Innovation

🛫 Deloitte's 2025 Holiday Travel Survey highlights that 54% of Americans plan to travel between Thanksgiving and mid-January, with a budget of $2,334—18% less than 2024. Gen Z and millennials make up half of holiday travelers, cutting budgets by 31%. Generative AI usage for planning will jump to 24%. Travelers expect fewer flights, with 47% flying for their longest trip, down from 55% in 2024. Economic worries prompt budget trimming, impacting travel providers.

📈 AAHOA and Kalibri have partnered in Atlanta, Georgia, to provide hotel owners with tools for profitability and asset performance. Members get exclusive pricing on Kalibri’s Profit Platform and access the Certified Hotel Profit Strategist (CHPS) Program. This initiative aims at empowering owners with data-driven insights for profit growth. AAHOA faces challenging times, focusing on sustaining profit margins. Upcoming is the Certified Hotel Profit Analyst (CHPA) Program in 2026, enhancing analytical skills.

📈 Eric Bergsten at CIC Hospitality reports Atomize’s automation boosts revenue by over 20%, saving 30+ hours monthly per property. Fredrik Ternsjö of Ligula Hospitality Group praises its efficiency. Atomize, a Mews company, processes data in real time, 24/7, up to 730 days ahead, enabling hotels to adapt quickly to market shifts. Nearly 70% of customers use its autopilot feature for dynamic pricing, enhancing revenue and operational efficiency.

📈 **Marriott/Sonder Breakup:** Marriott and Sonder ended their partnership. Marriott acted swiftly due to unknown urgent reasons. The tech-hospitality divide impacted their collaboration, showing the challenge of integrating tech into hospitality. **AI/Tech in Travel:** Marriott is shifting travel searches from destinations to passions, aiming for sustainable tourism. **Hotel Industry Challenges:** Hotels face talent retention issues, with AI seen more as a checkbox than a solution. **AI in Creativity:** Meta's AI demands creative automation, indicating a shift towards AI-driven ad strategies.

🏨 Chet Pipkin, founder of Belkin and Desolation Hotel, integrates decades of consumer tech experience into hospitality. He's employing technology to streamline guest experiences, from EV charging to seamless bike checkouts. Chet emphasizes removing friction and solving issues, focusing on guests and staff. His approach simplifies systems to enhance service. Explore the episode for practical insights on elevating technology use in hospitality. Music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound accompanies the show.

💳 Berlin, Germany, November 13, 2025 – Shiji launched new payment functionality for Daylight PMS, powered by Stellaris Digital Payby. This integration allows hotels to manage payments, pre-authorizations, and cards directly within the PMS, enhancing efficiency and security. It supports PCI DSS and 3DS PSD2 compliance. Shiji, with 5,000 employees, provides tech solutions to over 91,000 hotels globally. This feature helps streamline workflows and improve financial accuracy.

💰 Hotel fraud targets hotels by exploiting vulnerabilities in payment systems, online bookings, and loyalty programs. High volumes of sensitive data make hotels prime targets. Common fraud types include credit card fraud, phishing, and employee misconduct. Fraud leads to financial loss, operational strain, and loss of guest trust. Detection involves monitoring unusual requests and payment attempts. Prevention strategies include secure payment systems, staff training, and regular audits. AI and automation are pivotal for future fraud prevention.

💸 Sonder's liquidation follows the collapse of its Marriott deal. Despite branding as a "tech-enabled hospitality" disruptor, it relied on traditional hotel operations like room leasing and renovations. Sonder's $2.2B SPAC valuation in 2022 was driven by tech hype rather than solid unit economics. Similar to WeWork, its capital-intensive model faltered due to thin margins. The lesson: tech must be backed by strong operational execution.

✈️ European air travel volume increased by 4.4%, while airfares rose by 4.6% last year, according to SAP Concur data. At the GBTA + VDR Europe Conference in Hamburg, SAP Concur introduced AI-powered features to improve business travel efficiency and compliance. Yet, 69% of travel managers and 81% of CFOs find insufficient budgets hinder necessary travel. SAP's Joule AI, integrated into Concur Travel & Expense, offers assistance by automating tasks and enhancing spend management.

🌐 Revolut, Mews, RateGain, and Juniper Group have been active in the travel industry's M&A market, announcing acquisitions within a month. Japan-based JTB Corporation acquired Northstar Travel Group, while Travolution was acquired by eventiz, a Travelsoft subsidiary. Travolution will operate independently, led by existing editor Kate Harden-England. Plans include integrating Tom.travel into Travolution, ensuring editorial impartiality. Travolution's exclusive event on December 2 will precede its major awards night.