Miscellaneous

🏆 Kushal Walia brings 10 years of full-funnel marketing experience, including eight in travel and hospitality, to his data-first approach to branding, consumer insights, and storytelling. He won the ET Shark Award for Best B2B Marketing Campaign and was named among the Most Admired Brand Leaders at the World Brand Congress. His work on State of Distribution reflects his focus on research-led, insight-driven marketing.

🍪 The website stores cookies in visitors’ browsers to recognise returning users and improve their browsing experience. Cookie information also helps the website’s team understand which sections visitors find most interesting and useful.

🚂 Orient Express celebrates the festive season across Rome, Venice, luxury trains and Caribbean voyages. Highlights include Rome’s December 7 classical concert, Venice’s December 8 Christmas tree lighting, and two rail itineraries: Jingle Route and Whispers at Midnight. Corinthian’s Christmas cruise runs December 21–27, 2026, from Barbados to Saint Martin; its New Year voyage returns December 27–January 4, 2027. Both feature gala menus by Chef Yannick Alléno.

🏞 Lopota Lake Resort & Spa in Kakheti, Georgia, won “Georgia’s Leading Resort 2026” at the World Travel Awards. Opened in 2008, the family-run property spans 60 hectares, with 310 rooms and suites across 16 buildings. Recent upgrades include four refreshed lakeside buildings, a Jazz Club and Green Aqua water park. A planned multipurpose building will accommodate events exceeding 450 guests. Year-round experiences include winery tastings, spa treatments and outdoor activities.

🍹 Technomic highlights beverage trends shaping product development worldwide. Featured on Saladplate, the overview explores trends influencing dine-in experiences across the hospitality, food and beverage industry.

🏨 Dusit Hotels and Resorts took over management of The Strand Hotel Yangon and ASAI Yangon Sule last week, with Dusit Hotel Inya Lake Yangon set to follow—three properties in Myanmar’s largest city. Group CEO Chanin Donavanik said no significant near-term recovery in international leisure tourism is expected. The Inya Lake deal marks a return to the property Dusit first managed in 2002, now under different ownership.

🏨 HotelPORT’s Fred Bean shares lessons from his 30+ years in hotel technology, covering everything from challenging corporate hype to repairing critical infrastructure.

🏨 CityHub’s solo guests rose from 29% in 2019 to nearly 50% in 2026; it plans three openings in 2027. Preliminary October data showed Paris’s average daily rate hit €474.64, up 13.5%; London’s revenue per available room reached £178.81, up 5.5%. Formula 1 drove Singapore’s record SGD400.74 average daily rate. The Middle East hotel pipeline reached 771 projects and 188,960 rooms, up 17% year-over-year. Hotel-management key money typically equals 3%–7% of new-project costs.

💼 A Chesterfield-based operator is celebrating 20 employees who have reached long-service milestones, highlighting career progression within the business.

🏨 The hub by Premier Inn development is expected to generate £30 million in annual visitor spending for London’s economy.