Categorizing…

Wednesday finished the thread the week started, and finished it with contract clauses rather than argument. Monday established that whoever sells the room owns the guest, Tuesday counted the expiry clocks, and today's piece names the documents and lands somewhere a front desk can act on. Elsewhere the research on where a booking decision actually forms put a number on AI's role in it, and branded residences got a sales pitch and a warning inside the same morning. The Only Guest Record You Own Is the One She Hands You Booking.com's General Delivery Terms sit behind every reservation a property takes from the channel, and three clauses decide what the guest record is for. Clause 2.2.4 permits processing only to the extent necessary to perform obligations under the agreement, which in front-desk terms means the data arrived so you could give her a room. Clause 2.9.3 bars using the messaging service or guest contact details to send unsolicited electronic communications, with an indemnity attached if you do. Clause 2.2.6 is the one that surprises people: the data is available to the property for thirty days after the stay or cancellation, and on day thirty-one you cannot look her up. Expedia's data agreement for independent hotels, last updated in March 2025, takes the other approach. It enumerates permitted uses, running the booking, supporting the guest, commission and reconciliation, complaints, reporting, fraud prevention, law enforcement and tax, and marketing does not appear on the list. Expedia governs purpose and leaves retention to your own policy. Booking.com governs both. The resolution is not legal, it is operational. The address she gives so the restaurant can confirm the eight o'clock table, or so the kitchen can send the recipe she asked about, never came from a platform and is not the record those clauses govern. What you may then send her still depends on consent, your privacy notice and your jurisdiction. But the asking has a shape: not at arrival when she wants the key, later and attached to a real reason, from whoever is already talking to her. A form in the room or a QR code on the desk is the fishbowl of business cards rebuilt in software, and it fills up with addresses nobody meant to give. The audit is simple enough to run this week. Open last month's departures and count the emails a guest gave a person at your property during the stay. That number is the list you actually own. Read the analysis → Sixty-Nine Percent of Travellers Will Decide on an AI Summary Alone Amadeus's Travel Dreams 2026 research, drawing on 500 hoteliers and 6,000 travellers, finds that 69% are satisfied AI summaries give them enough detail to make an informed choice without further thought, rising to 87% in India and 86% in China. The order of usefulness tells the same story: travellers find AI most helpful at planning (42%), then inspiration and discovery (36%), and only then at booking (32%). Chatbot use for travel inspiration has

The competition may end at match point, but the hospitality doesn't have to. IHG Hotels & Resorts , the official hotel and hotel loyalty program of the US Open Tennis Championships, returns for its eighth year with an all-new way to extend the tournament experience beyond the gates: the IHG Racquet Cruiser, a one-of-a-kind, complimentary premium motorcoach that turns the ride home into one last taste of IHG hospitality. The debut ride joins a returning fan favorite – the Watermelon Slice cocktail – back at the IHG Racquet Bar, part of a full lineup of food, beverage and fan offerings designed to make every moment of the tournament feel like part of the stay. Game, Set, Ride: Introducing the IHG Racquet Cruiser The final point is unforgettable – the ride home should be, too. Enter the IHG Racquet Cruiser, an exclusive motorcoach that carries the spirit of the tournament beyond the grounds, giving fans one final elevated, comfortable moment after the tournament is over. Inspired by the brand's signature hospitality, the IHG Racquet Cruiser turns the ride home into a celebration of its own, offering experiences such as Prince St. Pizza slices, express facial treatments, post-match replays, device charging, Wi-Fi, surprise gifting and more to help fans unwind. Following select US Open sessions, eligible guests can board the IHG Racquet Cruiser for a complimentary ride from Arthur Ashe Stadium to select IHG hotels in Manhattan. Each just steps from major transit hubs like Penn Station and Grand Central, making the trip home effortless. Connor Smith, Senior Vice President of Global Brands – Luxury, Lifestyle, Masterbrand and Global Creative Director, said : "At IHG, hospitality extends far beyond the hotel stay. We don't think the experience should end just because the match did. Through experiences like the IHG Racquet Cruiser, we're bringing the same comfort, care and thoughtful touches our guests expect from our hotels to more moments of their US Open journey. From check-in to the first sip of a Watermelon Slice at the IHG Racquet Bar to riding back into Manhattan, we want every moment to feel considered and memorable." Fans can enter for a chance to join at the IHG Racquet Bar at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Tickets are required to access the grounds during the US Open Main Draw. Watermelon Slice Returns to the IHG Racquet Bar The cocktail that fans line up for is back and better than ever. The Watermelon Slice returns for the 2026 US Open, combining Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut, watermelon juice, elderflower liqueur and lime, finished with a signature watermelon wedge. Served in IHG's bespoke tennis-inspired collectible cup — a lasting souvenir from a memorable US Open — it will be available for purchase at the IHG Racquet Bar. More Exclusive Offerings for IHG Guests Throughout the tournament, fans can enjoy on-ground activations and delicious sips at the IHG Racquet Bar, while IHG One Rewards members will have access to additional perks including custom swag and limited-time

