Adam Krueger, Grubhub
Adam Krueger, a senior leader at Grubhub, oversees the end‑to‑end business for merchant advertising, promotions, and monetization. Leveraging more than 15 years of marketplace growth experience and a lifelong connection to the restaurant industry, he built Grubhub’s operational and advertising businesses with a restaurant‑first mindset. He now drives go‑to‑market planning for new ad products and leads the post‑acquisition integration of Claim to boost in‑person traffic. His credentials include an MS in Advertising and executive education at Harvard Kennedy School.
These 6 Restaurant Chains Will Close Hundreds of Units This Year
Six publicly traded restaurant chains announced large‑scale closures in 2026, targeting a combined 1,000‑plus under‑performing units. Wendy’s plans to shutter roughly 300‑350 stores, Papa John’s 300, Pizza Hut 250, Jack in the Box 50‑100, Noodles & Company about 35, and Darden will wind down Bahama Breeze with 14...
Ani Gujrathi Joins Otelier as Chief Technology & Product Officer
Otelier has appointed Ani Gujrathi as chief technology & product officer, consolidating its engineering, product, data, UX and cloud operations under a single leader. Gujrathi arrives with more than two decades of B2B SaaS experience, most recently scaling Conexiom to...
Agentic Hospitality Launches AI Connectivity Platform for Hotel Reservations
Agentic Hospitality unveiled the TravelOS Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, an AI connectivity platform that links hotel central reservation and property management systems directly to AI assistants and conversational interfaces. The middleware streams real‑time availability, rates, and policies into AI...
IATA Urges EU to Review Emissions Trading System to Protect Aviation Competitiveness
The International Air Transport Association is urging the European Union to overhaul its Emissions Trading System, arguing that the current scheme threatens aviation competitiveness and adds costly complexity. IATA recommends full alignment with the ICAO‑led CORSIA framework for all international...
How Snow Derailed Olive Garden’s Traffic Growth
Olive Garden posted a 3.2% same‑store sales increase in Q3 FY2026, marking its sixth straight quarter of growth, but traffic slipped 0.4% due to severe winter storms. At the peak of the snow, up to 40% of locations were temporarily...
Trump’s DHS Pick Markwayne Mullin Signals Tougher Road Ahead for International Travelers
President Trump’s nominee, former Congressman Markwayne Mullin, is poised to lead the Department of Homeland Security, signaling a continuation of stringent border policies. Mullin’s agenda emphasizes expanded traveler vetting, mandatory social‑media disclosures, and potential financial guarantees for certain visas. The...
Clear and Blacklane Partner to Provide 'Home-to-Gate' Chauffeur Service
Blacklane announced a partnership with Clear to deliver a "home‑to‑gate" experience, combining its global chauffeur service with Clear's concierge security lane. Unveiled at SXSW on March 18, the joint offering will launch in April for select Blacklane guests and Clear+...
Anthony Gianino, KBP Brands
Anthony Gianino has been appointed Senior Vice President of Marketing at KBP Brands, one of the nation’s largest quick‑service restaurant franchisees with more than 1,100 KFC, Taco Bell, Arby’s and Sonic locations. In his new role he will bridge national...
John Dillon, La Madeleine
John Dillon, an award‑winning executive with experience across restaurants, hospitality and consumer brands, is serving as President and CEO of la Madeleine Bakery & Cafe. He is steering a disciplined modernization effort that targets guest experience, unit‑level economics, and operational...
Finalists Announced for the 22nd Annual HD Awards
Hospitality Design magazine has unveiled the finalists for its 22nd annual HD Awards, recognizing excellence across 34 project and 15 product categories. More than 1,000 submissions were judged by two expert panels, resulting in a diverse slate of finalists ranging...
TrustYou and HSMAI Europe Celebrate Strategic Partnership at Berlin Industry Gathering
TrustYou presented its data‑driven Excellence Award to Hotel Maistra 160, which earned a 98.75 guest‑satisfaction score, at an HSMAI Europe and HFTP networking evening in Berlin on March 4, 2026. The ceremony highlighted the two‑year strategic partnership between TrustYou and HSMAI Europe, aimed...
