New technology to aid hotel guests

Leura Gardens Resort in the NSW Blue Mountains will be the first hotel in Australia to launch digital wallet key technology, allowing guests seamless access to the hotel’s rooms and facilities with a tap of their phone.

This new system provides guests with a convenient alternative to physical key cards, while still offering traditional options for those who prefer them.

Owner Dr Jerry Schwartz has been trialling keyless technology for several years and will utilise cutting-edge door lock and software solutions developed by Vingcard - a leading innovator of advanced technologies tailored to the needs of the hospitality industry - at Leura Gardens Resort.  

With Vingcard’s cloud-based Vostio Access Management technology, the property can automatically generate digital wallet-compatible keys that are securely delivered to guests' devices via advanced encryption.

The digitalised room keys are automatically activated when a guest checks in electronically and are ready to use as soon as their room becomes available, allowing guests to go straight to their rooms and access them with a tap on their phones.

The room key is stored in a wallet on any iOS or Android phone and is similar to the technology used for concert or plane tickets.

The key works without needing to download or open any app, navigate to a special screen, or unlock the device.

The same digital wallet-based key can also be used to access the hotel's facilities for even greater convenience. 

If guests choose to extend their stay, the key is automatically updated, eliminating the need to visit the front desk.

While the technology has been used in hostels in Australia, Leura Gardens Resort is the first full-service hotel or resort in Australia to successfully introduce it.

"The hotel industry in Australia has been slow to adopt the technology, which is surprising given that we use our mobile phones to board planes and enter sports and concert venues,” said Schwartz.

“I’m convinced that entering a hotel room with a digital key on your phone will become another extension of that, and the innovation at Leura Gardens will become a template for the wider industry.

“This is all about enhancing the guest experience. Some people will prefer to go to the front desk and check-in in person, but others want a more seamless experience. We are catering for both groups.

“Our guests will be able to use the technology without needing to use an additional app. Instead, arriving guests will receive their ‘room key’ by downloading it from their check-in confirmation email and adding it to their smartphones.”

See https://www.leuragardens.com.au/

Rare cellar treasures to be uncorked

Do you love older wines, particularly those that have been cellared with care?

Passing Clouds is to open its doors for a rare cellar and museum wine release for one weekend only.

The family-owned Macedon Ranges producer - located at Musk, outside Daylesford - is planning a mini festival of decades of back vintages, cellar treasures and wines not offered to the public since their original release date, in some cases over 50 years ago.

From July 17–19, the Leith family will unlock its significant museum wine collections, offering visitors access to carefully cellared wines.

Some have never previously been available for sale.

And because many of the wines come from tiny remaining cellar parcels, once sold they will never be released again.

Owner Cameron Leith said the weekend is about sharing the winery's history.

“For decades we've carefully cellared wines because we believed they still had stories to tell," he says.

“Rather than keeping them hidden forever, we wanted people to experience them as they were intended - with family, friends and good conversation.”

Attendees will also be able to compare mature museum wines with younger vintages, demonstrating the ageing potential of Passing Clouds wines. 

There will be a $20 tasting fee, refundable on any wine purchase.

See www.passingclouds.com.au

Qantas boosts services to Japan

Qantas is going all in on flights between Australia and Japan.

The Australian flag carrier has increased services between Melbourne and Tokyo and added more seats across the Tasman as Japan and New Zealand continue to be popular destinations for Australian travellers.

More than 45,000 seats will be added to Tokyo and Queenstown by early next year.

Qantas has increased its Melbourne-Narita services from daily to 11 flights per week from December 2026 to March 2027 in response to growing demand. 

The new flights will add a total of 30,000 seats to the route.

Japan continues to be a favourite for Qantas customers, with passenger numbers up 8% between October 2025 and March 2026, totalling 350,000 passengers for the period.

In addition, the airline is increasing frequency across the Tasman over the summer peak for travel between Australia and New Zealand, including over 15,000 additional seats between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane to Queenstown over the summer peak.

Qantas CEO International Cam Wallace said: 
“Japan remains one of the most popular destinations on our international network and is showing no signs of slowing down, with more than half a million Australians visiting between January and May this year alone.

"Adding more capacity out of Melbourne means more Aussies can experience one of the world's great travel destinations, whether they're heading there for the first time or going back for more.”

There was also enthusiasm from Japan National Tourism Oraganization Sydney Office Executive Director Naoki Kitazawa. 

"We're delighted to see even more flights between Melbourne and Narita, further strengthening ties between Australia and Japan,” Kitazawa said. 

“Last year we marked an exciting milestone, with over one million Australians visiting Japan.

“We hope that even more people will be inspired to come and experience Japan.”

Coming soon: The world's first robot-operated hotel

The future is now.

In China, Pudu Robotics, a leader in commercial service robotics, and Shenzhen Culture & Tourism Industry Development Co. Ltd have officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly develop the world’s first full-scenario robot-serviced hotel on the West Artificial Island of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. 

 The island is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in China, travel news hub Travel Mole reports.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is widely recognised as one of the world’s most complex cross-sea transportation systems, combining bridges, tunnels, artificial islands, and underwater interchanges into a single engineering marvel.

The plan is to transform West Artificial Island showcase for artificial intelligence, robotics and smart tourism. 

As a strategic gateway connecting key cities across the Greater Bay Area, the West Artificial Island provides a platform to showcase next-generation technologies to visitors from around the world.

Unlike hotels where robots simply assist employees, the project aims to automate virtually every guest-facing and operational task. 

