Know What's Happening in Hotels
Know What's Happening in Hotels
High‑end hotels revamp minibars with local, wellness‑focused offerings
Luxury properties are replacing traditional snack trays with curated selections such as locally sourced foods, handcrafted cocktails, wellness products and even pet‑friendly treats. Examples include Aman New York’s complimentary apothecary‑style cocktails and Equinox Hotels’ superfood bites, while The Largo in Porto adds a sommelier‑noted wine fridge.
Sofitel London St James has finished a multi‑phase overhaul of its six signature suites, unveiling the new Suite 70 and the Opera Suite. The redesign was executed by Paris‑based interior‑architecture studio Pierre‑Yves Rochon, featuring bespoke furniture, custom textiles, and curated 1970s‑inspired art. Four Prestige Suites are now open for booking, while the two flagship suites showcase distinct retro‑modern aesthetics. The project aligns with Sofitel’s broader multi‑year investment programme across its flagship properties worldwide.
Plaza Premium Group (PPG) has appointed Eric Pateman as senior vice president for North America. Pateman previously served as chief experience officer at Vancouver International Airport and has advised governments, cities, and Fortune 500 companies while running several businesses. His blend...
Carnival Cruise Line’s private island Celebration Key in Grand Bahama has earned KultureCity’s sensory inclusion certification, becoming the first cruise destination worldwide to meet the nonprofit’s standards. The achievement caps a six‑year partnership that has equipped more than 400 team...
Travel company Trafalgar has launched a 60% discount Travel Advisor Rate for select 2026 European river cruise sailings. Advisors who complete Trafalgar’s Masterclass eLearning can book up to two cabins on the Best of the Rhine & Amsterdam and Best...
A new national survey of 633 U.S. hospitality leaders reveals an "inclusion paradox": most managers believe hiring people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) improves reliability and culture, yet actual hiring remains low. The Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s pilot training...
American Express Membership Rewards will cease Etihad Guest transfers on June 30, 2026, giving members a final window until June 29 to move points. The change trims one of Amex’s many airline partners, though Etihad’s award program is already limited...
Delta Air Lines has partnered with The New York Times to provide SkyMiles members aged 18 and older with free, all‑access NYT content through its seat‑back entertainment system, Delta Sync. The offer grants up to 24‑hour access and can be used up to...
The Hotel Monroe in Monroe, Louisiana, has been certified by the Gluten‑Free Food Program and endorsed by the National Celiac Association as the United States’ first 100% gluten‑free, full‑service hotel. The certification covers every dining venue and event space, creating...
Delta Air Lines and Amazon’s Leo platform announced a partnership to embed next‑generation connectivity and digital services across Delta’s fleet, signaling a strategic shift from satellite‑based solutions like Starlink. Hyatt’s Under Canvas brand launched a limited‑time promotion that rewards glamping...
In this episode, Peter Renton interviews Jess Conroy, CEO and co‑founder of Roe, about the massive gap in financial infrastructure within the hospitality industry. Conroy explains how hotels still rely on manual, error‑prone processes to capture, reconcile, and track payments—from...
1 Hotel Tokyo, the first 1 Hotels property in Japan, opened in the Akasaka Trust Tower offering 211 rooms and panoramic city views. The luxury resort showcases biophilic design, reclaimed materials, and extensive greenery, reflecting both the brand’s nature‑led ethos...
Destinations International unveiled its 2026 cohorts for the 30 Under 30 and Rising Industry Professionals programs, recognizing 30 emerging tourism leaders and four rising staff members from member and partner organizations. The year‑long initiatives, backed by the DI Foundation and...
Airport concession CEOs convened at the 2026 Airport Experience Conference to flag mounting labor costs, aggressive union demands, and the limits of passing wage hikes to passengers. They highlighted the rise of AI and technology as partial mitigants, but noted...
Wells Fargo’s Choice Privileges Mastercard is offering a 60,000‑point sign‑up bonus for cardholders who spend $1,000 within the first three months, extending the promotion through April 7, 2026. The card earns 5X points on stays at participating Choice hotels, 3X on gas, groceries,...
Holland America Line has launched a month‑long Anniversary Sale to celebrate its 153rd year, running from April 2 to April 30, 2026. The promotion offers up to $400 in onboard credit per stateroom for sailings departing now through spring 2027, covering itineraries from four...
