TOP NEWS

💸 Independent hotels are leveraging technology for competitive advantages. Modern revenue management systems (RMS) are now accessible to independents, thanks to partnerships like Advance with Amadeus. These systems, awarded best RMS by HotelTechAwards four years in a row, allow dynamic pricing and real-time decisions. Independents benefit from no longer needing a dedicated revenue expert, enabling agile strategies and personalized guest experiences. This shift levels the playing field with larger hotel chains.

📖 May 19, 2025 - Kevin Kelleher, a former hotel leader and current account manager at Actabl, shares insights on hospitality growth. His episode discusses the "70% Rule," emphasizing that hospitality leaders accelerate growth by stepping beyond their comfort zones. This approach suggests that taking on challenges with a 70% confidence level promotes faster professional development. Listen to this insightful episode on the Hospitality Daily Podcast to explore how pushing boundaries can lead to success.

🍴 Carla Hall spoke at the National Restaurant Show, discussing her journey and strategies. Known for appearing on Bravo’s *Top Chef* at 44, she co-hosted ABC’s *The Chew* and authored four cookbooks. Her Brooklyn restaurant, Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen, closed after a year. She emphasizes resilience, leveraging "failures" for products like cornbread mix. Hall values social media insight and advocates using AI in business. Her focus is on trend adaptation rather than viral success.

🏨 Q1 2025 saw global guest satisfaction grow, with the Global Review Index™ reaching 86.7%, the highest in four years. Review volume increased slightly by 0.7% compared to Q1 2024; however, major platforms like Agoda and Tripadvisor saw declines. Notably, Hotels.com surged by 38.2%. While satisfaction improved across categories, the Value index slightly dropped. The global management response rate grew to 69.2%, with average response time reduced to 3.1 days. Regional trends varied, with North America leading in volume growth (+6.3%).

📱 SMARTLINEN, based in Miami, Florida, launched its new reporting app for Android and iOS in the hospitality sector. The app offers hotels real-time linen inventory tracking, historical usage insights, and AI-powered forecasting for efficient linen management. William Serbin, the company's CEO, claims the app enhances guest satisfaction and operational efficiency while reducing costs. Key features include real-time visibility, historical analysis, and sustainability tools to extend linen lifespan and prevent shortages.

🏠 Paris, 2025: The Foire de Paris at Porte de Versailles, lasting ten days, attracts around 600,000 visitors and 3,500 exhibitors in 220,000 square meters. Despite fluctuations around holidays, demand peaks on May 2, 2025 (49.35%), May 3, 2025 (46.15%), and May 1, 2025 (45.30%). This fair, emphasizing international representation from over 40 destinations, boosts hotel bookings, with the fair period averaging a 36.83% booking rate compared to May's 34.19% rate.

📡 May 15, 2025: Ben Wolff, co-founder of Onera and CEO of Oasi, discusses his experience in group events within the hospitality industry. This episode provides valuable insights and practical ideas for engaging groups effectively. Tune in to learn strategies that could benefit your business and the people you serve. Note: Music for the show is by Clay Bassford from Bespoke Sound.

📢 On May 15, 2025, the hospitality industry faced a challenge as AI struggled to provide the personalized experience guests expected. With 71% of consumers demanding personalized interactions and 76% frustrated without them, AI's lack of emotional intelligence led to dissatisfaction in service-driven sectors. Generic AI responses risked hotel loyalty and brand reputation, suggesting that while AI is useful, it requires design improvements emphasizing empathy and human involvement to adapt to guest needs proactively and contextually.

🔔 Lamont's panic button technology accommodates historic building structures with thick walls, meeting Marriott's technical criteria and integrating with hotel security systems. Intrado provides the solution with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and LTE/cellular connectivity via SIM chips. When triggered, an Intrado Safety Shield alert notifies hotel management and staff without alarming guests. The implementation improved worker safety, morale, and retention, and is expanding across Lamont’s hotel properties. Hospitality companies are advised to assess infrastructure, involve staff in the selection process, and consider connectivity challenges with older buildings.

📅 June 12, InterContinental Paris Le Grand: The 30th Hospitality Operator Forum celebrates 30 years of industry transformation. This year, it features the Hospitality Operator Fiction, a new challenge for aspiring leaders to innovate for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Key figures include Solenne Ojea-Devys and Johanna Wagner. The event emphasizes wage increases, AI impact, and adapting to digital distribution changes, with workshops on team mobilization and customer engagement.