Innovation

💨 Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton, and Hard Rock prioritize indoor air quality (IAQ) post-COVID-19. Upgrades in air purification enhance guest and staff well-being, offering operational benefits like energy savings and regulatory compliance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports $60 billion annual losses due to poor IAQ causing absenteeism and low productivity. Real-time IAQ monitoring optimizes efficiency, boosts sustainability, and differentiates hotels by improving guest experience and employee health.

📈 Profound generational shifts redefine luxury beyond mere possession, focusing on experiences, meaning, and personal transformation. Diverse client bases, from "aspiring luxury" to Ultra-HNWI, drive demand with high expectations for sustainability, seamless technology, and emotional engagement. Luxury hospitality must strategically adapt to this fragmented demand landscape to remain relevant.

✈️ In 2026, 64% of Brits plan to travel abroad but only 38% have booked flights. Skyscanner introduced the Cheapest Destination Planner tool, revealing top 10 affordable destinations like Lyon, Milan, and Madrid. Just 2% of Brits expected Friday as the cheapest day to fly, yet analysis shows it is. Concerns about cost (62%) and destination indecision (54%) are barriers. Flights to certain destinations are less than £136 return.

📈 Agnelo Fernandes, CEO of Cote Hospitality, discusses 2025's hospitality trends. He emphasizes that people and culture will define industry success over technology and AI. He highlights the increasing complexity of the guest journey and the structural nature of labor challenges. Agnelo notes that even the best technology fails without strong teams, offering insights on leadership and culture. For hospitality leaders facing rapid changes, this discussion provides valuable guidance on sustaining competitive advantage.

📊 In 2025, the hospitality industry grapples with AI’s role in revenue management. While AI excels in data analysis and automation, it lacks the strategic insight of human expertise. Hotels relying solely on AI face inconsistent pricing and missed opportunities. RevOptimum advocates a hybrid approach, combining AI tools with human strategic judgment. Their Revenue & Visibility Assessment helps hotels achieve clarity and sustained growth, ensuring technology enhances rather than replaces strategic decision-making.

💻 In modern hospitality, tech is vital: automation boosts efficiency, while data tools enable real-time pricing. However, frequent context switching—1,200 times daily—cuts productivity by 40%. Post-interruption refocus takes 23 minutes. Demand Calendar centralizes data, reducing tool toggling. It offers a unified platform for Revenue Managers, Sales, and Finance, enhancing decision-making and collaboration. Embrace centralized intelligence to eliminate "Toggle Tax" and maximize efficiency—empower teams to focus on strategizing and guest interaction.

💻 As 2026 nears, Agentic AI is set to lead hospitality industry discussions. Its adoption will rise, automating decisions and insights. However, the focus should remain on human connection, not just technology. A case of an airline loyalty downgrade highlights the risk of over-reliance on algorithms. Efficiency gained may result in lost loyalty. The challenge for 2026 is balancing tech with service, ensuring tech enables rather than replaces human interaction. Infor supports over 60,000 organizations globally.

🤖 Executives are investing quickly in agentic AI, yet less than 25% understand it, risking hidden cloud costs, compliance issues, and poor talent choices. Unlike chatbots, agentic AI is an orchestrator breaking tasks into sub-agents, like a triaging nurse in an emergency room. Leaders must comprehend its architecture to mitigate risks and control outcomes, as adoption is outpacing understanding. Effective governance is crucial for reducing costs and risks associated with agentic AI.

🚀 2026 is a pivotal year with major changes in the digital ecosystem. In 2025, Mirai revamped their services, focusing on AI and a new booking engine for higher conversion. Highlights include a 1% increase in conversions by displaying unavailable rooms, smart filters, and multi-room booking. Strategic updates in Business Intelligence began in April with detailed sales reports. Integration with systems like Mews ensures robust connectivity for hoteliers. These advancements position businesses for success in 2026.