23 January 2026 - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 9

3 min

Big Interview: Flexibility and simplicity…

💳 Alma, a French installment payment company founded in 2018, has over 23,000 partner merchants, processing billions of transactions annually. Tourism contributes over 10% of their business. They partner with major companies like SNCF and KLM. Alma recently announced a partnership with Namastay to improve hotel payment systems. Installment payment options are increasingly popular, allowing flexibility for purchases of several hundred or thousand euros. This trend impacts conversion rates and basket values positively, appealing to a wide consumer base.

3 min

Guest Post: Best‑in‑Class vs All‑in‑One:…

💻 Almost 33% of all-in-one tech users in the hospitality sector plan to switch to integrated 'Best-in-Class' solutions within 1-2 years, while only 14% of current best-in-class users consider moving to all-in-one systems. Larger hotels prefer best-in-class for functionality, while smaller properties value all-in-one for simplicity. AI adoption is rising, with 78% of hotel chains using it, yet strategic direction is often unclear. Future platforms must blend ease of use with advanced capabilities.

2 min

Propellic extends leadership line-up

🚀 Propellic, a digital marketing agency for the travel and tourism sector, is expanding its leadership team. Jeff Johnson, with 20+ years in digital marketing, joins as COO, and John Matson, with 15+ years in sales and marketing, becomes CRO. Johnson will enhance operations and service delivery, while Matson will drive revenue strategy and growth. Their expertise signifies Propellic's next growth phase, focusing on scaling business and ensuring travel brands achieve measurable outcomes.

2 min

Guest satisfaction climbs again for…

📈 2025, Global: Shiji's Guest Experience Benchmark Report shows global guest satisfaction at 86.7%, with 40 million reviews and 84 million mentions analyzed from 12,000 hotels. Satisfaction rose by 0.5% from 2024, despite increased travel. Review volumes grew 2.1%. Google reviews surged 15.7%. Average response time was 3.5 days. Growth came from 3-star (0.6% increase) and 4-star (0.5%) hotels. 5-star hotels achieved a 90.4% GRI. The Middle East saw a 0.8% GRI growth; Asia, 0.6%.

2 min

loveholidays reveals British holiday trends…

🗺️ Brits in 2026 favor shorter breaks, with 34% opting for three to five-night holidays compared to 9% in 2016. Egypt’s Red Sea tops destinations, along with Costa Blanca, Tenerife, Amsterdam, and Antalya. Shoulder season getaways are popular, with February, April, and May leading. Spontaneity is up, with 36% booking within 90 days. All-inclusive trips make up 46% of bookings, and 24% book five-star escapes, a rise from 14% in 2016.

OpenAI plans to take a cut of customers’ AI-aided discoveries

💸 Jan 23, 2026, OpenAI explores new monetization strategies, potentially taking a share of the financial value from AI-assisted discoveries or inventions. Focused on commercial outcomes, OpenAI's CFO suggests a shift from traditional fees to profit-sharing or outcome-based models, targeting enterprise use. This aligns financial interests with customer success. The model is still undefined, with implications for industries like hospitality, where AI might share revenue from travel bookings. Source: The Information.

Hotels.com forecasts event-driven travel demand spike in 2026

📅 Jan 23, 2026: Global events in 2026 are reshaping hotel search behavior. Key drivers include the August solar eclipse and major sports finals, leading to increased hotel search activity. High-profile events are concentrating bookings in specific locations, with Route 66's centennial and concert tours boosting demand. Host cities see higher nightly rates and tighter availability. Hotels that strategize early on pricing and inventory are expected to benefit from these trends. Source: Hotels.com.

U.S. short-term rental market stabilizes entering 2026

📊 Jan 23, 2026, the Q1 2026 U.S. Key Data Index report reveals that the short-term rental market is stabilizing. ADR growth continues to support revenue, despite occupancy pressures. Travelers book closer to arrival and choose shorter stays, indicating cautious behavior. Late 2025 showed RevPAR gains, and uneven regional performance persists. Airbnb benefits from compressed booking windows, challenging direct bookings. Regional variance in RevPAR highlights the importance of pricing and demand strategies.

2 min

AI is coming for hotel distribution — but not all at once

📖 Jan 23, 2026, Skift's Megatrends event debated AI's impact on hotel bookings. AI adoption hinges on consumer trust, economics, and execution, gradually transforming OTA commission models and boosting direct bookings. OTA commissions (15-20%) may face scrutiny as AI changes booking dynamics. Though AI reshapes demand, execution challenges persist, especially for independent hotels. Intermediaries like Tripadvisor decline, while technology investments will determine early winners. Change arrives in phases, not overnight.

Navan deepens API integration with Booking.com

📅 Jan 23, 2026: Navan enhances API integration with Booking.com, expanding lodging options in non-traditional business destinations. The update allows Booking.com mobile discounts to stack with Navan's closed user group rates, streamlining payments for business travelers. This collaboration positions Booking.com accommodations as more work-friendly, enhancing their relevance for corporate travel. Future enhancements may include work-friendly tags for non-hotel options, further boosting business travel usability.

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