TOP NEWS

💻 Guest operations platform SuiteOp announced a partnership with Cloudbeds on May 28, 2025, in New York. This collaboration automates smart device infrastructure for hotels, connecting Cloudbeds’ property management system with SuiteOp’s automation. Features include device control, energy management, and customized workflows. The integration enhances guest experiences and operational efficiency, reducing energy costs and manual errors. SuiteOp's Simon Seroussi and Cloudbeds' Sebastien Leitner highlighted benefits for hoteliers and guests. SuiteOp operates globally, serving thousands of units.

📈 Hotels can turn lost bookings into opportunities by analyzing data from booking engines, metasearch platforms, SEO, and digital ads. Key strategies include user experience audits, personalization, competitive positioning, keyword analysis, and A/B testing. Understanding guest behavior through these channels enables hoteliers to refine approaches, improve conversions, and develop long-term guest relationships. Insights from data can transform digital strategies in the fast-evolving hospitality landscape. Article contributed by Rosalie Stahley, Vice President, Digital Strategy and Innovation at ComOps.

🍴 Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor for Nation’s Restaurant News, has been with the publication since 1999. Previously, he was a columnist for The New York Sun (2005-2008) and sub-editor at Asia Times (1995-1997). Thorn holds a history degree from Tufts University (1990) and studied French cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu (1986). He has also written for publications like Manager magazine and ABC News during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Thorn resides in Brooklyn, N.Y.

🌏 Prince Harry urged the APAC travel industry to enhance sustainable practices at Trip.com Group's Envision 2025 Conference in Shanghai, China. APAC is projected to be the top travel market in 2025, valued at $490 billion, with a 33% rise in international arrivals last year. Travalyst's report highlights APAC travellers' preference for sustainable options. Climate change costs $143 billion annually, emphasizing sustainability's urgency. Travalyst, founded in 2019, now includes 13 partners worth over $3 trillion.

🍕 2025, London: Trinity's outside space transforms into "Outside 2025," offering al fresco dining. Led by Chef India, the menu features five staple sandwiches, weekly specials, fresh ciabatta, chips, and soft-serve ice cream. Guests can opt for takeaway or dine in, with a beverage menu including Trinity's beer, wine, gin, and cocktails. This innovative venture, spearheaded by Adam Byatt, marks a shift towards accessible and high-quality dining in the city.

🍴 Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999, covers U.S. food trends and guides F&B coverage. Formerly, he was a New York Sun columnist (2005-2008) and Asia Times sub-editor (1995-1997). A Tufts University history graduate with studies in China and France, he won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and led IFEC in 2005. Thorn lives in Brooklyn, NY and has contributed to Oxford food encyclopedias.

🛫 May 23, 2025, global travel: AI revolutionizes the industry with Kayak.ai, a ChatGPT-style assistant transforming traditional booking tools. Users engage conversationally with AI for travel planning and bookings, removing friction and enhancing personalization. Kayak focuses on corporate travel to test AI capabilities, emphasizing privacy and security. The goal: input travel goals and receive optimized itineraries. Kayak aims to shift from a search platform to a personalized AI travel companion.