Dublin City Council has approved a planning application by Tom Cleary’s Chambers Properties Ltd for a new 43‑room hotel on Dame Street, part of the historic Temple Bar district. The revised scheme trims the original 47‑room proposal and redesigns the fifth‑floor addition...
Starwood Hotels has promoted Shadi Omeish to senior vice president of operations for the Americas, overseeing its 17‑property portfolio that includes 1 Hotels, Baccarat, and Treehouse brands. Omeish, who joined Starwood in 2016, brings nearly 30 years of experience from Four...
Not Just Travel reported a 16% year‑on‑year rise in cruise bookings for March 2026, despite a volatile market shaped by Middle‑East conflict. More than 750 independent consultants drove the growth, with half of the top 20 consultants posting over 20%...
McDonald’s will roll out an Under $3 Menu on April 21, adding at least ten low‑priced items across breakfast, lunch and dinner, alongside a $4 Breakfast Meal Deal. The new McValue offerings follow a 2024 $5 Meal Deal and aim to reverse...
A passenger on a Hong Kong Express flight from Phu Quoc to Hong Kong caught a thief rummaging through carry‑on bags, prompting police to intervene after cash was discovered missing. Airline data reveal more than 15 theft incidents per month...
Scott Miller, former global director at AvroKO and North America director for 1508, has founded Ensemble, a hospitality design and strategy studio that blends guest‑experience insight with operational expertise. The firm offers end‑to‑end services for luxury hotels, restaurants and wellness...
Gold Medal has unveiled its 2026/27 Caribbean and Mexico portfolio, supported by a month‑long marketing push and a dedicated online hub. The campaign features a 116‑page brochure, ready‑to‑use assets and 21 specially selected holidays from regional UK airports. Agents who...
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has launched the Hyatt Regency Niagara Falls Fallsview, marking the brand's first property in the Niagara Falls region. The 42‑floor tower houses 611 rooms and suites, each delivering unobstructed views of the Horseshoe and American Falls. Guests...
Jet2.com has begun applying AkzoNobel’s lightweight aircraft paint to more than 80 of its planes, delivering a weight reduction of over 20 kg per aircraft. The paint saves roughly a quarter‑million litres of fuel each year, cutting carbon emissions by more...
Actabl has introduced AI Asset Setup, an add‑on to its Transcendent hotel asset management platform that automates the collection and structuring of asset data using photo‑based input. The tool extracts details such as equipment type and serial numbers, eliminating the...
hihotels by Hospitality International has launched The Legacy Circle, a prestige program honoring franchise partners with up to 40 years of affiliation. The brand touts a 97% overall franchisee retention rate, far exceeding typical industry levels. The program offers custom...
Sandals Resorts has launched the Louis Grant Conference Centre at its Dunn’s River property in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The state‑of‑the‑art facility spans 8,000 square feet and can host up to 500 delegates, with a flexible main hall of 5,396 square...
Michelin announced that its 2026 American South awards ceremony will be held in Nashville on Oct. 21 at The Pinnacle, the guide’s first event in Music City. The move follows a successful inaugural Southern guide and signals deeper investment in the...
Michael Bellisario of Baird says the lodging REIT outlook for 2026 is positive but muted after a difficult 2025. He expects the FIFA World Cup to lift REVPAR by at least 75 basis points, providing a modest revenue tailwind. Wealthy...
In this episode of the REIT Report, senior research analyst Michael Bellisario of Baird outlines a cautiously optimistic but muted outlook for lodging and hotel REITs in 2026. He highlights modest RevPAR growth driven by events like the World Cup...
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) posted a net profit after tax of RM137 million (≈ $30 million) for 2025, doubling its 2024 earnings and marking a fourth straight year of profitability. EBITDA surged to RM1.6 billion (≈ $356 million), up from RM788 million the prior year, helped by...
Radisson Hotel Group announced a 2030 ambition for all 100 of its hotels to achieve net‑zero status, expanding the Verified Net Zero Hotels pilot that currently operates in Manchester and Oslo. The initiative targets full elimination of Scope 1 and 2...
Air New Zealand has opened ticket sales for a new trans‑Tasman service linking Auckland International Airport with Western Sydney International Airport (WSI). The three‑times‑weekly flights – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – will launch on 26 October 2026, marking the first international operations from...
