Innovation

👁 Hilton partnered with the Be My Eyes app, focusing on American and Canadian guests who are blind or have low vision, providing AI-powered assistance and dedicated support to navigate hotel stays. The service connects users to specially trained Hilton agents for help with in-room features and hotel amenities. Hilton's portfolio includes brands like Waldorf Astoria and Hampton. The partnership began in 2023 to improve the “Be My AI” feature and expanded with a specialized support team. Guests also benefit from digital self-service tools for a seamless stay.

🏨 Hoteliers maintaining control of their website is vital for direct bookings, brand consistency, and responding to trends. Experts in the "Own Your Hotel Website" series emphasize the hotel website's role in data capture, personalization, and guest engagement. Digital control allows for immediate updates, campaigns, and first-party data capture. The series also introduces "Own Your Hotel's AI Shift," focusing on leveraging AI in hospitality. Key contributors include Lindley Cotton, President of GCommerce Solutions, and Fred Bean, Founder & CEO of HotelPORT®.

🏨 Chatrium Hospitality, based in Thailand, partners with Shiji for digital transformation, implementing Shiji Enterprise Platform on October 15, 2024. Chatrium manages 11 properties under two brands with over 3,100 keys in Thailand, Myanmar, and Japan. The first to adopt the new system, Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok, enhances guest experience with Shiji PMS and cloud solutions. Shiji Group, founded in 1998, now has over 5,000 employees, 80+ subsidiaries, operates in 31 countries, and serves 91,000 hotels, 200,000 restaurants, and 600,000 retail outlets.

🚀 STAAH, a hotel distribution and guest acquisition software provider, partners with Welcome Pickups, which automates guest pickups and transfers. Welcome Pickups serves more than two million travelers annually, is active in over 300 destinations, and partners with 2500 hotels. The integration allows hotels using STAAH to offer seamless transportation services during booking. Welcome Pickups was founded in 2015 in Athens, Greece, aiming to provide a comprehensive travel experience.

🤖 MURTEC Executive Summit 2024 is set for October 21-23 at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, featuring sessions like "Robots to the Rescue." Qualified restaurant technology executives can attend for free with a $500 waiver using the code COMP500. Attendance is exclusive to industry operators with restrictions, while solution or service providers require sponsorship. Registrations are subject to approval.

🥣 Large restaurant chains and hotels prioritize balancing innovation and safety, employing new techniques like koji-cultured dry aging and controlled fermentation. AI advancements now allow the incorporation of peer-reviewed studies into validation plans, aiding compliance with food safety auditors. The Food Safety Modernization Act focuses on prevention, but technology enables chefs to use compliance for culinary innovation. Mark Haas, CEO of D&H Technologies and Helmsman Group, with over 30 years of experience, drives this innovation through AI-powered platforms like Regulate®.

💸 Recent analysis shows brands averaging £3.20 profit ROI from paid social, which contributes 9% of full profit volume. Influencer involvement increases ROI by 9% and social signal strength by 10%, while partnerships yield a 52% higher ROI compared to traditional paid social. Over 60% of social media users expect entertainment from ads. Paid social is set to become the largest global ad channel, overtaking search which was 68% larger less than a decade ago. The IPA reports less than 90% weekly reach for 16- to 24-year-olds and about 50% for those over 55 on social platforms. EssenceMediacom's GREAT planning framework addresses behaviour change, audience targeting, platform usage, purpose, and engagement strategy for improved paid social outcomes.

🏨 Marfa, Texas, is set to host the world's first 3D-printed hotel, with construction expected to be completed by 2026. The expansion of El Cosmico campground includes 43 hotel rooms and 18 homes. Liz Lambert partners with Icon, using their Vulcan 3D printer, which stands 15½ feet tall and weighs 4.75 tons, capable of crafting 12-foot-high curving walls. The innovative project also aims to address local housing needs, featuring 3D-printed affordable housing units.