Innovation

💻 Access Hospitality reports that 47% of hotel businesses use 2-4 systems, and 25% use over five, causing a “toggle tax” issue. UK and Ireland hoteliers average 5.2 systems, wasting 322 hours yearly switching systems. Nicola Longfield from Access Hospitality advises auditing tech stacks for future readiness, consolidating operations for AI efficiency, quizzing tech partners on production capabilities, and reevaluating switching costs to enhance operational outcomes over the next decade.

📈 In 2025, Airbnb's U.S. economic footprint soared to $93 billion, supporting 1.1 million jobs and generating $26 billion in tax revenue. The average host earned $15,600. Six hotel groups now dominate 84% of organic search traffic, with Marriott leading at 76 million monthly visits. Amid rising interest rates, HVS advises hotel owners to focus on operational improvements and creative financing strategies. Meanwhile, AI is reshaping the hospitality workforce, affecting job roles and staffing decisions.

🏨 In a Hotel Moment episode, Dylan Cole interviews Tomas Bäcklund, CMO of Elite Hotels of Sweden, on growth strategies in hospitality. Tomas highlights strengthening brand identity to boost pricing power and direct bookings, countering rising costs and shrinking margins. Host Karen Stephens, with 25 years in hospitality tech, emphasizes brand equity and strategic partnerships for growth. Dylan Cole, Revinate’s Managing Director of Europe, has advanced Revinate’s presence in global markets since 2023.

💵 RMS, on May 5, 2025, in London, announced integration with GoCardless to help hospitality operators handle rising payment costs and margin pressures. Card processing fees typically range from 1.5% to 3%, often higher for online or manual transactions. The integration enables direct bank payments, including direct debit and real-time payments, aiming to reduce costs and improve payment reliability for deposits, installments, and longer stays. RMS CEO, Adam Seskis, emphasizes strategic payment methods for cost control.

📈 Storey Hotel Management Group expands its partnership with Stayntouch, utilizing their cloud-based PMS to support six properties with over 500 rooms, including The Fairlane Hotel and The Walton Residence. The platform enhances scalability, accelerates onboarding, and integrates with evolving technologies. Jonathan Holcomb, VP at Storey, emphasizes the strategic growth and maintaining hotel individuality, while Priya Rajamani, SVP at Stayntouch, highlights the focus on efficient scaling and resource support for optimal performance.

🏨 HotelRunner has been named a Premier Plus Connectivity Partner by Booking.com, joining an elite group from over 600 partners. The platform supports over 2 million booked room nights, exceeding industry benchmarks, and maintains 135,000+ active listings daily. With a focus on reliability and scalability, HotelRunner empowers hotels to optimize performance and growth. Eddy Veldhuizen from Booking.com praises their critical solutions and service, highlighting the importance of behind-the-scenes infrastructure for success.

💻 The hospitality industry is transforming: technology is optimized, and human value is the new focus. AI is redefining roles, emphasizing the Human Value Stack™ with layers like Emotional Intelligence and Judgment. New roles include Guest Experience Curators and AI Operations Controllers, replacing legacy roles focused on repetition. Education needs revamping to emphasize judgment, emotional intelligence, and AI fluency. Continuous reskilling, scenario-based simulations, and cross-functional intelligence are crucial for future success.

🚀 The company plans to accelerate its expansion into healthcare and shift work sectors while maintaining its focus on the jet lag market. No specific dates or locations were given for the expansion. The raise should facilitate this growth, although exact figures for the raise were not disclosed. The company's commitment to these verticals suggests a strategic diversification to increase its market presence.