F&B, M&E, Ancillary Revenue

One fascinating hospitality trend that often goes underappreciated is how regions that are experiencing high growth in travel numbers are accompanied not only by new hotel developments but also poignant industry innovations that are emulated elsewhere in the globe. And oftentimes, this innovation is led by intrepid family owners and operators who are guided by their passion rather than simply the numbers on an income statement.

Too many choices. Too little patience. Travelers are overwhelmed, and operators are under pressure to deliver flawless experiences. AI in the travel industry is the game-changer positioned to rewrite the rules.

When TIME Magazine named Iberostar one of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2025, we felt so proud—but also humbled. A recognition of this kind is not the destination of our journey, but a reminder that we are on a good path, even as so much work lies ahead.

Hospitality has always been a people business. What changed is the amount of invisible work we expect those people to carry. Manual checks, repetitive admin, systems that don’t talk to each other. This cognitive load drains energy before a guest even walks through the door.

For decades, the web has been held together by a chaotic and brittle system of custom APIs. This fragmented landscape of bespoke integrations is more than just a developer headache; it is the primary bottleneck preventing the next generation of AI from reaching its potential.

Housekeeping has long been considered the backbone of hotel operations, but until recently, it was also the department most resistant to technological innovation. From paper checklists to walkie-talkies, hotel housekeeping has largely relied on manual, error-prone systems.

Talking about luxury in Monte Carlo involves more than just listing iconic hotels or mentioning astronomical rates. Over more than a century, the Principality has developed a very particular way of understanding hospitality: a precise blend of tradition, theatricality, aesthetics, and narrative. Hotels are not just places to sleep or be waited on, they are stories. Stories told through marble, staircases, silent lobbies, and almost choreographed gestures of service. And among these stories, three hotels occupy a central place in the construction of the myth of European luxury: the Hôtel de Paris, the Hôtel Hermitage, and the Metropole.

There’s a new 3-letter acronym circling the hotel tech sphere (yay): MCP. And before you yawn hit delete, this one might actually be useful.

For decades, hotel performance was judged by a narrow set of numbers – namely, occupancy, ADR and RevPAR. The room was the unit of revenue, and guests were measured in heads and beds. But that model no longer fits the way people travel, stay and connect.

I’ve watched hotel brands evolve quickly over the last few years. No longer are hospitality business professionals just hoteliers, but they must also now be experience architects. As experiential tourism continues to grow, hotels are investing in highly curated stays that speak to niche guests.Vinyl listening suites and sleep retreats are two examples of these packages that rose in popularity this year. There is one element that can make or break all of these guest experiences: sound.