The Columns from our Hospitality Newsletter

⏱ Who? Mark Fancourt. When? Contemporary era. Where? Hospitality industry. What? Critique of time management and technology's impact. How? Industry focuses on efficiency, sacrificing slower, meaningful experiences. Real-time systems enhance optimization but increase pressure. Old hotels offered unhurried luxury, emphasizing human interaction. Real luxury may be in savoring unmeasured moments. Time-saving technologies risk devaluing experiences. Why? To emphasize the importance of appreciating time beyond efficiency.

📅 Google is displaying verified guest reviews for a yet-to-open hotel, despite no one having stayed there. Reviews include predictions, such as the highly anticipated Marriott opening in Italy scheduled for summer 2025. These "previews" contain five-star ratings, highlighting the algorithm's role in converting inquiries into ratings. This phenomenon underlines how digital systems process information, irrespective of context or accuracy.

🌐 Real-time language translation represents a significant technological milestone. Google’s early translation device transformed conversations and is now embedded in everyday tech like phones and laptops. This breakthrough, a result of decades of work by engineers, linguists, and researchers using trillions of data points, democratizes communication. It empowers global connections, supports small businesses, and transcends language barriers. This innovation, fostering connection and empathy, highlights the positive impact of technology on human interaction.

Not long ago, I clashed with a client. They wanted to rename their boutique hotel with a “catchy” name suggested by an agency still stuck in the era of glossy…

🏨 Hospitality distribution teams, once robust, are shrinking despite untapped opportunities in digital services. While room bookings via OTAs and GDSs are optimized, high-value products like dining, spas, and events remain analog. This leaves billions in revenue untouched. The industry must invest more in digital transformation to offer an integrated marketplace for the entire guest experience, rather than stop at room inventory. Current efforts resemble celebrating a partial success with much left to achieve.

Have you ever watched a hotel receptionist scanning your passport and wondered: “Right, but where exactly does this stuff end up?” I have. Always. Then I usually get distracted by…

🏨 Marriott International manages 36 brands, Hilton 24, Accor 57, Wyndham 24, Choice Hotels 22, IHG 20, Hyatt 33, Radisson 10, and Best Western 16. This expansion aims at leveraging market presence but dilutes brand identity. The focus is on increasing "bed blocks," prioritizing loyalty programs over customer experience. This strategy risks making customers value loyalty points over genuine hospitality, potentially leading to a homogenized, soulless hotel experience.

🚗 Frustration, not joy, greets travelers in rental car check-ins. Despite pre-booking, customers face long lines and costly upsells. Promises of tech-savvy efficiency falter as kiosks channel back to manual checks. Customers, often exhausted post-flight, endure unnecessary upgrades and overpriced essentials like petrol and insurance. The process, outdated and inefficient, prioritizes profit over genuine service, misaligning with modern hospitality standards. Why does this persist? Because travelers have no other choice, stuck and captive.

🖥️ 1999, Trappist monks ran a hotel. Engaged in keyword stuffing like “Pamela Anderson SexTape” for Altavista's SEO. Fast forward to 2025, web remains immature. Transitioned from Altavista to SearchGPT. Content for AI: generated, readable, digested by AI, leaving humans as mere witnesses. Success relies on machine legibility over truth or beauty. Authentic content is now drowned out. We return to early SEO tactics, highlighting the cyclic nature of web content strategies.

🏠 Spain recently removed 60,000 apartments from the rental market to address housing concerns, highlighting a clash involving property owners and digital platforms. In Las Vegas, short-term rentals under 30 days are effectively illegal due to casino lobbying, limiting competition. The debate questions the balance between property rights and regulation influenced by corporate interests. Across the globe, traditional property investment faces challenges from digital platforms in a battle intensified by lobbying and legislative action.