Innovation

🏖️ Hostaway, a Finland-based vacation rental property management software company, celebrates 10 years by more than doubling its workforce in two years, securing a US$365 million funding round in December, and ranking as the highest-valued company in its sector. With operations in over 100 markets, the remote-first team spans 44 countries, processed over 52,000 job applications last year, and plans to continue European hiring. G2 named Hostaway one of the Top 100 Fastest-Growing Software Companies. The company's equity-sharing model includes all employees, and it's focusing on AI-driven product development.

🏡 Since 1930, Palácio Estoril, near Lisbon, has offered five-star hospitality. Partnering with The Hotels Network (THN) in 2018, it adopted THN’s Predictive Personalization to refine its direct booking strategy. By evaluating visitor intent with machine learning, Palácio Estoril personalized promotions, offering a 15% discount to low-intent visitors and upselling luxury experiences to high-intent ones. One year later, the hotel saw improved direct channel performance, increased revenue, and reduced marketing expenses, showcasing AI's impact in hospitality.

🏥 Sunborn London, a luxury yacht hotel, partnered with Shiji for technology-driven hospitality solutions on February 25, 2025, in London, United Kingdom. Shiji's implementation includes PMS, Digital Stay, Infrasys POS, and Digital Dine, aiming to enhance guest experiences and operational efficiency. Francisco Ventura, General Manager of Sunborn London, emphasized the importance of selecting a technology partner that understands hospitality. Shiji, founded in 1998, serves 91,000 hotels, 200,000 restaurants, and 600,000 retail outlets with over 5,000 employees across 31 countries.

🏨 LONDON, February 2025 – Dorint, a German hotel company in the DACH region, partners with IDeaS to revamp its revenue management. With 6,000 rooms and 60+ properties in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, this move aims to capitalize on the hospitality market's 7.7% CAGR. Manuel Schmidgen, Vice President of Dorint, and Michael McCartan, Area Vice President at IDeaS, highlight the synergy of strategy and technology with the G3 RMS and Optix solutions to enhance operational efficiency, demand forecasting, and revenue optimization.

🏨 The hotel business model includes three key steps: attracting guests, maximizing sales per guest, and delivering a satisfying experience cost-effectively. Attraction strategies involve personalized digital marketing and dynamic pricing. Maximizing sales includes upselling, diversifying revenue streams, and using guest data for personalization. Cost-effective satisfaction entails operational automation, employee training, and activity-based costing. Business intelligence (BI) systems underpin strategic decisions by providing insights into guest behavior, spending patterns, and real-time performance tracking, ensuring accountability and profitability alignment.

📍 Six Krystal locations in Albany, Georgia are being updated with a new look drawing from the successful Orangeburg, S.C. location opened in December and co-owned by Charlamagne Tha God. Upgrades include modernized digital menu boards, new furniture, and refreshed interiors while maintaining service. Digital boards allow for real-time menu updates, improved customer experience, and tailored promotions. Krystal, founded in 1932, operates nearly 300 locations and prioritizes hospitality over AI in its modernization efforts.

🚂 US visa policies maintain strictness and have suspended issuing passports with non-binary gender markers. Egypt reinstated visa-on-arrival and e-visa for Canadians. Saudi Arabia requires meningitis vaccination proof from 10 February. Bulgaria and Romania joined Schengen Area in January 2025, allowing visa-free travel within the zone. Zambia granted visa-free entry to 53 more countries. Mauritania scrapped visa-on-arrival for electronic visas from 5 January. Israel introduced a mandatory Electronic Travel Authorization for visa-free eligible travelers. Thailand extended visa-free entry to 60 days for tourists from several countries. China now allows up to 10-day visa-free transit for about 54 countries. A survey showed 82% of US companies used AI for travel management in 2024, up 69% from 2023.

🔏 Lodgify announced the launch of Lodgify Smart Locks, allowing hosts to manage smart lock devices within one platform. Over 60% of vacation rental industry respondents use smart locks according to the Lodgify 2024 report. Alex Vuilleumier, COO of Lodgify, emphasizes the importance of smooth check-ins. The system generates unique codes for guests and monitors device statuses. Lodgify partners with Nuki, offering a 15% discount on Nuki smart locks until March 31, 2025, with an extra per-device monthly fee.

🏠 Brian Butts appointed as vice president of sales at Custom Travel Solutions (CTS) in 2025. Butts has decades of experience in global travel partnerships and revenue growth; previously served as consulting partner and SVP of strategy at Dorms.com. He held senior positions at Global Solutions Team and spent eight years at Booking.com, managing over $1.8 billion in Gross Travel Value and generating more than 75% of affiliate revenue in North America. His role is pivotal for CTS's expansion, redefining travel memberships and loyalty programs in the US market.

💸 Travelnest selects Mangopay to enhance its payment operations, aiming for increased efficiency and reduced costs for property owners. The partnership will provide multi-currency support and optimize fund flows from booking platforms and guests. Chris Brooks, CFO of Travelnest, emphasizes the importance of simplifying payments to assist property owners. Mangopay's flexible wallet infrastructure is tailored to handle complex payment flows, which Alex Taylor, head of sales at Mangopay, believes is ideal for Travelnest's growth in the travel and hospitality industry.