TOP NEWS

📦 The 2025 honorees in restaurant technology will be recognized in three categories: Rising Star (less than 5 years of experience), Innovator Award (women with over 5 years of experience), and Lifetime Achievement Award (over 20 years of service). Winners, selected by Hospitality Technology and its Research Advisory Board, will be celebrated at the 30th annual MURTEC on March 10-12, 2025, at Caesars Forum. Nominations close on January 6. Milagro, an all-in-one restaurant platform based in Dallas, Texas, provides enterprise-grade apps to enhance guest experiences through personalized interactions.

🏖 Wellness tourism was valued at $651 billion in 2024, with a projected annual growth of 16.6% by 2027. Hotel spas can boost profitability by integrating spa software with hotel technology, enhancing guest experience, and tapping into the growing demand for wellness. Key benefits include seamless bookings, operational efficiency, marketing, and revenue optimization. Features of spa management software include online reservations, client profiles, inventory management, staff management, and integration with existing hotel tech stacks. Leading platforms include Book4Time, MINDBODY, Pxier Spa, and SpaSoft. Integrating spa software can transform a hotel's spa into a core driver of guest satisfaction and revenue.

🏨 Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced a pipeline of over 50 luxury and lifestyle hotels to open globally by 2026, with a focus on luxury travel which is forecasted to increase by 52.8% in Europe by 2028. 70% of Hyatt's global rooms are luxury and upper upscale; the company expanded by 28 luxury hotels in three years and doubled luxury room count since 2017. Hyatt quintupled its lifestyle rooms since 2017, adding 28 lifestyle hotels in 2024, and acquired Standard International. The Lifestyle group is led by Amar Lalvani and will be based in New York City, Austin, and Bangkok. Upcoming openings include Miraval the Red Sea (2025), Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, and Andaz Miami Beach among others.

💰 CDS Groupe, a French hotel booking and payment solutions leader, has acquired SIAP, an Italian company providing ERP software to over 1,000 TMCs. The acquisition aims to consolidate CDS Groupe's EU business travel dominance, with SIAP remaining autonomous. CDS Groupe, led by CEO Ziad Minkara, targets €1 billion in hotel bookings by 2027, with further expansion plans, including the Anglo-Saxon market. SIAP's Methodica solution will be integrated into CDS Groupe's services, enhancing its corporate client offerings.

🏨 By 2025, expect technology-first hospitality with virtual concierges, mobile check-ins, and apps. Smart rooms will cater to digital-native Gen Z travelers. Online experiences will be seamless across platforms, stressing mobile-first approaches. Wellness services will expand, including in-room massages and healthy dining options. Hyper-personalization will be key with tailored guest experiences. Hotels will adopt eco-friendly practices, catering to guests' sustainability preferences. Group travel for 'bleisure' is anticipated to grow. Revenue optimization will focus on upselling and unbundling amenities. Seamless digital payments will include wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Influencer partnerships will influence travel decisions, especially on platforms like TikTok and Snapchat.

🏡 Marriott International announced over 260 luxury hotels in the development pipeline, with over 30 properties expected to open in 2025. A profound evolution in luxury travel is witnessed, with Millennials and Gen Z reshaping the market by prioritizing experiences. EDITION Hotels debuted in Saudi Arabia in 2024, with openings in Lake Como and the Red Sea planned for 2025. JW Marriott launched in St. Maarten, Nairobi, and Taiyuan in 2024, with more openings in Kaafu Atoll, Crete, and Tokyo ahead. The Luxury Collection added resorts in Labuan Bajo, Lombok, Nice, Las Vegas, and Isla Mujeres in 2024, with Milan and Madrid joining soon. The Ritz-Carlton introduced locations in Morocco, Hawaii, Saudi Arabia, and Bangkok, and will return to Puerto Rico in 2025. St. Regis opened resorts in Longboat Key and Shanghai in 2024, with upcoming launches in Aruba and the Dominican Republic. W Hotels reimagined W Hollywood, launched W Prague, and will open in Union Square, Punta Cana, and Florence in 2025.

📍 In 2024, the hotel industry recognized the necessity for operational and tech improvements. Fragmented hotel systems result in missed revenue and guest dissatisfaction. Google's Gemini AI emphasizes the need for contextually relevant content. Websites must be optimized for mobile, accessibility, and user-friendly navigation. A mid-sized hotel group increased direct bookings by 15% through integrated systems. AI adoption is essential, predicted to double within two years. Inter-departmental alignment and real-time data trackings are crucial for growth. Hotels are advised to adopt digital transformation to stay competitive.

📋 Leveraging Business Intelligence (BI) tools during the pre-stay hotel phases—Attraction (Pre-Booking), Booking, and Upsell Marketing (Pre-Arrival)—can maximize revenue and minimize costs. BI tools provide real-time data analytics, actionable insights, and predictive modeling for data-driven decisions. Hotels can optimize marketing campaigns, adjust pricing strategies, and offer personalized guest experiences. In the Attraction phase, BI analyzes market segmentation, marketing campaign performance, website and digital analytics, and competitor and market insights, reducing Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and increasing profitability. During the Booking phase, BI assists in channel management, pricing optimization, and conversion rate improvement, leading to reduced distribution costs and enhanced user experience. In the Upsell Marketing phase, BI aids in understanding guest profiles and preferences, measuring upsell performance, and evaluating communication effectiveness, contributing to increased ancillary revenue and guest satisfaction. ????