Techne Infiniti Ventures and Growth Advisors International Network – GAIN, are proud to announce the Nextwave Seed Investment Challenge @ HITEC ‘25, a bold new initiative giving one hospitality tech startup, attending or exhibiting at HITEC ’25 in Indy, the chance to secure a $50,000 investment and game-changing strategic commercial support.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb officially launched TOURISE today, a bold new global platform designed to shape a new horizon and plot a shared roadmap for the next 50 years of tourism.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is pleased to announce that Hospitality Upgrade has been named the official publication of the Boutique Hotel Owners Conference powered by BLLA, which will be held September 29-30, 2025, in Westlake Village, CA, USA. The partnership will bring exclusive coverage and insights to the independent boutique and luxury hospitality industry.
Expedia Group today announced a major expansion of its B2B technology platform, launching new APIs and advertising innovations designed to power partner growth and unlock smarter traveler engagement. The company is also extending its reach with new GenAI-powered discovery experiences, starting with Expedia® Trip Matching, a first-of-its-kind feature that turns reels on Instagram into personalized travel recommendations. Additionally, with the latest release of its new end-to-end AI Agent on Hotels.com®, and integration with OpenAI Operator and Microsoft Copilot Actions, Expedia Group is making trip planning more intuitive and accessible — meeting travelers across every touchpoint. These latest innovations were shared during Expedia Group’s flagship EXPLORE™ event.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is pleased to announce two champions of hospitality technology, Bruce Bensetler and Luis Segredo, as the 2025 HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame inductees, both recognized for driving the development of game-changing technology solutions that have improved hospitality operations and strategy. Bensetler is the founder and CEO of Data Plus, Inc., a platform built for hotels which unites accounting procurement and payment data into a single, unified system. Segredo is a serial entrepreneur and recently in 2016, he co-founded Hapi (Data Travel, LLC), hospitality’s connectivity partner, dedicated to simplifying the complex hospitality technology landscape by connecting hoteliers and solution providers at scale. The 2025 inductees will be honored at the upcoming Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®) in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 17, 2025.
h2c is conducting a global study on how hotel chains are using AI and automation—and we’d love your input.
Over 100 years ago, the modern hotel chain was invented, and it dominated travel for nearly a century. Then, in 2007, we had an idea: what if we designed a way for people to book a home as easily as they could book a hotel? Since then, Airbnb has surpassed 2 billion guest arrivals and changed the way people travel. But a great trip is about more than the home you stay in. That’s why we’re introducing:
Expedia® today announced Expedia® Trip Matching, a first-of-its-kind feature that allows travelers to seamlessly build an itinerary based on an Instagram Reel and then book directly on Expedia. Travelers can share any publicly available travel-related Reel—whether from content creators they follow or trending posts—directly with Expedia and receive customized itineraries, destination ideas, and travel tips based on the video. Powered by AI, this new experience transforms inspiration into real-world travel plans, making it easier than ever to book travel directly from Instagram.
Modern hoteliers are faced with the challenge of meeting rising guest expectations while keeping operations efficient and profitable. In this fast-paced industry, innovative hospitality solutions have become essential tools for success. From personalizing guest experiences to streamlining day-to-day operations, the right hotel software can make all the difference. In this article, we’ll explore how these solutions are transforming the hospitality industry and helping hoteliers thrive…while maximizing profit.
Growth Advisors International Network (GAIN), the leading global travel & hospitality advisory firm for growth & innovation, has entered a strategic partnership with Techne Infiniti Ventures, the leading venture platform investing in the most innovative and exciting AI-powered innovation across the hospitality and travel industry.
In a recent conversation Simone Puorto and Brian Reeves, Founder and CEO of the roomangel Foundation they shared his thoughts on how hotel distribution has evolved, and why it needs a serious rethink.
Today, Hilton, a leading global hospitality company, is advancing the business travel industry as the world's first hotel group to automate the integration of virtual card payment details into its property management system. This technology will be implemented in thousands of Hilton properties globally, creating a more efficient and secure experience for business travelers and corporations around the world.
h2c is conducting a global study on how hotel chains are using AI and automation—and we’d love your input.
AI is no longer just a buzzword—it's transforming hospitality at a rapid pace, and Cendyn's Michael Bennett believes the biggest AI breakthroughs are already here. Speaking at ITB, Bennett highlighted AI-powered call centers and contextual chat agents as two of the most impactful innovations, boosting efficiency while reducing labor costs.Through Cendyn's partnership with Poly AI, hotels can now fully automate voice reservations, allowing human agents to focus on high-value guest interactions.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is pleased to announce the Headliner session lineup for the 2025 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®). The highly anticipated conference is poised to provide groundbreaking insights and inspiration for technology enthusiasts and industry leaders. This year’s standout headliners include Todd Buchholz, a distinguished economist, Harvard professor, former White House economic adviser, and acclaimed author and Jeremy Gustche, CEO of TrendHunter.com, a globally renowned platform for innovation and change.
AI in hospitality isn't just about chatbots—it's about automation, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. At ITB, Chris Egan of Cendyn emphasized that the most impactful AI applications are often behind the scenes, streamlining revenue management, marketing optimization, and business intelligence. Instead of just enhancing guest experiences, Cendyn is using AI to cut routine tasks, speed up decision-making, and maximize profitability.
Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) today announced it has entered into a strategic agreement with technology company PathSpot Technologies, Inc., the creator of a real-time hygiene management and digital kitchen system that protects against the threat and spread of illness with a handwashing validation system and equipment monitoring technology. As Marriott continues its legacy of hospitality industry innovation, including food and beverage operations, it is the first hospitality company to make PathSpot technology available to the company’s portfolio of over 9,300 properties across the U.S. and Canada, Caribbean and Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Europe and the Middle East.
Hospitality is all about creating unforgettable guest experiences, yet sound quality is often overlooked. Michael Kinzel, Global Segment Manager Live & Entertainment Venues at d&b audiotechnik, reveals how their world-class speaker technology—trusted by music icons like Coldplay and Taylor Swift—is now enhancing hotel and restaurant soundscapes.
Hospitality is about people helping people. Technology can enhance this through robust tools, enabling the workforce to deliver memorable guest experiences. Successful organizations must regularly evaluate their technology stack, processes, data infrastructure, and security to ensure practical support for internal operations and provide the desired guest journey to meet today’s guest expectations.