TOP NEWS

📈 Dishoom, a UK restaurant group, is set to debut in the US in August through a collaboration at Pastis in New York City. JKS, another London-based group, is eyeing New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas for expansion. San Carlo Group plans a Miami launch as a testbed for further US growth. Sexy Fish launched in Miami in 2022, while Chotto Matte established a Miami presence in 2018, expanding to San Francisco with more cities planned. Hawksmoor opened in NYC in 2021, followed by Chicago, signaling more North American openings. UK brands face a competitive US market, with Carluccio’s, Pizza Express, and YO! having struggled previously. Despite challenges, the US market presents significant opportunities for successful UK restaurant brands.

🏠 Adoption of biometrics in hotels is expected to rise in 2024 and 2025, addressing privacy concerns and staffing challenges. CyberLink's FaceMe system boasts a 99.83% accuracy, tested by NIST. Martin Chevalley of InnSpire suggests the technology allows staff to focus on guest engagement over clerical tasks. Facial recognition is favored over fingerprints due to environmental resilience and lower spoofing risk. While current costs are high, prices are anticipated to fall, making the technology more accessible.

📱 W Sydney, a five-star hotel with 588 rooms, chose IRIS for digital guest experience solutions. The IRIS app enhances the guest experience with mobile ordering and information on hotel amenities, local weather, and attractions. B&F Director Anand Prabeer reported a significant increase in room service orders and ancillary revenue within the first 6 months. The app's integration into the hotel's operations has led to optimized staff workflows and reduced costs. IRIS VP Sales and Marketing Graham Rushin expressed excitement about the partnership's success in meeting guest demands.

🏨 AI in the hospitality industry enhances hotel searches, online reservations, and customer service. Conversational bots like ChatGPT simplify booking processes and improve customer interactions. By leveraging AI for SEO, predictive analytics, and personalized services, hotels can increase visibility and revenue. However, challenges remain, such as high implementation costs, integration difficulties, and maintaining high-quality, ethical AI-generated content. AI-driven strategies include creating user-friendly websites, influencer marketing, social media engagement, and direct bookings to optimize user experience and drive sales. Nadav, co-founder of Virdee, has extensive software engineering and product team leadership experience.

🏨 Terry Schulenburg, VP at CyberLink, anticipates more hotels adopting biometric check-in/out technologies in 2024-2025, with privacy guidelines in place. Martin Chevalley, CEO of InnSpire, argues this shift can improve guest engagement by reducing front desk staffing needs. CyberLink's FaceMe facial recognition boasts a 99.83% accuracy rate and incorporates AI, multi-factor authentication, and self-service kiosks for an expedited, secure guest experience. Costs are expected to decrease within a few years, making the technology more accessible for a wider range of hotels. Facial recognition applications extend to access control, payments, and emotion detection, enhancing both security and service quality.

🍴 John and Desiree Chantarasak to open AngloThai with MJMK Restaurants in Marylebone, London, in autumn. The 50-cover venue will offer Thai-British cuisine, sourcing ingredients from the British Isles, and serve biodynamic European wines. The menu will be seasonal with a la carte dishes, daily chef selections, and British-grown Asian produce. The restaurant features a private dining room, Baan, set to open later. AngloThai's Fitzrovia location deal fell through in 2021 after plans were announced. Opening now set for October.

🍴 Hospitality insolvencies climbed 20% year-on-year to 3,752 cases by May 2024, with the sector facing the third highest business failures. Dishoom, an Indian restaurant group, will launch its first overseas collaboration with New York's Pastis for breakfast dishes from August 19-30, 2024. Nick Beardshaw is set to open Starling, a 40-seater in Esher, Surrey, at August's end, featuring British seasonal dishes. Leeds' Bavette was named Britain’s Best Local Restaurant by The Good Food Guide. Liz Cottam's Leeds restaurant Home will close in September 2024 after seven years, due to economic pressures.

🌍 Travelport, the travel technology specialist, partners with Malaysia Airlines to provide NDC content in the Travelport+ marketplace. Agencies in Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the UK gain early access, with more countries to follow. The solution allows full servicing of NDC bookings, including modifications and cancellations. Dersenish Aresandiran of MAG highlights the seamless integration for agencies, while Jason Clarke of Travelport emphasizes the retail-ready dynamic fares and ease of managing NDC and traditional content.