Major hotel loyalty programs, with hundreds of millions of members, may become the critical data asset that AI booking agents depend on, giving chains structural leverage in the agentic travel era.
Lodging Interactive's CruVu captures private guest recognition by department or staff member, turning it into internal operational intelligence for hotel and restaurant managers to coach teams and improve service.
A Conrad New York Downtown executive outlines how hotels can use destination storytelling, co-created itineraries, multilingual content, and local partnerships to build cultural relevance into their marketing.
We didn't go to HITEC 2026 for the demos. We went for the conversations. We sat down with exhibitors right there on the show floor. No script, no prepared questions, just one starting point: tell us what you do, in plain language. This is where it went with Natalie Kimball, VP of Strategic Account Management for Horizon Distribution and Iceportal Content at Shiji.
Aparium Hotel Group's SVP of Brand and Marketing argues emotional connection and "reading the room" remain irreplaceable by AI, sharing how lifestyle hotels build authentic, neighborhood-rooted guest experiences.
Lighthouse data shows AI referral traffic to hotel websites surged over 50% in weeks after ChatGPT expanded outbound links, with independent hotels best positioned to capture commission-free direct bookings.
A practical guide to mapping all six stages of the hotel guest journey, from inspiration to post-stay loyalty, with tactics to increase direct bookings at each step.
Marriott's Google AI Mode partnership lets guests book directly inside Google's interface, bypassing OTA commissions, but cedes discovery data and risks paid "priority" placement fees as the product matures.
Doug Kennedy's free July 24 webcast covers proactive hotel sales prospecting habits, CRM use, and warm-calling tactics, with future sessions on humanification and upselling.
A conference recap from HSMAI 2026 in San Antonio covering four recurring themes: resilient consumer spending, commercial team alignment, AI-driven hotel discovery, and the return to hospitality fundamentals.
AI is not replacing search but expanding it, and hoteliers must adapt by optimizing for conversational queries, structured data, and AI-driven recommendation engines alongside traditional SEO.
Major chains have built AI tools to defend direct booking conversions, but the discovery journey now starts on ChatGPT and Google AI, platforms brands cannot see, measure, or control.
Amadeus-backed research finds 63% of hotels struggle to find qualified leads, urging a data-first approach to corporate RFP targeting, pre-season visibility, and post-contract account management.
MIMARU reports nearly 80% of guests at its Tokyo Shinjuku property during marathon season are race participants, reflecting a growing trend of travelers building Japan holidays around marathon events.
Accor and H World Group will give their combined 430 million loyalty members cross-access to each other's properties and select benefits across China, Europe, and the Middle East starting in 2026.
Pullman Hotels launches a new global brand campaign centered on human connection and cultural exchange, supported by the Pullman xChange event in Paris and a pipeline of 60+ new properties targeting 200+ hotels within five years.
HSMAI Europe President Ingunn Hofseth reflects on lessons from mentor Mike Leven, arguing that culture and people-first leadership are the foundation of lasting business success.
Hotels face a hard deadline on AI-native distribution as AI shopping assistants already query inventory in real time, making machine-readable availability and direct booking pipes a competitive necessity, not a future option.
An explainer on cold calling for hotel sales teams, covering targeted outreach to corporate travel managers, event planners, and travel agencies to drive group and event bookings.
GCSTIMES promotes a wooden key card shaped like a cat's head featuring cityscape designs that doubles as a 3D fridge magnet, framed around the "set-jetting" travel trend.