Innovation

📌 The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced its 2025 leadership, with Mitch Patel as board chair and Liam Brown as vice chair. Immediate past chair Kevin Jacobs and HotelPAC Advisory Council chair Jon Bortz continue on board. AHLA's advocacy will focus on tax relief, fair legislation, level playing field for hotels and rentals, fighting operational mandates, visa system reforms, franchise model protection, federal employee per diem rates, and supporting human trafficking survivors. New AHLA partners include dormakaba, LAZ Hospitality Services, and Foodbuy.

🍴 McDonald's Corp. has renewed its strategic partnership with Cognizant, aiming to boost staff enablement, customer experience, and operational efficiency through advanced technology. Cognizant will support McDonald's in Global Finance Systems, Human Capital Management, payroll, franchisee management, and legal applications. Anup Prasad of Cognizant highlighted the shift to a modern cloud-based business, while JT Scott of McDonald's noted the value of Cognizant's expertise in global finance and people systems. The collaboration will focus on Cloud, Enterprise AI, and Generative AI advancements.

🔔 The blog post entitled "Hello Hoteliers: How long can you stare at your guests?" addresses the issue of guest-staff stare-offs in hotels. It suggests that automation, personalization, and proactive communication can revolutionize hotel operations. Authored by Aditya Sanghi and associated with Hotelogix, it was published on January 21, 2025. The article appears on the Hotelogix Blog and emphasizes improving guest experiences through technological advancements.

🏠 London’s Eccleston Square Hotel, known for high-tech luxury, unveils an extensive tech upgrade. Highlights include Apple TVs by ROOMNET in all 39 rooms, an energy-efficient automation system by Leading Edge Automation, integrated with HSYCO BMS software and MEWS PMS. Opened in 2011, the hotel is lauded for merging luxury with technology. The new system improves energy savings, preconditions rooms for guest comfort, and offers real-time air quality adjustments. Eccleston Square Hotel also features Hästens massage beds in each room, advanced entertainment options, and access to private gardens.

🏡 Safestay PLC, a major European hostel group, announced a partnership with Cloudbeds starting January 2025, entailing the integration of its 20-hostel portfolio with Cloudbeds’ Platform. The collaboration aims to leverage AI for revenue maximization, improve direct booking strategies, and enhance guest experiences using a unified technology system. In 2023, Safestay sold 848,633 bed nights, a 17% increase from the previous year, and is poised for expansion, planning new hostels in Brighton and Cordoba and managing a property on Spain’s Costa Blanca. The global hostel market is projected to reach $8.9bn by 2027.

🏨 In 2025, hoteliers' top concerns include productivity, data security, and guest loyalty, which Cloud Property Management Systems (Cloud PMS) address to facilitate hotel management.

🏨 New Zealand's Marsden Hotel Group, with properties under Marsden Hotels & Resorts, Ramada by Wyndham, Wyndham Garden, and Microtel by Wyndham, collaborates with STAAH to enhance revenue opportunities. Implementing STAAH's channel manager, booking engine, and global distribution systems, Marsden aims to streamline booking processes and expand market reach. Emma Kirkland, Director of Revenue Management, notes GDS channel volume doubled in the first month, attributing to new integrations through STAAH. Tarun Joukani, Director at STAAH, emphasizes technology's role in revenue growth for modern accommodations. Marsden operates 15 properties across major New Zealand locations.

📱 Hotels face a critical challenge in providing strong cellular coverage due to guest expectations and technological advancements. Guests demand seamless connectivity and are holding hotels accountable for poor service. Cybersecurity concerns have led to a preference for cellular networks over unsecured hotel Wi-Fi. Sustainable building materials, like Low-E glass and dense concrete, block cellular signals, complicating this issue. Small cell networks are recommended as a cost-effective, flexible solution to enhance indoor coverage, being more adaptable than traditional Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS).

🌍 Komodo, a social media and influencer marketing agency, launched The Journey, a marketing platform for the travel sector, partnered with TikTok, Revolut, and Samsonite. Targeting Australia and New Zealand, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Oceania's campaign starts in February. Six Australian content creators, with a collective following of over 34 million, will compete in gamified TikTok challenges to promote Singapore as a leading destination. The initiative aims to drive visitor numbers by showcasing unique stories through interactive influencer content.

📊 UK SMBs anticipate increasing domestic travel volumes (76%) and business travel budgets (79%) in 2025. Business travel grew by 74% in 2024 compared to 2023. A third (33%) of decision-makers aim to use more rail to cut carbon footprints. An impressive 87% now have emission reduction targets, up from 52% in January 2024, and 85% support lower-carbon travel financially. Regulatory influences are driving 34% of SMBs' lower carbon policies. Andrew Cruttenden of Trainline Partner Solutions underscores the value of tech solutions for sustainable rail travel growth.