Innovation

☕ Choice Hotels International, Inc. and Seattle’s Best Coffee are collaborating to enhance guest experiences. By next summer, over 2,000 Comfort and Country Inn & Suites locations will serve Seattle’s Best Coffee, featuring 100% Arabica beans from Latin America. The program has begun in pilot properties, with a broader rollout this fall. Jenny Aboudou from Choice Hotels highlights the importance of a quality coffee experience in starting the day right for their guests.

🚀 On 7th August 2025, the Google Cloud Technical Series – AI Agents Edition explored how AI Agents transform business operations using Google Cloud. Key insights included AI architecture integration with cloud services, enterprise use cases enhancing efficiency, and tools accelerating AI development. Responsible AI practices were emphasized. Participants expanded skills in data engineering, AI/ML, and cloud technologies, crucial for tech's future. Google Cloud facilitated this knowledge-sharing platform.

💻 Today marks a significant upgrade to Chrome, introducing Google AI enhancements. Gemini in Chrome is now available for Mac and Windows desktop users in the U.S., with support for English. Mobile access will soon follow. The AI aims to improve user experience by clarifying complex information and increasing productivity. Upcoming availability for businesses will include enterprise-grade protections. Users can activate Gemini on Android via the power button, with iOS integration to come soon.

💾 Google is rolling out Gemini on Chrome for all Mac and Windows desktop users in the U.S. as of Thursday. New features include AI Mode in the address bar, multi-tab work, and integration with Google apps like Calendar and Maps. Gemini aids in tasks like booking appointments and comparing shopping options, and it has the ability to prevent AI-generated scams. Updates will be available in English later this month and expand further in the future. The TechCrunch event occurs October 27-29, 2025, in San Francisco.

💻 Sudima Hotels improved operations with Shiji's platform. Automation saved 1-2 hours daily per property, while errors and duplicate bookings reduced significantly through real-time reservation management. Processing speeds increased by 30-40%, ensuring near-zero downtime. Astral Payments and Stellaris Digital Payby ensured secure, PCI DSS-compliant payment processes. Staff now focus more on guest engagement, with enhanced system stability and performance during peak times. Tokenization and secure payment links have bolstered guest trust and compliance.

📈 Navan, previously TripActions, targets the $185B corporate travel market with an AI-driven platform. By 2024, with 29% growth and a 110% net revenue retention rate, Navan aims for a significant market share. Gross margins improved from 60% in 2023 to 72% in 2025, aided by AI agent Ava handling 50% of interactions. Their IPO is valued around $8B. Navan's innovative approach contrasts with legacy systems, capitalizing on the 65% unmanaged travel market.

📆 Annual Hospitality Conference, Manchester, 29 September 2025: RMS partners with ResDiary to integrate accommodation and restaurant bookings. This integration allows operators to manage both through a single interface, improving efficiency and revenue. Guest details are updated automatically for a personalized experience. The integration supports GDPR compliance and provides operational transparency. Future updates will include advanced booking tools and real-time alerts. RMS serves over 7,000 businesses in 70 countries, while The Access Group aids 100,000 customers globally.

🏨 Kondody Hotels & Resorts in Kerala, India, enhanced operations with STAAH’s real-time channel manager. Prior issues involved booking sync delays across multiple channels. STAAH’s system enabled instant updates for better efficiency and guest satisfaction. Key benefits include centralized inventory management, real-time sync, and error-free operations. Time saved on manual coordination is now spent enhancing guest experiences. This partnership prepares Kondody for seamless future growth in hospitality.

📈 Hotel guest feedback centralized with Suite Talk using n8n, integrates Google and TripAdvisor reviews for efficient reporting. Hourly workflow automates sentiment analysis via OpenAI, flags negative experiences, and creates Zendesk tickets if needed. It standardizes data across platforms, saves information to Postgres, and suits hotel groups and CX teams. Accessible on GitHub, it's configurable for fast triage of guest feedback.

🤖 Last week, Hubspot's AI assistant Fiona impressed a client by providing seamless, human-like CRM assistance. Despite concerns that AI may dehumanize interactions, Fiona offered valuable insights, resulting in a $108 yearly subscription purchase. Slack research shows that AI could reduce the 41% of time desk workers spend on menial tasks. While some perceive AI as a threat, "agentic commerce" is becoming popular, offering speed and reliability in business interactions.