Innovation

🏨 Mayfield launches in September as a soft-brand collection of 100 independent midscale hotels across the USA and UK. Founded by Thomas and Melissa Magnuson, it offers operational freedom without excessive fees or forced renovations. Mayfield's holistic platform includes AI-driven pricing and connectivity for management efficiency. It targets local and essential business travelers, aiming to support local communities while bypassing restrictive franchise models. The initiative focuses on empowering hotels with flexibility and individuality.

💪 Caravelo is hiring a Founder Associate in Barcelona! This role involves working closely with the CPTO and CEO to lead AI adoption, drive strategic initiatives, and improve operations for a travel tech scale-up of 40+ people. No industry experience or specific CV is required, but curiosity, ambition, and problem-solving skills are essential. The hiring process prioritizes referrals and demonstrations of value, offering a potential career path to Head of Ops or Chief of Staff.

💻 TIME Hotels, operating 17 properties, reduced their administrative workload by 30% using Daylight PMS. Ruby Hotels implemented integrated systems, such as Infrasys POS and ReviewPro, for seamless guest experiences. Langham Hotels utilized Single Guest Profiles for personalized services. Dakota Hotels phased tech changes for smoother transitions. Unified systems improved operational efficiency by enhancing guest insights and streamlining check-ins. Middleware bridged data across properties, ensuring regulatory compliance without compromising efficiency. Simplified tech stacks enable focused, personalized hospitality.

📅 Guests, October 2023, online. New "Flexible Dates – Grid View" displays up to 10 days of rates, enhancing booking flexibility. Instead of dead ends, guests see alternative dates, boosting conversion rates. Transparent pricing builds trust, showing rate differences (e.g., weekdays vs. weekends). Upselling becomes easier with side-by-side package comparisons. Default display remains BAR; switch easily to Flexible Dates for a competitive edge. No extra setup needed, just a smarter booking experience.

💻 Shrinking agency models face challenges from AI, in-house teams, and procurement. Creatives need to leverage their skills across new business areas such as Product & UX, Growth, and AI Systems. Key focus: aligning creative roles with metrics like reducing onboarding confusion by 30% or closing sales decks worth $5M. A 90-day hiring plan advises on quick wins and systemization. Emphasize business outcomes over deliverables, fostering a creative mindset shift—creativity as problem solving, not just design.

🚀 Businesses, especially high street retailers, can leverage AI to thrive by combining it with human insight. At DownYourHighStreet and PropertyBox.io, AI helps make properties appealing and support retail decisions, while human judgment is crucial for action. AI aids in trend analysis, recommendations, and maintaining brand standards across branches. Effective use of AI enables smarter, customer-centric decisions, enhancing sales, NPS scores, and overall experience, ultimately fostering community strength and economic growth.

📈 Analyzed 54 websites over six months to test LLM vs. organic search traffic conversion rates. LLM traffic converted at 4.87%, slightly higher than organic at 4.60%. However, with a mean site-level difference of +0.27 percentage points and a p-value of 0.794, results were not statistically significant. LLM traffic contributed less than 1% of overall traffic, with 90% of sites seeing LLM traffic below 0.6%. Overall, LLM's conversion efficiency is not significantly different from organic.

💻 Shiji, a leading hospitality tech company, launched Infrasys POS at Pan Pacific London on September 11, 2025. This rollout, involving 8 outlets, 11 workstations, and 19 tablets, marked the first European implementation for Pan Pacific Hotels Group. Infrasys POS, already active in 24 locations across Asia and Africa, supports diverse operations from fine dining to in-room service. This cloud-based solution aligns with Pan Pacific’s global strategy, offering scalability and real-time data for enhanced guest services.

📚 German-based GIATA acquires SMARTSEER, an AI decisioning platform, in 2023. SMARTSEER, previously sold to dnata Travel in 2018 and closed in 2023, was relaunched by Andy Owen Jones, Melanie Sickenberger, and Stefan Henss. GIATA aims to enhance personalized travel experiences. The acquisition keeps SMARTSEER independent within the group. Integration is seamless, with growth focused on product, technology, and innovation, not sales or marketing. The merger intends to offer a personalized traveler experience.