SAN DIEGO - August 26, 2026 — ExplorUS , one of the leading national and state park concessionaires operating in more than 200 park destinations across the U.S, has selected Cloudbeds, the hospitality management system built for ambitious hoteliers, to streamline its lodging operations and create a more consistent operating model across its portfolio. The move will bring ExplorUS onto a single hospitality platform, consolidating six core lodging technology platforms into a fully unified ecosystem. By connecting locations and data across the business, ExplorUS expects to gain a clearer view of portfolio performance and give teams stronger tools to improve revenue performance , occupancy management, average daily rate, operational consistency, guest marketing and engagement. ExplorUS manages hotels and lodges alongside restaurants, retail, attractions, camping and marinas in national and state parks and forests across the country. The diversity of those operations created a significant technology challenge: the company needed greater consistency and visibility at the portfolio level while preserving the flexibility required by each destination. “We are building a more connected and disciplined operating model across ExplorUS, one that supports our mission as stewards of the natural, historic and cultural places we serve while delivering exceptional guest experiences,” said Duke Christopher, Vice President of Lodging and Guest Experience at ExplorUS. “Our portfolio is incredibly diverse, and we needed a partner that could unify six systems into one while still adapting to the unique needs of each destination. Cloudbeds stands out for its flexibility, its ability to give us clear, actionable insight across the business, and the strength of its partnership, supporting both our operational complexity and our long-term growth.” "ExplorUS runs six different kinds of hospitality business under one mission — and until now, that meant six different systems telling six different stories about performance," said Rafael Blanes, Chief Growth Officer at Cloudbeds . "We're not simplifying what their teams do. We're giving them one place to see all of it clearly, so they can spend less time reconciling reports and more time on guests and stewardship. That's exactly the kind of complexity Cloudbeds is built to unify." About Cloudbeds Cloudbeds is the hospitality management system built for ambitious hoteliers who demand more. The Cloudbeds platform unifies operations, distribution, guest experience, and revenue marketing, giving operators a breadth of tools to capture demand, grow direct bookings, optimize pricing, maximize upsell revenue, and act on real-time intelligence within a single system. Designed to scale with independent hotels, large hotel groups, and multi-property portfolios, Cloudbeds is trusted by tens of thousands of properties in more than 150 countries. Founded in 2012, Cloudbeds is recognized as a top Hotel Management System, PMS , and Channel Manager — and Best Place to Work — by Hotel Tech Report for eight consecutive years. About ExplorUS ExplorUS is an American hospitality company and park concessionaire that has operated in national and state parks and forests since 1995. As stewards of the natural, historic, and cultural resources of the places it serves, ExplorUS manages hotels and lodges,

