Innovation

✈️ RateHawk has doubled its API network over the past year, now partnering with more than 1,200 companies globally, including OTAs and TMCs. Their API provides access to hotel inventory from 330 suppliers and 220,000 direct contracts. ???? Partnering with Vibe and Paximum, RateHawk facilitates easy integration through 130 tech platforms and offers 24/7 multilingual support. Tailored support with flexible pricing enhances scalability, enabling efficient operations in the travel industry.

💻 Travel professionals face intense competition and rising client expectations, with 92% happy in their jobs despite challenges. Major hurdles include searching for deals (notably in GCC at 52% and Asia at 49%) and maintaining income levels (15% concerned). RateHawk’s survey of 1,300 professionals highlights demand for tech solutions, with 29% seeking better access and 33% desiring improved mobile booking. Automation tools are preferred by 50%, especially in North America and Europe. Technology adoption remains a challenge, particularly in Asia.

🏨 More than half (56%) of hotels feel tech upgrade pressure, reveals Hotels.com’s 2025 Hotel Room Innsights survey. This global survey of 450+ properties highlights ‘ComfortTech’ trends like smart fans and TVs, and calls out tech confusion, with 52% of hotels now offering verbal tech walk-throughs. While 70% of guests prefer face-to-face interaction, hotels aim to integrate AI concierge services and voice controls. Hotels.com is updating booking software for intuitive use and personalized experiences.

💻 Amadeus and Shiji expanded their agreement in Berlin, facilitating mutual licensing and referrals of their hotel solutions, including Shiji Daylight PMS and Amadeus HotSOS. This collaboration improves hotel technology integration, enhances guest servicing, streamlines vendor management, and drives innovation. Through single-image integration, hotels can manage inventory, rates, and availability more efficiently. Shiji CEO Kevin King and Amadeus Hospitality President Francisco Pérez-Lozao Rüter emphasize the global benefits of this seamless technology ecosystem for hotels.

📚 San Francisco, 16 September 2025—Hospitable launches Hospitable Academy, offering free, expert-led courses for short-term rental hosts and property managers to enhance skills globally. The first course, by Matthew Krueger, covers transitioning from long-term to short-term rentals with a six-chapter, 18-lesson structure. Designed to boost income and improve guest experiences, the Academy is accessible worldwide, aligning with Hospitable's mission of combining technology and education for industry growth.

📰 Shiji and Amadeus announce a strategic partnership, transforming the hospitality industry with access to top-tier technology across PMS, POS, CRS, sales & catering, and operations. This collaboration offers a unified vendor experience, enhancing service delivery for thousands of hotel F&B outlets globally. This initiative is guided by Shiji's mission to deliver superior hospitality tech and Amadeus's best-in-class solutions, marked by gratitude towards Paco Pérez-Lozao Rüter and the Amadeus team.

📷 Vanshikha Dhar explains why virtual tours are crucial for hoteliers as first impressions occur online. On September 15, 2025, a blog post by Hotelogix highlights how travelers prefer exploring and experiencing hotel properties virtually before booking. This growing trend in hospitality emphasizes the need for hotels to offer more than static photos on their websites. By utilizing virtual tours, hotels can provide an immersive experience, enhancing customer engagement and potentially increasing bookings.