News Briefs
- 7/10/2025
Vending Robot, Automated Burger Machine Form Strategic Partnership
Sweet Robo, a provider of interactive vending robotics, and RoboBurger, a fully automated burger machine, have formed a partnership, combining Sweet Robo’s entertainment-driven automation with RoboBurger’s patented hot food innovation.
Piny Vind, Founder and CEO of Sweet Robo, will assume the role of President at RoboBurger. Vind will lead efforts to scale operations and bring a new, next-generation RoboBurger machine to market. The upgraded model is already in development and will feature major advancements in performance, design, and operational efficiency.
"This partnership is a natural fit," said Vind. "Sweet Robo has always believed in blending automation with joy. RoboBurger takes that philosophy into hot food. We are thrilled to expand our capabilities and help define what automated dining looks like for the future."
Audley Wilson, Founder and CEO of RoboBurger, added, "With Piny and the Sweet Robo team, we gain years of robotic‑retail expertise that will accelerate our vision for accessible, chef‑quality burgers on demand around the globe. We’re building something truly transformative."
RoboBurger’s machines are fully autonomous burger kitchens in a box, capable of grilling, assembling, and serving hot burgers in minutes. With patents protecting the technology and strong demand across high-traffic venues, the company is poised for rapid growth.
Together, Sweet Robo and RoboBurger plan to expand placement into airports, universities, malls, arenas and other hospitality environments. - 7/10/2025
Mews Digital Key Partners with Salto Smart Access
Mews, the industry-leading hospitality cloud, has expanded the compatibility of its Digital Key solution to include Salto smart locking technology. This integration gives hoteliers using Salto’s advanced access control system the ability to deliver a truly seamless, contactless guest journey through Mews Hospitality Cloud.
Once seen as a luxury, digital room entry is fast becoming a standard guest expectation. With this latest enhancement, hotels using Salto smart access for hospitality can now offer their guests keyless entry directly from their mobile device, simplifying check-in, improving security and freeing up front desk teams to focus on enhancing the guest journey.
“Every step of the guest journey should be effortless,” said Matt Welle, CEO of Mews. “With Salto smart access for hospitality compatibility, more properties can reduce the friction around arrival and check-in. Digital Key is a win-win because it’s as much about operational efficiency as it is about improving guest satisfaction.”
The Salto Space integration is already live at YUST, a Belgian hospitality brand that combines short and long stays in a unique hybrid model. In its first month, the Antwerp property saw 12% of all arrivals check in via Digital Key, despite no promotional push. Currently, 64% of guests with an active key have used it to open their room door.
“We’re only tech-focused when we can use tech to improve the guest experience,” said Dirk Van Gompel, CTO of YUST. “Digital Key makes it easy for guests to go straight to their room, while creating real time savings for our team – who can then focus on building real human connections.”
The benefits of this new integration include:
- Faster check-ins: guests skip the queue and head straight to their room.
- Improved security: no more lost keys.
- Operational efficiency: fewer manual processes mean fewer staff hours spent troubleshooting.
- Sustainability: digital keys eliminate the need for plastic keycards, appealing to eco-conscious travellers.
- Digitalizing the journey: Mobile keys, on-the-go check-in, and seamless check-out
“At Salto, we believe access to technology should be so convenient that guests actually enjoy using it,” said Nora Urquiza, Hospitality Solutions Business Lead at Salto Systems. “Our integration with Mews reinforces our commitment to delivering a seamless, secure, and modern digital experience through strong technology alliances.”
Mews Digital Key is fully integrated into the Mews Hospitality Cloud, allowing properties to automate and personalize the entire stay, from online check-in and upselling to contactless room access and smooth, automated check-out.
- 7/10/2025
TPG Completes Acquisition of Hospitality Solutions Business from Sabre
TPG has completed its acquisition of Hospitality Solutions, the hotel technology division previously owned by Sabre Corporation. Now operating as a standalone company, Hospitality Solutions aims to deliver more focused, agile innovation in hotel software and services. Hospitality Solutions also named Teresa Mackintosh as CEO. A seasoned SaaS leader, Mackintosh brings experience from Trintech, Wolters Kluwer, and Thomson Reuters.
MCR, one of the largest hotel owner-operators in the U.S., made a strategic minority investment in the new company, with CEO Tyler Morse joining the board as vice chairman. The moves position Hospitality Solutions to deepen its presence in core functions like distribution, operations, retailing, and guest experience.
