Miscellaneous

🏆 RIU celebrated the 8th RIU Awards at Riu Palace Pacifico, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, honoring top travel agents from the USA and Canada. In 2024, RIU hosted 6.7 million guests and employed 38,055 people. The event featured 90 attendees and highlighted agency achievements: The Travel Agent Next Door and Inteletravel were top hosts. Founded in 1953, RIU has 98 hotels across 21 countries, ranking 40th globally and 4th in Spain by room count.

🎶 Designers George Vlasis Pakalidis and Artemis Valyraki transformed a former tyre workshop into Voulkanizater, a listening bar and restaurant in Athens' Koukaki neighborhood. Retaining the concrete walls, they added wood and metal elements for warmth and an industrial feel. The "box-in-a-box" design features a metal bar with tyre rims as décor. Vintage tyre company logos influenced the space, with acoustic panels ensuring optimal music listening. The dark color palette merges grey concrete, brown wood, and metal.

✈️ UK Civil Aviation Authority anticipates record-breaking Christmas travel in 2025. Already, 231 million passengers flew through UK airports in the first nine months of 2025, with predictions exceeding 300 million by year-end. In 2024, December saw 22 million passengers. Flight punctuality improved to 64% this summer. Edinburgh, Liverpool, and Bournemouth airports experienced significant passenger growth. Middle Eastern airlines reported surging UK traffic. Nearly 700,000 tons of cargo were processed mid-year.

🍦 Zac Young's Sprinkletown Donuts & Ice Cream at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., sees a sundae resurgence. By Q3 2025, 15.3% of U.S. restaurants serve sundaes, up from 13.7% in 2020. Trending toppings include blueberry (+20.6%), pistachio (+25.9%), pretzels (+21.7%), and gummies (+21.6%). Sundaes range from $12 to $38, with options like The Unicorn, The Piescream Cone, and Palladino’s banana split. Sundaes are presented with sauces at the bottom for a lasting experience.

🍴 Little Mountain, a new dining spot in Montecito’s Upper Village, is founded by Graham Duncan and Eva and Bryan Schreier. Chef Diego Moya leads the menu, inspired by global seaside traditions. Designer Andrew Cosbie infused the interiors with local historical references and warm materials. An art program, curated by Allison Harding, showcases local artists like Meredith Brooks Abbott. This venue celebrates the landscape and community of Santa Barbara, blending architectural elegance with a welcoming atmosphere.

🏨 Eighty-eight countries, forty-nine states, and 266 Manhattan hotels—one night each—were explored in a quest to understand authentic hospitality, not algorithm-driven service. The journey emphasized genuine human connection, inspired by cultural experiences in places like Damascus. The monthly column in *A Hotel Life* delves into how culture and design influence hospitality, stressing that human connection outweighs amenities. This exploration is crucial for hospitality professionals and enthusiasts.

🎉 On November 13, 2025, at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel, Malcolm Skinner, managing director of Marren Microwave, received the FEA’s Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award. The FEA’s 2025 Charitable Endeavour Awards, presented by Lawrence Hughes and Paul Anderson, highlighted fundraising efforts, including £3,700 raised by Gail’s Property for the Gurkha Welfare Trust and £22,125 by the ‘Sensational Six’ for the Children’s Adventure Farm Trust. The event, attended by 140 guests, also raised £3,680 for Military vs Cancer.

🍽 Beleza Rodizio, a Brazilian dining spot, opened in Solihull's Touchwood Shopping Centre after a £1.25 million investment. The restaurant offers endless flame-grilled meats, including Wagyu, served tableside by passadores, plus sides and Brazilian specialties. Signature cocktails blend tropical flavors with Brazilian spirits. Founder Nico Jamil is excited about expanding, following success in Hull and Stratford-upon-Avon. Open daily, it aims to offer a vibrant, memorable dining experience. Discover more at their [website](https://www.belezarodizio.co.uk/).

🛰 Turkish Airlines partners with Samsung to become the first airline to introduce SmartThings technologies for baggage tracking. The Smart Tagged Baggage Service integrates Galaxy SmartTag, allowing passengers to upload luggage photos via the SmartThings Find app for easier identification. Kerem Kızıltunç, Turkish Airlines’ CIO, emphasized their digitalization leadership. Samsung's Jaeyeon Jung highlighted the expansion of SmartThings Find for a convenient travel experience. Future plans include expanding location-based services beyond baggage tracking.

🛩 Ryanair has closed its Prime subscriptions scheme less than a year after launch. The scheme, active for 8 months, attracted 55,000 members, generating €4.4 million in fees but providing over €6 million in discounts. Ryanair will honor existing memberships until October 2026, but no new sign-ups will be accepted. With 207 million passengers in 2023, Ryanair aims to focus on delivering Europe’s lowest fares instead of niche programs.