🛎️ ROH raises funds, Cloudbeds builds a lab and Hotels.com brings the fun back

🧪 Cloudbeds opens up new product lab

This week, Cloudbeds announced the launch of Cloudbeds Labs, an internal initiative designed to fast-track new product ideas and test them in the real world.

It’s a bold move in an industry known for long rollouts and cautious releases. The first round of tools focuses on automation, guest experience, and operational visibility. But more importantly, Labs is about collaboration. Cloudbeds wants feedback early and often.

For hotel operators tired of tech that moves very slowly, this is a promising shift. If they pull it off, Labs could set a new standard for innovation velocity in hotel software.

🏨 Ennismore taps FLYR for data strategy

FLYR Hospitality, known for predictive analytics and demand forecasting, is now working with Ennismore, the lifestyle hotel group behind brands like Hoxton and 21c.

That means live insights on demand, smarter forecasting, and more proactive strategies across their portfolio of lifestyle hotels.

FLYR’s CEO Alex Mans emphasized the importance of aligning data across departments, which is still a huge hurdle for most hotel companies. 

With Ennismore’s creative approach and FLYR’s tech muscle, this partnership could become a model for how lifestyle brands use data to scale without losing identity.

💸 Hotel platform ROH gets a major boost

ROH, the hotel revenue platform formerly known as Amenify, just closed a $9 million funding round. Led by Highgate Technology Ventures and Acrew Capital, the round will help ROH continue building tools that improve the way hotels manage revenue, marketing, and guest engagement.

The startup already works with over 20,000 properties and positions itself as a flexible solution for asset managers and operators.

Investors are betting on software that makes ownership and operations feel more connected. CEO Everett Lynn said the funds will go toward expansion and continued development of ROH’s platform.

🤝 GAIN joins Techne to support travel startups

In a move that could speed up innovation in hotel and travel tech, GAIN and Techne Infiniti Ventures have launched a new partnership to support startups at the earliest stages.

Their goal is to help new companies overcome the “pilot trap” and actually scale inside hotels. The firms will invest and support companies working on everything from AI-driven ops to booking tools and backend infrastructure.

This kind of collaboration matters because hotel tech is full of ideas that stall before reaching real adoption. Together, they want to bridge the gap between great tech and slow-moving industry adoption.

💳 HBX rolls out B2B wallet for hotels

There’s a new payments player in the travel industry. HBX Group, formerly Hotelbeds, has teamed up with FinPay to launch a B2B eWallet aimed at simplifying financial transactions between hotels and their partners.

This could be a big step toward streamlining B2B travel finance, especially in high-volume regions like Spain, where it’s initially rolling out.

For hoteliers, this means less time chasing payments and more time managing guests. And for tech vendors, it’s a nudge toward integrated financial workflows.

We’ll see how far it goes, but it’s a clever example of fintech quietly making hospitality smoother behind the scenes.

💼 Sabre signs long-term deal with Preferred

In a quiet but meaningful update, Sabre and Preferred Hotels & Resorts are extending their relationship with a renewed long-term agreement.

The deal includes deeper integration of Sabre’s SynXis Retailing tech, which allows hotels to offer more personalized booking experiences and even sell gift cards. For independent hotels, that’s a win.

CEO Lindsey Ueberroth of Preferred sees this as a way to give smaller properties better access to modern tools without losing their brand personality.

Sabre benefits too: more distribution reach and stronger footholds in the luxury and independent segments. This is a reminder that digital infrastructure still drives real value. Especially for hotels without giant budgets.