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How Hotel Work Changes as Software Becomes an AI Teammate, AI Travel Agents Carry a Hidden Token Cost, 40 AI Trip Planners Mapped
Thursday brought a World Panel viewpoint on how hotel work changes as software tools become AI teammates, Terence Ronson on the hidden token cost of AI travel agents that hotels should expect to see migrate into commissions, and Martin Soler's map of 40 AI trip planning products. Hilton's Pay with Points, PATA's Asia Pacific recovery data, and five property announcements rounded out the session.
Hotel distribution in 2026: The GDS runs the business trip
Sabre GDS hotel reservations grew 8% year-over-year in Q2, with corporate travel now 45% of its volume, as booking tools blend GDS rates with OTA prices on a single screen.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
Latest
The Bell Stays on Top
Pertlink marks its 26th anniversary by repositioning as a hospitality technology and AI advisory, flagging AI discoverability as the defining challenge for hotels in 2027.
Why Success belongs to Hotels that Dare to be Different
Independent and boutique hotels command ADR premiums of up to 34% over traditional same-class hotels by leaning into authentic identities rather than chasing chain-style standardization.
By Melissa Rodrigues, Lead Content Manager, GuestCentric Systems
Hotel vs. vacation rental: 5 key differences to know
An explainer comparing hotels and vacation rentals across five dimensions: guest experience, location, amenities, pricing transparency, and distribution, aimed at helping hoteliers position more effectively.
By Femke Nollet, Content Specialist, Lighthouse
Recent Appointments
View allOperations & Strategy
Laura Mills has been appointed as Managing Director at Minor Hotels
General Management
Kunal Chakrabarti has been appointed as General Manager at Paséa Hotel & Spa
Read the Meter
Drawing on a McKinsey explainer, this piece introduces "token literacy" for hoteliers, explaining how AI billing works and why spend can nearly quadruple from pilot to portfolio rollout.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited
Global Soccer Tourney Provides Roadmap for Future Mega Events
Lessons from the 2026 FIFA World Cup offer hoteliers a practical playbook on supply chain prep, staffing, cultural adaptation, and procurement for LA's 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympics.
By Heather Altieri, Vice President, Client Relations, Avendra
Your hotel website is your 24/7 salesperson. Would you hire it?
A practical checklist for hoteliers to audit their website like a salesperson, covering page speed, booking paths, content accuracy, and personalization to drive direct bookings over OTAs.
By Thomas McDermott, CMO, Tambourine
Speedy Arrivals, Seamless Stays: How Hotel June Malibu Eliminated Wait Times With Canary's Mobile Key
Hotel June Malibu cut check-in wait times from 7 minutes to zero using Canary Technologies' Mobile Key and Mobile Check-In, with over half of mobile check-ins now opting for a mobile key.
Why wellness is your hotel’s most important new booking driver
With wellness tourism growing at 14.5% annually and spa-enabled hotels generating 108% higher TRevPAR, operators are urged to integrate wellness into booking strategy, not treat it as a cost centre.
Supplier News
View allFrom Ancient Myths to Modern Journeys, Exploring Grand Odysseys
Skyscanner's 2027 trends report highlights "Grand Odysseys" travel, with 43% of Millennials and 42% of Gen Z inspired by mythology, offering hotels a role across pre-, during, and post-trip guest engagement.
dailypoint launches free and anonymous AI Readiness Check for hotels
dailypoint's free 18-question AI Readiness Check helps hotels assess their data foundations, citing research showing only 13% of hotel chains achieve measurable ROI from AI despite 91% adoption.
Cloudbeds brings hotel outlets onto its unified platform with new POS
Cloudbeds launches a native mobile POS connecting hotel restaurants, bars, spas and shops to its core platform, enabling direct folio posting, unified reporting and offline order-taking.
Hoteza Receives EcoVadis Committed Badge, Strengthening Its Commitment to Sustainable Hospitality
Hoteza earned the EcoVadis Committed Badge and outlines how its digital guest journey tools can help hotels reduce paper use, support energy efficiency, and promote sustainable guest behaviors.
Expedia Group Launches AUTONOMOUS ONBOARDING, Helping Properties Access Global Travel Demand Faster
Expedia Group's Autonomous Onboarding lets properties connect via existing PMS/channel manager software and go live in under 24 hours, with no duplicate data entry or separate workflows.
