From websites to apps, travellers are inundated with recommendations and reviews of places to eat, drink and visit. But often a scribbled note from a friend is the best guide. Founded on this idea, Travelboxe is an online friend-to-friend recommendation network.

With a third of Brits spending over 10 hours researching a holiday, a new generation of apps is refining the process. As mobile becomes indispensable for travellers, rome2rio maps out journeys door-to-door to minimise both travel and planning time.

Impersonal, generic guidebooks are a thing of the past. Four Seasons is curating unique, personalised travel recommendations on Pinterest, extending its culture far beyond its physical walls.

The traditional hotel star rating doesn't work for Millennials. But from updating décor to offering choice and control, Marriott International is rethinking their business model in a $60m rebrand that focuses entirely on the Millennial mindset.