Innovation

🗺️ 2026 travel trends highlight unique experiences: 71% interested in "romantasy" retreats; 77% open to robotic-enhanced vacation homes. Relationships are tested, with 69% willing to travel with new partners. 84% embrace carpooling, while 65% use AI for scenic routes. Astrology influences 47% of travelers, and 80% seek skincare-specific wellness trips. Gen Z values nature, with 81% wanting to connect more with it. Nostalgia and modern milestones fuel travel, as 67% book trips without a traditional reason.

💻 OTAs accessed via ChatGPT bring real-time pricing from Expedia and Booking without context-switching. Partnering with incumbents avoids data shut-offs. Expedia's 2-minute latency is a conversion issue; faster UX is needed. Current process requires external booking, impacting user flow. ChatGPT's control over information reduces OTA brand visibility, potentially compressing their 10-20% take rate. Low-latency, native payments, and integrated servicing are necessary for seamless transactions. OTAs may see benefits within 12 months, but UX owners are poised to gain long-term advantage.

💻 Co-founders Vieri Balboni and Robert Godwin developed DreamDesk, launched with Lamington Group, to tackle the hospitality sector's challenges. DreamDesk automates up to 90% of routine tasks, decreasing front desk workloads by 60%. UKHospitality reports 132,000 vacancies in the sector, up 48% from pre-pandemic levels. The system is integrated with room2 hometels and Lamington Apartments, planning expansion to 50 hotels by year-end. DreamDesk streamlines operations, allowing staff to focus on high-value interactions.

🛒 Retailers face the agentic commerce hype, fearing commoditization and disrupted retail media. Despite headlines predicting an AI-driven shopping revolution, skepticism remains. Agentic commerce, where AI handles complete purchases, lacks retailer support and consumer evidence. With Amazon and Shopify controlling over 50% of US eCommerce, agentic commerce's impact is questionable. Previous trends like metaverse commerce, voice commerce, and shoppable TV failed to thrive, casting doubt on agentic commerce's potential.

🏖 Marriott International launched the Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy, featuring Postcard Cabins and Trailborn Hotels, under the platform Marriott Bonvoy Outdoors. This platform integrates over 400 hotels, 50,000+ Homes & Villas, and Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities, targeting seven outdoor passions. In 2024, Marriott acquired Postcard Cabins with 29 properties and 1,200 cabins, and partnered with Trailborn Hotels with four U.S. locations. This strategic move focuses on upscale accommodations in nature-centric destinations.

📱 Hospitality marketing veteran Victoria Feldman de Falco, co-founder of Redpoint, and Nancy Mendelson discuss the importance of consistent communication for hospitality businesses. Drawing on over 40 years of experience and lessons from past crises like 9/11, the Great Recession, and the pandemic, they highlight the costly mistake of cutting PR. They emphasize storytelling's role in brand visibility, the value of relationships, and the growing significance of earned media in AI-driven search.

💻 Commerzbank's chatbot, enhanced by Gemini, handles over two million chats, resolving 70% of inquiries. Mercari's AI-driven contact center aims for a 500% ROI by reducing workloads by 20%. Google Vids has 2.5 million users monthly. Google Meet's speech translation grew 13x this year. Over one million developers use Gemini CLI, launched three months ago. Klarna's AI tools increased orders by 50%, and Swarovski's AI usage boosted email open rates by 17%.

📈 Arbio raised $36 million in Series A funding, led by Eurazeo, with participation from OpenOcean, Atlantic Labs, and key angel investors. Founded by Constantin Schröder and Paul Bäumler, Arbio aims to revolutionize Europe's $20 billion vacation rental market by automating property management with AI. The platform optimizes operations, enhancing owner revenue and guest satisfaction. Arbio's expansion will target Europe's fragmented market with its AI-native operating system, benefiting millions of property owners and guests.