Today's Hotels Pulse
FAA says Spirit’s LaGuardia slots belong with another low‑cost carrier
The FAA Administrator argues that the coveted take‑off slots Spirit Airlines holds at New York’s LaGuardia should be reallocated to a different low‑cost carrier. Meanwhile, Spirit is preparing to auction off those slots to the highest bidder.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Airbnb leads $58M Series C in WeRoad
Act Fast: Transfer Amex Membership Rewards Points to JetBlue With a 10% Bonus
American Express is offering a limited‑time 10% transfer bonus to JetBlue TrueBlue, improving the standard 250:200 ratio to 250:220 points. The promotion runs until 11:59 p.m. MT on May 11, 2026, with a $0.0006 per‑point fee capped at $99. JetBlue points average about 1.24¢ each, lower than the typical 2¢ value seen with other Amex redemptions, making the bonus most useful for topping off existing TrueBlue balances for specific partner awards. Travelers should assess redemption goals before moving points, as transfers are irreversible.
‘Golden Week’: Hong Kong Draws More Mainland Chinese Visitors but Spending Uneven
During the first three days of Hong Kong’s Labour Day “Golden Week,” mainland Chinese arrivals rose 4.8 % to 714,765, bringing total visitor numbers to 854,929. Hotel occupancy is expected to approach 90 % thanks to flexible travel patterns and high‑speed rail...
Hotel Review: Trunk (Hotel) Cat Street
A leading travel publication released a series of hotel reviews between April and May 2026, covering properties from the Park Hyatt Tokyo to the Four Seasons Madrid, Hopewell Hotel Hong Kong, and Ardbeg House Scotland. The roundup also includes design-focused pieces...
Miles & More Mileage Bargains for May 2026: Round-Trip Flights to Europe Starting at 25k Miles
Miles & More’s May 2026 Mileage Bargains let U.S. travelers book round‑trip award flights to Europe for as few as 25,000 miles in economy, 42,000 in premium economy, and 61,000 in business class. The program offers six routes—three U.S. gateways to...
Canadian Travel to U.S. Remains Under Pressure
RBC Economics reports Canadian departures to the United States fell sharply, with 29.1 million trips in 2025—a 25.4% drop from 2024—and January 2026 travel down about 23% YoY. The decline persisted into March 2026, when air‑and‑auto return trips were 7.6% lower....
Travel & Tour World Unveils 2026 List of 50 Top Eco‑Tourism Destinations
Travel and Tour World (TTW) has published its 2026 ranking of the 50 best eco‑tourism destinations, reflecting a surge in nature‑focused travel. The list, compiled from TTW’s editorial team and 25 million readers, signals a market projected to near $1 trillion by...
Singapore Airlines Chooses Ultra-Fast Starlink Wi-Fi But Passengers Could Be Left Disappointed… Here’s Why
Singapore Airlines announced a partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide ultra‑fast, free Wi‑Fi on its long‑haul fleet. The airline will equip only three aircraft types – the Airbus A350‑900 LR, A350‑900 ULR and the A380 – and the retrofit...
The Spirit Is Gone
Spirit Airlines, the pioneer of the ultra‑low‑cost carrier model in the United States, ceased operations in the early hours of May 2, 2026 after a series of bankruptcies, failed merger attempts, and a blocked $500 million bailout. The airline, once celebrated for its...
Dubai Hotel Closures Surge as Tourism Slumps, Triggering $600 M Daily Losses
A wave of closures at seven five‑star hotels and a plunge in occupancy to as low as 5% have left Dubai’s hospitality sector hemorrhaging an estimated $600 million per day. The downturn follows the February U.S. strike on Iran, which sparked...
Almanac Hotels Join Global Hotel Alliance & GHA Discovery
Almanac Hotels has officially joined the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), expanding the network’s footprint in the upscale hospitality segment. The alliance rollout coincides with a series of loyalty promotions, including a D$40 bonus for stays at Pan Pacific Singapore and...
The Unified POS as a Blueprint for Restaurant Success
Restaurant operators are turning to unified point‑of‑sale (POS) platforms to replace fragmented legacy systems. By aggregating transactions, inventory, staff actions and payment data, a single POS creates a real‑time data hub that fuels faster decision‑making. Integrated with cloud‑based AI, the...
