TOP NEWS

💻 Hotel managers are leveraging cloud-based AI platforms to improve operations. Energy costs and water management, major expense areas, are reduced by 30-40% with AI-enabled thermostats. AI tracks assets like luggage carts, enhancing efficiency. Staff safety is boosted with location-aware badges for quick response. AI systems integrate with Property Management Systems to personalize guest experiences, ensuring consistency across locations. By unifying data, hotels enhance sustainability and operational efficiency, paving the way for an improved, personalized guest journey.

📚 In 2013, Martin Soler, then CMO of Snapshot, introduced the Hotel Distribution Technology Chart to clarify the hotel tech ecosystem, now 10 years old and evolving. Airbnb's branding touted disruption of the hotel sector, yet it mainly rose as an OTA. The Rosewood in Amsterdam houses a vending machine with marble sculptures, revealing consumerism’s artistic reflections. AI hotel searches, like Perplexity, are gaining attention for improving user experience. Balancing brand consistency with creative diversity remains key in marketing.

🏨 Ander Elortegi, once a bellboy at Hôtel Lutetia, now leads Hotel Palacio Arriluce. At Villa Soro, he pioneered the 'hotel manager without an office' approach, enhancing guest satisfaction. Radisson Collection Bilbao earned the highest LEED Platinum score, leveraging technology for sustainability. Elortegi emphasizes technology to free staff for guest interactions, ensuring luxury remains personal. For hotel launches, he stresses teamwork and technology. His leadership blends local culture with tech, focusing on emotional intelligence and empathy.

🏨 Josiah recently attended the NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum in New York, where industry leaders discussed the shift in consumer spending towards experiences. With tens of millions of new consumers, the hospitality sector remains robust against AI-induced job loss fears due to its inherently human nature. The industry shows resilience and potential for growth, with innovations in guest experiences and collaborations. As digitalization increases, demand for human interaction in hospitality rises, promising exciting opportunities.

🍳 Chef Douglas Keane closed his top-rated restaurant out of burnout, but returned a decade later on June 1, 2025, with Cyrus 2.0. Located in the heart of sustainable hospitality, the new venture includes a $75,000 annual salary for each employee and a four-day workweek, achieving higher profit margins than most in fine dining. Harvard Business School took note, creating a case study on his innovative approach.

📰 Dine Brands and Wingstop won MURTEC Breakthrough Awards in 2024. Brooklyn Dumpling Shop and Taco Bell were awarded for Customer Engagement in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Little Caesars received recognition in 2021 and 2019. Hospitality Technology reaches over 18,000 industry executives and is published by EnsembleIQ, based in Chicago. The Restaurant Technology Network operates under it, focusing on industry challenges and standards.

🏨 2023, Madrid: Heather Byron and Jordan Kestle introduced the Return on Concierge (ROC) at Les Clefs d’Or. ROC assesses concierges' impact on hotel profitability, considering ancillary sales contributing 10%-15% of total revenue. Upscale hotels aim for 25%-30% of room revenue from ancillary spend. Key metrics include guest satisfaction scores and upsell conversion rates. A Cornell study shows a one-star rating boost allows for up to 11% rate increase. Personal service is crucial per J.D. Power's 2023 study.

Hotels and lodging operators can now automate smart devices, streamline operations, and give guests direct control – all from a single, powerful workflow engine. NEW YORK, 28 MAY 2025 – Guest…

🍴 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.

🍕 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.