🍓 Strawberry's Innovative $250M Debt Deal

Insider Highlights

• How stagflation could affect the hotel industry

• Airbnb’s Chesky outlines plan to become the next Amazon

• New GBTA report finds biz travelers increasingly expect modern tech

• Strawberry pegs financing terms to emission reduction goals

• + much more (massive news week)

• 🛠️ 6 Tech tools you should try

• 🎧 Podcast: Learn how The Capital Hotel Group built and bought their ideal tech stack

3 TOP NEWS STORIES

1. New GBTA Survey Shows 41% of Corporate Travel Buyers Will Adopt New Tech in 2025

The latest GBTA Business Travel Outlook Poll reveals that 71% of companies increased business travel bookings in 2024, with spending outpacing volume growth. As corporate travel rebounds, hotels must embrace AI-driven personalization, seamless digital payments, and sustainability tracking to remain competitive. This is probably why Travelperk raised another $200M this week but the shift also has major implications for hotel owners looking to capitalize.

🎯 Why it matters: Corporate travel programs are increasingly evaluating hotels based on tech capabilities. Business travelers now expect contactless check-ins, real-time pricing optimization, and integrated digital experiences, making technology investment a key priority for hoteliers.

🔑 Key takeaway: Hoteliers should expect increased corporate demand for automated booking, digital payments like ROH, and AI-powered travel management tools that align with these tech investments. Read More →

2. AI-Generated in Travel Search Summaries Up 700% in Q4 According to Phocuswright Research

New research from Phocuswright shows A 700% increase in AI-generated summaries in travel-related searches from September to October 2024 signaling a seismic shift in how travelers discover and book hotels.

🎯 Why it matters: As search engines and online travel agencies (OTAs) increasingly use generative AI to summarize information, hotels that don’t adapt risk losing direct engagement with potential guests.

🔑 Key takeaway: Hoteliers need to monitor shifts in traffic sources—a decline in direct search clicks may indicate AI-driven disruptions. You should also experiment with AI-powered marketing tools like Visiting Media 3D Virtual Tour Software that improve engagement and give a reason for guests to come to your website as early as possible in the booking process.. Read More →

3. Strawberry Secures $250M of Sustainability-Linked Financing

Strawberry Hospitality Group has refinanced a loan of NOK 2.8 billion ($250M USD) with DNB, tying loan terms to the company's sustainability performance. This move aligns with Strawberry's goal to achieve emission-neutral operations by 2030. Having already reduced emissions by approximately 35% since 2022, the company stands to benefit from favorable loan conditions if it maintains this trajectory.

🎯 Why it matters: Linking financial agreements to sustainability metrics not only reinforces environmental commitments but also offers potential cost benefits. This approach exemplifies how financial strategies can drive and reward sustainable business practices.

If you want to go deeper we discussed Strawberry’s sustainability initiatives with their SVP of Tech Kariana Fisvik on episode 42 of our popular Hotel Tech Insider Podcast (we also talk about their expanding partnership with PMS player Mews).

🔑 Key takeaway: Hoteliers and developers should consider integrating sustainability goals with financial planning. Aligning environmental objectives with economic incentives can enhance both ecological impact and financial performance. Read More →

PRESENTED BY MEWS

Turn Idle Non-Rooms Spaces into Profit

Got empty boardrooms and underutilized common spaces? Mews helps hotels maximize revenue by converting every inch of your property into a profit-generating opportunity with intelligent space management

• ✅ Dynamic Space Monetization: Transform idle areas into profit centers with smart scheduling and tailored pricing.

• ✅ Real-Time Revenue Optimization: Adjust offerings on the fly to maximize income during both peak and off-peak periods.

• ✅ Seamless Integration: Connect all your revenue streams on one cloud-native platform, ensuring smooth management and growth.

👉 Discover how Mews can unlock hidden revenue in your hotel today.

AROUND THE HOTEL INDUSTRY

What’s Happening in Hospitality this Week

📉 Airbnb’s stock price soars after strong Q4 earnings and announcing $250M investment in new business lines.

🌅 Google is sunsetting commission-based bid strategies today

🚧 Wyndham capitalizes on data center construction boom, driving a record-breaking hotel development pipeline.

💰 TravelPerk’s $200M funding fuels expansion of corporate travel solutions and AI-powered services.

🤖 How AI revolutionizes hotel operations and enhances guest experiences, efficiency, and revenue optimization.

🏨 Mint House acquires Locale to expand its footprint in the tech-driven apart-hotel market.

💵 RoomPriceGenie’s $75M investment boosts AI-powered hotel pricing for better revenue strategies.

🇪🇺 IHG acquires Ruby premium lifestyle hotel brand to fuel EU expansion.

📉 Hospitality investors brace for stagflation, navigating inflation risks and economic uncertainty.

⚡ Schneider Electric launches new smart room controller improves hotel energy efficiency and sustainability.

🍿 Netflix opens a restaurant at MGM Grand Las Vegas

🎮 Radisson targets gamers with new esports-friendly hotels

🍴 ezCater’s new API helps restaurants streamline catering operations

🌍 Minor Hotels secures 30th Green Growth 2050 Platinum Certification, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability.

TOOLS & TACTICS

⚒️ 6 Hotel Tech Tools You’ve Gotta Try

✅ ROH: Automate sales and finance to save time and capture more revenue.

✅ Mews: Modern hotel management to simplify your daily tasks effectively.

✅ Canary Technologies: Simplify guest management with innovative digital solutions.

✅ Everguest: Improve the guest experience with valuable feedback insights.

✅ Inn-flow: Simplify hotel finances with user-friendly accounting software solution.

✅ Ivvy: Simplify venue bookings, manage events, and track revenue easily.

HOTELIER SPOTLIGHT
🎙 Capital Hotels' Group IT Director on Custom-Built Hotel Tech Use Cases

How can leveraging technology transform the guest experience and streamline hotel operations? In this episode, Jose Soarez, the IT Director for The Capital Hotel Group, reveals how his team is redefining the hospitality landscape through innovative tech solutions.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover how The Capital Hotel Group built a hybrid system by integrating custom features into an off-the-shelf Property Management System (PMS), enhancing operational efficiency and guest engagement.

• Learn about the importance of data orchestration in personalizing guest experiences, from booking to post-stay communication, and how it can lead to higher satisfaction rates.

• Explore the role of AI in automating guest reviews and generating actionable insights, allowing hotel staff to focus on delivering exceptional service.

👉🏼 Check out the interview on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Want to advertise with us?

⭐️ Become a premium member, join the best companies in the industry (here)

🎯 Set up a PPC campaign to drive high-intent traffic from our homepage and category pages straight to your website in under 3-minutes (here)

💌 Sponsor this newsletter (here) or a dedicated eblast (here) to our 100k subscribers

👀  Run a site takeover campaign (here) to drive downloads of your lead magnet