Innovation

💻 McKinsey and Harvard Business Review report ranks the hospitality sector at 1.875 on a digitalization index, below the 3.025 cross-industry average. Over 80% of hotels spend up to two workdays weekly on manual reporting (State of Distribution 2025). AI is increasingly used, with 71% of U.S. adults open to using it for travel planning, though hotels risk outdated info if not integrated. MCP aids real-time hotel data access. AI boosts efficiency, notably in sales prospecting.

🍴 American Express and Toast, in 2024, enhance hospitality across U.S. restaurants utilizing Resy and Tock. They integrate Toast’s technology like Digital Chits, improving guest experiences and visibility via Local by Toast app. In 2024, American Express purchased Rooam and Tock, expanding to 27,000 restaurants globally. Toast features, such as Digital Chits and ToastIQ, aid restaurant operations. American Express Card Members spent over $87 billion on U.S. dining in 2024. New features launch in 2026.

📱 Gen Z and millennials demand instant, mobile-based training aligned with their learning style. Studies reveal that 85% of participants prefer microlearning, improving retention rates by 20-60%. AI tools personalize and track training, transforming it into a strategic asset. Hotels enhancing guest experiences with tech like keyless entry should equally invest in modern training to reduce turnover. Eran Heffetz, co-founder of Bites, emphasizes adapting learning to mobile platforms for longer employee retention and improved service.

🍴 American Express and Toast are collaborating to enhance personalized dining experiences in the U.S. In 2024, American Express acquired Rooam and Tock, expanding their dining network to 27,000 venues. American Express Card Members spent over $87 billion on dining in 2024. The partnership plans to integrate Resy, Tock, and Toast’s technologies, with new features starting in 2026. This aims to boost restaurant visibility and efficiency, driving loyalty and growth through smarter services.

🍴 American Express and Toast are collaborating to enhance dining experiences at restaurants in the U.S. In 2024, American Express acquired Rooam and Tock, adding 27,000 venues to its Global Dining network. U.S. Card Members spent over $87 billion on dining in 2024. The partnership will integrate Toast’s technology with Resy and Tock services. New features will begin rolling out in 2026 to provide more personalized hospitality.

💸 CHELMSFORD, Massachusetts—Data Plus, a leading software company, announced a new partnership with Visual Matrix in April 2025. This collaboration offers an integrated, API-based solution that automates hotel operations, syncing front-office and back-office functions. The system generates daily revenue reports, ensuring compliance with the 12th Edition of USALI. Benefits include reduced errors and improved financial visibility. Key figures involved are Bruce Bensetler, CEO of Data Plus, and Johnny Morin, VP of Visual Matrix.

📚 In 2025, AI's influence is reshaping leadership, demanding human taste as a key skill. Taste, a blend of judgment and style, is crucial as AI produces vast content, often lacking discernment. Leaders like Steve Jobs exemplify how taste elevates utility with elegance, a skill AI can't replicate. OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive’s startup highlights the quest for taste in tech. Developing taste involves exposure, curation, and reflection, emphasizing its importance in leadership and education.

💻 Otelier launched an upgraded IntelliSight BI platform in Bethesda, Maryland, featuring modern architecture powered by Snowflake. IntelliSight unifies hotel financial and operational data, enhancing profitability decision-making for commercial, finance, operations, and C-suite teams. Key features include modular dashboards, cloud-native architecture, and mobile optimization. Integrations with Opera Cloud, Sage Intacct, and HotelKey improve dataset management across hotel tech stacks.