The piece argues that digital ordering in hotels should redirect staff time toward meaningful guest interaction, not reduce headcount, while stressing that system connectivity and operational coordination are critical to realizing those gains.
SoftBank Robotics will showcase four AI-powered cooking and serving robots at EquipHotel 2026 in Paris, targeting EMEA hospitality operators facing labour shortages and rising costs.
COMO Uma Ubud Bali has deployed Shiji's Infrasys cloud-based POS to centralize F&B operations, improve order accuracy, and free staff to focus on personalized guest service.
A kiosk deployment at Hyatt Regency Savannah drove a 22% rise in marketplace orders and a 24% sales increase, while shifting 72% of transactions to self-service and freeing staff for higher-value guest interactions.
Wyndham Garden Phuket Kamala has deployed Shiji's Infrasys cloud POS across 3 F&B outlets, centralizing menu management and transaction processing at the Kamala Beach resort.
Winnow acquires Singapore-based Lumitics, gaining deployments across 20+ countries in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, and access to deeper regional hospitality relationships with Accor, Hyatt, Marriott and Four Seasons.
Shiji's Infrasys POS is deployed across The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore's F&B outlets, providing cloud-based order processing, real-time sales visibility, and offline-ready functionality for luxury dining.
Shiji's Infrasys POS integrates with FPG's CheckMax to deliver AI-driven coaching and real-time analytics, targeting a 5–15% increase in incremental revenue per guest for hotel dining outlets.
Suncani Hvar Hotels deployed Shiji's Infrasys POS across nine properties and 40+ outlets in Croatia, unifying order management, payments, and reporting on a single cloud platform.
Shiji's Stellaris Digital Dine adds Open Tab and Pay Only features, promising up to 15 minutes saved per cover and higher average checks through frictionless QR-based ordering and payment natively integrated with its POS and PMS.
Folio and meez integrate their procurement and recipe platforms to give hotel F&B operators real-time visibility into food costs, recipe margins, and purchasing decisions in a single workflow.
FPG's CheckMax uses AI coaching and e-learning to train hotel restaurant servers in suggestive selling, targeting 5–15% revenue-per-guest increases with integrations for Oracle Micros, Toast, and Square.
A 10% workforce shortage across European hotels is driving adoption of mobile POS systems to maintain F&B service standards with fewer staff.
Marc Rose Hospitality achieved 15% F&B revenue growth at two resorts using IRIS mobile ordering, now expanding to three more properties.
American Liberty Hospitality achieved 10-15% F&B revenue growth across five properties by deploying mobile POS systems that eliminate staff trips to fixed terminals.
The 148-room hotel deployed IRIS Mobile Dining to compete with third-party delivery apps and reduce phone-based ordering strain on limited staff.
The 2026 powerlist recognizes 30 F&B leaders across hotels and restaurants in the Middle East, with winners to be celebrated at Dubai gala in March.
IRIS Mobile Ordering helped the luxury hotel handle 100+ orders per shift while improving accuracy and guest confidence for international visitors.
Colicchio Consulting led the $75 million F&B transformation introducing seven new dining concepts including brands from James Beard winner Shawn McClain and Top Chef's Fabio Viviani.
Influence Society, the design-driven digital agency specializing in luxury hospitality, has expanded its collaboration with Altamarea Group to support the online performance of Ai Fiori, the group’s flagship Midtown Manhattan restaurant. Following the launch of a refined, brand-centric website for Marea Beverly Hills, the partnership now turns its focus to enhancing visibility and strengthening the digital foundation for Ai Fiori—a restaurant synonymous with elegance and culinary precision.