Carla Mendez

🛠 Representatives from key technological firms in the hospitality sector met for the annual Club de Tendencias en Sostenibilidad y Eficiencia Energética on Tuesday, 4 March. The meeting, held via videoconference on 10 March 2025 in Madrid, centered on discussing advancements in energy efficiency and sustainability. The "ITHSaveHotel" program advised over 20 hotels on energy production facility renovations within the last year, with six proposals for intervention currently underway. Energy Savings Certifications (CAEs) were highlighted for their potential to reduce investment costs by up to 40%. The program aligns with the 2030 decarbonization goals and the drive for more sustainable hotel operations. Additionally, plans for the 2025 "ITH Hotel Energy Meetings" were proposed to continue promoting technical knowledge and sustainable energy management in the hotel industry.

📈 Transfiere, Foro Europeo para la Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, returns to Málaga from March 12-14, 2025. Thinktur presents at the State Research Agency space on March 12 at 10:45h. Representatives from Thinktur and the Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (ITH) will attend for networking opportunities. Transfiere showcases international innovation, with nearly 40 countries participating. New in 2025: Canarias as Premium Partner, CTA and Tech FabLab as Golden Partners, and a Patents Space at the Research Center Forum. The event takes place at FYCMA, fostering innovation ecosystems, public-private collaboration, and business opportunities.

🛒 Visionary Hospitality, led by CEO Antonio Álvarez, aims to reduce food waste in hotels, representing 20% of Spain's waste, with 40% of cooked food trashed, costing €200 million annually and contributing 3.3 billion tons of greenhouse gases. Their solution, Buffet Waste, installed in 18 hotels by the end of 2024, saved 50,000 kilos of food. The company values sustainability, efficiency, guest satisfaction, and ongoing innovation.

🏨 In 2025, SiteMinder's Hotel Booking Trends reports over 125 million online hotel bookings. Foreign travelers accounted for 60% of hotel arrivals in Spain in 2024, driving bookings despite a 5% room rate increase to an average of €212, peaking at €247 in August. The high season extended to May (9.39%) and October (9%), and advance bookings grew by 6% to 39.41 days. Top booking channels include Booking.com, direct hotel websites, and Expedia Group. Direct bookings ranked second for the sixth year, with a global average revenue of €476 per reservation.

🏖️ FITURTECHY 2025, the central hub for tourism innovation, took place from January 22-24 in Madrid. Organized by the Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (ITH) and FITUR, the event gathered over 250 experts to discuss the future of tourism and hospitality. The conference highlighted 10 key trends: artificial intelligence, robotics, digitalization, data management, new communication formats, customer and employee experience, regenerative tourism, wellness and conscious luxury, collaborative innovation, and cybersecurity. These trends indicate a shift towards a more technological, person-centered, and sustainable tourism model.

🏨 Over 60 international hotel chains offer room selection for a fee, similar to airlines' seat selection. 20% of customers using hotel websites pay to choose their room number, adding an average of €69 per selected room. Hotelverse, after a €5 million funding round in September, services 60+ brands, including Radisson, Iberostar, Barceló, RIU, Hyatt, and Palladium. Innovations include digital twins for room booking, leading to a 15%+ web conversion increase and a 70% rise in interest for premium rooms. Hotelverse introduces email reservation confirmation with 3D room selection.