Innovation

🚗 The Lodging Conference, an essential hotel industry event, occurs annually in Phoenix as summer transitions to fall. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport visitors have been intrigued by Waymo's autonomous taxis, especially after the company secured a $5.6-billion funding round for expansion. Driverless Waymo vehicles are available in cities including Phoenix, L.A., and San Francisco. A human driver's assistance, highlighted by a traveler's struggle with a malfunctioning Waymo vehicle trunk, contrasts the convenience of technology. Culinary Dropout, a Scottsdale restaurant, offers exceptional service, showcasing the value of human interaction in hospitality.

🏕️ Hilton partnered with AutoCamp in February and Hyatt with Under Canvas in July to enter the "glamping" market, boosting their loyalty programs with diverse, nature-focused experiences. AutoCamp uses Airstream travel trailers and operates six locations, with two more opening in 2023 and one in 2025. Under Canvas, founded in 2009 with its first site in 2012, has locations that range from 40 to 750 acres near national parks. Hilton's 2025 Trends Report notes that 25% of travelers seek unique experiences, and 20% aim for outdoor adventures. An Under Canvas location costs up to $25 million, with KSL Capital providing equity and market knowledge, and Blackstone as a lender. Collective Retreats, a competitor, since 2015, has raised over $40 million and has locations across the U.S. with plans for international expansion, including Saudi Arabia's NEOM project.

🍷 East London's Nightjar speakeasy launched 'Recalling' cocktail menu with 28 cocktails categorized into Pre-Prohibition, Prohibition, Post-War, and Nightjar Classics. Dizzy Sour and Godfather exemplify the menu's complex, quality-focused concoctions. Bar Manager Sebastiano Cristofano emphasized sustainable, high-quality ingredients for enhanced flavors and environmental responsibility. The menu maintains Nightjar's tradition of innovation and live music in an iconic atmosphere.

💸 STAAH's technology solutions have increased online bookings for SwaRa Group's Malhar Machi Mountain Resort and Jalsrushti Island Resort by 50% YOY and stabilized ARR growth at 20%. The resorts offer unique amenities such as Southeast Asia’s longest zipline and a petting farm, emphasizing organic and sustainable living. STAAH's tools include Channel Manager, Booking Engine, PMS Integration, Payment Gateway, and WatchMyRate, aiding SwaRa Group in optimizing their online presence and operations.

📱 Apple has begun implementing hotel room streaming for its users, indicating a shift to the early majority phase in technology diffusion. The integration features simple, Apple-approved design with QR code access, allowing guests to AirPlay content seamlessly to their hotel room TVs. This new era eliminates the need for hardware installations, enhances security and privacy, and aims to replicate a home-from-home experience, potentially increasing guest satisfaction and retention.

📌 A study of 5,000 travelers showed Chinese travelers 60% focus on major attractions, Europeans at 20%, with the latter preferring unique experiences. The Uber and Expedia deal, speculated for synergies, was called off by Barry Diller. No substantial consumer benefit was seen from the merger, contrasting frequent ride bookings with infrequent travel purchases. Hotel automation is seen more in mundane back-office tasks than in customer-facing robotics, suggesting a rise in AI-driven operations. Connected trips, once the domain of travel agents, are being rebundled, potentially facilitated by AI, but with travel agents retaining value through risk management.

🔔 Hospitality industry's innovation hindered by CEOs often coming from within the sector; call for new metrics from diverse industries. Example: "On-time Delivery" KPI, successful deliveries/total deliveries * 100 = OTD rate. Proposed hospitality metrics: 'On-time Room Availability Rate' and 'On-time Service Delivery Rate' to enhance punctuality and efficiency, aiming to increase guest satisfaction and loyalty.

📢 Mews acquired Quotelo, marking their tenth acquisition and third hospitality software product after Bizzon (Mews POS) and Nomi (AI-powered tour guide). Quotelo is a French-based innovative event management solution catering to the hospitality industry. Over 1,500 properties manage multiple space types through Mews, and Quotelo will be fully integrated by 2025, offering a new generation of customer-centric event hospitality, including digitalized quotations and bookings, enhanced planning visibility, and digital function sheets.