Innovation

🏖 Gurugram-based start-up 30 Sundays, launched in June 2024 by Kshitij Chaudhary, Sumit Mishra, and Anuj Punjani, focuses on bespoke romantic travel. It raised over £5 million, doubling sales team productivity with AI. The latest funding, led by Bessemer Venture Partners and previous support from Info Edge Ventures and Eximius, will enhance offerings and marketing. With $24 million annual gross bookings, it operates in Bali, Vietnam, the Maldives, Thailand, New Zealand, and Mauritius, with plans for further expansion.

🏖 CheckYeti recently acquired Manawa, merging two major European platforms for outdoor activities. With over 27,000 activities from more than 8,000 providers, this strategic move aims to enhance market access from the Mediterranean to the Alps. Manawa, acquired by Alentour in 2022, will keep its brand and team. This consolidation seeks to build a leading European outdoor experience platform, amidst a $464 billion adventure tourism market, with 73% of European travelers interested.

🏨 Hotel Communication Network Inc.'s CEO, Kevin Bidner, introduces a technology strategy integrating in-room tablets and AI to enhance guest experiences and boost hotel revenue. Guests can conveniently request services like extra towels, explore room service, and discover hotel amenities using the technology. This innovative approach aims to improve guest satisfaction and streamline hotel operations, ultimately contributing to increased profitability.

📰 Preferred Hotels & Resorts, led by CEO Lindsey Ueberroth since 2018, has expanded to over 650 independent hotels globally. At the 2026 Global Conference in Charleston, S.C., discussions focused on helping these hotels stand out amid rising costs and evolving traveler expectations. 20 new member properties joined in Q1 2026. Preferred emphasizes personalized, authentic travel experiences over uniformity, facilitated through global sales, marketing, and loyalty programs.

📈 PriceLabs, on July 2026 in Chicago, Illinois, launched its updated Hotel Rate Shopper with a Competitor Room Type Matching tool. Designed for independent hotels with 10-100 rooms, it provides constant competitive intelligence for smarter pricing strategies. New features include smarter default comp sets, competitor room type matching, revamped competitor selection filters, and detailed rate comparison. Anurag Verma highlighted that the tool removes manual work and enhances accuracy, helping independent hoteliers make informed pricing decisions.

🏨 LaTour Hotels & Resorts, led by Scott Styron in Asheville, NC, has transitioned many properties to Choice International's Ascend Collection, including the Church Street Inn in Charleston and Ocean Club in North Myrtle Beach. Since Ascend's launch in 2008, it has grown to over 500 hotels. The association provides technological and operational support, enhancing guest experiences without compromising each hotel's unique character. Notably, the Atrium Beach Resort in Sint Maarten reported record revenues after joining Ascend.

📈 PriceLabs has updated its hotel rate shopper, targeting independent hotels, particularly owner-operated properties. As of July 2026, the tool is available at no extra cost, allowing hoteliers to compare similar room types and rates effectively. It filters by stars, reviews, and property type, enhancing pricing strategies. This update reduces manual price checks, democratizing access to advanced competitor intelligence, according to co-founder Anurag Verma. In early July, PriceLabs expanded its tools to mobile and AI, enhancing its Revenue Accelerator.

🛳️ Omio secures a $10 million investment from Granite-Integral to accelerate growth in Japan and Southeast Asia. With 1 billion annual users and operations in 47 markets, Omio aims to expand its multimodal travel platform, integrating transport like Japan Railways. The Berlin-based company plans to densify its network, enhance local partnerships, and expand teams in Japan and Singapore. Omio targets over 70 markets by 2028, selling over 100,000 tickets daily, with 430 employees globally.

🍴 JW Marriott Reston Station in Northern Virginia focuses on locally sourced breakfast, featuring French toast with local bourbon, and oatmeal from Anson Mills. 📅 In 2024, Hampton by Hilton launched the Waffle Bosses program, highlighting innovative recipes. Their Peach Cobbler Waffle will appear in 2,500 U.S. and Canadian locations in August. Rising food and labor costs challenge hotels, causing a shift to self-serve formats. Operators aim to balance waste reduction with maintaining quality experiences.

💻 Hudini partnered with Nobu Hotels to deploy its Staff Connect digital check-in solution globally. Staff Connect reduces manual check-in tasks by up to 90% and processes check-ins in under two minutes. The system includes room assignments, keycard encoding, and digital ID scanning. It supports sustainability with paperless check-ins and began rolling out in 2025, starting at Nobu Hotel Toronto and Nobu Hotel Barcelona, with more locations planned in 2026, including Nobu Hotel Los Cabos.