After sharing our plans for 2026 in our latest newsletter, we realised that some of the ideas around AI might still feel a bit unclear.
Many people hear the term ‘AI’ everywhere, but it’s not always obvious how it connects to the day‑to‑day work of running an accommodation property. So, we’ve put together a clear, more practical look at what we’re exploring and why it could be useful for you.
Most of us already use AI without thinking about it. When your phone unlocks with Face ID, when Google Maps finds a faster route around traffic, when Gmail offers a suggested reply, or when your bank spots unusual activity - that’s AI helping in the background.
The same goes for searching online, asking your phone to show photos of your dog, getting recommendations on Netflix or Spotify, or using quick translation tools while travelling. These things don’t feel technical. They’re simply small conveniences that make life easier. That’s the kind of experience we want to bring into Seekom.
As we look at how AI can support our accommodation providers, we’d love your input. Sharing your views in our quick three‑minute survey helps us understand which tools would genuinely make your day easier.
Running an accommodation business means lots of small tasks that add up: checking bookings, adjusting rates, answering questions, pulling reports. AI can help remove some of that friction by simplifying the work that currently takes the most clicks or the most time, such as:
It’s not about replacing people. It’s simply about making your systems work more smoothly so you can focus on guests and revenue.
If any of these ideas sound useful, we’d love to know. Your feedback in the AI Feature Interest Survey helps us decide which features to prioritise first.
We’re exploring a range of AI features and would love your input on which ones matter most.
What new bookings or changes happened since 6pm last night?"
“Update this weekend’s rates by 5%”
"Hold the Standard Queen for Sarah Doe, arriving Friday"
"Add breakfast for two for booking 91827, both nights, and late checkout on Sunday"
"Pipe burst in Unit 12. Make Unit 12 unbookable for the next 10 days"
A tool like this has the potential to save a significant amount of time and reduce the number of screens you need to work through each day.
“How many bookings do I have for Easter?”
“What was occupancy by room type for the last 90 days?”
“Show me revenue for each unit for the past month.”
“What was occupancy last July?”
The system would then pull the figures together for you.
“Increase studio rates by 10% for Easter weekend.”
“Lower tonight’s price slightly to help fill remaining availability.”
“Raise family unit rates next Saturday due to high demand in the area.”
“Reduce weekday rates by 5% this month to improve occupancy.”
A guest asks at 11pm
“Do you have parking?” and gets an immediate reply: “Yes, there’s parking right in front of each unit.”
Someone wants to know
“Are pets allowed?” and the chatbot answers straight away with your pet policy.
A traveller planning ahead asks
“Do you have any rooms available next Friday?” and the chatbot checks availability and shows what’s open.
A family browsing your site asks
“Do you have cots available?” and receives instant confirmation.
These quick answers help guests feel more confident booking and reduce the amount of back‑and‑forth your team needs to manage.
We’re also working on making the Seekom booking screen easier for AI-driven travel tools to read, which will help properties stay visible as search behaviour changes.
AI can support teams of any size by reducing admin, improving response times and helping with decisions that previously relied on manual work. It’s designed to give you a boost, not replace anyone.
Your input will directly shape which AI features we build first. So have your say, vote, prioritise, and let us know which features matter most to you.
Completing the survey takes under three minutes, and everyone who takes part can enter the draw to win a $100 Prezzy card.
Complete the AI Feature Interest Survey
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4/234 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2025 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
Artificial intelligence isn’t approaching the accommodation industry, it has already arrived. And just like the introduction of online bookings two decades ago, AI represents a structural shift that will change how providers operate, how guests choose where to stay, and how leading businesses differentiate themselves.
What makes this moment unique is that most providers are already using AI every day without realising it. It feels futuristic until you notice it’s been quietly improving your life for years
You’re already using AI when you…
None of this feels complicated. It simply feels helpful. That’s how AI will continue to develop within accommodation: simple, intuitive and quietly powerful.
