Innovation

🤖 2025, June 11, TollBit State of the Bots report reveals significant trends in AI scraping. RAG bot scrapes surged by 49% from Q4 to Q1. Websites with pre-2025 Analytics saw traffic nearly double, up by 87% in Q1. March saw over 26 million scrapes bypassing robots.txt, with non-compliance rising from 3.3% to 12.9%. Bot Paywall traffic soared by 732% from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025, indicating a shift in publisher defenses.

📈 Trip.com is using the "blind box" sales tactic, reminiscent of Dragon Ball Z card buying, to boost travel excitement post-revenge travel era. Starbucks integrates AI for staff efficiency amidst COVID-induced labor shortages. Nearly 50% of Gen Z singles use AI for dating, paralleling hotel guest experiences. Snap acquired a social calendar app, and Tinder offers double-date setups, emphasizing multiplayer modes. U.S. customs processing for 747s involves lengthy queues due to limited agents and fingerprint scans, with hopes for Web3-based identification improvements.

🏖 Chalets 1066 in Les Gets, France, managed 60+ properties, facing booking challenges. Switching to STAAH's platform, they streamlined operations, reducing manual errors and overbookings. Integration with 500+ channels and enhanced features led to a 20% increase in OTA revenue. The seamless connection with their PMS allowed for real-time updates, improving efficiency and focusing on guest experience. STAAH's support and evolving features played a crucial role in their success.

📈 Agilysys, Inc. announced Intelligent Guest Profiles at HITEC 2025, enhancing hospitality service through guestsense.ai technology. From June 17 to 19 in the exhibition's Booth #1611, attendees can explore how IGPS technology aggregates guest data across Agilysys systems, amplifying personalized service, upselling, and loyalty. Rohith Kori, SVP, explains its advanced data synchronization, enabling sophisticated AI usage. On June 18, from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. in Booth 801, a detailed session will occur.

💻 In 2025, hotels globally will benefit from digital registration, cutting lobby wait times and enhancing front desk efficiency. Implementing digital registration cards enables smoother check-ins, transforming guest experiences. The initiative, outlined by Vanshikha Dhar on June 21, 2025, highlights the shift towards technology-driven hospitality solutions to streamline operations. This step is part of broader trends in the industry to optimize guest satisfaction and operational performance.

💻 Michael Levie, co-founder and former COO of citizenM, discusses the importance of collaborating with technology partners to enhance innovation in hospitality. This archived podcast episode highlights strategies for maximizing impact through tech solutions. Perfect for industry professionals looking to leverage technology in their business operations.

📰 Hotels are leveraging technology to navigate market uncertainties. In times of downturns like 2008 and 2020, revenue management tools with advanced data analytics help optimize pricing and inventory. Key strategies include risk mitigation through automated systems, dynamic forecasting via machine learning, and adapting long-term models using granular data. By integrating property management with revenue systems, hotels enhance profitability while avoiding consumer confidence pitfalls, ensuring agility and efficiency.

💸 PwC's "Hospitality & Leisure: US Deals 2025 Mid-Year Outlook" reported an 85% decrease in PE-sponsored H&L deals year-over-year. High borrowing costs and policy uncertainty are tempering deal volume. Three large H&L deals in 2024 involved PE buyers acquiring gaming operators. The focus is on digital transformation, with M&A reshaping brand portfolios. Operators aim to leverage M&A strategies, adapt to market trends, and capitalize on tech advancements amid economic uncertainty and evolving consumer preferences.

📱 June 16-19, 2025, Indianapolis: Nearly 6,000 attendees gathered for HITEC, organized by HFTP. With over 360 companies, it showcased hospitality tech solutions. The event featured speakers Jeremy Gutsche and Todd Buchholz and celebrated two new Hall of Fame inductees. The E20X pitch competition marked its tenth anniversary, with Levee winning top awards for its AI innovations. Attendees from 60+ countries enjoyed networking opportunities and educational sessions, enhancing industry knowledge and connections.

💻 Agilysys, a hospitality software company, launched Intelligent Guest Profiles (IGP) to boost ancillary revenues by providing hotels with unified guest data. IGP uses real-time data collection powered by guestsense.ai and assesses guest lifetime value via RFM metrics. Enabled across Agilysys' systems, it aggregates behavioral, transactional, and preference data. On Monday, June 30, 2-3 pm BST, a webinar titled "Monetising the Guest Experience" will be hosted to discuss this innovation.