News & Stories

Munich. Algorithms today already influence our lives in many areas. Dr Jörg Dräger therefore calls for a public debate both on the associated opportunities as well as the risks – and pleads for clear rules. Dräger, who is also a member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board, warns against either-or-thinking and believes that, in recruitment, algorithmic procedures can sometimes be better than conventional theory-based approaches. Nevertheless, he is clear: The human being should use and control the machine, not the other way around. His examples from human resources also apply to the hotel industry.

Augsburg. Property Management Systems are a major obstacle for hotel companies attempting to digitise: Their technology is old, rigid and does not allow interfaces to smart modern tools which simplify interaction with the guest. The operator is totally dependent on the PMS used and its level of innovation. Yet there is change. Newcomers have arrived on the scene, but have not been able to break through the PMS firewall. An IT-experienced hotelier has sharp criticism for today's PMS providers: Today, 95 percent of their systems are already in a position to follow the customer journey digitally. Yet that’s not what they want, because precisely that would destroy their business model.

Munich. "Jeeves" was the world's first room shopping robot, say its inventors Johannes Fuchs and Oliver Stahl from Munich. The self-driving service robot is already in use as an all-round service provider in several hotels. Three years after the company Robotise was founded, production is now taking off, says co-founder Johannes Fuchs in the following "Digi Talk".

Vienna/Berlin. The hoteliers are devoting more and more to the topic of digitalisation and have recognized their lack of knowledge says the new survey of the German and Austrian hotel associations in collaboration with Roland Berger. They are opening up for start-ups but are also demanding more tools for their own operations.

Augsburg. Every week, approximately an extra 1.5 million people join the urban population worldwide, putting pressure on already heavily populated cities. As a reaction to this development, Swedish furniture retailer IKEA now introduces a flexible interior solution called Rognan reminiscent of a hotel innovation.

Hamburg. Of the five technology giants Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft, German consumers see Facebook most negatively. Apple is the industry leader, Google services are the most frequently used. It's different in the US.

Zurich. For the traveler, smart assistants will become personal travel agencies, navigators, translators or tour guides and take over all administrative tasks such as ticket purchases or check-ins. According to a recent study, they will know better about his interests and know his preferences better than anyone else.

Augsburg. Innovative, funny and frightening things from the digital world. Today: Blockchain city / Biometric boarding / EHL's virtual assistant / Facebook with digital currency / Handbag with brain / Jumeirah's E-Butler / Language assistant learns sign language / Measure air from space.

Aachen. It was a bit like futuristic speed dating. At the two-day symposium "Smart Building Solutions 2019" in the Smart Logistics Cluster of RWTH Aachen University, scientists, start-ups, project developers and investors presented innovative solutions for smart buildings, sustainable neighbourhoods and how urban planning could look in the digital age. The conclusion here: Alone was yesterday, today the motto is: Together we are stronger. An excursion into a future that is already closer than many believe.

Amsterdam. Digitalisation is among the Dutch Zoku's focus on added value. The hybrid brand, born in 2016, embodies the spirit of innovation and experimentation of its founders Hans Meyer and Marc Jongerius. This week they have brought Jens Gmiat on board as Head of Operations, the former COO of Ruby Hotels. On the sidelines of an event, Marc Jongerius explained the principles of Zoku's digital concept which has turned into "an exciting digital transformation project, defining our entire digital and data landscape for all future developments".