Innovation

📺 Hotel TV is evolving into a digital touchpoint impacting guest satisfaction and revenue. Key stakeholders—owners, operators, and brands—align infrastructure with guest experience, focusing on personalization. Technological partners like Samsung and SONIFI enhance seamless user interfaces while leveraging AI and cloud services to improve content delivery and reduce latency. Balancing revenue generation and cost, TV systems enable transactions and targeted promotions. Priorities include cost reduction, content variety, and support, aiming for a home-like experience in hotels.

💻 MCLEAN, Virginia—The HSMAI Foundation's report, "How Generative AI is Reshaping Executive Hiring in Hospitality," highlights AI's impact on recruitment. SearchWide Global noted a 60-80% reduction in workloads, with AI boosting efficiency and expanding candidate pools. AI tools are used by 44% of organizations, reducing time-to-hire by up to 86%. Leadership roles now require analytics fluency, with 30-40% emphasizing this. AI identifies nontraditional talent, broadening diversity in leadership.

📈 14:00 – 15:00 GMT, online and free to attend. Learn how GEO marketing differs from SEO, its impact on hotel visibility, and AI optimization for bookings. Ideal for hotel owners, developers, and C-suite executives. Join over 7,000 professionals for interactive sessions with real-time Q&A. Hosted by BHN editor Eloise Hanson. Speaker details to be confirmed.

📰 Marketing Convergence: A significant tech acquisition merges demand intelligence and performance marketing. Distribution Defense: A major GDS is countering the rise of Agentic AI. Operational Integrity: Essential tech ensures high-volume casino cash flow. Automated Service: A fast-food giant launches an AI and robotics-driven restaurant model. Travel Infrastructure: Advances in sub-orbital tech aim to shrink global distances. The Smart PMS: A cutting-edge PMS acquires intelligence for autonomous hotel operations. #HospitalityTech #TravelTech

🛒 Shopify stores, including Glossier, SKIMS, and Spanx, are now live on ChatGPT. Users can make purchases via a new black Buy button without leaving the platform. This feature was announced nearly two months ago alongside an Etsy integration and briefly tested three weeks ago. Currently, there is no support for Shop Pay or Afterpay installment payments. While functional, issues such as incorrect product categorization and missing discount information persist. Glossier faces challenges with customer retargeting and marketing communication restrictions.

🍴 Hotel food and beverage (F&B) remains a major revenue source, with luxury properties making up about one-third of total hotel revenue. Post-pandemic, 2024 F&B revenue is 81% of 2019 levels, after inflation. Labor costs rose nearly 15% in 2024, affecting margins. Innovative F&B strategies, like those at Wind Creek Chicago Southland, emphasize creating distinctive dining experiences with renowned chefs like Fabio Viviani. Hotels must optimize real estate for F&B to boost revenue, using creative, data-driven approaches.

🚢 In Saint-Nazaire, France, the keel for Orient Express Olympian was laid at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, marking the start of its construction. The yacht will be 220 meters long, featuring 17 sections and utilizing SolidSail technology. It will be powered by 4,500m² sails and LNG engines, with delivery slated for spring 2027. Meanwhile, Orient Express Corinthian begins sea trials in December, with its Mediterranean voyage set for May 2026. Reservations for 2026 and 2027 are now open.

📈 Europe faces increasing tourism disruptions due to climate extremes like floods and heatwaves. The Horizon MYRIAD-EU project, notably supported by HOTREC, promotes a multi-risk resilience framework, aligning with the EU Green Deal. Key strategies include mapping interdependencies across sectors and adopting dynamic scenario-based modelling. Policy recommendations urge integrating MYRIAD-EU’s framework into tourism planning and enhancing public-private cooperation with incentives. A call to action emphasizes proactive, customized crisis management to safeguard tourism ecosystems.

💻 Global travel tech firm, Sabre, unveiled SabreMosaic Concierge IQ, an AI-driven chat solution aiding travel plans, bookings, and management. Featuring LLM AI, it offers personalized packages, loyalty integration, and seamless itinerary management. Virgin Australia is the first adopter. Concierge IQ enhances customer experiences through fast, accurate responses and real-time data analysis. According to Garry Wiseman, Sabre's Chief Product & Technology Officer, it revolutionizes travel retailing, increasing loyalty and conversions.

📈 The Data Appeal Company has launched a revolutionary management tool for Destination Management Organisations (DMOs), tourism boards, and travel authorities, addressing the challenge of processing vast tourism data. It integrates geo-referenced, behavioral, and sentiment indicators and is supported by hundreds of datasets. Unlike generic AI solutions, it delivers context-specific insights and actionable recommendations, enabling faster and smarter decisions. The tool simplifies operations by replacing multiple dashboards, empowering teams to focus on strategic decisions.