Avalora Taps John Calcao to Lead International Expansion as VP of Global Sales
Avalora appoints John Calcao as VP of Global Sales, bringing 25+ years of communications technology experience including a 433% sales growth track record at AudioCodes.
HotelRunner Hotels Can Now Join Expedia Group in Less Than 24 Hours with AUTONOMOUS ONBOARDING
HotelRunner hotels can now connect to Expedia Group in under 24 hours via Autonomous Onboarding, with existing rates and availability flowing automatically and no manual re-entry required.
More than half of hotels use AI to price rooms, but only 1 in 10 would rely on it for most decisions, RoomPriceGenie finds
RoomPriceGenie's 2026 survey of 450 senior hoteliers finds AI pricing adoption at 53%, but trust remains low, with only 10% willing to let AI make most pricing decisions autonomously.
Medical Wellness and the New Guest Expectation in Hospitality
Medical wellness is entering luxury hospitality through assessments, body composition scans, and AI-guided fitness, shifting wellness from amenity to a personalized, prevention-focused revenue opportunity.
By Rachel Lenzner and Gary Young
The AI Travel Planner Market Map
The author maps 40 AI trip planning products across four categories and questions whether AI will transform travel booking or simply replicate the transactional convenience of OTAs.
By Martin Soler, Partner, Soler & Associates
If Love Will Tear Us Apart, Good Music Will Keep Us Together: Simone Puorto’s new book on Ian Curtis and Joy Division launches in Curtis’s hometown on 26 October
Italian writer Simone Puorto launches a new book on Ian Curtis and Joy Division in Macclesfield on 26 October 2026, exploring pilgrimage and cultural afterlife around the late singer.
How to use flight search data to forecast hotel demand
Lighthouse research across 40 destinations confirms flight searches predict occupancy 9-10 weeks out and hotel searches 4-5 weeks out, with strongest signals at leisure and event destinations.
By Jonathan Gough, Content Team Lead, Lighthouse
Prize By Radisson opens in Wroclaw's Sky Tower with colorful design and city views
Prize by Radisson has opened Prize by Radisson, Wroclaw Sky Tower, a new midscale lifestyle hotel in Wrocław, Poland. Located within the city's landmark Sky Tower, the new hotel is the 20th Prize by Radisson overall and the brand's second hotel in Poland, following the opening of Prize by Radisson, Gdańsk in May.
PATA: Asia Pacific Tourism Nears Full Recovery as Growth Moderates in Early 2026
PATA's Annual Tourism Monitor 2026 shows Asia Pacific reached 96.3% of 2019 arrival levels in early 2026, with Korea and Vietnam outperforming while the USA and Thailand declined.
BTG Hotels and Kempinski Group Hold High-Level Talks to Deepen Strategic Partnership and Foster Mutual Growth
BTG Hotels and Kempinski reaffirmed their partnership through high-level talks, agreeing to deepen cooperation via joint venture Key International and expand both brands into overseas markets.
Hilton Becomes First Major Hotel Brand to Offer Digital Solution to Pay with Points
Hilton's new Pay with Points feature lets Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Diamond Reserve Honors members redeem points toward hotel charges via Digital Check Out in the app, rolling out to 800+ U.S. hotels by end of 2026.
Costa Rica's Peninsula Papagayo Breaks Ground on Second Oceanfront Andaz Residences Neighborhood
Peninsula Papagayo, widely regarded as Costa Rica's most exclusive resort and residential community, today announced the groundbreaking of a second neighborhood of 35 oceanfront Andaz Residences on the North Pacific coast's Culebra Bay. The milestone marks the next step in the long-term vision of Mohari Hospitality, a global investor focused on the development of luxury hospitality assets, which acquired the remaining stake in Peninsula Papagayo earlier this year to become its sole owner.
Hard Rock Casino Tejon Breaks Ground on New Hard Rock Hotel as Part of a $725M Expansion
The Tejon Indian Tribe and Hard Rock International today celebrated the groundbreaking of the next major phase of Hard Rock Casino Tejon, a more than $725 million investment that will transform the property into Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon, a full-service resort and entertainment destination.