The biggest shift unfolding in the industry is the way travellers search for and choose accommodation. AI‑driven travel assistants, ranging from mobile search tools to conversational trip planners, are already shaping booking decisions by interpreting preferences, comparing options and suggesting tailored places to stay.
Over the next few years, these assistants are likely to become the first stop for many travellers. Properties that appear clearly in AI‑powered search environments will gain a visibility advantage long before a guest reaches a website. This makes it essential for your digital presence to be structured in a way that AI tools can understand, assess and present to travellers.
While the future of AI driven search is transformative, the most immediate value of AI sits behind the scenes, removing friction from the tasks that take up staff time.
Forward‑thinking providers are already exploring AI for:
Staff aren’t being replaced here. What’s disappearing is the repetitive work that slows everything down. Tasks that once meant jumping between screens or manually checking data can now be done in seconds with simple prompts. The result is more time for genuine guest interaction and far less time lost to admin.
Contrary to common belief, AI isn’t a tool built solely for large hotel chains. Smaller providers stand to benefit even more because AI helps them:
AI becomes the great equaliser, giving independents the capability once reserved for big operators.
Three shifts define the accommodation providers who will stay competitive:
Expect to see:
Hospitality is fundamentally human. But rising admin demands have pushed providers away from guests and deeper into screens. AI offers a path back by reducing the noise, clearing the clutter and bringing people closer to the work they do best.
AI isn’t the end of hospitality. It marks the start of a new era where providers gain the time, clarity and tools to deliver exceptional guest experiences without giving up operational efficiency.
Smarts to help you operate more effectively and efficiently. From guides of our systems and integrations to tips and tricks you can use every day - we've got you covered.
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Contact Us
4/234 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2025 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
After receiving some great feedback about the events and key dates calendars we put together last year, we’ve decided to combine them into one ultimate accommodation marketing calendar to create a one-stop-shop planning guide for 2026.
Whether guests at your accommodation are planning to witness the race that stops a nation in Melbourne, catch world-class tennis at Auckland’s ASB Classic, or simply make the most of a long weekend, they'll appreciate a well-timed deal as well as your usual outstanding hospitality.
We’ve included mega events, public holidays, days of significance and school holiday dates to help you plan promotional offers, create themed events, and be ready to capitalise on every opportunity that 2026 has to offer!
After New Year festivities kick off the summer season, tennis is a key drawcard across Australasia as the ASB Classic tournament returns to Auckland and the Australian Open hits Melbourne – both creating huge demand for fans looking to score accommodation.
After UFC 325 kicks off the start of the month in Sydney, love is in the air as Valentine's Day arrives. Music lovers flock to Laneway Festival across February as it tours five Australian cities, as well as Auckland in New Zealand, with stellar headliners including Chappell Roan, Wolf Alice and Wet Leg.
Australia’s biggest arts festival The Adelaide Fringe Festival kicks off mid-month, transforming the city into a cultural extravaganza with over 8,000 artists from across the globe performing throughout South Australia. On a more condensed scale, Wellington makes similar moves as it hosts the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.
Festival fever flows on through March in Australia, spoiling music fans of all persuasions with Golden Plains touching down in Meredith and Rolling Loud – the largest hip-hop festival in the world – descending on Melbourne and Sydney, not to forget WOMADelaide. Adding to the buzz, Melbourne also plays host to the sold-out Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, revving up the motorsport season with a high-octane opener in the heart of the city.
New Zealand represents the art scene again with 18 days of world-class arts, music and theatre on offer during the Auckland Arts Festival.
April creates perfect conditions for family bookings with its combination of school holidays, Easter weekend and ANZAC Day, offering opportunities to organise Easter egg hunts and activities to keep younger guests entertained.
Easter weekend brings one of the Southern Hemisphere's premier aviation events as Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow roars back into life at Wanaka Airport. The combination of iconic airplanes, modern fighter jets and stunning pyrotechnics typically draw more than 50,000 visitors – many of whom will need a destination to touch down at.
