rules. The synergy between AI and human strategy enhances efficiency, allowing managers to focus on strategic planning and guest interaction, rather than manual processes.

💻 Hospitality professionals leverage AI to enhance guest experiences. AI systems track interactions, maintaining context across time and channels, allowing staff to offer personalized service without guests repeating requests. AI predicts and addresses issues like late check-ins or tech glitches, improving problem-solving efficiency. Proactive interventions, like tech fixes or digital vouchers, enhance guest satisfaction. In this high-expectation industry, AI empowers staff to deliver seamless service, fostering trust and loyalty.

💸 Profitroom partners with IDeaS, launching integration on May 19th for UK users. Hoteliers gain access to IDeaS' AI-powered tools for revenue forecasting and optimization. This collaboration democratizes advanced revenue management for hotel and pub groups of all sizes, enhancing profitability and efficiency. Michael McCartan and Patryk Luszcz emphasize improving competitiveness and simplifying operations. This initiative supports independent operators amid challenges like National Insurance hikes and employment law changes, focusing on delivering excellent guest experiences.

🏨 14:00 – 15:00 BST, hosted by BHN editor Eloise Hanson, in partnership with Agilysys. Online and free event. Focus on hotel brands shifting from selling rooms to curating guest journeys. Topics include integration into the experience economy, elevating ancillary services, smart technology for personalized offers, and staff's role in revenue strategy. Target audience: hotel owners, investors, C-suite executives, technology and service providers. Expert speakers to be announced.

🥗 Since August 2024, Salad House has enhanced guest satisfaction and business performance using Ovation. Over 2,500 dissatisfied customers returned, driven by real-time feedback. They received 160 surveys per location monthly, increased Google star ratings by 0.2, and gained 28% more public reviews. Same Store Sales rose by 9.7% year-over-year. Ovation's AI tools and mobile-friendly surveys provided critical insights, maintaining a 95% customer retention rate, crucial for operational efficiency and franchisee coaching.

💻 In the USA, hotel staff turnover costs average $5,864 per hire, according to Cornell University's School of Hospitality Management. Modern Property Management Systems (PMS) with intuitive UX/UI can reduce onboarding time from weeks to days, improving retention and job satisfaction. This empowers staff to focus on guest service, reducing turnover and enhancing experiences. Automation handles repetitive tasks, supporting staff without replacing their decision-making. This approach creates agile, loyal teams, enhancing service quality.

🥤 Coca-Cola is revolutionizing beverage services with Freestyle dispensers, gathering real-time data on consumption, preferences, and upkeep. This innovation aids restaurants in cutting syrup waste and optimizing inventory. Enhanced customer experiences include QR code-enabled drink selections. Coca-Cola's collaboration extends to digital marketing, offering personalized mobile or kiosk promotions, co-branded loyalty app campaigns, and QR code-enabled games, surveys, or deals on menus and cups, enriching customer engagement and loyalty.

📱 Google I/O 2025 announced numerous AI advancements, signaling a shift in search technology. Personalization in hospitality is impeded by a lack of recognition, not emotional intelligence. Tom Goodwin critiques digital advertising's decline in creativity. Retail media requires significant management but offers qualified audiences. Booking.com's short-term rentals may soon surpass Airbnb. The Media Mix Navigator aids in media planning. AI adoption in hospitality is essential for improved efficiency, despite skepticism about potential risks.