Aena Presents Updated Innovation Roadmap at PTE World
Aena unveiled an updated innovation roadmap at PTE World, centering on four pillars: enhanced passenger experience, autonomous airport capabilities, new business opportunities, and sustainability. The airline‑operator introduced its dual‑track innovation model, featuring Aena Ventures for startup collaboration and Innova for...
Dave Luz, Flower Child
Dave Luz, a veteran restaurant executive with more than three decades of experience, has been appointed VP of Operations for Flower Child, the healthy fast‑casual brand owned by Fox Restaurant Concepts. Luz began his career as a server at The...
SITA Calls for Practical Collaboration to Fix Intermodal Travel
SITA released a white paper urging transport operators to collaborate on data sharing and coordinated action to smooth intermodal handovers. It argues that real‑time, shared visibility of passenger flows can cut stress, reduce disruption, and protect revenue without building new...
Visit Hungary Expands Use of Amadeus Media Solutions to Drive Demand to the Destination
Visit Hungary has deepened its partnership with Amadeus Media Solutions, adding travel‑agency targeting to its digital campaigns. Leveraging Amadeus Travel Intelligence, the destination saw a 20% year‑over‑year increase in bookings generated by travel sellers. The data‑driven approach enables continuous audience...
Hotel Review: The Trafalgar St. James, London
The Trafalgar St. James, part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, completed a £6 million refurbishment that introduced a redesigned lobby, the Rockwell Bistro & Wine Bar, and the Spring Garden Suites. The design‑led overhaul earned the Hotel Design UK Award in September 2025, highlighting...
Cuba Is Running Out of Time—And the World Is Looking Away
Cuba faces a deepening crisis as power outages, fuel shortages and dwindling tourist arrivals cripple its fragile private sector. U.S. sanctions remain ambiguous, offering no clear path toward reform or relief, while regional partners stay muted to avoid diplomatic fallout....
Air Charter Scotland Secures Continuation of Wick-Aberdeen-Wick PSO Route
Air Charter Scotland has secured additional government funding to keep the Wick‑Aberdeen‑Wick public service obligation (PSO) route operating until 14 August 2026. The carrier launched the lifeline service on 15 January after Eastern Airways withdrew, initially using a Beechcraft King Air 200 and adding...
Hilton Launches Hilton AI Planner
Hilton has introduced the Hilton AI Planner, a generative‑AI digital concierge that assists travelers in discovering and booking stays across its global portfolio. The tool uses conversational intelligence to guide users through destination selection, property comparison, and amenity exploration, delivering...
From AI Agents to Front Desk: How to Personalize the Guest Experience with Both
The Hotel Moment podcast with Revinate CMO Karen Stephens and Twilio CMO Chris Koehler highlights that the real hurdle to hospitality personalization is data acquisition, not merely data collection. They argue that clean, connected guest profiles are essential for turning raw...
Australia Launches “Green and Gold Promise” To Drive a Sustainable Tourism Future
Australia has launched the nation‑wide “Green and Gold Promise,” a sustainability program aimed at protecting natural and cultural assets while bolstering the tourism sector. Backed by Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell and Tourism Australia, the initiative responds to a...
A Pacific Boom Meets Its Limits: Fiji Bets Big on Luxury Resorts Amid Surging Touris
Fiji is witnessing a surge in luxury resort development as global brands such as Radisson, Marriott and Kerzner launch high‑end projects across Denarau, Yasawa and other islands. Tourist arrivals have rebounded to near one million annually, pushing room rates to...
IHG Accelerates Growth in Mexico, Reinforcing Long Term Commitment to Key Americas Market
IHG Hotels & Resorts announced plans to nearly double its growth pace in Mexico, adding 62 new hotels with 8,600 rooms to its existing portfolio of 187 properties and 30,000 rooms. The country is IHG’s fifth‑largest market worldwide, and the...
How Better Data Is Improving Restaurant Lead Conversion for Technology Solution Providers and Other Restaurant Vendors
Timing is the decisive factor in restaurant‑technology sales, with most vendor decisions made months before a restaurant opens. Preopening Restaurants Resource offers an intelligence platform that uncovers restaurants in development, under construction, or early planning stages, allowing vendors to engage...
