Market Trends

🏡 Único Hotels plans to open a 24-room luxury boutique hotel in Viavélez, Asturias by 2028, transforming the 16,000 m² Palacio Jardón, built between 1914 and 1917. Led by architect Joaquín Noval, the development prioritizes heritage and environmental sustainability, featuring an outdoor spa, a multipurpose crystal invernadero, sports and leisure areas, gardens, an eco-vegetable patch, a photovoltaic system, and a water recycling program. The hotel is part of Único Hotels' expansion, which includes six Spanish hotels and growth into Argentina.

🏨 Brand storytelling in hospitality often confuses a hotel’s unique origin and values, known as "brand story," with guest-centric "storytelling," which focuses on crafting experiences for guests to create their own narratives. Clarification between these concepts is crucial for hoteliers aiming to curate memorable guest experiences that contribute to individual life stories, rather than merely promoting the hotel's own narrative.

🏨 Cloudbeds released its "2025 State of Independent Lodging Report," predicting 2025 as the year for optimizing independent hotel performance. Branded hotels now comprise 72% of U.S. hotels, and operators face labor shortages and increased traveler price sensitivity. The global ADR dropped by 1% in 2024, with OTAs accounting for 61% of independent property bookings. The report analyzes data from over 20,000 properties in 150 countries and identifies trends like value-driven travel and AI adoption in hotel operations.

🏨 Novotel debuts in Malta and Croatia with new hotels set to open in summer 2025 and May 2025, respectively. The Malta property will feature 293 rooms, while the Zagreb hotel will have 170 rooms. Expansion plans also include a 370-room hotel in Valencia, Spain, a 163-room hotel in Hamburg, Germany, and a 170-room hotel in Paris, France. Novotel currently operates over 300 hotels across 24 European countries and has nearly 600 hotels worldwide, with over 180 properties in development.

📱 In the 1990s, answering machines were common, but today there are nearly 5 billion smartphone users, a number expected to hit 6 billion by 2028. Research indicates smartphones may impair cognitive functions, sleep, and social skills. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon criticized excessive phone use in meetings. Hyatt's Miraval brand mandates a device-free environment, while other hotels offer "digital detox" experiences, like Vichy Celestins Spa Hotel and Haramara Retreat in Mexico, where rooms lack electricity.

🏡 Salamander Collection, founded by Sheila Johnson, recently added PGA National Resort as its seventh property. The acquisition by London-based Henderson Park marks PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., as the second Salamander property to host a PGA Tour event, specifically the Cognizant Classic. Salamander Washington DC, formerly Mandarin Oriental Washington DC, underwent a renovation completed before January 20, showcasing a new Presidential Suite with White House-like features. The revamped property also includes a dual-story spa and a celebrated restaurant, Dōgon by Chef Kwame Onwuachi, ranked second on Washingtonian’s top regional restaurants within four months of opening. The renovation aimed to align with Sheila Johnson's vision, integrating equestrian elements and a home-like atmosphere to create D.C.’s living room.

📖 In Paris, France, Influence Society, a creative agency, has launched the first edition of Societies Quarterly, a new 30-pages publication aimed at hoteliers. It provides insights on luxury, design, and technology's impact on hospitality and will be issued quarterly. The report contains curated visual inspirations and examines luxury concepts, design thinking, architecture, and technological innovation. It looks beyond the hotel industry, drawing inspiration from brands like Nike, Hublot, and Aston Martin to guide hoteliers in innovation and anticipating future trends.