Music lovers congregate south of the Gold Coast for the legendary Byron Bay Bluesfest, with headliners including Split Enz, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Pogues and Aussie music good egg Xavier Rudd. Across the ditch, dance music fans are treated to a historic first as Ultra New Zealand makes its debut, bringing one of the world’s biggest electronic music brands to local shores for the very first time.
As autumn settles in across Australia and New Zealand, rugby league fever builds with the NRL Magic Round transforming Brisbane into the sport's epicentre as all eight Round 11 matches unfold at Suncorp Stadium.
The set of soul superheroes known as Fat Freddy’s Drop spark off the New Zealand leg of the tour to celebrate their multi-platinum album Based on a True Story and remember the passing of their figurehead DJ Mu (RIP).
Mother's Day offers perfect opportunities for special pamper packages and family-focused promotions for accommodation providers across both countries.
Winter officially arrives with King's Birthday long weekends creating strong travel demand across both countries early in the month. The start of the Australian ski season attracts snow-sport enthusiasts to the slopes, while State of Origin Game Two at the MCG attracts huge crowds to Melbourne.
Dark Mofo boosts Hobart’s cultural gravity, while the Noosa Food & Wine Festival showcases Queensland's culinary excellence – both generating significant accommodation requirements in their respective regions.
Mid-winter brings school holidays and the climax of State of Origin, with the third clash in Brisbane determining the series winner and drawing massive crowds to Queensland.
The Māori New Year Matariki is the last public holiday in New Zealand before Labour Day in October, providing a chance to pause, reflect and spend time with family – offering a valuable long weekend for accommodation providers to capitalise on.
Winter school holidays commence across New Zealand and Australia, filling ski resorts and warmer regional destinations alike as families seek mid-year respites from the routine.
Winter continues with some standout regional events as Brisbane’s hosts classic Royal Queensland Show, Hamilton Island Race Week attracts sailing enthusiasts to the Whitsundays and Sydney's City2Surf draws in thousands of runners.
No harm in creating a beer-tasting experience session at your hotel bar on International Beer Day for your guests who aren’t quite so active.
Spring announces itself across Australia and New Zealand, bringing Father's Day celebrations and the excitement of AFL Grand Final weekend in Victoria.
School holidays begin late in the month, making it an ideal time for accommodation providers to promote family getaways and seasonal packages as warmer weather encourages outdoor adventures and travel throughout both countries.
The NRL Grand Final kicks off the month in Sydney as spring weather draws more and more guests out of hibernation and long weekends in Australia create opportunities for tempting special offers.
The Alice Springs Masters Games attracts athletes for Australia's longest-running multi-sport event of its kind as people start planning for their summer holidays.
The race that stops a nation returns as Melbourne Cup Day dominates the first week of November, creating major accommodation demand across Victoria. The month closes with the Rugby League World Cup Final in Brisbane – a massive drawcard for sports fans.
Summer arrives in full force as the festive season dominates December and boosts demand for holiday accommodation. The Boxing Day Test at the MCG sees the Black Caps take on Australia and will be a major drawcard for cricket fans on both sides of the ditch.
School holidays begin mid-month, extending through to late January, making it peak time for families looking to somewhere to stay to get away from it all.
The school holidays can be a goldmine for accommodation providers offering family-friendly get-aways. Australian school holiday dates vary by state, while New Zealand school holiday dates are more straightforward.
Seekom's suite of marketing tools makes it easy to capitalise on these opportunities by creating tempting promotional offers to drive bookings.
Roll out promo codes for key seasonal periods and highlight special packages with enticing banners on your booking screens. Then follow up with targeted emails and SMS campaigns. Seekom’s savvy software handles it all to support your success.
Contact our team to discover how our software can optimise your marketing strategy and keep your business humming throughout 2026.
Smarts to help you operate more effectively and efficiently. From guides of our systems and integrations to tips and tricks you can use every day - we've got you covered.
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Contact Us
4/234 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2025 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
As we continue to improve security awareness and resilience across our platform, we’d like to highlight another critical threat targeting the hospitality sector. Earlier last year, a campaign was impersonating Booking.com and delivering credential-stealing malware. This article explains what is happening, why it matters to you, and what you can do to protect your business.
