David Eisen

2 min

Waterford Hotel Group, Maverick Hotels get together

📊 Waterford Hotel Group and Maverick Hotels & Restaurants announced a merger in December 2025 to consolidate over 50 properties, enhancing growth and operational efficiency. Based in New England and Chicago, the merger aims to expand brand diversity and geographic reach. Waterford operates nine hotels in Connecticut and six in Louisiana. The merger promises new career opportunities and aims for minimal disruption during a year-long integration, strengthening their competitive edge in the hospitality sector.

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5 min

Paid in full: For hotels, what’s the point of sale?

💵 Hotels leverage advanced POS systems to enhance guest experiences and boost revenues. Toast's POS, with features like the Toast Go 3 device, integrates with the PMS for seamless operations. Agilysys emphasizes mobile payments, offering Agilysys Pay for secure transactions. Shiji Group’s Infrasys POS focuses on user-friendly interfaces and reliability. FreedomPay uses AI for sales boosts and supports mobile payments. Oracle's Simphony processes 6.3 billion transactions annually, integrates with Opera PMS, and enhances service efficiency.

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3 min

Japan’s Mori Trust just acquired one of New York’s preemiment luxury hotels

🏠 New York City, 1624: Hudson Yards opened in 2019. 📍 35 Hudson Yards, a 92-story mixed-use skyscraper, includes the 212-room Equinox Hotel. 💰 Rooms can cost over $1,000 per night. Mori Trust bought the hotel's first 38 floors for $541 million. 🔝 Equinox Hotel features wellness amenities and a Sleep Lab. 🌍 Mori Trust also owns properties in Manhattan and other U.S. cities. In March 2024, Equinox secured $1.8 billion for loans and growth. 🏝️ Equinox Hotels is expanding to Anguilla.

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2 min

BodyHoliday taking its wellness-centric ethos to Europe as it bulks up leadership

🏖 BodyHoliday Algarve, a wellness resort in Portugal's Eastern Algarve, opens in 2029. Just 45 minutes from Faro Airport, it spans 26 acres with 175 accommodations and a 40,000-square-foot Wellness Center. The $9 trillion wellness economy by 2028 fuels this expansion. SunSwept Resorts' executive team, including COO Indu Brar and CFO Jean-Charles Denis, leads the project. The resort features a FIFA-standard soccer field and diverse wellness programs, designed by London's Gensler.

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3 min

The CEO of Mandarin Oriental is no Luddite. But luxury hospitality is built on connection, not algorithms, he writes.

🏨 Mandarin Oriental aims to more than double its global footprint within the next decade, having already added seven properties in two years and with 30 more developments underway. Laurent Kleitman, appointed group CEO in September 2023, emphasizes that luxury hospitality hinges on human connection rather than technology. The industry is projected to grow nearly 10% annually over the next five years. The "Rising Fans" program supports career development, fostering talent in a digital-first world.

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2 min

Secrets of success: What sets high achievers apart?

🏨 Barry Sternlicht, co-founder of Starwood Capital Group, created Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1995, known for W Hotels and the Heavenly Bed. He later sold the company to Marriott and is now with Starwood Hotels 2.0. Luca Virgilio, GM of The Dorchester in London, led a major renovation while keeping the hotel operational. Both are recognized by HOTELS Magazine's 2025 "Hoteliers of the World" for their leadership and innovation in hospitality.

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