Know What's Happening in Hotels
Know What's Happening in Hotels
Easter 2026 drives hotel occupancy to pre‑pandemic highs across key markets
Travel bookings for Easter 2026 surged, pushing hotel occupancy in Europe, North America and Asia to near‑full levels and matching or exceeding pre‑COVID figures. The rebound was fueled by demand for spring destinations such as Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Spain’s Andalusia and Japan’s cherry‑blossom sites, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Accor, IHG and Marriott have each issued travel waivers for guests impacted by Middle‑East geopolitical disruptions, while Hilton and Hyatt remain silent. Accor's policy uniquely covers travelers transiting through the region and applies to bookings made before Feb 28 with arrivals up to March 15. IHG extends flexible cancellations through March 31, and Marriott offers support until March 18, directing guests to contact customer service. The waivers aim to mitigate the fallout from airport closures that are forcing costly detours for Europe‑Asia itineraries.
London Heathrow Airport has appointed Telent, backed by M Group, to maintain its traffic signal and pedestrian crossing network for three years. The contract includes preventative and corrective maintenance, 24/7 technical support, and a vendor‑agnostic model to reduce downtime. Solutions are...
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers announced his immediate resignation, officially citing personal reasons. Elbers, a former KLM chief, has led the airline since September 2022, overseeing long‑haul expansion and a premium cabin launch. His departure comes weeks after IndiGo’s December 2025...
Hilton has rolled out the Hilton AI Planner, a generative‑AI digital concierge now in beta on hilton.com. The tool engages travelers in conversational dialogue to recommend destinations, compare properties and highlight amenities in real time. By moving beyond static search...
Newbond Holdings and HEI Hotels & Resorts have finished a $5 million full renovation of the Aloft Tampa Downtown, guided by Studio 11 Design. The overhaul refreshes guestrooms, public areas and the Re:Fuel grab‑and‑go café, adding modern furnishings and upgraded technology....
British Airways announced it will not accept new bookings to Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai or Tel Aviv until 16 April, and has suspended Abu Dhabi flights until October. While the flights are not automatically cancelled, passengers cannot obtain refunds until BA confirms...
Red Roof announced a partnership with Milestone Inc. to deploy an AI‑first Digital Experience Platform across redroof.com and future digital touchpoints, with a phased rollout starting in late 2026. The platform is designed to boost discoverability on traditional search engines...
American Airlines faced catering problems at London Heathrow after a dispute with dnata, forcing the carrier to ship meals from the United States and limit menu options. The airline has now partnered with premium caterer DO & CO for its premium...
Ellen Davis has been promoted to chief operating officer and executive vice president of the U.S. Travel Association. Since joining in 2023 as EVP of business strategy and industry engagement, she launched a new membership model, revamped the event portfolio,...
Hilton announced that its Curio Collection will debut in Hawaii with the 210‑room Hale Hōkūala Kauaʻi, slated to open in fall 2026. The resort, owned by Silverwest Hotels and designed by Hart Howerton, will sit on a bluff offering ocean,...
Sage Hospitality Group announced it will manage The Benson Hotel & Faculty Club, a 106‑room luxury property on the University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus in Aurora, Colorado. The hotel, opened in 2023 and recently acquired by the university, offers...
Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL are offering a third‑night‑free promotion for Club rooms and Suites, paired with double Discovery Dollars (D$) for GHA Discovery elite members. The bonus rates rise from 8% for Silver members to 14% for Titanium, effectively doubling...
West Anderson Partners has completed the acquisition of the Graduate by Hilton Storrs, a 100‑room lifestyle hotel situated on the University of Connecticut campus. The property serves university visitors, alumni, athletic teams, and hosts campus events, positioning it as a...
Thrifty Traveler Premium announced a price increase effective March 14, raising its annual fee to $129.99 for the standard plan and $189.99 for Premium+. Existing members can lock in the current rates for life by subscribing now, and a promotional...
Secret Burger Kitchen (SBK) has enlisted three restaurant veterans—Capriotti’s COO David Bloom, former Dave’s Hot Chicken CMO Brad Haley, and ex‑Subway North America president Douglas Fry—to engineer an "institutional‑grade" rollout. Each advisor will own a strategic pillar: Bloom on development discipline,...
Travelers at several major U.S. airports are facing unusually long TSA security lines as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown forces officers to work without pay. Wait times have stretched to three hours at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport and...
