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Next-gen Operational Intelligence = Operations + Business Intelligence + AI

Operational Intelligence in hospitality has come a long way. Business Intelligence platforms helped pave the path by giving property leaders visibility into key metrics through dashboards and web portals. But while these tools showed what was happening, they often stopped short of explaining why. That missing piece is now within reach. Thanks to recent advances in artificial intelligence, we are entering a new phase of Operational Intelligence. Property teams can now access real-time insights, uncover root causes, and take smarter actions to drive profitability and performance.

By Matt Schwartz, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Sage

Accor Signs Novotel Victoria Falls, Marking Strategic Market Entry into Zimbabwe

Accor has announced the signing of Novotel Victoria Falls, a landmark project set within Victoria Falls - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

Novotel

Eagle Heights, Zimbabwe

Best Check-in? ¶No Check-in!

It’s 2025. You can fly across the Atlantic, binge watch a series at 30,000 feet, call a ride with a tap, and unlock your front door with your phone. But step into many hotels and suddenly it’s like the future hit pause at the front desk. The check-in process, still clunky, still manual, still weirdly sacred, somehow remains frozen in time. And the most ironic part? We keep calling it “hospitality.”

By Dr. Andreas Krobath, Founder & CEO, Absolute Future IT & Marketing GmbH

IHG Hotels & Resorts to Bring Holiday Inn Brand to Senegal, Marking Strategic Expansion in West Africa

IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world's leading hospitality companies, has announced the signing of a franchise agreement with Senegindia SA to bring Holiday Inn SD City Dakar in Senegal. Scheduled to open in 2027, the 150-rooms hotel will mark an important step in IHG's growth strategy in West Africa. Valor Hospitality Partners, one of IHG's trusted hospitality partners, will manage the property, continuing their strong expansion in the region.

Holiday Inn

Dakar Region, Senegal

Doing More With Less: The New Reality For Hotel Profitability

Labour shortages and global uncertainty are putting serious strain on hotel operations. Margins are tighter, expectations are higher, and operators are being asked to deliver more with fewer resources. In this environment, technology is no longer a nice to have. It is essential. From automation to integration, the right tools can help you streamline operations, improve the guest experience, and protect your bottom line. Here is a practical look at what to do and what to avoid when using tech to ease the pressure and run a smarter, more efficient property.

By Sandrine Zechbauer, Chief Marketing Officer, RMS

G Wellness Company Limited Partners with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to Launch the First Internationally Branded Hotel in Banjul, The Gambia

G Wellness Company Limited, a subsidiary of MP Trading Group, is proud to announce its strategic partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company, to debut the first internationally branded resort in Banjul, The Gambia, under the globally recognized Ramada by Wyndham brand.

Ramada by Wyndham

Banjul, Gambia

Strategic Foresight: Getting Ahead in Hospitality Talent Tech

Thinking about technology in hospitality, I often reflect on how it used to feel like something separate, an add-on. Today it is woven into everything we do, especially in something as crucial as managing our talent. And with artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI tools, grabbing headlines, we are entering a new era in how we think about and handle our people strategies.

By Georges El Hajal, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

Consulting-Dō: The Way of the Ethical Consultant ¶(A Manifesto)

Believe it or not, this isn’t another late night monologue about AI sentience or the metaverse melting our brains. This one is about something simpler and, honestly, more urgent. It is about consulting, what it is, what it is not, and why it is time we stopped treating it like an Instagram filter for our careers. Somewhere between rooftop selfies and recycled slide decks, the core of this job got lost. So whether you are thinking of becoming a consultant or about to hire one, consider this your cheat sheet. No fluff, no pitch, just the truth.

By Simone Puorto, Head of Emerging Trends and Strategic Innovation, Hospitality Net

The Next Service Era: Hospitality Boosting Through Automation and Digitalization

Hospitality is undergoing a fundamental transformation - driven not only by digitalization and artificial intelligence, but by a new understanding of what human-centered service means in a tech-enabled world. Based on insights from the FutureHotel Innovation Network at Fraunhofer IAO, this article explores how hotels are shifting from standardized procedures toward more adaptive, emotionally intelligent service models. Automation is not replacing humans - it’s freeing them to do what they do best: create genuine, meaningful guest experiences. In this new era, technology doesn’t undermine hospitality’s human core; it enables its renaissance.

