🛎️ TikTok launches hotel booking tools, Maestro PMS goes mobile and a viral check-in

Hi there, welcome to RemoteHotelier. We’ve got 2 new subscribers this week, thank you! Even more so with the summer holiday mood in the air. Speaking of that, new updates were slower this week, but we’ve still got plenty worth sharing. I hope you like it, let’s get started!

In today’s newsletter:

📱 Two new TikTok features for hotel marketing

📷 A remote hotel check-in goes viral

🖥️ Maestro PMS launches a new mobility tool

🔦 How numa rebuilt hotel operations using tech

🏨 + 5 hotel deals & updates

🗞️ + 5 hotel tech extra news

#1 Two new TikTok features for hotel marketing.

• First, TikTok announced a partnership with Booking.com, allowing users to book hotels directly in the app. That means the entire reservation process can now happen without leaving the social media platform.

• Second, TikTok launched TikTok Go, a program that lets creators mention hotels in their videos and earn commissions when those mentions generate bookings.

Why this matters: With these moves, TikTok positions itself as both a marketing channel and a booking engine. Hotels that adapt early could benefit from higher visibility and direct revenue growth. All in the same place, where their future guests are already scrolling.

#2 A remote hotel check-in goes viral.

This video of a virtual check-in at a hotel in Florida went viral because the guest had to interact with a remote receptionist through a tablet to get access to his room.

• Some users online find the lack of on-site staff concerning in terms of service and safety.

• The parent company of this hotel confirmed that this remote setup wasn’t approved, and will apply corrective measures.

• This incident reinforces the idea of how technology should be implemented in hotels with control and thorough testing

Why this matters: Careful with the corners you cut. Tech can improve efficiency and reduce costs in hotels, but also harm key factors extremely hard to gain in hospitality like trust and brand reputation. That said, I must say that I appreciate the creativity of an improvised kiosk.

#3 Maestro PMS launches a new mobility tool.

Very conveniently after the previous story, Maestro PMS released Maestro Touch, a software that brings its PMS solution to tablets and touchable devices.

• The system offers intuitive interfaces and tablet-friendly touch controls.

• Users can capture digital signatures and manage mobile registrations.

• It reduces the friction of the room assignment flow between the front office and housekeeping.

Why this matters: Investing in tech shouldn’t come at the cost of guest experience. The right tools can give hoteliers a boost and offer something different from the competition, while also providing staff with the mobility they value.

💡 2025 Cloud PMS Comparison Sheet for Hotels

We’ve put together a free, simple comparison sheet with the top 30+ cloud PMS. You can see the best options at a glance and save yourself hours of research.

🏨 DEALS & UPDATES

• Stayntouch partners with Sonesta Hotels, and will implement its cloud PMS solution in Sonesta’s 1,100+ properties.

• This study shows hotel loyalty programs are losing appeal as consumers demand more personalized experiences.

• Choice Hotels is focusing on tech and loyalty program investments to drive growth.

• The US hotel growth forecast was downgraded due to macroeconomic concerns, affecting demand, ADR, and RevPAR.

• Resorts World Las Vegas rolls out Opera Cloud and Simphony.

🔦 IN THE SPOTLIGHT

How numa rebuilt hotel operations from scratch using tech.

Numa is a European hospitality brand that blends hotel and apartment concepts. Properties are fully digital: no front desks and no key cards. Guests check in via WhatsApp or email, and access rooms with a PIN code.

These principles got my attention from their model:

• Flexible inventory - Studios with mini kitchens can serve both leisure and business guests.

• Space optimization - They rent ground floor space to F&B tenants for a fixed monthly fee. No need to run the department themselves. This alone increased their income by 30%.

• Automation first - 80% of the tasks in operations were automated.

The outcome is quite remarkable (90% yearly occupancy and up to 40% above their market benchmarks). But more importantly, these are actions that any hotel can implement to get inspiration (and results) from this model:

1. Target the right guests - Branding and marketing can reduce operational friction by attracting the customers who best fit the experience you offer. If you need help with this, The Hotel Marketing 5.15 from Rachel Watroba will give you some good tips!

2. Rethink space usage - Unused areas can become revenue streams instead of cost centers.

3. Automate until it hurts - Use technology to handle repetitive tasks and let humans do the human work.

Sometimes the biggest operational gains come not from adding more, but from removing what no longer serves your guests.

🗞️ HOTEL TECH EXTRAS

• Hotelchamp and OpenGDS partner to improve hotel booking experiences by integrating direct booking engines with advanced connectivity. They want to give hotels tools to outperform OTAs in guest engagement and revenue control.

• SiteMinder expands its presence in Latin America with a new Mexico office to support local hotels, targeting regional growth, technological enhancements, and global market integration.

• Spotlight by IDeaS won the 2025 Skift IDEA Award for its work on hospitality marketing using real-time demand signals and predictive analytics.

• Journey secured $7.7 million to improve its AI loyalty platform for independent hotels.

• Mews was recognized as a leader in the 2025 IDC MarketScape for its innovative hospitality management system.

That’s a wrap for today, thank you for reading.

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See you next week!
Jose