- 7/10/2025
Allbridge and Bodhi Announce Strategic Collaboration
In a move set to redefine guest experiences and streamline hotel operations, property technology leaders Allbridge and Bodhi have announced a new collaboration that brings intelligent automation to the forefront of the hospitality industry.The integration allows hotel guests to use their own smartphones to control in-room features—such as lighting, temperature, door locks, and entertainment—creating a seamless, contactless experience. At the same time, hotel operators gain access to real-time data insights that drive building efficiency, improve service delivery, and reduce operational costs.The two companies recently completed their first joint implementation at a new hotel development in Florida, showcasing the potential of integrated smart technologies in a hospitality setting.“This is a great example of connected technology becoming as essential to today’s guests as white-glove service was to previous generations,” said Todd Johnstone, CEO of Allbridge. “By combining Allbridge’s end-to-end technology expertise with Bodhi’s intuitive automation platform, we’re showing how early integration and thoughtful design can dramatically enhance both guest satisfaction and operational performance.”Will Gilbert, Bodhi Co-Founder says: “This partnership highlights Bodhi’s leadership in the hospitality tech space and the growing demand for a unified software solution that can manage devices from multiple manufacturers. The platform is designed not just to collect data but to provide actionable intelligence, leading to cost savings, improved energy efficiency, and better overall management. Not just in a single room, but across their entire portfolio. Through our seamless integration with Allbridge’s systems, Bodhi functions like a virtual technician embedded in every room. It continuously monitors and tests devices property-wide, ensuring everything, from door locks and thermostats to lighting and service requests, works continuously. Guests are a hotel’s most valuable asset. Together, we guarantee a true 5-star experience." - 7/10/2025
Shiji Supercharges ReviewPro AI to Help Hotels Personalize Review Replies at Scale
Shiji has announced a major upgrade to the AI Responses feature in ReviewPro Reputation, designed to streamline and enhance how hotels manage online guest reviews. The new version introduces customizable tone settings—including a new "Business Casual" option—bulk response generation, workflow tracking, and seamless integration with brand-specific property insights. These tools are meant to speed up response times, improve message consistency, and reduce staff workload without sacrificing personalization.
During a recent trial, HM Hotels used AI responses to reply to more than 82% of their 661 reviews in a month, achieving a 100% response rate on major platforms and responding to negative or neutral reviews in under 2.7 days.
The upgraded feature helps hoteliers:
- Eliminate “blank box” writer’s block with smart draft generation.
- Customize tone, length, and format to match brand voice.
- Track response status and drafts using new visual workflow tools.
- Reply to 20+ reviews at once with new bulk generation.
- Maintain full editorial control before publishing replies.
With average global response times now under 3.2 days, tools like this help hotels meet rising guest expectations and turn feedback into a trust-building opportunity.
- 7/10/2025
RateGain Integrates with Cloudbeds to Enhance Hospitality Distribution with AI-Powered Capabilities
RateGain Travel Technologies Limited (RateGain), a global leader in AI-powered SaaS solutions for travel and hospitality, announces a strategic partnership with Cloudbeds, the AI-powered platform fueling hotel growth. This collaboration brings together two industry leaders to redefine how hotels, hostels, and vacation rentals optimize their distribution strategies using AI-powered capabilities.
By integrating RateGain’s industry-leading UNO Channel Manager with Cloudbeds’ robust property management system (PMS), hoteliers can manage rates, inventory, content and reservations across 400+ distribution channels with ease and accuracy. Leveraging AI and automation, UNO Channel Manager helps reduce manual work, eliminate overbookings, and ensure real-time updates, giving hoteliers a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving market.
Meanwhile, Cloudbeds’ industry-leading PMS empowers hoteliers to save costs, optimize their staff and guest journey, and increase their property’s profitability. With causal and multi-modal AI at its core, the company’s innovative smart hospitality engine, Cloudbeds Intelligence, unifies departments to deliver unmatched decision-making intelligence for revenue managers, marketers, GMs, and operations staff.
“This partnership marks a significant milestone in our mission to simplify hotel distribution through intelligent and integrated technology,” said Bhanu Chopra, Founder and Managing Director, RateGain. “Together with Cloudbeds, we are not only unifying technology to enhance operational efficiency for hoteliers but also enabling them to unlock new revenue opportunities and enter untapped markets globally.”
“Partnering with RateGain empowers our customers with a competitive edge, enabling them to automate critical tasks and maximize their revenue potential,” added Adam Harris, CEO of Cloudbeds. “This strategic integration makes it easier than ever for properties to manage distribution with precision and efficiency, ensuring they can focus on delivering exceptional guest experiences.”The integration underscores the commitment of RateGain and Cloudbeds to innovation, helping hoteliers navigate industry trends, leverage AI for smarter operations, and expand into new geographies.
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