By Prof. Dr.-Ing. Vanessa Borkmann, Research Director and Head of the FutureHotel Innovation Network, Fraunhofer IAO

Agentic AI – The Single Biggest Impact Of AI On Hospitality

Hospitality is on the edge of its next great transformation, and this time it is not mobile driving the change. It is AI. Just look at the numbers. In April 2025, ChatGPT recorded over five billion visits, while traffic to Google declined. This shift marks more than a trend. It signals a complete rethinking of how travel is researched, planned, and booked. And at the center of it all is Agentic AI, the technology that may soon redefine the entire guest journey, from inspiration to reservation.

By Max Starkov, Hospitality & travel technologist and digital strategist, Hospitality Net

The United Nations of Hotel Tech (A Cautionary Tale in Three Acts)

Let’s be honest. Hotel tech is a mess. Not a quirky, fix-it-with-duct-tape mess, but a full-on, integration-induced identity crisis. Every time a vendor tries to connect to a PMS, a developer cries. The industry has spent years chasing standards, frameworks, and white papers, only to end up with a Frankenstein stack of systems that barely speak to each other. And for what? So we can proudly say we built a digital house of cards that collapses the moment someone updates an API?

By Ira Vouk, Hospitality Tech and AI Consultant, Hospitality 2.0 Consulting

Why the Future of Hospitality Excellence Will Be Defined by Digital

Luxury in hospitality is no longer defined by marble floors or high thread count sheets. It is measured by how seamlessly your digital ecosystem meets guest expectations. The modern traveler is not impressed by a fruit basket or a bathroom phone. They are looking for instant connectivity, intuitive digital touchpoints, and a smooth journey from booking to check out. In this new era, your hotel’s ability to deliver digitally is not a bonus. It is the baseline.

By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited

Wellness Experience Data as a Goldmine for Real Hospitality

It’s easy to think wellness is just another bolt-on, like bath salts or green juice in the minibar. But the truth is, wellness isn’t just a trend. It’s a trillion-dollar shift in how people travel, spend, and stay. And if you are in hospitality, it’s your business to care. Not just in the fluffy “feel good” sense, but in a data-driven, revenue-boosting, loyalty-building kind of way. Because when guests start choosing hotels based on how they feel after check-out, you will want to be the one showing them measurable results.

By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky

Welcome to The Hotel Yearbook Technology 2025

Welcome to The Hotel Yearbook Technology 2025

If you’re flipping through this publication in search of buzzwords and hype, I’ll save you some time… this isn’t that kind of yearbook. HYB Technology 2025 is where we talk about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s just been duct-taped together for the 20th year in a row.

By Ira Vouk, Hospitality Tech and AI Consultant, Hospitality 2.0 Consulting

Rwanda’s Travel & Tourism Sector Broke all Records in 2024, reveals WTTC

Rwanda’s Travel & Tourism sector broke all records in 2024, with its contribution to the economy, employment and domestic and international visitor spend all reaching record levels.

WTTC

Rwanda

Kenya’s Travel & Tourism Sector Set to Inject a Record KSh1.2TN in 2025

Research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed Kenya’s Travel & Tourism sector is set to contribute a record KSh1.2TN to the economy this year, a record 24% above 2019 levels and equivalent to more than 7% of national GDP.

WTTC

Kenya

Virgin Limited Edition Unveils the New Look Mahali Mzuri

Mahali Mzuri, Sir Richard Branson's luxury tented safari camp in Kenya's famed Maasai Mara, and part of the Virgin Limited Edition collection, has officially re-opened following a full interior re-design. The re-opening is welcomed in time for guests to take their front row seats for the annual Great Migration, which typically occurs during July and August.

Virgin Limited Edition

Wilaya ya Narok, Kenya