Grand Opening of Centara Life Namba Hotel Osaka
Centara Hotels & Resorts has launched its second Japanese property, the 300‑room Centara Life Namba Hotel Osaka, in the bustling Namba district. The lifestyle hotel blends contemporary design with Thai‑inspired hospitality, offering flexible rooms, high‑speed Wi‑Fi, family and accessible options,...
Four Seasons Resort Nevis Offers Caribbean Residents a Summer 2026 Stay
Four Seasons Resort Nevis has launched a summer‑2026 promotion offering Caribbean residents a discounted rate of $395 per night for Nevis Peak View rooms from May 19 to October 31. The package includes a 10% discount on spa treatments, private...
How Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Uses Square to Power 103 Stores
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has expanded to 103 brick‑and‑mortar locations in 15 states, crediting Square’s integrated suite of loans, flat‑fee processing, reporting and marketing tools. The fintech partnership gave the company predictable cash flow, real‑time sales visibility and data‑driven menu...
What McDonald’s Looks for in a Payment Partner
McDonald’s has relied on Adyen as its primary payments partner for over five years, valuing the provider’s ability to operate at enterprise scale across 60+ markets. Adyen delivers an end‑to‑end technology stack that streamlines innovation, reduces operational friction, and supports...
IHG Business Greater China Offer For 3X Points + Up To 20K Bonus Per Month May 1 – December 31,...
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has launched a limited‑time Business Rewards promotion for members in Greater China that runs from May 1 to December 31, 2026. The deal triples points on qualifying stays, meetings and events, delivering nine IHG One Rewards...
Jumeirah Carlton Tower Takes to the Skies with a Celestial Celebration
Jumeirah Carlton Tower is launching an "Out of This World" programme for May, featuring a celestial‑themed floral façade called The Astrolabe. The installation, created by Chelsea in Bloom gold medallist Paul Thomas, will adorn the hotel from May 18‑24. Guests can...
Winning Over OTA Guests with Trust and Convenience in the Website and CRM
Hotel operators are grappling with OTA commissions that can climb into seven‑figure sums, squeezing margins and limiting brand control. A recent SiteMinder report shows OTAs remain the primary entry point for most travelers, reinforcing the need for win‑back strategies. The...
Orange to Set up AI-Driven Tourism Platform in Aragon
Orange Spain, operating as MasOrange, has been awarded a contract by the regional government of Aragon to develop an AI‑driven tourism platform. The solution will modernize the collection and management of tourism data, moving away from outdated manual processes. By...
FIRSTLINE Launches in Dubai to Turn Guest Influence Into Measurable Business Growth
Freedom International Group has launched FIRSTLINE in Dubai, a performance‑based loyalty platform for high‑end restaurants. The solution integrates with SevenRooms, allowing venues to track spend, referrals and rewards without adding upfront marketing costs. Backed by $2.5 bn in assets, the rollout...
Most UK Families Would Curb Holiday Spending over Tourism Tax
The vast majority of British families would cut back spending on domestic vacations if the government pushes ahead with a proposed tourism tax https://t.co/Kk2u2CxrNV via @louisemoon94 https://t.co/b3tJucpfIG
Qatar Airways to Resume Flights to Baghdad, Basra, and Erbil
Qatar Airways announced it will resume flights to Iraq’s three major cities—Baghdad, Basra and Erbil—starting June 1, 2026. The carrier will operate daily service to Baghdad, twice‑weekly to Basra and three‑times‑weekly to Erbil using its Airbus A320 fleet, adding roughly 1,200 seats...
Efficiency Driver
Hong Kong International Airport now runs more than 70 autonomous vehicles—including 56 electric tractors, eight patrol cars and six staff shuttles—making it the world’s first airport with a fully Level 4 driverless fleet. The vehicles have collectively covered over three million...
Moving up the Funnel
Agoda’s CEO says the company is shifting higher up the travel funnel, adding a generative‑AI‑driven itinerary‑planning layer between inspiration and booking. He predicts AI will let a single engineer do the work of ten within two to three years, though...
Why More And More Travelers Are Saying Goodbye To Caribbean Vacations In 2026
A March 2026 NerdWallet report shows nearly half of Americans plan summer trips, but rising airfares and inflation are steering many away from the Caribbean. The region’s popularity has driven up prices for hotels, tours, and dining, making budget‑friendly options...
