Miscellaneous

🍺 In the first half of June, On-Premise drinks sales declined due to fluctuating temperatures and consumer cost concerns. Sales from the week ending Saturday, June 6, were down 1.5% compared to the same period in 2025. The following week, ending June 13, saw a further drop, with sales falling 5.1% behind the previous year. This decline follows a more promising second half of May.

📍 Designed by Joyce Wang Studio, Genso restaurant in Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse echoes Tokyo's Golden Gai, known for its narrow alleyways and small eateries. Established in 1978, the racecourse caters to horse race enthusiasts. Genso, a two-floor establishment, serves Japanese cuisine, featuring retro-inspired interiors with stairs, platforms, bridges, and walkways. The entrance showcases an inky-blue stained timber desk with a pixelated, manga-style tiled counter, capturing a sense of timelessness.

📄 Thursday afternoon, a visit to the U.S. Consulate General in Juarez revealed a lengthy, arduous process for many seeking citizenship. Thousands waited, with families holding hopes and documents. By Friday morning, an hour and a half later, Benjamin's citizenship was confirmed, contrasting with multiyear waits for others. Preparation and prior experience helped avoid complications experienced by others, like a family who faced DNA tests and jail earlier this year. This journey emphasizes the stark contrasts in immigration experiences.

🏨 Bonnie Campagnuolo, Global Brand Head at Embassy Suites by Hilton, discussed with Glenn Haussman the brand's success in the all-suites category. The conversation took place on the rooftop of the Asheville property. The brand's "kit of parts" offers developers extensive flexibility, enabling them to build properties with 150 keys or more to suit varying project needs.

🏠 Wood framing is cost-effective, easily built, and insulates well, but it can rot, burn, and warp. Steel framing, including light-gauge and structural steel, offers longevity and strength but is more expensive and requires specialized crews. Steel avoids wood's downsides but poses challenges like thermal bridging. Weather, permitting, and insurance affect material choice. Steel is favorable in fire-prone areas. Choose wisely considering climate and local regulations to avoid costly site adjustments.

✈️ Booking.com's research highlights passengers' in-flight habits causing frustration. 44% feel flyers are too comfortable, yet 67% admit to behaving as they would at home. Top annoyances include window photo-leaners (42%) and TikTok filming (33%). While 76% prioritize comfort, only 31% confront annoying behavior. Bangkok tops Brits' long-haul destination searches for summer 2026. Etiquette expert Laura Windsor advises self-awareness in shared travel spaces. Survey: 1,000 British adults, June 5-9, 2026.

✈️ Research by Booking.com highlights that 67% of travelers act as if they're at home during flights, despite 44% feeling that fellow passengers are too comfortable. Annoying behaviors include window photo-leaners (42%), filming TikToks (33%), and mid-flight manicures (23%). While 43% dislike strong-smelling foods, 76% prioritize comfort. Although 89% equate plane behavior to public transport etiquette, 11% go barefoot. British flyers most search Bangkok for long-haul flights this summer. Survey: 1,000 British adults, June 2026.

📅 Cvent announced Denver, Colorado as the host for Cvent CONNECT 2027 on the final day of the 2026 event in Nashville, Tennessee, which saw nearly 5,000 in-person attendees. Scheduled for April 5–8, 2027, at the Colorado Convention Center, this conference is set to boost local tourism and economic activity, as evidenced by the $20 billion sourced through Cvent in group business volume in 2025 alone. Denver was ranked #12 on Cvent’s Top Meeting Destinations list.

🏢 In San Sebastian, Spain, architecture studio Ortega Diago revamped part of a warehouse into a changing facility for over 100 factory workers. Completed by Gonzalo Sánchez Ortega and Armando Diago, the redesign maximizes natural light with freestanding walls. The facility, serving a mobility technology company, includes male and female areas. Satin-finished stainless steel lockers were installed. The challenge was managing high traffic in a long corridor, with access at only one end.

📈 Sarah Becherer, SVP of Marketing at Ocra, and James Hansen discussed Ocra's business model. Ocra repurposes vacant hotel parking lots into revenue-generating spaces, optimizing unused areas. Craig and Glenn were part of the conversation. The focus was on transforming idle properties to enhance financial returns, highlighting innovation in urban space utilization.