HI+Digital News from 29.11.2024
Google experiment: hotel search "like it used to be" / AI eats up electricity / Mews goes mobile: Atomize takeover / Apaleo secures capital / Chinese robots overtake German ones

The first hotel booking is now being made directly via ChatGPT – via an app. The AI-powered system is encouraging hotels to establish a direct connection with travellers in the AI search results. And Hilton is currently working on its own AI planner.
Owners, investors and developers welcome AI, but increasingly need guidance on how to translate its use into long-term returns. Wyndham has been testing the waters.
Hospitality leaders are not fond of purely tech-driven robots. They quickly dismiss them when they disrupt operational processes. Robots should be integrated intelligently into everyday hotel workflows, supporting employees and managers alike and enhancing the guest experience. International scientists describe the new expectations.
Booking.com and OpenAI have been launching the SME AI Accelerator, a free program designed to equip 20,000 SMEs across Europe with practical AI skills. The European Union supports this initiative.
At the beginning of February, the think tank Zukunft der Gastwelt (DZG) established the task force "Digitalisation & Artificial Intelligence". The aim is to accelerate the digital transformation of the hospitality industry and to provide practical support to small and medium-sized businesses.
The compliment comes from the screen this time. Nobody is as nice as ChatGPT. The new generation of "AI natives" is already accustomed to interacting with AI. However, an Austrian robot psychologist warns against placing too much trust in machines. She provides examples from the hotel industry and shares research findings.
Mews has announced the completion of a Series D financing round worth 300 million US dollars. The technology provider intends to use the funds to significantly expand its investments in AI.
The development of artificial intelligence has reached a new level: AI agents are now acting almost autonomously. Consumers are expected to encounter this for the first time this year: while shopping.
It is set to be colourful, interactive and a meeting place for gamers. Console manufacturer Atari is planning a 124 million US dollar-project in Phoenix, Arizona - Atari Hotels.
The OTA landscape is often discussed as a dual monopoly of Booking and Expedia, but who knows how great their actual influence is or their regional significance in the hotel market? An overview attempts to penetrate the OTA jungle.