Innovation

🤖 In the hotel industry, AI enhances guest experiences by processing data, predicting needs, and automating tasks. Success depends on high-quality data, critical for AI to deliver personalized services. AI impacts five guest journey stages: Attract, Capture, Prepare, Deliver, and Review. Hotels utilize AI for personalized advertising, dynamic pricing, chatbots, guest preferences, smart room controls, and sentiment analysis. Effective AI use hinges on data quality, staff augmentation, and targeted problem-solving.

💸 Nomadix® Inc. introduces its Energy Management Solution for the hospitality and lodging industry, offering operational cost reductions and sustainability benefits. Energy Star notes energy savings of 35-45% in heating and cooling, and Parks Associates report up to 20% OPEX savings for MDU properties using EMS. The solution eliminates extra on-premises equipment, leveraging existing IT infrastructure, and will be showcased at Apartmentalize Las Vegas and HITEC Indianapolis in November 2024.

✈️ Nezasa is integrating AWAI's core software to expand its operational capability, enabling airlines and OTAs to dynamically build itineraries. This strategic move enhances Nezasa's TripBuilder platform with AWAI’s technology, creating a comprehensive travel packaging solution. Previously, AWAI’s platform helped Bonza Holidays achieve basket sizes 3.5 times larger than flight-only sales. This integration positions Nezasa at the forefront of travel technology, offering powerful AI-powered solutions for enterprise-level operations, and supporting multiple business models.

💻 Qanooni, a legal AI platform, secured $2M in pre-seed funding from Village Global, Salica Investments' Oryx Fund, TA Ventures, and strategic angels to enhance product development, team expansion, and growth in the UAE and UK. Founded by Anuscha Iqbal, Ziyaad Ahmed, and Karim Shiyab, it integrates with Outlook and Word to assist legal teams in drafting, reviewing, researching, and managing matters efficiently. The platform emphasizes data security and customization.

🏨 Nevaya has partnered with Apple to bring AirPlay to Sea Containers London. Guests can stream content from their iPhone or iPad to LG hotel TVs by scanning a unique QR code. This tech ensures a secure, private connection without sharing credentials, and the link is erased upon checkout. James Richmond, CEO of Nevaya, highlights its appeal to Apple users, predicting high demand, particularly in luxury hotels. Gavin Allison of Lore Group emphasizes enhancing guest experiences.

🏨 Nominations for the 20th Annual Hotel Visionary Awards are open until July 18, 2025. The awards, celebrating technology leadership across hotel departments like marketing and finance, will be presented during the Hotel Technology Forum at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas from November 12-14. Categories include Lifetime Achievement, Rising Star, Partnership, and Solution Awards. Winners will be announced at the event, marking two decades of recognizing 75 trailblazing individuals and companies.

🍽 Majewski and Taffer at this year's restaurant industry show emphasize that while AI and robotics, crucial due to labor challenges, should enhance—not replace—hospitality. Taffer’s Tavern incorporates technology in the back of the house to maintain customer connection. Now part of Craveworthy Brands, with 17 brands including Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken, Taffer’s Tavern aims to expand nationally through a franchise program focused on hospitality, culinary innovation, and efficient operations.

💻 Jun 10, 2025, Google’s AI shift is transforming travel searches. AI-generated results in flight searches rose from under 3% in Nov 2024 to nearly 9% in Apr 2025, and hotel searches from under 1% to nearly 3%. Just 20 sites dominate 75% of flight and 69% of hotel AI Overviews. This change in search behavior necessitates new strategies in SEO, structured data, and partnerships as traditional paid ads and organic links are displaced.

🏠 Jun 10, 2025, travel industry: Only 11% of travel leaders use AI, lagging behind other industries (4–6%). Just 38% of travel marketers find AI "extremely valuable," compared to 46% across sectors. Cost reduction drives AI adoption, unlike the focus on customer experience elsewhere. Fear of change hinders progress. Currently, personalization is a key use, with customer journey mapping favored by 61%. A proactive AI strategy is needed for real-time personalization and dynamic marketing.

📶 AI and automation are transforming hospitality, with AI in the industry projected to surpass $1.4 billion globally by 2029. The shift calls for robust, modern networks to support real-time data and diverse traffic. SD-WAN technology prioritizes and secures traffic efficiently, offering performance and control. Edge computing enhances real-time processing, while hybrid networks provide redundancy and flexibility using fiber, broadband, 4G LTE/5G, and satellite. Hotels investing in these technologies can redefine guest experiences, ensuring seamless, reliable service.