Innovation

💸 European taxi app, Freenow by Lyft, partners with Concur Expense to streamline business travel expense management. New integration allows automatic syncing of employee rosters to Freenow Admin Panel, linking profiles to SAP® Concur accounts. This eliminates manual setup and automates expense reports, sending receipts directly to Concur Expense. Benefits include simplified management, complete transparency, better compliance, and increased employee satisfaction. David Koral from Freenow highlights faster reporting and reduced paperwork.

💻 Vincent Ramelli, CEO of LodgIQ, has been pivotal in hospitality tech evolution since the internet's inception. With LodgIQ, generative AI simplifies revenue management for over 550 hotels, enhancing decision-making. Meta-search innovation with Google and TripAdvisor transformed hotel sales, generating up to 40% revenue. LodgIQ's AI provides automated, yet understandable, insights for independent and chain hotels, combining data with human expertise. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, LodgIQ also has offices in New York City and Bangalore.

📈 Dallas, Texas, September 2025: Mews, a leading hospitality operating system, has been chosen by 907 Main as its new property management system. In this month, Mews achieved an average onboarding time of just 8 days, with 80% of hotels going live within 30 days. Mews partners with Lark Hospitality, which manages around 75 boutique hotels in North America. Founded by Rob Blood, Lark focuses on tech-forward, people-first hotel management with a portfolio including Lark Hotels and Life House.

🏨 Radisson Hotel Group launches Creator Hub, connecting nano influencers (1,000-30,000 followers) with 210+ hotels globally. Influencers receive non-monetary three-night stays for two, crafting content that aligns with Radisson’s brand. This initiative bolsters authenticity and innovation. By 2026, expansion into new markets is planned. Created in collaboration with Apple Tree, the platform leverages social media to enhance genuine storytelling, aiming for broader engagement and brand awareness. Apply via Instagram or TikTok for participation.

💻 In spring 2025, Google introduced an AI-driven feature called Agentic Commerce, now widely available, enhancing search with agentic capabilities. This AI mode, using Google's Gemini, performs deep, real-time searches across 351 sites, such as Yelp and OpenTable, for restaurant reservations in San Francisco. Though still in testing, it aims for seamless, in-window bookings, potentially changing travel discovery by reducing intermediary reliance. Google may monetize through transaction fees and promotional listings.

📱 In 2–3 years, hotels will adopt voice AI for handling guest calls, enabling multilingual communication and actions like bookings. Last year, Onsai began introducing this tech at ITB Berlin. Recently, at The Hospitality Show in Denver, BluIP Inc. showcased Voice AI, prompting discussions on the future of call center roles. Human interaction is still valued for personal hospitality experiences. Success lies in blending automation with genuine connections to enhance guest loyalty.

📈 In 2025, Google's AI Overviews (AIOs) dramatically impacted search click-through rates (CTR). Organic CTR decreased from 2.74% in June 2024 to 1.62% by September 2025, a 41% drop. Paid CTRs showed a 68% decline for AIO queries, from 19.70% to 6.34%. Being cited in AIOs improved performance: organic clicks rose by 35%, paid clicks by 91%. Google’s AI Overviews are reshaping search behaviors significantly as we move into 2026.

📆 Survey of hotel sales professionals shows a 58% vs. 42% split in lead management: 58% enter every lead into their system immediately, while 42% wait to qualify leads. System-first teams prioritize data capture for accuracy and forecasting. Proposal-first teams focus on immediate engagement. AI tools like ProposalPath Assistant streamline proposal creation, aiding both approaches by enhancing speed and personalization. This balance can be crucial in competitive markets, improving conversion rates without altering established workflows.

🏨 CIOs, CFOs, and VPs from major lodging companies joined educators and advisors in focus groups at HITEC 2025. They envisioned the "Guestroom of 2075" with intelligent bedrooms, adaptive architecture, and tech-driven labor models. 31 professionals spotlighted AI and LLMs as vital. Predictions included AI-regulated sleep environments, biophilic designs, and robots in housekeeping. The industry's future hinges on cultural and operational shifts, with ethical data systems and adaptive designs already in motion.