Hospitality Stories

Kiwi Stories

Hospitality stories

Suspected copper thieves cause major internet outage in Bay of Islands

The latest disruption left 750 homes and businesses unable to take electronic payments, deepening pain for Bay of Islands operators after a slow winter.

By Peter de Graaf • 4 min read • Last week

Small Business

How has the new CRL affected Auckland hospo? It's a mixed bag

Hospitality around Auckland's new rail stations is seeing only modest gains so far, with some cafes busier and others still waiting for a real lift.

By Serena Solomon • 5 min read • Last week

Global Stories

Hospitality stories

Multi-factor authentication

Meta's Muse AI agent seen in half of customer traffic

Security teams face a new attribution problem as Meta's Muse AI agent can slip into customer traffic while posing as an ordinary browser.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Yesterday

Customer Experience

Serve First expands into US with new Managing Director

A £9.5 million funding boost has underpinned the Georgia office, as the UK customer experience technology group targets more US multi-site operators.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Yesterday

Real estate

Asia Pacific hotel investment hits USD $12 billion

Regional hotel dealmaking has surged despite geopolitical and rate risks, with JLL now forecasting USD $15 billion in Asia Pacific transactions for 2026.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • 2 days ago

Managed Services

Castles Technology wins PCI validation for SoftPOS trio

Payment providers now have three compliant routes into smartphone-based card acceptance after Castles Technology cleared PCI checks for all parts of its SoftPOS line-up.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • 3 days ago

Omnichannel

Eagle Eye teams up with Playable on gamified loyalty

Retailers could keep shoppers engaged between purchases as the tie-up links games to loyalty rewards and first-party data collection.

By Mara Sugue • 4 min read • Last week

Robotics

Honeywell launches Forge Cognition AI for buildings

Early pilots suggest buildings could cut needless alerts by up to 90% and trim energy use by as much as 10% with the new system.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Last week

Fintech

Ecommpay adds Klarna to platform in single integration

Merchants can now offer Klarna's instalment and deferred-payment options through Ecommpay without extra technical work or separate systems.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Last week

Property Technology

Homhero appoints Pete Smith to board as growth nears

The appointment gives the Gold Coast software group direct operator insight as it nears its 10th year and passes USD $3 billion in bookings.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • This month

Stories from Other Regions

Hospitality stories

Network Infrastructure

Zyxel launches flexible GS1915v2 switches for small firms

The nine-model range includes PoE and fanless options, letting small businesses fit switches into tight spaces without extra building work.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Today

Hospitality

Dolphin Dynamics partners Ecommpay on travel payments

Travel agents using Dolphin Dynamics software will gain multi-currency payment options and fewer manual reconciliation tasks through the Ecommpay integration.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Yesterday

Crypto

Identity Digital bids for 216 new internet suffixes

The filing could open fresh branding options for businesses and creators if ICANN approves the first major expansion of internet suffixes since 2012.

By Mara Sugue • 3 min read • Yesterday

Fintech

KPay wins Australian licence as merchant push expands

The permit gives KPay a regulatory base to deepen its Australian payments push as it adds point-of-sale tools and financing for SMEs.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Yesterday

Personalisation

How an AI-powered messaging campaign could boost your festive season bookings

With December bookings under pressure, hospitality venues are turning to AI-driven SMS and WhatsApp campaigns to reach customers fast and cheaply.

By Jules Holden • 4 min read • Yesterday

Manufacturing

Thailand's real estate growth shifts beyond Bangkok

Investment is spreading into Thailand's industrial and tourism hubs as supply chain shifts and higher ESG standards weaken Bangkok's dominance.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Yesterday

Manufacturing

UK SMEs want tax cuts as Budget worry holds back investment

Uncertainty over tax policy is delaying growth plans, with 54% of SME owners holding off major investment until after the Autumn Budget.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • 3 days ago

Customer Experience

AirBorneo taps The XMakers to shape brand experience

The consultancy will help the Sarawak state-owned airline align its visual identity, onboard sensory cues and passenger touchpoints as it expands regionally.

By Mara Sugue • 4 min read • Last week