Innovation

🌐 Silverdoor invested in robotic process automation (RPA) to enhance its online booking tool (OBT) by enriching real-time inventory and rate availability. The digital assistant processes rates ten times faster than humans, meeting client demand for real-time access. This investment also improves rate accuracy and offers new features like enhanced preselection and a currency selector. Hanish Vithal and Sandra Borges highlight the importance of transparency and efficiency in the dynamic accommodation market.

💻 WiFi 8, or IEEE 802.11bn, was showcased at CES 2026 despite not being finalized until 2028. Unlike its predecessors, WiFi 8 focuses on reliability over speed, with features like advanced access point coordination and better interference management. Though promising, its adoption is cautious, as few devices currently support it. Businesses are advised against hastily investing unless their current WiFi 6E or WiFi 7 setups no longer suffice.

📈 Quicktext becomes Quinta, marking a strategic shift to a unified hotel data platform designed for the AI era. Quinta introduces Q-Channel, synchronizing hotel data across OTAs, GDS, and AI-led platforms like ChatGPT, and Q-Share, an API for verified data sharing within digital ecosystems. This ensures consistent, reliable hotel information across digital touchpoints, reflecting the industry's AI-driven transformation.

📈 Quinta, formerly Quicktext, announces a strategic rebranding to become a unified hotel data platform. Founded in 2017 by Daniel C. Doppler and Benjamin Devisme, it generated $1.05 billion in leads across 76 countries in the past year. Recognized as the second most influential AI company in France in April 2024, Quinta employs 130 staff in 16 global offices. New solutions Q-Channel and Q-Share enhance data distribution for AI-driven environments.

📅 Perk, January 2026, worldwide. A new AI-driven tool, Perk Events, launches to streamline event planning for up to 5,000 participants, automating tasks such as venue selection, bookings, and participant management. 71% of employees have organized events, often beyond their main roles. Forrester Consulting reports 57% of businesses lack automated event processes, leading to $1.7 trillion in productivity losses across six major markets. Perk aims to tackle this "invisible work" and enhance efficiency.

🏎 World of Hyatt announced today its partnership with the Audi Revolut F1 Team, becoming their official hospitality partner. This collaboration offers World of Hyatt members exclusive access to F1 experiences, including behind-the-scenes paddock tours, driver meet-and-greets, private receptions, and luxury weekend itineraries. Members can also earn and redeem loyalty points for bespoke travel experiences around major Grand Prix events, blending high performance with premium hospitality.

🏨 The Peninsula Hotels' development strategy is selective, favoring prestigious markets and slow growth. Recent openings in London and Istanbul took decades, emphasizing site and partner selectivity for unique establishments. The Kadourie family prioritizes partial ownership to maintain brand identity and quality. The group boasts a Five-Star Forbes Travel Guide rating across all properties, focusing on bespoke experiences, iconic locations, and local heritage, with an emphasis on meticulous craftsmanship and personalized services.

📺 Le D-Day Omaha Museum à Vierville-sur-Mer propose "Echoes of Bravery", une expérience VR immersive en 8K, lancée en 2024. Co-produit par Ride FX et réalisé par Elia Vermander, ce film de 11 minutes est disponible en sept langues. Présentée à Museum Connections 2026, cette expérience recrée le Débarquement à Omaha Beach, intégrant des objets authentiques de 1940-1945. Les visiteurs peuvent vivre l'expérience directement sur la plage, ajoutant une dimension sensorielle unique.

📅 Kactus, le 14 janvier 2026, présente une application intégrée à sa plateforme pour la gestion des participants d'événements d'entreprise. L'outil centralise tout, de la réservation à l'évaluation post-événement, visant à remplacer les méthodes désuètes comme les fichiers Excel. L'application permet de personnaliser l'inscription, suivre les réponses en temps réel, et automatiser des processus comme l'attribution des chambres. En 2025, Kactus a organisé plus de 50 000 événements pour 70 grands comptes internationaux.

🏨 14 janvier 2026, Minneapolis, IDeaS, une société SAS, a été reconnue aux HotelTechAwards dans trois catégories : budgétisation, intelligence des réunions et événements, et système de gestion des revenus (RMS). IDeaS s'est classée première en budgétisation et analyse des réunions, et deuxième en RMS, soulignant leur rôle stratégique dans l'hôtellerie. Ces prix récompensent l'innovation et l'efficacité apportées aux hôtels pour améliorer la rentabilité et l'expérience client.