Recent headlines from Hospitality Net (“37% of travelers now use AI — hotels face 65% staffing crisis”) and PhocusWire (“Hotel software: An unlikely winner in the AI reset”) reflect a common industry narrative: AI adoption is surging, staffing shortages are worsening, and hotels must automate aggressively to survive. The stats are real — travelers are […]
AI
What If Your Concierge Had a Soul?
Most travelers remember places by how they made them feel — not just the meals, the beaches, or the museums, but something subtler: the tone of a welcome, the warmth of a gesture, the feeling that someone truly saw them. What if that someone… wasn’t human? We built HAL 12000 not as a tool, but […]
The Future of AI for Hospitality is Still the Day After Tomorrow
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the hospitality industry is all the rage these days. But, the reality of robot run hotels is still far off.
TripActions Raises $155 Million in “Series E” Funding
Business travel management startup TripActions has just announced a new funding round of $155 million.
Airline Travel Pains Get Relief From Hitachi Vantana AI
Airport anxiety just got a dose of artificial intelligence (AI) from Hitachi Vantana. For those who suffer from the stress of the herds of fellow travelers in airports during the holidays, Hitachi Vantana may solve a lot of that upset. The getting to the airport on time, the check-in, bag weigh-in, and the damnable TSA, […]
Fever Startup Snags Another $35 Million in Funding
Fever has raised $35 million in Series D funding led by Rabuten Capital, Accel, Atresmedia, and others. The question is, will it be enough?
New Research Shows Travel Buyers Not Enamored With Tech
According to research from the Business Travel Show, travel buyers are still not convinced of the efficacy of next-generation technology. The research shows that fully one fifth of the 134 European buyers polled believe that by 2022, bots, Blockchain and alternative realities (AR, VR, MR, XR) will ‘significantly improve booking, saving time and money. Conversely, more […]
Study Shows Travelers Want Travel Assistance from AI Chatbots
Over 75% of Americans surveyes by AI producer Humley, say they rely heavily on chatbots to imrprove the quality of their travel expereinces.
dnata Invests in AI by Aquiring Majority Stake in bd4travel
One of the world’s biggest air services providers, dnata has announced having acquired a majority stake in bd4travel (Big Data for Travel).
Shiji and Fliggy partner to pioneer facial recognition hotel check-in
Shiji working with Alibaba’s Fliggy (formerly known as AliTrip), have achieved a hotel industry first by integrating full facial recognition for hotel check-in including credit authorization for 50 hotels in Hainan district of China.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the Hotelier: Frank Reeves
The most confusing aspect of hotel technology these days is discerning real innovation from PR buzz. The need to market and sell products and services always skews the reality, but by taking technology (any technology) down into its basic form consumers can sift through the buzz to discover the real value. With this kind of consumer focus, we thought this great breakdown from Avvio might help sort some of the confusion.
Lola Travel Gets $15 Mil, A+ in Responsiveness, and a Wink
News Kayak founder Paul English has just raised $15 million in funding for his Lola Travel Co. is a shot in the arm for a travel tech industry stagnant since months. According to the news, Lola received a fresh infusion of capital from Charles River Ventures, General Catalyst and Accel.. Here’s a brief snapshot of a new company that says it’s going to provide on-demand, personal service to the world of travelers.
The Uniquely Compelling Appeal of Big Data
Five years ago the world-wide-web was horrified at the concept of usable user data. Today every business from high fashion to the local laundry-mat wants to know how to convert customers via predictive intelligence. Technology is gearing up to meet a Big Data conundrum, as marketers wring their hands awaiting the golden ring that signifies an R-O-I bonanza. But at this stage of trend analysis, most experts agree that the analytics ship has not yet arrived. Here’s a succinct look at where we really are.
The Desti (ny) of Semantic Travel Search
I am the world’s biggest fan of very advanced search technology. My partner and I, our whole team, we are also travel fanatics. The world around us is so amazing, words seldom suffice actually. A big question came to my mind today as I read Venturebeat about a startup called Desti. “Do I really want or need somebody or something to do my traveling for me?” That’s my question.