Hotel insurance rates have climbed as much as 30%

You know the drill: one expense creeps up, another system creates more work, and suddenly the margins are looking a little less lovable. This week, we’re unpacking why your tech deserves a revenue-minded review and why the cheapest insurance option may deserve a raised eyebrow. Plus, one hotel expert weighs in on what makes a property worth raving about long after guests check out. Beware of what looks good on paper. It might cost you later.

📥In your inbox tomorrow: A Mint Pillow Q&A with Caroline Rice, founder and strategy director at Bellhop, a boutique branding agency for travel and hospitality, who says that—for better or worse—every guest’s stay is part of your marketing.

“Independent hotels have a lot to say.” For years, hotel marketing was a game of who had the biggest budget and the best placement. This AI expert says AI search could shake up that pecking order.

Your AI is showing. You can deliver a stellar stay and still fumble the follow-up with a response that reads like it came off an AI assembly line. 

Astrology with a key card. Some guests pick hotels by the thread count; others trust the stars. This zodiac-meets-hospitality nod is a fun little scroll for hoteliers who know a property’s personality is (at least!) half the appeal.

Welcome back, for real. Nothing deflates a returning guest faster than being treated like a stranger. Hapi says its Guest Identity and Data Lakehouse tools pull guest details from across a hotel’s tech systems into one place, so your team can recognize regulars and remember how they like to stay.

Survey says. Help shape Mint Pillow by taking our reader survey.

Cleaning hotel rooms is hard. Quore is a Hospitality Orchestration Platform™ that keeps housekeeping teams, room statuses and service requests in sync, so every room gets the attention it needs, and you can clear away the cobwebs and the monsters.

Caravan Court brings the 1961 Arlington, Texas motor hotel back to life, with its original neon sign lighting up Division Street again. Inside, historic photos and mid-century design carry the roadside nostalgia into a 143-room boutique hotel. But General Manager John Thomas has a bigger ambition: to move away from travel that feels “transactional.” Afternoons by the resort-style pool and evening drinks at the rooftop lounge are part of his vision for a place where guests want to linger, not just drop their bags. 

Why it matters: Thomas wants Caravan Court to feel like a neighborhood gathering place, where locals and travelers naturally cross paths. The mix of public spaces helps bring that idea to life, from the Caravan Swim Club to Elora Sky Club, with views over Arlington’s Entertainment District. The design invites people to make time for the property itself, which is a thoughtful take on how a hotel’s atmosphere and shared spaces can help a stay feel more human and unhurried. (Arlington Today Magazine)

Your tech stack has a bigger job than keeping the hotel running—it can shape how much booking revenue you keep and where your team spends its time. In a The Modern Hotelier podcast conversation about what’s next in hotel technology, roommaster’s Mark Bloomquist and Steven Burman dig into the business implications of direct booking visibility and automation. For indie hoteliers, the question is simple: Are your current tools helping you get more out of the demand you’re already attracting?

Why it matters: Direct booking visibility in Google metasearch can help your property compete when travelers compare rates across channels, and automation can free up staff capacity without adding headcount. But before buying one more tool, take a look at where your current setup is costing you time or limiting revenue. A clear business case beats a shiny new feature every single time. (Hotel Online)

Hotel Above Par’s founder Brandon Berkson draws a distinction between hotels that look good in a photo and those that leave guests with a story to tell. Think of a handwritten booking request in the Canary Islands or a former bank’s teller counter turned check-in desk—exquisite details that stay with someone long after checkout. His take on what makes a hotel “Substackable” explores why some stays inspire stories that go far beyond a pretty picture.

Why it matters: Berkson’s perspective centers on what guests actually experience, beyond a property’s visual appeal. He gravitates toward the personal touches that give a hotel its own identity and make a stay feel distinct, offering a compelling lens on what guests might remember most and what makes an experience worth sharing with someone else. (Hotels Above Par on Substack)

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Mint Pillow is curated and written by Jennifer Glatt and edited by Bianca Prieto.