Monaco Launches International Leisure Campaign Across Key Markets
Visit Monaco has launched an international leisure campaign called “Monaco, Everything At Once,” showcasing the principality’s ability to deliver a spectrum of experiences—sport, dining, culture, wellness, nightlife and coastal leisure—within its two‑square‑kilometre footprint. The initiative uses six striking visuals and...
Why Every Travel Brand Needs Human in the Loop Support for the EES Disruption Wave
Europe’s Entry/Exit System (EES) went live on April 10, 2026, and within weeks caused massive biometric‑screening delays, stranding hundreds of travelers at Schengen airports. A high‑profile incident at Milan’s Linate left 122 EasyJet passengers on the tarmac, while processing times...
Korean Air Expands Skypass Redemptions with Weverse Partnership
Korean Air has teamed up with Weverse to let Skypass members redeem miles for the platform’s digital currency, Jelly. The partnership offers 270 miles for a nine‑Jelly voucher and 450 miles for a fifteen‑Jelly voucher, lowering the threshold for mileage...
Four Seasons Launches 131-Room Heritage Hotel in Cartagena, Colombia
Four Seasons opened the Hotel and Hotel Residences Cartagena in 2026, converting a cluster of colonial buildings into a 131-room luxury property in the Getsemaní district. The project, featuring 27 rooms within original structures, signals the brand’s push into heritage‑focused...
Philippine Hotels Kick Off Month‑Long Summer Sale, Slash Rates, Sell ₱2.13 M in Vouchers
The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) launched a month‑long Summer Online Sale (SOS) across 69 Philippine hotels and resorts, cutting rates and offering more than 1,000 vouchers. Early demand has already generated over 300 vouchers worth ₱2.13 million (≈$38,700), signaling...
The Hari Hong Kong Links Wan Chai Stays with Access to Hiking Routes
The Hari Hong Kong is marketing Wan Chai as a dual‑purpose base, pairing city attractions with easy access to Hong Kong Island’s extensive hiking network, including the 50‑km Dragon’s Back Trail. To encourage longer visits, the hotel launched two packages: “Stay...
Jet2.com: Paris to Be Second Biggest City Break Destination for the Low Cost Airline in Summer 2027
Jet2.com will launch three new summer 2027 routes from the UK to Paris Charles‑de‑Gaulle, operating out of East Midlands, London Stansted and Manchester between late March and late October. The addition makes Paris the airline’s second‑largest city‑break destination after Rome,...
Gone But Not Forgotten: The Rise and Fall of America’s Lost Airlines
Spirit Airlines’ recent bankruptcy highlights a long‑standing pattern of airline failures in the U.S. The article reviews historic carriers—Pan Am, TWA, Braniff, Eastern, People Express, ValuJet, and others—showing how deregulation, oil shocks, labor disputes and thin margins led to their demise...
Salter Brothers Hospitality Launches New ‘World’s Apart’ Digital Platform via Nightjar
Salter Brothers Hospitality partnered with digital studio Nightjar to launch Worlds Apart, a unified platform that aggregates its four luxury brands—Ardour Hotels & Estates, Bannisters Hotels, Spicers Retreats, and independent retreat hotels—into a single, experience‑first destination. The site organizes content...
RLJ Lodging Trust (RLJ) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
RLJ Lodging Trust posted a 1.5% decline in RevPAR for Q1 2026, driven by modest drops in occupancy and ADR, while non‑room revenue surged 7.2% to lift total revenue 0.2%. The company sold three hotels for $73.7 million at a 17.7x...
Apple Hospitality REIT Inc (APLE) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Apple Hospitality REIT reported a full‑year 2025 RevPAR of $118, down 1.6% as government travel weakness and weather disruptions weighed on demand. Adjusted hotel EBITDA fell 8.6% to $474 million and EBITDA margins slipped to 34.3% for the year. The REIT...
Texas' Charming Fairytale Getaway In Fredericksburg Has Cute German Cottages And A Name You Can't Pronounce
The Rarumpelpunzeldornaschenwittchen cottages are a quartet of fairy‑tale‑themed rentals near Fredericksburg, Texas, blending Bavarian design with Hill Country scenery. Hosted by German innkeepers Heinrich and Barbara, each unit offers a private patio, rustic loft bedroom, and a complimentary German breakfast....
