Innovation

🏥 Global telehealth platform Doctorsa launched in the UK, providing urgent care services to travelers and residents, particularly outside typical surgery hours. Founded in Italy, Doctorsa expanded internationally in early 2024, now active in 33 countries with 500 doctors, servicing over 100,000 users. The platform responds to international travel's healthcare demand, with 1.4 billion traveling annually and 10% requiring healthcare. The UK, attracting 37 million tourists in 2023 and being the seventh most visited country, now benefits from Doctorsa's network of 10 local doctors, aiming to double by year's end. Top Doctorsa doctors earn up to €20,000 monthly, in a €40 billion online urgent care market.

🌱 Neon Greens, a quick-service salad restaurant in St. Louis, Mo., features its own 400-square-foot vertical hydroponic farm, producing an equivalent yield of three acres of 80 lettuce varieties used in their salads. Founder Josh Smith emphasizes radical transparency in sourcing, highlighting that conventional lettuce is often two to three weeks old when it arrives from California and Arizona. The hydroponic farm requires substantial machinery maintenance and was installed using a 150-foot crane. Neon Greens focuses on lettuce due to its high yield and quick growth, avoiding crops like kale with longer maturation times. The restaurant makes an environmental impact by saving on water—using only 2,500 gallons annually per farm versus 900,000 gallons in six months for traditional farming—and practices recycling and composting. While currently less cost-efficient due to operating a single location, Smith aims to reduce lettuce costs through expansion and economies of scale.

📌 A PMS integration should separate essential, core, and peripheral services, with essentials like property and channel management on a single platform. Core functions like guest communications and performance tracking should be streamlined. Peripheral services, such as marketing and POS, can be integrated via open APIs. Ideally, employees should use no more than five systems, with front-desk staff using just one. Open APIs are crucial for adapting to new technologies and ensuring scalability. A PMS should be easy to use, requiring minimal training, and capable of growing with the business. Scalability is a priority, and CIOs must ensure their PMS can handle diverse property types. A hybrid strategy of an all-in-one system with open APIs avoids costly integration pitfalls.

💳 In the 2024 POS Software Trends Study, 84% of restaurants plan to enhance POS software with new features; 50% are developing mobile POS solutions. Over half of diners wish to order (66%) and pay (58%) via mobile, while 32% prefer table-side payment in full-service restaurants. Flexibility and user-friendly interfaces are essential for POS systems. Additionally, 82% of guests desire loyalty program discounts, and 59% of operators aim to boost digital customer engagement. Operators are integrating POS data for personalized guest experiences (85%), loyalty programs (60%), upsell promotions (54%), and tailored offers (51%). Yet, only 30% are satisfied with vendor innovation, with 85% prioritizing system integration. By 2030, POS will likely use AI for predictive analytics and offer autonomous ordering.

📍 Palladium Hotel Group's Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts introduces Grand Palladium Select Collection in prime locations with premium services, starting January 2025 at Costa Mujeres, followed by Ibiza in summer 2025, and Punta Cana in December 2025. This luxury tier offers a la carte dining, themed restaurants, exclusive bars, Italian-style gelateria, poolside fitness, concierge service, and special rates for entertainment like CHIC Cabaret. It complements Grand Palladium's diverse portfolio including Family Selection and The Signature Level.

🏢 BDNY returned to the Javits Center on November 10-11, attracting over 15,700 professionals, a 5% increase from the previous year. The event showcased 770+ exhibitors and featured 50+ discussions with nearly 200 experts. Dine & Design debuted and will become a main Designed Space in 2025. Awards included Best in Show by Dedon Inc., and the 35th Annual Platinum Circle Awards honored contributions to hospitality design. The next BDNY is scheduled for November 9-10, 2025.

🏗 Faroboats won the Innovative Design Solution category at the IBI Boat Builders Awards 2024, which took place in Amsterdam on November 21st. The Boat Builder Awards, celebrating its 10th anniversary, recognized 11 winners and 3 Honourable Mentions across 11 categories including design and innovation. Individuals and companies from 15 countries were acknowledged, with special mentions to Gulf Craft’s Mohammed Hussein AlShaali for Lifetime Achievement and IMPACD Boats founder Marieke de Boer as the 2024 Rising Star.

🍫 Şekerci Cafer Erol, a Turkish confectionery brand with 218 years of history, launched its first European flagship store in Knightsbridge, London, next to Harrods. The store features 370 unique products, including the viral Dubai chocolate, now available in the UK. Hakan Erol, Fatih Koca, and Prof Dr Ali Murat Soydan spearheaded the opening, aiming at cultural promotion and introducing London to Turkish hospitality. The Knightsbridge store offers an exclusive taste of luxury and plans for global expansion across Europe, the Gulf, and the USA are underway.

🏕️ Derek De Salvia, Executive VP and Chief Customer Officer at Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV), reveals HGV's innovation in vacation ownership on Nov. 26, 2024. HGV's transformation includes flexible, experience-centric timeshare models and the Ultimate Access platform offering memorable experiences. De Salvia discusses "Inspired Hospitality," customer listening for innovation, building generational loyalty through personalization, the significance of the Chief Customer Officer role, and evolving family travel dynamics. The episode is sponsored by Roomza, featuring a pilot program and a free Hotel Personalization Starter Kit.

🏩 Noida, 26th November 2024: RateGain partners with Kamat Hotels (India) Limited, aiming to boost direct bookings and enhance guest acquisition across 18 luxury properties. RateGain's AI-powered SaaS, including UNO Demand Booster, will enhance Kamat Hotels' digital presence and ROAS, leveraging precise targeting and automated bidding. KHIL, founded in 1986 with over 85 years of legacy, leads in eco-sensitive hospitality with its flagship, The Orchid, and other heritage and leisure resorts.