White Lodging, JW Marriott Indianapolis Announce Retirement of General Manager Phil Ray
Longtime General Manager Phil Ray will retire on May 31, 2026, ending a 40‑year hospitality career that included a decade at JW Marriott Indianapolis. Ray has overseen the 1,013‑room property, its extensive meeting space and recent brand enhancements such as Dean’s Steak &...
Promise of AI-Driven Efficiencies Draws Investors to Hotels, C&W Reports
European hotel investors remain bullish for 2026, driven by AI‑enabled cost efficiencies, according to Cushman & Wakefield. 58% plan to allocate more capital than in 2025, and 54% intend to be net buyers, while only 7% expect to sell. AI is...
AndBeyond Enters Its Next Chapter in Asia
andBeyond is concentrating on deepening its existing foothold in Asia—particularly India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka—rather than launching new destination‑management operations. The company is reshaping its African safari DNA to suit forest‑rich, culturally diverse Asian landscapes, emphasizing collaboration with local partners....
Agoda Joins Forces with Gangwon State to Boost International Tourism
Agoda has signed a two‑year memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Gangwon State to promote the region as an international travel destination. The partnership will see Agoda provide destination‑marketing support and share market data insights to raise Gangwon’s visibility abroad....
Electric Boat Taxi Service Launches on Bangkok’s Historic Canals
TTA Mariner Co. and mobility platform MuvMi have launched an electric boat taxi service on Bangkok’s historic canals, operating between 09:00 and 17:00 with an initial fleet of eight vessels. The boats, each seating six passengers and cruising at about...
Can an Austrian Hostel Give a Luxury Ski Chalet a Run for Its Money?
St Josefsheim, a newly opened youth hostel in Schruns, offers families an affordable alternative to traditional luxury ski chalets in Austria’s Montafon valley. Housed in a historic 1900s villa, the hostel sits just two minutes from a gondola and provides self‑check‑in,...
More Red Tape for Holiday Lets Sector in Wales
Wales' Senedd has approved the Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation Bill, creating a mandatory national register for holiday lets and other self‑catering rentals. Providers must display a registration number and pay an average £172 annual licence, with...
Vueling Expands IFEC Experience with Viasat
Vueling, an IAG airline, has launched a free onboard entertainment portal powered by Viasat. The service streams movies, series and additional features directly to passengers’ personal devices without requiring Wi‑Fi, and is already installed on more than half of the...
Virgin Australia Plans Modest Capacity Gains as Aircraft Deliveries Finally Ramp Up
Virgin Australia will receive seven new aircraft in the second half of FY2026, meeting its full‑year delivery target after a period of delays. Its regional arm, VARA, is slated for four Embraer E190‑E2 deliveries, enabling retirement of older planes. The...
Indy Airport Says ‘Hello Avelo’
Indianapolis International Airport announced that ultra‑low‑cost carrier Avelo Airlines will begin service on June 18, adding twice‑weekly nonstop flights to Concord, North Carolina, and New Haven, Connecticut. The routes make Avelo the airport’s 12th passenger airline and its fourth ULCC,...
Delta Under Fire As Musician Blasts Airline For Ruined Bags
Rapper Chika alleges Delta Air Lines cracked several premium Rimowa suitcases worth roughly $5,000 during a recent flight, sparking a viral backlash. She posted photos of the damage and claimed this was not her first negative experience with the carrier....
Doherty Enterprises Opens the First Dual-Branded Applebee’s/IHOP Restaurant East of the Mississippi in Hawthorne, N.Y.
Doherty Enterprises opened the first Applebee’s/IHOP dual‑branded restaurant east of the Mississippi in Hawthorne, New York. The location was converted from an existing Applebee’s in a 10‑day remodel, adding IHOP’s breakfast menu and branding. The move follows Dine Brands’ rollout of...
PIE Taps Sprague As Director
Pinellas County appointed Mark Sprague as the new director of St. Pete‑Clearwater International Airport (PIE). Sprague previously served as deputy and interim director at PIE and brings extensive pilot experience from Comair and Spirit Airlines. He also held operational roles at...