A new phishing scam is targeting accommodation providers by pretending to be Booking.com. The emails look convincing and often claim there is an urgent issue with a guest review or your property listing.
If someone clicks the link, they are taken to a fake Booking.com page that asks them to run a command on their computer. If they do, malware is installed, giving attackers access to passwords, payment information, and other sensitive data.
This campaign is active across multiple regions, including Oceania, and specifically targets hospitality businesses such as hotels, motels, and holiday parks.
If your property uses a PMS like ours and connects to online booking channels, you are part of the hospitality ecosystem that this campaign is targeting. Here’s why it matters:
In short: your property’s risk exposure can increase not just through your own systems, but via any third-party booking channel, partner, or staff email.
1. A staff member receives an email that appears to come from Booking.com. Examples: a guest review request, a complaint about a review, an account-verification alert.
2. The email links to a webpage that looks like a Booking.com account verification page. The page shows a fake CAPTCHA prompt.
3. The user is instructed to press a keyboard shortcut, then paste and run a command (which the malicious webpage has placed into their clipboard). This command launches the malware.
4. Once installed, the malware can steal passwords, payment information, or give attackers remote access.
5. Attackers then use that access to commit fraud or further compromise your systems.
Here are practical steps your property and staff should follow to reduce risk.
At Seekom, we are committed not just to delivering great PMS software, but also to helping our partner properties protect their business and reputation. Phishing campaigns like this one (impersonating Booking.com) show that cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue - it is a business and people issue.
A compromised staff account can affect property operations, revenue, guest experience, and even how you use our system or third-party channels. By educating staff, implementing strong controls, and staying vigilant, you can significantly reduce your risk.
For those of you who receive the HAPNZ monthly newsletter, you may have seen an article from AON Insurance about a professional services firm in New Zealand that suddenly faced a business email compromise targeting their administration/accounts manager. The threat actor gained unauthorised access to the business’s mailbox, resulting in a significant breach.
The breach was discovered when approximately 400 clients of the firm received emails with “overdue statements” containing altered bank information.
For those who haven’t seen it, you can read the full article here: How Cyber Insurance Saved This Small Business
Note: Something you may not know is that we also build websites. Many of our customers have Seekom-built, self managed websites with full control, backed by our expert setup and support. If you’re interested in finding out more, please get in touch.
Get more stories from Seekom in your inbox.
Smarts to help you operate more effectively and efficiently. From guides of our systems and integrations to tips and tricks you can use every day - we've got you covered.
Contact Us
4/234 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2025 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)
Make hay while the sun shines. It’s an old adage, but one that holds truer than ever today, particularly for the accommodation industry where the summer months are a time of plenty for most of us.
As many in New Zealand will be aware and as accommodation data shows, average occupancy rates for commercial accommodation peak in the warmest months – January and February – and drop off to below 50% in the June to August winter period. The situation is similar in the UK, where average occupancy peaks in June to August, during the northern hemisphere summer, and drops off in winter.
But while being busy is great for the bank account, it can be hard on the mind and body. The summer months can be stressful, particularly if you don’t have your systems in order or if you are short staffed. We’ve put together a list of some key steps you can take to work smarter in Seekom and help ease the pressure. All going well, you might even be able to enjoy a bit of time outside of the office in the sun yourself!
Take advantage of our Express Check In forms to speed up the check-in process and reduce the load on your team. These forms allow you to send a follow-up email to guests after they have booked at your accommodation, asking them for any information they may have missed at the time of booking, like the length of their camper van, when they expect to arrive, or their vehicle registration.
Seekom users can set the times and days to email Express Check In forms to guests and customise the information requested.
