Innovation

🏨 AI in 2026 is central to travel planning, offering personalized recommendations and influencing hotel choices. Ensuring visibility in AI-driven searches is vital for bookings. Hoteliers should enhance Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) by auditing their presence, optimizing websites, leveraging trusted media, and continuously adapting strategies. These steps align with traditional SEO practices. As AI evolves, maintaining relevance in AI-generated content is key for travel providers to inspire bookings and influence traveler decisions.

🏨 Hotels are shifting to unified guest experience platforms, ditching fragmented tech systems. Why? Reduced total cost of ownership, faster deployments, and enhanced security. A centralized system improves guest satisfaction and operational efficiency, offering a consistent experience across properties. This tech boosts brand reputation and supports growth with ease. By integrating check-ins, ID verification, payments, and more into one solution, hotels streamline operations and attract repeat customers, meeting modern expectations for a seamless, digital journey.

📰 December 2024, Omnicom and IPG merge, resulting in 4,000 job cuts, including many brand strategists. Technological shifts enable brands like Nike and Capital One to deliver real-time personalized services, making the old promise-based branding model obsolete. A 2024 Edelman study shows 67% of consumers value problem-solving over shared values. A McKinsey 2023 report reveals experiential utilities yield 3.2x ROI compared to traditional media spends. Brands must focus on services, not just promises, to adapt to this new landscape.

📈 In 2026, customer expectations remain high, with a focus on proactive service, valuing time, and personalizing experiences. Trust is crucial, and AI self-service is gaining acceptance, though live agents remain necessary. Employees expect similar experiences to customers, and AI supports both groups. Companies should be transparent about AI's role and ensure seamless customer interactions. These trends, highlighted in Shep Hyken's Forbes column, emphasize blending human and AI interactions for optimal customer service.

💻 Despite widespread interest in AI, the h2c 2025 AI & Automation Study highlights that only 8% of organizations globally, and 4% in Europe, have a company-wide AI strategy. Additionally, 72% lack a dedicated budget for AI, and under 25% have the necessary centralized data structures. Automation, crucial for consistency and operational stability, is prioritized over AI deployment, with just 11% of organizations having autonomous AI agents, despite 40% planning to introduce them.

🏨 Hospitality industry explores AI for managing customer reviews. AI's role in reviews might affect hotel ratings and pricing. A decade-old study by ReviewPro and Cornell University highlighted a correlation between sentiment index and room rates. AI platforms like Revinate and TrustYou enhance online reputation management by analyzing feedback and generating insights. They offer automatic response systems and sentiment analysis, potentially transforming feedback into actionable marketing strategies.

💻 Twelve years after selling Fjord to Accenture, the author reflects on design's evolution over 30 years and its future with AI. Key insights include the importance of human-centric design, design's impact on profitability, and the role of design in navigating digital complexity. In 1993, "Convergence" marked a turning point for digital media. The 2000s emphasized cross-platform design, while the 2010s saw the rise and challenges of "Design Thinking." The future demands innovative design approaches to remain relevant.

💻 In 2025, a study by h2c shows only 8% of global hotel organizations have a company-wide AI strategy, dropping to 4% in Europe, with 72% lacking a dedicated AI budget. Despite 34% using AI assistants, only 11% have autonomous AI agents. Automation, not AI, is crucial for consistency and execution. Automation reduces manual work and stabilizes processes, enabling reliable AI implementation. RobosizeME specializes in AI-driven automation for hotels, ensuring efficient operations and data protection.