TOP NEWS

💻 Chris, speaking at HITEC in Indianapolis, shared his family's deep history in tech and AI, including an aunt knighted for AI work in the Netherlands and a cousin working at Booking.com. Chris, VP of Products at Actabl, focuses on analytics and AI experimentation. He shared his career journey, from early work in a medical practice to AI-driven marketing projects. He emphasized AI's capacity for rapid learning and adaptation, predicting significant advancements beyond today's capabilities.

📆 Summer 2025, Propel Tech's testers evaluated five flight booking platforms for usability. Skyscanner and Google Flights topped with 8/10 for speed and price transparency, booking completed in around one minute. Kayak scored 7/10, hindered by slower desktop speed (30 seconds). Expedia and Opodo got 6/10 due to complex navigation. Testing focused on booking confirmation time, search accuracy, price transparency, and load speed. Iain MacFadyen emphasized the need for speed and accuracy during peak travel season.

💳 Cove Bay Hotel near Aberdeen, Scotland, saw a 40% boost in direct bookings by adopting STAAH's channel management tools. Originally a late 1700s illegal drinking house, the hotel modernized its booking system due to owner Guy Craig's vision. STAAH's innovative tools like WatchMyRate and Get Google enhanced rate competitiveness and market visibility, transforming the hotel's distribution strategy. The partnership provided real-time data and automation, ensuring the hotel remains competitive in a digital world.

📚 Ryan Bukstein discusses mentorship's impact, sharing insights from his experiences as both a mentor and mentee. Explore more about Ryan’s firm, SMPL, and listen to his other episodes for further learning. If you find value in this episode, share it with your team to implement these ideas and enhance both your business and team dynamics. Music for the show is crafted by Clay Bassford from Bespoke Sound.

💻 2025, the hospitality industry is set to transform with cloud-based Property Management Systems (PMS), enhancing hotel operations. Using these tools, hotels can scale, reduce errors, and improve service quality, meeting evolving guest expectations. This transition enables better adaptability and efficiency for hotels globally, according to a guide published on July 11, 2025, by Vanshikha Dhar on the Hotelogix blog.

🍴 Astet Studio's "Smoked Room" at The St. Regis Residences, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, wins the 2025 Prix Versailles for "Most Beautiful Restaurant in the World." Selected from 16 global finalists, this 14-seat omakase restaurant, led by Spanish chef Dani García, is praised for its bold design and live fire kitchen. The space offers an immersive dining experience with dramatic lighting and metallic accents, highlighting the studio's expertise in blending architectural precision with storytelling.

📍 Dusit International, a 75-year-old Thai institution with 300+ establishments in 22 countries, recently expanded to Europe. CEO Suphajee Suthumpun and Gilles Cretallaz aim to introduce Dusit hotels in Germany, Austria, and France. Three prospective projects in France are in negotiation. A cooperation agreement was signed on July 10, 2025. Sydel, led by David Elgrably, aids in asset identification, leveraging its hotel real estate expertise. 📍

📈 New research by Ireckonu, led by Dr. Rik van Leeuwen, reveals a breakthrough in hospitality churn management. Conducted with a major North American hotel chain, the study shows that a 20% discount email at 75% churn risk boosts rebooking. This AI-driven approach combines the BG/NBD model with reinforcement learning, enhancing guest retention strategies. Ireckonu plans to integrate these findings into their platform, offering hotels actionable insights for improving guest loyalty and personalizing experiences.

💻 Winner 2024: Korner Management System optimizes hotel operations, allowing decentralized yet cohesive management, enhancing local responsiveness and maintaining standards. Finalist 2024: Radisson Operations powered by hotelkit, launched in 2023, centralizes operations at 220+ Radisson properties worldwide, improving communication and task management. Candidate 2024: Accor's Carbon Scope 3 measures carbon emissions using AI, promoting decarbonization in hospitality. These innovations enhance efficiency, cost-reduction, and sustainability in the hotel industry.

📰 citizenM CEO Lennert de Jong revealed how during COVID, his team innovated the hotel loyalty model by launching a subscription inspired by Amazon and Netflix, addressing occupancy issues. The program, now boasting over 50,000 subscribers, marks a strategic shift from traditional transactional rewards to deeper value through subscription-based loyalty. This approach aims to enhance customer relationships and engagement, offering insights for hospitality leaders to boost guest loyalty and business growth.