Miscellaneous

🗺️ GlobalData reports a 5% decline in global travel and tourism deals in 2025 versus 2024, citing economic uncertainties. The Asia-Pacific region saw a 4% decrease, while Europe faced a 17% drop. North America increased by 8%. In contrast, venture financing and private equity deals decreased by 21% and 28% respectively. M&A activity remained stable. Despite challenges, localized opportunities persist across regions like the US and Canada, while India, China, Spain, and Germany saw declines.

📝 Barcelona, Spain, 2025: Shiji's Guest Experience Benchmark Report reveals global guest satisfaction at 86.7%, based on 40 million reviews across 12,000 hotels. Year-over-year GRI rose by 0.5 percentage points, driven by 3-star (0.6 pp) and 4-star (0.5 pp) hotels. Regional highlights: Middle East (+0.8 pp), North America (+0.7 pp), Asia (+0.6 pp). Google reviews surged 15.7%. Asia leads with a GRI of 89.4%. The report aids hotels in tracking and enhancing performance.

📅 Ravi Patel, former AAHOA chairman (1992-93), passed away. He was a founding member and chairman of SREE Hotels. Ravi began his hospitality career in 1980 in Florence, SC, transforming a motel into a successful EconoLodge. He lived in Charlotte, NC, and built over 30 hotels. Patel was key in AAHOA’s early days, focusing on empowering hoteliers. AAHOA celebrates his legacy and extends condolences to his family and the SREE Hotels community.

🌍 Helen, Lucas (almost 3), Ezra (1), and I are enjoying a unique experience in the Chihuahua mountains. Despite its disadvantages, like harsh lighting, this place enriches our lives, highlighting the value of relationships and service to others. Our agrarian roots influence our journey, reinforcing my dedication to revealing how places shape people. Being here underscores our wealth in experiences, not material possessions, and inspires us to appreciate life's simple, yet profound, lessons.

✈️ Ryan Jones, CEO of Flighty, discusses the app's journey and design since its beta release in early 2019. Flighty focuses on real-time, accurate flight tracking. The app's community feedback shapes its innovation. Jones shares his dislike for certain airports, particularly because of their carpets. He even jokes about changing Austin's IATA code. Flighty is highly recommended for its user experience and data precision. Explore Flighty on various social platforms for more details.

🏨 Luxury hotel brands face a "scaling without dilution" challenge—how to expand while maintaining exclusivity and prestige. This involves redefining luxury beyond material aspects and emphasizing cultural meaning. Strategies include: 1) creating a holistic playbook for property launches, 2) involving key players in the process, and 3) utilizing a brand toolkit. Some brands, like Moncayo by Auberge Resorts, focus on horizontal expansion, deepening value with existing clientele through exclusive real estate offerings.

🏨 15th January 2026, Brussels: The AICR declared the World’s Best Receptionist winners at The 30th World’s Best Receptionist by Bucherer. Mateja Simic from The St. Regis Doha, Qatar, topped the contest, followed by Alicja Panek from Poland and Andrea García Santamaría from the UK. The awards celebrate exceptional front office hospitality standards, with more than 1,400 AICR members from 30 countries participating. The event was sponsored by Bucherer, Forbes Travel Guide, and EHL Hospitality Business School.