Scheduled emails are a powerful tool that all properties should be taking advantage of. This functionality has been enhanced recently to allow you to schedule guest emails for a particular time of day or to be sent only to guests staying in a particular room type. Some common ways to use scheduled emails include:
Our new SMS functionality also allows for scheduling of automated messages and can be used in a similar way. We all know some people avoid opening emails while on holiday and the stats show SMS messages have a higher open rate than emails (perhaps due to the vibration settings most of us still have set up on our phones for text messages). Our SMS upgrade allows accommodation providers to use text messages in their communications, increasing their reach and making information even more readily available to guests.
Have you got your peak season minimum stays and rates set up? This is common practice in many countries and can reduce your team’s administrative load if staff do not have to deal with quite so many short-stay guests and the associated need to re-stock and re-prepare rooms, for each and every one of them. Setting peak rates can help to generate more revenue during a time of the year when your staffing costs often increase due to an influx of visitors and the need to pay staff for working on statutory holidays over the holiday period.
Don’t wait until things get busy to train up new staff on how to use and make the most of Seekom – make sure to think ahead.
The lead-up to summer is the ideal time to ensure new staff are comfortable using the system, and to make sure they have the correct permissions in place for the areas of Seekom they might need to use when guests start coming through the doors.
We have a range of guides and videos that can help you and your team make the most of Seekom features, from how to make a booking through to housekeeping and even payments and invoicing.
If you want to engage with other users or propose new features, make sure to log into the Seekom Community to share your ideas.
When things get busy, every minute counts. Seekom’s Vehicle Label printing feature allows you to easily print off the registration number of guests’ vehicles during the check in process, for display on their windscreen. This makes it simple to identify which vehicles belong on the premises.
To enable this feature in your Seekom iBex account, email our support team and they will get things set up.
Once enabled, you will be able to print vehicle registrations by visiting the ‘Arrivals and Departures’ page in Seekom iBex, finding the guest you are checking in on the list and then selecting the small ‘Print Vehicle Label’ option on the right hand side.
Once printed, the label displays:
Sometimes you may want to close your property to new check-ins or departures on specific days of the year. If you want to do this at your place to ease the pressure on staff - perhaps on Christmas Day – then Seekom makes it easy.
You can manage any days when your property is closed to check-ins and check-outs from the Manage Property screen of your Seekom iBex system.
This feature still allows guests to stay during the period you set, but it will block people from either arriving or departing on the dates you choose, based on what you set.
Some managers use this for periods like Christmas Day, when their property is bound to be full of guests already and they want to reduce the foot traffic coming through reception so staff can enjoy the day as well.
Read the instructions for setting a property closure in our help section for more information.
When summer demand surges, relying on traditional fixed rates can mean leaving money on the table. Implementing dynamic pricing for your bookable accommodation assets can unlock more revenue and save valuable time. Seekom’s integration with RoomPriceGenie makes it easy to automatically adjust your rates to meet seasonal demand changes and current market conditions, helping you maximise earnings and stay competitive throughout the year.
RoomPriceGenie analyses real-time market data, demand trends, and competitor pricing to recommend rate changes for you – reducing manual updates and helping you capture peak-period demand. The integration with Seekom means you’re always in control; you have the power to set minimum and maximum price boundaries for specific dates or seasons, so your rates never move beyond what you’re comfortable with.
If that sounds like the perfect summer timesaver to you, why not email our support team for help setting up the RoomPriceGenie integration at your property?
With summer on the horizon for many of you, now is the ideal time to swing into action. You may not tick off absolutely everything on this list, but by tackling at least a few of these, you can reduce those stress levels when the summer guest rush arrives.
Note: Something you may not know is that we also build websites. Many of our customers have Seekom-built, self managed websites with full control, backed by our expert setup and support. If you’re interested in finding out more, please get in touch.
Get more stories from Seekom in your inbox.
Smarts to help you operate more effectively and efficiently. From guides of our systems and integrations to tips and tricks you can use every day - we've got you covered.
Contact Us
4/234 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Phone (NZ) : +64 4 974 9588
Phone (UK) : +44 20 3835 5939
Support: support@seekom.com
Websites: webhelp@seekom.com
Copyright 2025 © Seekom Limited (NZ owned)