Innovation

💻 Lobby raises USD 2.2 million from Founderful to enhance its AI platform for automating group bookings beyond hospitality. The investment includes Pascal Mathis joining the board. The AI processes group requests in 30 seconds, understanding over 100 languages. It integrates with Gmail, Outlook, and hotel systems. Lobby, founded in 2025, targets MICE, transport, and cruise sectors. Technical integrations take four days, onboarding two days, offering full or human-assisted automation.

🗺️ Voyagier has launched a travel planning platform integrating discovery, personalization, and booking. It features four key components: Verified Discovery, Personalized Intelligence, Agentic Booking, and Embedded Expertise. Built on Sabre Mosaic, with integrations to Viator and Stripe, it supports autonomous booking and advisor input for complex plans. Open for use, it offers tiered memberships, including free access. Influencers like Jenny Cipoletti are collaborating. Daniel Gardner, CEO, emphasizes action over ideas, aiming for seamless travel experiences.

🌏 Announced on 26 March 2026, Cruisebound's new "Search by Map" feature is now live. This tool enhances cruise planning by allowing users to explore itineraries through an interactive map, simplifying the process. Johan Villamil, lead software engineer, and COO Claire Gibbons emphasize its user-friendly design and dynamic itinerary visualization. Cruisebound, founded in 2022, offers an extensive range of sailings, transparent pricing, and no booking fees, aiming to streamline cruise discovery and booking.

💸 Mar 27, 2026, Navan reported 35% revenue growth to $178 million in Q4, with booking volume up 42% to $2.3 billion. RFP activity surged "hundreds of percent," driven by industry consolidation and vendor reassessment. Subscription revenue rose 29%. Despite geopolitical tensions, Navan foresees 30% growth next quarter and 24% for fiscal 2027. Net losses increased due to investment costs, but corporate travel demand remains strong.

📅 Mar 27, 2026, CEO Glenn Fogel of Booking Holdings warns that AI platforms like Google's Gemini and ChatGPT could concentrate power in hotel distribution, disadvantaging smaller hotels. Booking.com, a former disruptor, now faces potential marginalization by AI acting as a new aggregator above hotels and OTAs. The issue centers on who controls customer relationships. Hotels may shift dependency from OTAs to AI, risking further loss of leverage. Strengthening direct relationships remains crucial.

📅 Varun Shetty, GM of The Belfry, will speak at the Hotel Owner Conference on 3rd November 2026 at Prince Philip House, London. With nearly 30 years in hospitality, Shetty led The Belfry's £85m expansion, reducing staff turnover by 50% and achieving record revenues. The Belfry was named 'Best Employer' at the Springboard Awards. The event focuses on responsible tourism and AI, promoting leadership and industry excellence. Tickets are available online.