San Francisco‑based chicken chain Starbird announced a partnership with Mac Haik Restaurant Group to launch 36 new locations across Houston, Austin and San Antonio beginning in 2027. The deal represents Starbird’s largest development effort, expanding the brand from 19 U.S. units to...
Family‑owned Strickland’s, founded in 1936 in Akron, Ohio, still operates with its original ice‑cream equipment across five state locations and a new franchise in Costa Mesa, California. The franchising model mandates two permanent flavors—chocolate and vanilla—and two rotating flavors selected...
7 Brew, the fast‑growing drive‑thru coffee chain, has begun selling its ready‑to‑drink canned coffee in Walmart stores across Arkansas. The launch features three espresso‑based flavors and marks the brand’s first foray into grocery retail. The move follows Dutch Bros’ recent expansion...
Hotelier’s 10th‑annual Housekeeping Forum convened over 100 housekeeping leaders at Toronto’s Chelsea Hotel, spotlighting the department’s strategic role. Speakers shared practical tips, from Brian Nam’s ten‑point efficiency guide to Hanan Haddad’s career‑advancement advice. Innovative solutions like virtual‑reality onboarding were showcased,...
War in the Middle East has forced the abrupt closure of Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, the three Gulf hubs that have underpinned global air travel for decades. Lufthansa Group quickly responded by adding long‑haul services from Frankfurt and Munich, including...
Florida’s commercial‑property‑assessed‑clean‑energy (C‑PACE) program has shifted from a niche financing tool to a core capital solution for hotel owners. Legislative changes, notably Senate Bill 770, broadened eligible resiliency upgrades, and the state eliminated the 3.5‑year lookback, allowing retroactive financing on...
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has chosen Azinq’s Airport Hive suite to replace its legacy operational systems at all three UK airports. The new platform will create a real‑time digital backbone, integrating flight data, boarding, A‑CDM, billing and reporting, and is...
Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, highlighted by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have driven crude oil prices above $85 a barrel and jet fuel to over $3.60 per gallon. The spike sharply inflates airline fuel costs,...
Security checkpoints at several U.S. airports, including Houston Hobby, reported waits of up to 3.5 hours over the weekend. The Department of Homeland Security’s partial shutdown, which forces TSA screeners to work without pay, is being cited as a possible...
Avinor reported that 3.8 million passengers used its Norwegian airports in February 2026, a 5 percent increase year‑over‑year. International traffic led the surge, rising 7 percent to 1.5 million travelers, while domestic journeys grew 3 percent to 2.2 million. Despite higher passenger volumes, flight movements fell...
North American fixed‑base operators in Vancouver and Monterrey are mobilizing months‑ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to handle an unprecedented surge in business‑aviation traffic. Million Air Vancouver has joined a collaborative work‑group with the Vancouver Airport Authority, deploying a...
American AAdvantage’s million‑miler program now awards lifetime elite status based solely on flown miles, with thresholds of one, two, four and five million miles granting Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum respectively. The 2025 improvements added four systemwide upgrades for each...
The 2026 Hotel Chain Development Pipelines report from W Hospitality Group shows a record 123,846 rooms across 675 hotels and resorts, an 18.6% year‑on‑year increase. Egypt dominates the continent with 45,984 rooms in 185 properties, accounting for over one‑third of...
Starbucks introduced a three‑tier Rewards program—Green, Gold and Reserve—aimed at deepening engagement among its 35.5 million U.S. members. The new structure raises star‑earning rates from 1 Star per dollar at entry level to 1.7 Stars for Reserve members and eliminates star expiration for...
Singapore Airlines announced a KrisFlyer Global Redemption Sale offering a 20% mileage discount on Economy and Premium Economy awards for travel between May 1 and November 15 2026. The discount applies only to bookings made by March 23 2026 and is subject to route‑specific and...
LUMINAIR announced the induction of its first Dassault Falcon 7X, a 2009‑built trijet registered D‑ALIN, which entered service on 8 March with a Hamburg‑Paris‑Larnaca routing. Configured for up to 14 passengers, the aircraft joins a fleet that already includes four Falcon 900LX, two...
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has named Pernod Ricard its newest Industry Partner, spotlighting the surge of "spirits tourism" as a travel driver. Pernod Ricard operates 28 immersive "Brand Homes" across 18 countries, drawing more than one million visitors each...
