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Travel and Hospitality Tech Outlook: Specials Magazine
The small lodging sector can be an undervalued and overlooked resource in the hospitality community, with the larger hotel management companies focusing on big-box brands and franchises. HP Hospitality takes a different approach than other management and investment companies by driving and developing capital for investors to purchase small lodgings. In addition, the company offers third-party management for small lodging owners seeking maximum return on their investment. Small lodging properties, or hotels with between 7 and 50 rooms, have a unique place in high-travel destinations like the Florida Keys. The problem, however, is that smaller hotels often miss out on the benefits of scale in their operations seen by big brands and franchises. A single small lodging property of around 20 to 25 rooms does not have access to the latest technology across the board, teams that focus on sales and marketing, or effective recruitment. HP Hospitality’s third-party management services deliver a big brand experience and equivalent resources to small lodging properties, providing in-house expertise and asset oversight that allows these properties to immediately compete with larger competitors. “For instance, we have an in-house area director of sales that focuses on group sales. We also have an area director of revenue management,” says Doug Barrow, president and CEO. “We have dedicated accounting teams and administrative processes to augment small lodging property management. We bring comprehensive resources to the table, and in turn, those resources turn knowledge into revenue dollars.” Since HP Hospitality is a full-service hotel management company, investors and owners can be completely hands-off. Management covers everything from revenue, sales, day-to-day operations, accounting, human resources, logistics, purchasing, and marketing to branding.
Hotel Management and Development Services
Maintaining client relationships is paramount for business success, and nowhere is this truer than in the hospitality industry, where guest experiences are critical to a hotel’s reputation and overall market performance. Enter Athena Hospitality Group, a full-turnkey hotel management company that helps clients achieve sustainable success through customer-centric services. “We believe that hospitality brands should foster lasting relationships that deliver maximum value for every single transaction instead of solely focusing on profitability,” Jay Patel, CEO of Athena Hospitality Group. Although a young company founded in 2020, Athena’s principles are built upon fifty years of experience in all aspects of the hospitality industry. This expertise across the construction, operations, branding, and finance elements of handling limited and full-service hotel brands, combined with its goal-oriented and initiative-driven approach to customer engagements, enables the group to offer
Hotel Management Company
Huntington Hotel Group (HHG) specializes in developing and managing premium-brand select-service hotels. Prioritizing a hands-on management approach builds meaningful relationships among staff, clients, and guests, fostering a culture rooted in genuine connections. HHG’s dedication to cultivating solid relationships has translated into impressive tenure rates, high guest satisfaction scores and exceptional levels of engagement across its properties—setting a benchmark for excellence in the hospitality industry. “Our hands-on approach ensures an optimal balance between management and strategic support from the corporate office to maintain high standards and efficiency across all properties,” says Toby Cheng, VP of Sales & Marketing. HHG’s management strategy focuses on maintaining a small, carefully curated portfolio. Since its inception, the company has developed 27 hotels and operates around 22 across seven states. It ensures that each property— owned or managed—receiv
POS System
Unlocking Data-Driven Creative in Travel Marketing
Doug Park, Vice President, Ad Operations, Expedia Group Media Solutions
Software and Technology
The Value of Leisure Travel Advisors to Hospitality Companies
John Ische, Chief Information Officer, Apple Leisure Group
Revenue Management
Providing the Medium between Technology and Service
Paul Tubb, Director of IT at The Fairmont Dallas
Travel Management
The Power of Active Listening in the Hotel Industry
Ignacio Daponte, Hotel Manager, Sonesta Hotels
Smart Hospitality
Crafting Unforgettable Stays
Julien Berrut, Director of Guest Relations at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
IN MY OPINION
Digital Tourism Management
The Balance of Efficiency and Hospitality
Scott Perlmutter, VP of Operations at Highgate
LAST WORD
Hospitality Procurement
Group Technology Manager Experience in Hospitality
Mohammad Metwalli, Group Technology Manager, The Ascott
IN FOCUS
Hospitality Marketing: Building Connections in a Competitive Industry
Hospitality marketing is essential for building brand identity, attracting guests, and fostering loyalty through innovative strategies.
Keynote Speakers Revealed: Industry Heavyweights to Headline G2E Asia Conference and Asian IR Summit
The G2E Asia Conference and Asian IR Summit are set to return this May, bringing top industry leaders together to tackle the most pressing issues and opportunities within the entertainment and integrated resort sectors.
EDITORIAL
The Seamless Rise of Smart Travel
Travel today is undergoing a quiet revolution—one that’s redefining how people move, stay, and experience the world. The industry is shedding its legacy of friction of long queues, fragmented bookings and rigid service models, giving way to seamless, intelligent journeys. At the heart of this shift is technology. AI-powered travel platforms now plan multi-leg trips in seconds, accounting for preferences, weather, visa requirements and real-time disruptions. Voice assistants, mobile apps and predictive analytics are streamlining how we book flights, navigate airports and manage itineraries. Convenience is no longer a differentiator. It’s the starting point.
What sets today’s experience apart is how travel is becoming more responsive and personalized. Hotels are adopting touchless check-ins, digital room keys, facial recognition and even smart room environments that adjust to guest preferences before arrival. If a flight is delayed, the hotel is notified automatically, dinner reservations are rescheduled and alternate transport is suggested without manual intervention. This is more than automation, it’s hospitality anticipating human needs. And now, it’s also about conscience. Sustainability has become integral to the tech stack, with apps that track a traveler’s carbon footprint, recommend green lodging options and enable emission offsets with a tap. The new travel experience is fast, flexible and future-ready—designed around the traveler, not just the trip.
Driven by these trends, the global travel and hospitality market is poised to reach $1.11 and $7.23 trillion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 3.91 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively.
This edition provides insights into recent travel and hospitality developments and how companies offer services aligned with the latest trends.
The magazine features thought leadership articles from Scott Perlmutter, Vice President of Operations at Highgate, highlighting how leveraging contactless, data-driven technologies while prioritizing team communication skills enables hotels to achieve the perfect balance between operational efficiency and genuinely personalized hospitality. Julien Berrut, Director of Guest Relations at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, sheds light on how deeply personalized, proactive guest care—rooted in tradition, attention to detail and thoughtful gestures—creates unforgettable stays and lasting loyalty.
In this edition featuring the best travel and hospitality companies, we hope you find the right partner to meet your organization’s needs. Let us know your thoughts!