Service robots already deliver amenities in many hotels across Shenzhen and other major cities, while some properties have introduced humanoid robots at reception desks. This, however, will be the world’s first hotel designed from the outset to operate entirely without human staff.

The 44-room hotel is scheduled to open in 2027, although visitors will be able to experience the concept earlier. Pilot operations are expected to begin in late 2026, with a limited number of rooms available for public testing.

Designed as a next-generation hospitality destination, the hotel will integrate robots across every major service scenario, including guest reception, room delivery, cleaning, food service, and guest support. 

Powered by embodied AI and multi-robot collaboration, the project represents one of the industry’s most comprehensive deployments of robotics in a real-world hospitality environment.

The company says its AI platform, powered by its proprietary PuduFM 1.0 foundation model and PuduAgent operating system, will coordinate all robotic services through a shared intelligence network. 

Different robot models will perform specialised tasks while communicating with one another.

Among them, FlashBot will deliver drinks and snacks ordered via smartphone, the T300 robot will transport luggage to guest rooms, while the CC1 Pro and MT1 autonomous cleaning robots will maintain the property using AI-powered waste detection and adaptive cleaning technology.

The hotel itself will be the first phase of a broader smart tourism initiative. 

Over the coming four years, robotics and AI services are expected to expand across West Artificial Island, supporting attractions, restaurants and visitor facilities. 

It will be fascinating to see guest reactions. 

Guillaume is back in Sydney - for four days only

Calling lovers of classic French cooking.

Star chef Guillaume Brahimi will bring his much-loved elevated bistro classics back to Sydney for four nights only this August, taking over Double Bay’s Baker Bleu from August 6-9.

For the first time in six years, Sydney diners will have the chance to revisit the dishes associated with the larger-than life chef’s cooking, from onion soup and cheese soufflé to roast chicken with tarragon jus, steak au poivre, profiteroles and lemon tart. 

Bookings open Thursday July 2, with reservations set to be available by phone only. How very old fashioned. 

“The dishes on this menu are my most highly requested bistro dishes, and are ones I love to cook,” Brahimi says. 

“I have missed cooking them for Sydney. Six years is a long time. To bring them back, in a room this intimate and with a team this passionate about what they do, is something I have been looking forward to."

The takeover will see Baker Bleu transform from neighbourhood bakery by day to intimate bistro by night.

Across the four-night residency, Brahimi will be in the kitchen, serving a four-course menu of elevated bistro classics. The press release says th menu “will bring together the signatures, favourites and generous French cooking that have defined his restaurants for more than two decades”.

Many of the dishes are featured in his recent book Plat du Tour, released in April this year. The experience will be strictly limited, with just nine tables available per service for seven sittings.

The four-course menu ($190pp) will include bread, a snack, entrée, main, dessert, petit fours and sides. 

Entrée choices include onion soup and cheese soufflé, while mains include roast chicken with tarragon jus and steak au poivre. Sides will include Paris mash, frites and green salad, with desserts including profiteroles, passion fruit soufflé and lemon tart. A tight wine list will reflect Guillaume’s personal favourites, available by the glass or bottle. 

The former Guillaume at Bennelong chef patron is currently operating his flagship Bistro Guillaume in Melbourne while continuing his role as a culinary ambassador for Crown Sydney. He concluded a 14-year run at Bistro Guillaume Perth in April.

Co-founder of Baker Bleu, Mike Russell, said: “Baker Bleu is a neighbourhood spot at heart, and there’s something special about opening it up at night and watching it transform into this intimate French style bistro experience. Guillaume has been a long-time champion of our bread, and we are so thrilled to host him. I’m looking forward to seeing the community come together around the table to enjoy our bread with some beautiful French food.”

Call 0458 400 327 from Thursday to book.

Are AI images misleading travellers?

Are you being lied to by accommodation operators using Artificial Intelligence? 

One in five hotel photos on major booking platforms show indicators of being AI-generated or AI-enhanced, a new survey in Europe shows.

An analysis of 25,550 images used by hotels to advertise their rooms, facilities, restaurants and amenities reveals mass deception.

The study was conducted by Berlin-based marketing agency ABCD Agency in partnership with German forensic AI verification provider ContentGuard.me.

Hotel photos are one of the most decisive factors when booking accommodation online. But the report indicates  that the imagery travellers rely on is no longer just traditionally retouched but increasingly created or altered using artificial intelligence.

In a sample of 100 randomly selected hotels each across seven destinations a total of 25,550 hotel photos were analysed in May 2026. Among those popular European summer holiday destinations like Crete, Mallorca, Sicily and Alanya.

The result: approximately 19% of all images - a total of 4,778 photos - contained at least one signal typically associated with AI generation or AI editing.

These signals can appear in technical markers such as file metadata, or as visual anomalies within the image itself - including inconsistencies, irregular pixel patterns or detail errors.

When hotel photos are AI-optimised or AI-generated, expectations can be distorted in critical ways: including room size, furnishings and views. 

These enhanced images set expectations that reality often cannot meet. The result: disappointment on arrival, complaints and a long-term erosion of trust in both platforms and hotels that depend on credible visual content.

Jens Kramosch, deepfake expert and founder of ContentGuard.me explains: “Hotel photos have always been retouched to some degree. But AI takes this to a completely different level. When images are no longer just polished but fundamentally altered, it risks crossing the line from marketing into deception. Travellers need to look more closely and platforms need to start labeling AI-edited content transparently.”

Robin Wilfert, founder of ABCD Agency, warns: “When you book a trip, you're buying a promise. The photos that travelleds use to choose a hotel are the most important part of that promise. AI must not be allowed to create a gap between what's shown and what's real.”