Innovation

🏗️ Three companies, including Eversendai and Webuild, have withdrawn from the NEOM megaproject's Line and Trojena ski resort in Saudi Arabia, impacting construction in the Tabuk mountains. Hyundai Engineering & Consulting's tunnel contract for the Line was also canceled. Meanwhile, the Trojena ski resort will no longer host the 2029 Asian Winter Games. Despite these setbacks, Eversendai reports stability in its other regional projects.

📈 US hotel RevPAR jumped 8.3% nationally, with San Francisco's remarkable 121.1% surge driven by the RSA Conference. AI tools now allow hotel marketers to create website campaigns in seconds, replacing weeks of manual work. This advancement helps smaller teams match OTA sophistication by generating complete campaign assets rapidly. The RSA Conference created a supply-demand imbalance, elevating pricing power and illustrating the temporary impacts of major events on hotel markets.

📈 On average, 98% of hotel website visitors leave without booking. The focus should be on converting existing traffic through website personalization, a key strategy for hotel marketing teams to enhance margins and gain guest insights. Despite knowing the strategy, execution was hindered by time, resources, and technical challenges. AI is now transforming hotel marketing by facilitating real-time personalization and removing execution bottlenecks, allowing hotels to optimize direct bookings efficiently and compete effectively in the market.

📺 Google Ads' Veo tool offers early access for video ad creation. It generates up to 10-second videos from static images, allowing two variations per generation. Users can add headlines, logos, and branding details. Music selection is automated, with five text and transition templates available. Tests with a grocer showed strong results, while wet shaving kits had mixed outcomes. Mechanical models impressed with appropriate animation. Veo suits consumer brands with clear visuals but lacks feedback mechanisms and consistency for reliable results.

🎧 Spotify introduces new ad formats and tools, enhancing engagement for brands. Sponsored Playlists now allow brands like Cricket Wireless 100% share of voice on popular playlists such as RapCaviar and New Music Friday. Carousel Ads, tested by brands like Priceline, offer a swipeable format with up to six cards. New campaign tools include split testing and automated bidding, improving performance. The Sound-On Era report, based on 5,000 consumers and 105 advertisers, highlights evolving consumer audio engagement.

📊 In Dubai's F&B market, a marketing team of three manages five brands, aided by a social media and PR agency. Over 12 months, they launched two new concepts and executed 18 tailored email campaigns. Using five tools—n8n, Make, Claude, Google Sheets, Microsoft Teams—automations handle guest reviews, content production, and competitor monitoring, streamlining operations without extra headcount. The approach focuses on designing efficient workflows and strong SOPs, maximizing team productivity.

💻 At Actabl, AI asset setup is transforming hotel workflows by speeding up technology setup and time-to-value. Snap equipment photos, and AI quickly builds asset profiles, enabling preventive maintenance and avoiding outages and expenses. This offering showcases AI's real value in the hotel industry. Special thanks to Emma Christensen, Roger Robles, Jerimi Ford, Stephen German, and the Actabl team for their efforts. Explore more at: [link](https://lnkd.in/eK9A96a7).

💻 In 2025, OTAs are projected to hold 63% of online hotel bookings for independents, with AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini citing OTAs over 50% of the time, primarily Booking.com. While hotels can secure 56% of direct AI-assisted bookings by controlling their content, most miss out due to lack of visibility. OTAs currently hold 55% of global online bookings. The challenge is mastering structured content to bypass the 15–25% commission channels.

🏨 In hospitality, guest ownership is a myth. The real battle is for influence, which is fragmented across platforms like Instagram, ChatGPT, TripAdvisor, and Booking.com. Hotels often err by focusing on control through direct bookings, CRM, and loyalty programs, missing the fact that decisions form much earlier. Successful hotels build preference, clarity, and trust before booking, ensuring they become the obvious choice rather than a mere commodity. The key question: "Where are we losing the decision?