✂️ Hyatt Cuts Staff by 30% at US Call Centers

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Hyatt has cut roughly 300 guest service and support roles at its Americas Global Care Center (around 30% of total headcount) as part of a broader realignment to evolving guest needs and operational efficiency. The company is retaining its high-touch My Hyatt Concierge service while shifting more routine guest interactions toward outsourcing and automation. The move follows softening U.S. demand and signals a sharpened focus on leaner, tech-enabled service delivery.

🎯 Why it matters: Hyatt’s restructuring reflects a growing trend across the industry: reducing labor overhead through offshoring and AI while preserving premium service layers for high value loyalty guests. It also highlights mounting pressure on hotel operators to align staffing, tech, and service models in the face of rising costs and shifting booking patterns.

🔑 Key takeaway: For hotel execs, the message is clear—build hybrid service models that blend automation, offshoring, and high-touch human interaction. Invest in tools like Canary AI Voice that reduce dependency on large support teams for routine tasks, but protect brand-defining guest experiences. Cost control now means making strategic trade-offs, not just cutting headcount. Read More →

At Phocuswright Europe in Barcelona, experts warned that AI is fueling a surge in sophisticated cyber attacks on travel brands. Hackers are using generative models to craft near-perfect, multilingual phishing emails and execute large-scale credential stuffing, targeting both guest-facing systems and payment tools.

🎯 Why it matters: Cyber threats are becoming smarter and more targeted—hitting the heart of trust that hotels depend on. As operations grow more automated and interconnected—driven by AI for payments, booking, and digital identity—the attack surface keeps expanding. What was once a tech issue is now a fundamental threat to brand reputation and guest confidence.

🔑 Key takeaway: Hoteliers must elevate cybersecurity from check-the-box to a strategic initiative. That means deploying AI-powered detection systems, continuously training staff on scam tactics, enforcing strong credential hygiene, and building defense-in-depth frameworks across PMS, booking engines, and loyalty systems. Make sure you understand how each vendor handles critical security touch points ahead of purchase because their vulnerability is your vulnerability. Read More →

As the hospitality industry heads into peak season, operators face familiar staffing challenges: high turnover, recruiter burnout, and vanishing applicants. But a new solution is quietly gaining traction: AI-powered hiring tools that automate screening, reduce drop-off, and help hotels hire faster, smarter, and more fairly.

🎯 Why it matters: With over 120,000 open roles and seasonal spikes in demand, traditional recruiting can’t keep up. AI is stepping in to streamline the entire hiring funnel—screening applicants in seconds, engaging candidates through intelligent chatbots, and predicting who’s likely to show up and stay. The result? Faster time to hire, better retention, and major relief for overburdened HR teams.

🔑 Key takeaway: Summer hiring success now depends on automated efficiency and predictive precision. Hotel operators should deploy AI to tackle volume, reduce bias, and align staffing with real-time demand. The best recruiting teams this season won’t just work harder. They’ll work smarter, with AI doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes. Read More →

✅ GCommerce: Drive more direct bookings through paid media and smart web strategy.

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✅ MeetingPackage: Simplify MICE bookings and boost event revenue.

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

✅ Omniboost: Integrate financial data for accurate real-time business insights.

✅ EntryReady: Guests unlock rooms with phones—no cards, lines, or front desk delays.

✅ Roompulse: Simplify rate shopping with actionable insights and intelligent alerts.

✅ Sertifi: Combine e-signatures and payments to close group deals more quickly.

🧠 Marriott, Priceline among travel brands posting leadership roles for top AI talent to future-proof operations.

📦 HEDNA’s 2025 report says distribution costs are rising, driving demand for smarter, tech-first channel strategies.

🏨 Operational AI boosts hotel performance through more efficient HVAC and access systems.

🆚 Hotels and OTAs battle for customer ownership as AI reshapes discovery and loyalty.

🧹 Guests often skip tipping housekeepers; tech tools may help automate and improve this behavior.

🍽️ 8 in 10 restaurants will invest in AI next year: expect smarter menus, personalized ordering, and predictive kitchen management.

💬 CitizenM CEO wants to ditch the front desk; Marriott agrees tech-first hotels are the future.

🔍 UK aims to regulate Google Search, raising stakes for hotels relying on SEO visibility.

🗣️ Amazon’s CEO plans to trim corporate workforce as routine functions shift to generative AI services.

💸 Hotels struggle with pricing control across secondary OTAs, losing direct booking and margin control.

📊 Navan confidentially files for IPO, signaling investor confidence in corporate travel tech.

🎮 Associated Luxury Hotels International announces partnerships with Esports organizations, bringing a new demand stream to luxury hotels.

☀️ Telegraph Hotel adds 60 solar panels, lowering costs and signaling long-term eco-tech investment.

How can a hotel brand leverage technology to enhance guest experience while maintaining a personal touch? In this episode, Stuart Godwin, Managing Director of Lamington Group, reveals the innovative strategies that have helped his company achieve over 50% direct bookings.

Key Takeaways:

👉🏼 Check out the interview on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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