Wellness travel is booming, now worth about $1 trillion and projected to hit $4 trillion by 2029. The market is split between high‑tech, luxury retreats and low‑cost, culturally rooted experiences such as Icelandic geothermal pools and Irish seaweed baths. Travelers can save...
Uber announced the expansion of its "Women Preferences" option to additional U.S. cities, allowing female riders to request female drivers and customize safety settings. The feature, initially launched in a pilot program, now covers ten major markets and integrates with...
Airports manage capital‑intensive assets whose lifecycle costs dwarf initial outlays, with only 15‑20% of total expense incurred at purchase. Total cost of ownership analysis shows roughly 80% of an asset’s cost accrues through energy use, maintenance, downtime and eventual replacement....
Amadeus released its Travel Trends 2026 report, identifying six emerging forces that will reshape tourism, including the Pawprint Economy, Travel Mixology, and Point‑to‑Point Precision. The study emphasizes a shift toward hyper‑personalised accommodation experiences, urging hotels to adopt attribute‑based selling instead...
A recent Civitatis survey of over 7,000 travelers finds that 60% still prefer human‑curated trip planning to AI‑generated suggestions. While AI is commonly used for early‑stage inspiration, nearly half of users report encountering outdated or incorrect information such as opening...
Traveller Made is shifting from a single European showcase to three continental luxury‑travel tradeshows beginning in 2025, positioning the consortium as a truly global platform. The group reported €6 billion in aggregated revenue for 2025 and now serves 790 member agencies...
Hotels face hidden liability gaps when procedural inconsistencies slip between departments and shifts. Minor maintenance issues—slippery floors, faulty locks, poor lighting—can quickly become costly claims if not documented and resolved. Robust digital logs, structured shift reports, and comprehensive staff training...
The Philippines is intensifying its tourism outreach to South Korea, its largest inbound market, by expanding joint campaigns with airlines, travel agencies, and digital advertising. The Department of Tourism is promoting flagship destinations such as Manila, Cebu, Bohol, Boracay and...
The Anam Mui Ne, a 127‑room beachfront resort in Vietnam, has appointed Elena Lopez de Silanes as Director of Rooms. She will oversee front office, guest experience, housekeeping, laundry and the on‑site water factory, while also serving as Executive Assistant...
Total Food Service released its March 2026 digital issue, spotlighting exclusive Q&A interviews with industry leaders such as Jenifer Salamino, Sodexo Seniors’ Divisional President & COO. The edition also showcases the "25 Top Women in Foodservice & Hospitality" list, a Levy...
Aer Lingus has opened a business‑class sale from Dublin for travel between June and September 2026, with round‑trip fares as low as €1,706 to North‑American destinations. The offers include refundable tickets subject to a 15% penalty and may involve British...
Dubai’s hotel occupancy plunged to roughly 20 percent last week and is projected to dip into single‑digit levels as regional conflict deters travelers. Average daily rates have slashed about 50 percent week‑on‑week, prompting luxury resorts like FIVE Palm Jumeirah to launch ultra‑low‑price...
Lufthansa will operate two special anniversary flights on April 6, 2026, retracing its original Berlin‑Zurich and Berlin‑Cologne routes. The services will use a Boeing 787‑9 and an Airbus A350‑900, both painted in a bespoke 100th‑anniversary livery. Early‑booking access is reserved...
Coupette Corner Bistro & Bar opened this month inside the new Hannah St Hotel in Southbank, joining four other venues operated by The Mulberry Group. The bistro leans into the "good Australian hotel restaurant" trend, offering elevated casual fare built...
A sudden escalation in the Middle East has driven crude oil prices up nearly 40% in a week, pushing barrel prices toward $150 and sending jet‑fuel costs soaring. Fuel, the airline industry's largest variable expense, is now testing the resilience...
Citi’s ThankYou® points, though less publicized than Chase or Amex, can be redeemed for high‑value domestic and short‑haul flights when paired with the right airline partners. The article outlines the best low‑cost award sweet spots across JetBlue, Delta Flying Blue, United...
TROBBU will open its second all‑inclusive villa resort, TROBBU San Miguel de Allende, in July 2026. The property offers fifteen standalone villas of 2,200‑3,200 sq ft, each accommodating up to eight guests with private jacuzzis and full kitchen facilities. A 25% discount...
