Innovation

📈 Gekko Group, Europe's Travel Tech leader under Accor Group, appoints Adam McKnight as Director of International Growth, reporting to CEO Fabrice Perdoncini. McKnight has over 15 years in B2B travel, including TBO/Bookabed, Hotelbeds, and A2B Transfers/Resorthoppa. His role focuses on market penetration and adapting offerings to local needs in international markets such as Asia-Pacific, the US, and South America. Gekko aims to double its turnover in three years, investing in AI, new websites, and API solutions to expand its technological edge.

🏖️ The Trip Boutique AI, launched in October 2023, secured a global commercial partnership with Amadeus. This partnership will enrich Amadeus’ solutions, extending personalized travel experiences to its vast network of travel sellers. Integration of Amadeus' products into The Trip Boutique AI’s platform is planned for 2025, aiming to enhance service quality and create new revenue streams by leveraging AI-powered tools for personalized travel recommendations with real-time data.

🏨 MGM Resorts streamlined customer service and operational efficiency with Bloomfire, a centralized knowledge management platform. 55% of call center employees reported increased efficiency, and the average search time was cut by 50%, from over an hour to under 30 minutes per shift. Service quality improved by 55%, with consistency across teams increasing by 80%. A 3x return on investment was achieved within 12 months of implementation, enhancing customer satisfaction and revenue streams for MGM's 800+ customer support agents.

🏠 Fairmont Breakers Long Beach, refurbished after a multi-million-dollar transformation, opened in downtown Long Beach, 25 miles south of Los Angeles. Built in 1926, the hotel boasts new public spaces, 185 guestrooms, 22 suites, a spa, rooftop bar, and two signature restaurants. Rooms range from 287-790 square feet. Dining includes the Sky Room, established in 1938, and Nettuno, offering Italian cuisine. The hotel features a 10,000-square-foot spa, nearly 10,000 square feet of event space, and a 24-hour fitness center. It is part of Fairmont's portfolio of over 30 hotels in development.

🏡 St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and porcelain brand Ginori 1735 announced a global partnership with the first Café Ginori opening on November 26, 2024, in Florence. The initiative expands in early 2025 to The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi, with more sites to follow. The collaboration combines Italian craftsmanship with St. Regis's luxury, offering a multi-sensory dining journey and over 25 signature Italian dishes. The partnership, marking Ginori 1735's entry into textiles, will extend across Marriott International's Luxury Group in 2025.

📺 In Nashville, Tennessee, Uniguest introduced Uniguest Hub, a platform for streamlining digital communications. Uniguest Hub integrates digital signage, interactive TV, casting, room signage, and wayfinding into a cloud-based CMS for audience engagement. CEO Matt Goche emphasizes the platform's ability to enhance brand presence, offer a return on investment, and support various industries with its modular technologies and comprehensive features.

🍴 Founded in 2013, Winnow develops AI tools for chefs to reduce food waste by up to 50%. Operating in 85 countries at over 2,700 locations with brands like Hilton and Marriott, Winnow's technology helps save $70 million annually, preventing 50 million meals from being wasted. Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans cut food waste by 48% with Winnow AI since July 2023, saving an annualized $65,000. Winnow's significant innovation, Winnow Vision, uses computer vision to track food waste in real-time, driving effective waste reduction and substantial cost savings.