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Automatic

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  • 5 min

The Leading Hotels of the World Holds its 59th Annual Convention in Bangkok, Thailand

🏨 General Managers and industry leaders gathered from November 20-22, 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand, for The Leading Hotels of the World's Annual Convention. With over 425 luxury hotels represented, discussions focused on hospitality trends such as AI and global volatility. Shannon Knapp, LHW’s CEO, emphasized opportunities in the evolving landscape. Awards were given, including "Leading Legend" to Guido Fiorentino and "Sustainability Leader" to Bürgenstock Hotel. The next convention is set for Rome, Italy, in November 2026.
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  • 5 min

Introducing Regent Bali Canggu

🏨 Regent Bali Canggu opens in Canggu, Indonesia, featuring 150 oceanside rooms, the world's first Regent Spa, and six dining venues, including two helmed by chef Andrew Walsh. The 618 sqm Penthouse includes a 30 sqm pool. Guests enjoy personalized services by Regent Experience Agents and innovative spa treatments. The hotel is part of IHG's Regent brand expansion, aiming for 40 locations globally. Cure Bali opens in 2026. Regent Bali joins a portfolio of 11 properties.
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  • 2 min

Newbond Holdings and Conversant Capital Close Acquisition of Two Major San Francisco Hotels

🏨 Newbond Holdings and Conversant Capital acquired Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55 for $408 million. The purchase includes roughly 3,000 rooms, making up about 10% of San Francisco's hotel inventory. This investment, aimed at capital improvement, aligns with San Francisco's recovery and tourism resurgence. Mayor Daniel Lurie highlights the city's rebound, while Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta emphasizes delivering high hospitality standards. The partnership aims to reposition these iconic hotels for future growth.
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  • 6 min

Enabling AI-driven impact for hotels: A three-pronged approach

💻 AI is transforming the hotel industry. According to h2c’s study, 78% of hotel chains use AI, with 89% planning more applications. By 2030, over 40% of hoteliers expect full automation in various functions. Google’s AI tool, PMTG, boosts conversions by 262% this year. La Chambre du Marais achieved a 4.43% conversion rate through PMTG, far above the industry’s 2% average. Data challenges exist, with 41% of hotels struggling, but 51% now use CRM for personalization.
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  • 2 min

GSTC in Practice: How GCSTIMES Supports Hotels in Building a Sustainable Procurement System

📚 Since 2011, GCSTIMES, with five centers in China, US, UAE, France, and Australia, and 14 offices worldwide, aids hotels in adopting sustainable procurement. Hotels must meet GSTC standards, proving sustainable and traceable procurement. GCSTIMES offers ESG due diligence, sustainable material sheets, and carbon data packs for compliance. Their solutions support over 100,000 hospitality groups globally in 140 countries, focusing on reducing emissions, plastics, and waste through technology and innovation.
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Why AI is absorbing hotel metasearch

📱 Nov 26, 2025, AI is transforming hotel search by replacing comparison grids with conversational interfaces. Visibility now relies on trustworthy data rather than bidding, benefiting larger platforms with structured content. AI prioritizes guest intent over price, altering discovery order and favoring hotels with clear, personality-driven content. Independent hotels risk exclusion without data quality upgrades. The hotel website becomes crucial for accurate representation, as metasearch evolves into an invisible, AI-driven process prioritizing relevance and trust.
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Google begins showing ads in AI search results

💸 Nov 26, 2025: Google tests ads in AI Mode search responses, placing sponsored results in AI-generated answer cards. Consumer behavior shifts, with a 752% increase in AI-driven traffic to ecommerce sites. Grocery, furniture, and apparel sectors see significant AI visibility growth, marking AI's new role in holiday shopping. Advertisers face a competitive 2026 landscape as OpenAI plans an ad-supported rollout. Google explores new UI elements to enhance AI Mode, with potential for autonomous purchasing in the future.
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The new speed of marketing

📈 Nov 26, 2025: Modern marketing thrives on agility and trust over long-term planning. Brands succeed by creating flexible systems that quickly respond to cultural shifts. Key strategies include focusing on niche audiences, insider-informed teams, and daily media-style workflows, prioritizing speed over polish. Brands should engage with cultural touchpoints that align with their values for deeper connections, as authenticity and trust build lasting brand value. Full article: [Adweek](https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/the-new-speed-of-marketing/).
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The future of wellness economy: five dimensions shaping hotel strategy

🏨 Nov 26, 2025—Hotels globally are redefining experiences and revenue models as wellness becomes a core guest expectation. McKinsey highlights five dimensions shaping the wellness economy: physical health, mental balance, appearance, sleep quality, and nutrition. Guests prefer personalized wellness options and are willing to pay more for tailored services. Technology, including wearables and AI, enhances these offerings. Wellness integration into everyday hotel experiences can boost loyalty, repeat business, and create new revenue streams.
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Google’s pretraining edge puts pressure on OpenAI

💻 Nov 26, 2025, Google unveils Gemini 3, sparking concern at OpenAI. Internal memos reveal OpenAI's fears of economic headwinds and losing their competitive edge. Google’s model outpaces OpenAI by mastering pre-training efficiency, crucial for superior AI model performance. The AI landscape could shift, favoring companies like Google with robust infrastructure and proprietary tech. The evolving focus on smart pre-training over sheer scale may redefine market dynamics, challenging OpenAI's previous leadership.
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