Innovation

🏨 Independent hotels now face the "Great Bypass." AI, like Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT, has shifted booking funnels from websites to AI-generated answers. To adapt, hotels must prioritize verifiable facts over SEO, focusing on specific data like "5 family suites (85 sq. meters)" or "heated pool (28°C)." The emphasis should be on distributing facts across various platforms, and encouraging detailed guest reviews, ensuring authenticity and consistency in AI recommendations.

🛒 Technology has transferred tasks to consumers. Self-checkouts require shoppers to scan, bag, and pay, offering no discounts. Booking travel now demands hours of comparison and planning by individuals. Banking support is often a frustrating chatbot experience. Apps require account creation and lengthy terms acceptance. Paperless billing forces users to locate their own bills online. Customer service is largely automated or outsourced. Smart home features depend on reliable WiFi. Ultimately, businesses profit while consumers bear more responsibility.

💻 In the latest episode of Matt Talks, Matt and Manisha discuss the process of migrating to a new Property Management System (PMS) for hotels. The transition, averaging around two months, can be completed in as little as a week, offering a strategic overhaul of operations. Key steps include account setup, guest journey definition, training through Mews University, and system audits. With AI enhancements, the switch is faster and aims for improved efficiency, guest satisfaction, and revenue.

💻 fidelis hospitality has implemented SIHOT’s digital infrastructure across its branded properties in Germany, including THE Hotels, Felix Hotels, and Ibis. The integration of self-service check-in kiosks, online bookings, EV charging payments, and centralized guest billing significantly reduced administrative errors and saved staff hours. SIHOT’s platform, including SIHOT.PMS and SIHOT.POS, streamlined operations with advanced integrations like Adyen for payments. This transformation positioned fidelis as a leader in digital hospitality, enhancing operational and commercial efficiency.

📈 **Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) was launched in late 2024** as a standardized solution for AI systems' integration. This mirrors the API evolution in the 2010s, where only a few companies like Stripe and Twilio succeeded due to domain-specific complexities. **Horizontal API startups struggled due to competition from cloud giants** and open-source projects. **MCPs represent a shift, enabling interoperability** but potentially undermining shallow integration businesses, highlighting the importance of vertical specialization.

🗺 Ant International launched Alipay+ Voyager, an AI-powered travel companion integrated with digital wallets, on platforms including Alipay, AlipayHK, and GCash. This tool assists in itinerary planning, booking, and purchasing, offering local language support through text or voice. It initially partners with Agoda, Fliggy, and Trip.com. The service also enables local ride-hailing, shopping, dining, and sightseeing options, aimed at enhancing engagement for travelers and merchants. Expansion plans to more Alipay+ partners are underway.

💻 June 23, 2025: DirectBooker launches MCP, an AI-native integration layer for hotel data. ???? DirectBooker competes with OTAs by aggregating direct hotel offers, aiming to support the 70% of travelers preferring direct bookings. ???? MCP allows AI to access comprehensive, real-time Availability, Rates, and Inventory (ARI) from hotels, unlike traditional OTAs. The system promises to transform traveler experience with personalized offers. DirectBooker plans to leverage MCP to become the default AI endpoint for travel searches.

🏠 Numa Group plans to expand its UK presence by opening its first location in London's Bloomsbury in 2024, followed by a Brighton aparthotel offering digital services like self-service check-in and 24/7 online support. This expansion aligns with their strategy after acquiring Native Places in 2024. Target cities include London, Manchester, Bristol, Belfast, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. With operations in 36 cities across 15 countries, Numa aims to enhance its digital-first accommodation model in the UK market.

📱 Sarah's hotel experience is marred by a 5-10 minute wait due to slow systems, highlighting outdated technology's impact on guest satisfaction. Frequent system downtimes during 4 PM check-ins create chaos, while poor usability and manual workarounds frustrate both staff and guests. Cybersecurity risks and rising maintenance costs signal the need for modernization. Embracing cloud-based solutions, integration, and a strategic tech upgrade can boost operational efficiency and guest experience, ensuring competitiveness and profitability.

🛌 At HITEC 2025, Natalie Kimball, VP at Shiji Horizon, highlighted a common hotel issue: outdated content. Guests often find discrepancies like missing fitness centers due to inconsistent data. Shiji's Iceportal Content standardizes and distributes accurate data, preventing such errors. This infrastructure, developed with hoteliers' input, integrates with existing systems and corrects data at its root. Accurate content improves guest satisfaction and reduces refunds, promoting repeat visits.