Iconic Hotel Group Welcomes Group GM
Iconic Hotel Group has named Pauline Chua as its new Group General Manager, responsible for the operations of Iconic Marjorie Penang, Iconic Regency Service Residences and Iconic Hotel Penang. Chua arrives from Onyx Hospitality Group, where she served as general manager of Amari...
‘Politically Toxic’ Holiday Tax Could Turn Voters Against Labour, Hospitality Leaders Warn
The UK government is preparing to introduce a holiday visitor levy, to be debated in the King’s Speech, allowing regional mayors to set either a £2 per person per night charge or a 5 % rate. A poll by trade body...
LOW-COST AIRLINES SUFFER MORE SEVERELY FROM THE SHARP JET FUEL PRICE INCREASE
Jet fuel prices have spiked sharply as Middle East unrest disrupts supply chains, hitting low‑cost airlines hardest. Budget carriers, which rely on thin margins, are scrambling to absorb the cost surge, prompting schedule reductions and flight cancellations across Europe and...
AI TRAVEL SUGGESTIONS: WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?
Chinese travelers increasingly rely on large language models for trip planning during the May Day holiday. QuestMobile data shows ByteDance's Doubao pulls travel content from its own apps—Douyin (97.7%) and Toutiao (84.5%)—while Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen and DeepSeek draw more from...
FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX: A POWERFUL CATALYST FOR SPANISH TOURISM
Spain’s Formula 1 Grand Prix is emerging as a powerful catalyst for tourism, driving sharp increases in hotel bookings and travel demand. In Barcelona, room reservations rose 62 % during race week while average visitor spending reached roughly $1,447 per guest. The...
TUNISIA’S TOURISM: REVENUES MASK DEEP STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES
Tunisia’s tourism sector generated about 8 bn Tunisian dinars (≈ $2.9 bn) in revenue, yet the industry is hampered by chronic governance fragmentation and underinvestment. Funding for tourism fell 4 % this year and 164 hotels remain closed, leaving roughly 1 bn TND (≈ $360 m) of...
CHINA VS USA: THE GLOBAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM EQUATION CHANGE
China’s travel and tourism sector surged 9.9% in 2025, contributing $1.75 trillion to GDP and lifting foreign visitor spending by 10.5% to $135 billion. The United States, while still the world’s largest tourism market at $2.63 trillion, saw growth slow to 0.9% and...
GREEKE BEACHES GO RADICALLY AGAINST OVERTOURISM
Greece has expanded the EU Natura 2000 network to include 251 beaches, tightening rules that ban sun loungers, loudspeakers, beach bars, and private construction. The rollout began in 2024, grew from 198 to 238 sites, and reached 251 by April 2026....
Delta Cancels Hundreds Of Flights — Executives Say The Problem Could Last All Summer
Delta Air Lines has been cancelling hundreds of flights each day, citing crew‑scheduling constraints amplified by recent weather events. Executives trace the root cause to a flawed pilot contract and an over‑reliant ARCOS automated call‑out system that struggles to match...
Entalula Beach Crowned World’s Best Beach 2026, Reachable Only by Boat
Travel experts have named Entalula Beach in Palawan, Philippines the No. 1 spot on the World’s 50 Best Beaches list for 2026. The secluded shoreline, accessible solely by boat, is expected to draw a wave of high‑end and adventure‑seeking tourists. The...
Booking.com's Latest Travel and Sustainability Research Reveals Australian Generational Paradox
Booking.com’s 11th annual travel‑sustainability study surveyed 32,500 travelers, including 1,000 Australians, revealing a generational paradox. While 83% of Australians deem sustainable travel important, Boomers show higher concrete action rates than Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z. Younger travelers lead in eco‑tourism activities,...
Spirit Dug Its Own Grave
Spirit Airlines, once a pioneer of ultra‑low‑cost travel, collapsed after its aggressive ancillary‑fee model and contemptuous customer culture alienated passengers. Legacy carriers copied its stripped‑down fare structure while retaining superior service, eroding Spirit’s price advantage. Repeated regulatory fines totaling over...
TikTok Tourism Turns Quiet Spots Into Crowded Lines
Last time I visited, this line didn’t exist. Now it’s around the block. Welcome to travel in the TikTok era… but is it actually a bad thing? 🤔