The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts has teamed with Privilege, a wellbeing concierge, to launch in‑room wellness services across its three Rome properties – The First Arte, The First Dolce and The First Musica. Guests can book massages, facials, personal training...
Flying Blue has temporarily opened its status‑match program to U.S. residents, allowing elite members of roughly two dozen airlines to purchase Silver or Gold status for a 12‑month period. The fee is $99 for Silver and $199 for Gold, granting...
Lithuania’s Kaunas Airport successfully trialed a 10‑ton hydrogen‑powered heavy‑duty truck, completing roughly 100 km of apron, runway and taxiway cleaning without emitting CO₂. The test is part of the EU‑funded Interreg Baltic Sea Region BSR HyAirport project, which also sees similar pilots...
Accor refreshed its ALL Accor+ Explorer program on October 1, 2025, lowering the flagship dining discount from 50% to a flat 30% for all members. The update also introduced extensive blackout dates and removed all Banyan Group hotels while adding JO&JOE and Morgans...
Loganair, Royal Mail and BETA Technologies completed a ten‑day electric flight trial across Scotland, operating BETA’s ALIA CTOL aircraft on 23 legs that covered 1,006 nautical miles. The flights demonstrated an energy consumption of 1.37 kWh per nautical mile and speeds...
Hyatt has launched the Hyatt Regency Niagara Falls Fallsview, its first property in Niagara Falls, Ontario, joining the World of Hyatt Classics portfolio. The 42‑floor tower houses 611 premium rooms and suites that deliver unobstructed views of the Horseshoe and...
Custom Travel Solutions (CTS) unveiled RouteStack.ai, an AI‑native infrastructure that lets large‑language‑model agents like ChatGPT and Perplexity pull real‑time hotel inventory and generate instant booking links. Built on a proprietary Model Context Protocol, the platform translates conversational queries into structured...
The Zetter has opened a 68‑room boutique hotel in Bloomsbury, converting six Georgian townhouses between Russell Square and the British Museum into a private‑residence‑style property. Designed by James Thurstan Waterworth, the 13,760‑sq‑ft hotel features a 1,000‑sqm garden blending British and...
Radisson Rewards is offering a limited‑time promotion that awards 10,000 bonus points—roughly $20 in value—for each stay at select European "Spotlight Hotels" between March 30 and May 18, 2026. Members must book the prepaid stay between March 30 and April 14, 2026, and the...
Batik Air Malaysia has temporarily cut its capacity by 35 per cent until April 12 as part of a short-term capacity management strategy amid fuel price volatility and global economic uncertainty, the airline’s CEO tells me when contacted today. Read...
Recency bias is the most expensive cognitive error in the travel business…or any business. Wrote a column laying out why Dubai obituary is being written too early, and what the history of every macro travel crisis tells us about what...
Recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran provoked Iranian drone attacks that hit key Gulf infrastructure, including Dubai International Airport and the Burj Al Arab. Gulf carriers such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways have curtailed schedules and grounded flights,...
Vestige Collection has opened Binidufà, the second boutique hotel on its 800‑hectare private estate in Menorca’s untouched north. The 18th‑century property has been meticulously restored using traditional techniques and locally sourced materials. Its plant‑forward restaurant, Mesura, showcases island vegetables while...
Luxury hotel giants are moving onto the high seas, turning their brand prestige into floating resorts. Ritz‑Carlton has rolled out three yachts since 2022, while Four Seasons I, launching in March 2026, will feature 95 suites and a 1:1 staff...
The World Travel Awards announced that the Maldives will host the Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony on 27 September 2026, coinciding with World Tourism Day. The event marks the return of the Indian Ocean leg of the WTA Grand Tour, last...
The InterContinental San Francisco turned its Luce Room into a high‑stakes kitchen for the annual Culinary Clash, pairing City College of San Francisco culinary students with the hotel’s chefs. The competition, now in its second decade, showcases how hotels are becoming...
Chase has upgraded its partnership with Lyft, allowing Southwest Airlines credit‑card holders to earn bonus Rapid Rewards points on every Lyft ride through Dec. 31 2027. The top‑tier Priority and Performance Business cards earn 5 points per dollar, Premier cards earn 3...