A Herald Square Hotel Renovation Was a Disaster. For Jeffrey Epstein, It Was an Opportunity for Loyalty
Stephen Hanson and developer David Mitchell launched the Life Hotel in Manhattan as a high‑profile comeback, converting the former Life Magazine headquarters into a boutique property with a celebrity chef. The venture quickly ran out of cash, prompting frequent $2,000‑$2,600...
U.S. Travel Breaks 9-Month Losing Streak — But Just Barely
U.S. inbound tourism ended a nine‑month decline in February, posting a modest 0.8% rise to 2.2 million international arrivals. The rebound was powered primarily by Asian markets, with China’s arrivals jumping 35.8% year‑over‑year. In contrast, visitor numbers from Western Europe, Africa...
How San Pedro Fish Market Built a $30M Legacy
San Pedro Fish Market, a 70‑year‑old California seafood institution, turned a forced 2022 eviction into a $30 million revenue surge by relocating to a parking‑lot operation and later a container‑based kitchen. CEO Michael Ungaro leveraged digital storytelling, launching the reality series “Kings...
Chipotle Introduces Cilantro Lime Sauce
Chipotle Mexican Grill is rolling out a limited‑time Cilantro Lime Sauce nationwide, debuting Thursday after a successful pilot in Los Angeles that generated two‑to‑three times the order rate of previous sauces. The fresh‑daily sauce blends cilantro, Mexican spices, sour cream,...
March / April 2026 Digital Issue
Hotelier’s March/April 2026 digital issue spotlights International Women’s Month, featuring profiles of female trailblazers reshaping hospitality. It also highlights the Housekeeping Awards winners, examines solo‑travel trends targeting female guests, and details hotels’ proactive safety and staff‑training initiatives. Additional coverage includes...
Gas Price Spikes Don’t Impact Restaurant Traffic: BTIG
Rising gasoline prices linked to the Iran conflict are unlikely to curb restaurant traffic, according to BTIG analyst Peter Saleh, who cites two decades of data showing weak correlation between fuel costs and dining footfall. Even when pump prices briefly...
Adventure Travel Evolved From ‘Granola-Crunchy Ecotourism’ to an Experiential Market
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) traces the sector’s evolution from a small, niche market in 1990 to a mainstream, values‑driven experiential industry. Over three decades, professionalization, digital booking platforms, and the pandemic accelerated growth, expanding traveler demographics, safety standards,...
Air Seychelles Resumes Long Haul Flights, Temporarily, Using Etihad 787
Air Seychelles will temporarily resume nonstop Mahé‑Paris flights from 22 March to 29 April 2026, operating three times weekly using a leased Etihad Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliner. The carrier’s own fleet of A320neos and Twin Otters cannot cover the 4,871‑mile sector,...
Maggiano’s Raises Portion Sizes in Chili’s-Style Value Play
Maggianno’s Little Italy is boosting pasta and protein portions by roughly 20% while keeping menu prices steady, aiming to improve perceived value. The chain also expands its Family Style menu with 15 new shareable dishes to attract larger groups. These...
Papa Johns Selects Deliverect to Modernize U.S. Delivery Operations with AI-Powered Unified Ordering Platform
Papa Johns announced a strategic partnership with Deliverect to roll out its Smart Dispatch & Delivery Management platform across all U.S. restaurants by the end of 2027. The AI‑driven system unifies first‑party and third‑party delivery channels into a single orchestration...
Wetzel’s Pretzels Plans to Double C-Store Presence
Wetzel’s Pretzels announced plans to double its presence inside convenience stores within the next two years, expanding from the 20 c‑store sites it currently operates. The chain has 10‑15 additional locations in development and is targeting new markets across the...
GMH Hotels: Hyatt’s Midscale Push, Delta Demand & Plane Drama
Hyatt is accelerating its entry into the mid‑scale segment with new brands such as Hyatt Select, Hyatt Studios and Unscripted, aiming to close the gap with Marriott and Hilton in smaller markets. United Airlines and Marriott are turning seat‑back screens...