Innovation

📈 45% of hoteliers face integration challenges, hindering BI success. 62% lack expertise, complicating dashboard use. Data quality issues plague 32% of hotels, impairing AI effectiveness. Demand Calendar addresses these with a high-quality data warehouse and built-in AI analysis. By 2030, automation will be prevalent, with functions like revenue management evolving. Currently, only 6% of hotel chains have comprehensive AI strategies, highlighting the need for robust BI tools focusing on data quality and integration.

📈 WeRoad, since 2017, addresses solo traveler loneliness, hitting $100M revenue, $160M projected in 2025 with 30% margins. 🏸 Agentic AI, highlighted by Robert Silk, improves booking flows with tools from Google and others, shrinking the search-plan-book gap. 💼 Marriott-Sonder's partnership, adding 9,000 rentals, collapsed, with Marriott seeking $17.7M in court. 📉 ChatGPT's November 30, 2022 launch marked a generative AI boom, boosting sector players like Expedia and Booking by 2.5x.

💻 My Place Hotels launched Market Force in 2025 in Aberdeen, South Dakota. This platform merges AI-powered pricing, forecasting, and market intelligence tools to enhance franchisee support. Market Force integrates My RevPulse for AI-driven revenue management and Kalibri Labs' Hummingbird Commercial for market-specific insights. The aim is to help franchisees outperform competitors and adapt rapidly. COO Matt Campbell and VP Jeff Wermager emphasize its role in maximizing property potential and navigating the dynamic hospitality landscape.

📱 ChatGPT Apps launched to 800 million users, 133 times more than the iPhone App Store's initial reach in 2008. This marks the first major shift in travel discovery since Google's influence 25 years ago. Booking.com and Expedia have integrated with ChatGPT, enabling direct hotel bookings through AI. The backend of ChatGPT Apps uses the MCP protocol by Anthropic, adopted by major AI companies. Establishing AI connections early provides hotels with visibility and brand control in this rapidly evolving ecosystem.

📈 Respond within five minutes to inquiries to capture 90% of business. Lead quality drops 50% by 10 minutes, 25% by 20 minutes. Use automation and tech like omnichannel inboxes, AI-generated responses, and unified guest profiles to maintain lead quality. Revinate powers 950+ million Rich Guest Profiles across 12,500+ hotels, driving over $17.2 billion in direct revenue. Incremental improvements can enhance conversion rates, supporting hotel teams in adapting to fast-paced tech-driven hospitality.

📃 Saladplate, as part of Informa Markets, serves as the hub for the Hospitality, Food, and Beverage sector, offering insights into industry trends. It features weekly news, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-monthly e-magazine. The platform connects users with over 10,000 brands and provides updates on more than 35 international trade events.

💡 Google has begun displaying sponsored ads within its conversational AI Mode, marking a significant step in monetizing its generative AI search experience. This move distinguishes Google's AI Mode from competitors like ChatGPT, which doesn't have an advertising infrastructure. The development raises questions about future ad placements, such as integration into AI responses. Credit for this insight goes to Greg Sterling and Brodie Clark.

💻 AI is transforming the hotel industry. According to h2c’s study, 78% of hotel chains use AI, with 89% planning more applications. By 2030, over 40% of hoteliers expect full automation in various functions. Google’s AI tool, PMTG, boosts conversions by 262% this year. La Chambre du Marais achieved a 4.43% conversion rate through PMTG, far above the industry’s 2% average. Data challenges exist, with 41% of hotels struggling, but 51% now use CRM for personalization.

✈️ Abu Dhabi Airports (ADA) and SITA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-develop an AI-driven Intelligent Total Airport Management (iTAM) platform. This platform aims to integrate real-time data and insights across Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, enhancing disruption detection, resource optimization, and passenger experiences. The collaboration positions Abu Dhabi as a leader in digital airport innovation, aiming to set a new global benchmark for smart, seamless journeys.

💳 Juspay, a global payment tech company, partners with Sabre to revolutionize travel payments. By 2026, online bookings are expected to hit $1.2 trillion, making up 65% of travel transactions. This collaboration will enhance conversions, security, and customer experience, providing travel businesses with scalable, sector-specific capabilities like local payment methods and cross-border payments. Juspay will integrate its tokenization solution to boost transaction security. This partnership aims to streamline operations and deliver seamless payment experiences globally.