Innovation

🚿 HITEK Services has introduced Housekeeping Plus, a smart mobile app aimed at enhancing housekeeping operations in the hospitality industry. The app, designed for hotels, resorts, and property management companies, streamlines workflow and automates tasks. It features digital checklists, real-time room condition updates, automated room assignments, inventory reports, and QR code integration for efficient task management. It also interfaces with Property Management Systems (PMS) for real-time occupancy and guest movement information, allowing the front office to instantly update room status. The app aids in improving efficiency, cost savings, and inter-departmental communication, and supports maintenance issue reporting with image sharing capabilities.

📱 Airial Travel, an AI travel planning company, launched its public beta. Founded by former Google, Facebook, Instagram, Waymo experts, it uses the AlphaTravel AI engine. Features include itinerary creation from social media posts, multi-destination planning, real-time editing, and fast pricing. CEO Archit Karandikar emphasizes ease of turning ideas into plans. Desktop and laptop beta is available now, with a mobile app release slated for 2025.

📊 Business Intelligence (BI) in hotels aggregates data from various sources like guest behavior and booking patterns to provide actionable insights for management, optimizing resources, and predicting market changes. BI systems in the hospitality industry, integrated with property management systems (PMS), offer real-time data, visualizations, and reporting tailored to hotels' needs. Departments like finance, marketing, guest experience, and revenue management can use BI to make data-driven decisions, such as adjusting room rates or personalized guest services, to increase profitability and guest satisfaction. Technology and predictive analytics play a crucial role in forecasting outcomes, allowing hotels to respond proactively to market trends. Cloudbeds, a leading PMS platform, offers an all-in-one solution for hotel operations, serving properties in over 150 countries.

🏠 In London, on 4 December, 2024, eviivo, a property management system, partnered with Jervis Systems to offer automated property control for short-term rentals, vacation homes, and hotels, saving property managers up to 10 hours weekly per listing. The integration features contactless check-in, smart home automation, and scalable property access via a centralised dashboard, with unique, time-sensitive SET® PIN codes for secure guest entry. The American Hotel and Lodging Association 2024 survey highlighted keyless entry as the second-highest guest priority after WiFi. Jervis Systems' platform also supports smart device automation, which can be controlled through AccessMyProperty.com or its mobile app. Eviivo serves over 28,000 hospitality businesses, and Jervis Systems automates access for various property types.

🏖 Iglucraft, known for unique, handcrafted cabins and saunas blending ancient shingling with modern design, provides immersive nature experiences. Iglupark, a sea-side resort with Igluhuts and Iglusaunas, is typically fully booked, highlighting demand and profitability. Recognized as the Best Tourism Product of 2024, Iglucraft's products are installed in diverse locations like Ree Safari Park, Denmark, and Pfarrwerfen, Austria, enhancing guest engagement and allowing premium pricing. CEO Priit Kallas emphasizes the financial and experiential benefits for business owners and travelers seeking authenticity.

🏦 On Dec. 5, 2024, Guillaume Benezech, Senior Director of Global Brand Management and Marketing for The Ritz-Carlton, discussed the intersection of AI and luxury hospitality on the Hospitality Daily Podcast. Key highlights include AI's role in reducing administrative tasks, enhancing guest experiences through personalized service, and improving staff productivity and financial performance. Benezech emphasizes the importance of human interaction in luxury settings, despite the advancements in technology.

💲 On December 3, 2024, in London, RMS Cloud, a leader in hospitality property management software, appointed Sandrine Zechbauer as Chief Marketing Officer. With over 16 years of experience, including roles at British Airways, Etihad, Air France, and Sabre, Zechbauer will lead marketing strategies across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. This appointment is part of RMS Cloud's strategic global growth and brand awareness plans, following investment from Advent Partners. RMS Cloud services over 7,000 properties in 70 countries.