Welcome to RemoteHotelier!
Hotels are replacing old habits faster than ever, but not for the reasons you think. One new report shows a surprising shift in how properties choose tech.
On top of that, a new tool is already turning short videos into real itineraries with real hotels. Let’s get started!
In today’s newsletter:
🤳 Expedia just made Instagram a booking tool
🧩 Why are hotels choosing flexibility?
🚪 Door locks are getting very smart
🏨 + 5 deals & updates
💼 + 2 new jobs in hotel tech
🤝 + 7 deals of the month
🗞️ + 3 hotel tech extra news
#1 Expedia just made Instagram a booking tool.
Expedia launches a new tool that turns Instagram Reels into similar travel itineraries, suggesting dates, hotels and activities.
This is how it works: you DM a Reel through Instagram and the tool returns listings that match what you send and are already performing well inside Expedia’s platform.
The tool identifies location and intent using elements like visual recognition, geotags, captions, hashtags, etc.
The property cards inside these DM show photo, price and rating. Listings gain exposure based on relevance, performance, and sometimes even paid placement.
The flow isn’t 100% there because the booking still opens the browser and sometimes lands on generic results.
Why this matters: The takeaway is clear, if an area starts to become trending on Instagram, and your hotel is there, you might want to have a presence on Instagram. This is one more example of how social media platforms are starting to blend discovery with travel recommendations.
#2 Why are hotels choosing flexibility?
The 2026 Hotel Technology Outlook report shows that hotels are shifting toward integrated stacks because all-in-one systems create more errors and don’t scale well.
51% of hotels expect to replace or upgrade tech in the next 24 months.
All-in-one users report more operational friction: booking errors, missed preferences and check-in delays.
Bigger properties prefer specialized stacks for scalability and data precision while smaller hotels stay with all-in-one for price and simplicity.
Ease of use and support are still two of the main purchase drivers.
Why this matters: Hotels don’t need massive tech stacks, they just need the right combination of tech. No single system can do everything well. Interoperability will likely grow faster, since hotels now buy tech that integrates well with others. This also opens a window for smaller startups.
#3 Door locks are getting very smart.
Modern hotels are moving to smart door locks that plug into the rest of the guest journey. They are connected to feed data, integrated with hotel systems to perform actions and ready to be used with newer technologies.
Mobile keys are shifting to NFC, which is the same technology used by digital wallets (like Apple or Google Wallet).
Some properties prefer modular upgrades instead of full replacements to keep up with faster tech cycles.
Connected locks can talk to access management and energy systems, and perform actions like adjusting AC, log door activity and even flag potential risks based on suspicious activity.
The design is also important. Some hotels prefer hidden electronics so the lock doesn’t ruin the room aesthetic.
Why this matters: Hotel locks aren’t locks anymore, they’re mini computers on doors. We’ve reached the point where a door lock can tell you more about behavior than a report. That’s operational efficiency that actually adds value for hotels.
THE RESOURCE HUB
📍 Next Event: Independent Hotel Show London (6–7 October 2025).
📅 2025/2026 hotel tech event calendar.
💼 Hotel tech companies offering remote jobs.
💻 Cloud PMS comparison spreadsheet.
🏨 DEALS & UPDATES
Two updates from Cloudbeds this week:
Despite not having an official announcement yet (and if they have, I missed it), the company has a new image and a new logo. In the image above you can see how it looks.
They are partnering with GuestCentric to integrate PMS and CRS with the goal of helping independent hotels to boost direct bookings.
And also two updates from Shiji in the last days:
They are partnering with Meetingselect to let hotels offer instant meeting room booking on their websites.
Siam Design Hotels chooses Shiji Horizon to add WeChat Booking Engine.
EOS Hospitality partners with IDeaS to boost revenue management and forecasting across 50 properties.
PPHE Hotel Group chooses Opera Cloud as the PMS for its 18 hotels, with a total of 5,200 rooms.
💼 HOTEL TECH JOB BOARD
🤝 DEALS OF THE MONTH
Mews has been very active this month with two acquisitions:
They bought Flexkeeping to integrate automated housekeeping in its unified hotel operations platform.
They’re also acquiring the AI startup DataChat to let hotel staff analyze and interact with operational data using natural language.
Plusgrade acquired Oaky to unify hotel upselling and create an improved platform with stronger capabilities.
RateGain is acquiring Sojern for $250 million to build new AI hospitality solutions.
Hostelworld acquired OccasionGenius, an event discovery platform, to help travelers find local activities.
Arbio raised $36 million to scale its AI holiday rental management platform, already used in over 1,000 properties across Europe.
Boom raised $12.7 million to expand its AI property management software for STR, now active in 20 countries.
🗞️ HOTEL TECH EXTRAS
Sabre reports Q3 2025 financial results with revenue up 3% to $760 million, but a net loss of $32 million.
Claude boosts travel personalization prioritizing more efficient workflows for complex hotel and travel business needs.
HotelRunner introduces Ruby, a new tool to simplify global payments for agencies and hotels. They offer instant transactions and robust compliance.
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See you next week!
Jose