For decades, hotel finance teams have looked at payments through two very different lenses. Guest payments represent the most obvious stream of revenue to the business, so they receive executive attention, continuous technology investment and constant optimization. Supplier payments are typically viewed simply as operating expenses; an administrative obligation comprised of money leaving the business and deducted from the bottom line. That distinction is increasingly inaccurate and outdated, and the timing of the shift matters. U.S. hotel margins are compressing for a third consecutive year. CBRE’s Trends in the Hotel Industry data shows gross operating profit margins slipping from 35.1% in 2024 to 34.8% in 2025, while EBITDA margins fell from 23.3% to 22.8%, and the firm’s Hotel Horizons forecast projects RevPAR growth of just 1.2% in 2026 and 1.7% in 2027. With top-line growth close to flat and expense growth running ahead of it, every remaining lever matters, and labor, which CBRE research puts at roughly half of what it costs to operate a hotel, has already been managed close to the bone. Supplier payments are among the largest levers most hotels have never pulled. Managed intelligently, they can improve cash flow, reduce operating costs, strengthen operational controls and create a whole new source of financial value. In other words, one of hospitality’s most overlooked profit centers may already be moving through the Accounts Payable department at hundreds of thousands of properties worldwide. The blind spot in hotel payments The hospitality industry has traditionally invested heavily in making it easier for guests to pay. Booking engines, property management systems, payment gateways and integrated technology partner relationships have all evolved around payment acceptance. This is understandable, since guest payment and the resulting revenue is visible, immediate and central to profitability, as well as to the hotel experience as a whole. The outbound side, however, is becoming equally consequential. Mastercard puts the global commercial payments opportunity at roughly $80 trillion and estimates that some $77 trillion of that total still does not move on card, which is a fair description of how most businesses, hotels very much included, pay their suppliers today. Longer-range projections point in the same direction. Juniper Research expects global B2B payment value to reach approximately $124 trillion by 2028, roughly four times the value of payments from consumers to businesses. Yet every hotel also supports a substantial outbound payment economy. Properties and management companies pay for a multitude of products and services, including food and beverage suppliers, linen providers, maintenance contractors, utilities, technology vendors, distributors and many other partners. Across a hotel property or an entire portfolio, those transactions represent significant and recurring spend. Too often, the process remains fragmented. An approved invoice may still trigger a manual handoff, a check run, a bank file upload or a payment action disconnected from the accounting workflow. Digital invoice approval frequently leads into a manual payment process. That gap matters because approval represents only one stage of Accounts Payable. Payment execution determines how, when and through which rail a

Bethesda, MD | Aug. 26, 2026 | Stayntouch , a global leader in cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and guest-centric technology, today announced a new integration partnership with Namastay , a conversion-optimized direct booking engine transforming hotel direct distribution. The integration connects Namastay's booking engine directly to the Stayntouch PMS, so reservations, rates and guest data flow between the two systems in real time, giving hotel teams a faster, fully synced path from booking to check-in. The integration is aimed squarely at a problem every independent and boutique hotel brand shares: reducing dependence on OTA commissions by making the direct booking path as fast and frictionless as a third-party site, without adding back-office work. Guests can complete a mobile-optimized booking and payment natively on the hotel's own website, while front desk and reservations teams see the reservation land in Stayntouch instantly, without re-keying a single field. Namastay's checkout supports digital wallets, BNPL options and major credit cards, and is built to PCI DSS and GDPR standards. The integration is already live at Zoku , the award-winning hybrid hospitality brand redefining the blend of living, working and socializing, with properties across Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Paris and Vienna, one of the first Stayntouch customers to bring Namastay's booking engine online. The integration delivers: Real-time PMS sync. Reservations, rate changes, and guest profiles pass automatically between Namastay and Stayntouch, eliminating manual entry for front-desk and reservations teams. Mobile-first, frictionless checkout. A fast, mobile-optimized booking flow with digital wallet, BNPL options and card support, designed to reduce abandonment on the direct channel. Secure by design. Built to PCI DSS and GDPR standards, with no additional compliance burden placed on hotel teams. Proven in production. Already live at hotels including Zoku, alongside the 300+ properties in 42 countries that already run on Namastay. “Direct bookings work best when the technology behind them is invisible to the guest and effortless for the hotel,” said Frédéric Robles, Co-Founder & CEO, Namastay. “Our integration with Stayntouch removes operational complexity, allowing hotel teams to focus on their guests instead of their systems, and that’s exactly the experience we want every hotel on Namastay to have.” “Namastay's approach to direct booking is a natural fit for the independent and boutique hotels we serve every day,” said Reid Webster, VP of Partnerships & Strategic Growth at Stayntouch. “This integration gives our mutual customers a guest experience that feels effortless, and a back office that stays completely in sync. We're glad to bring Namastay into the Stayntouch partner ecosystem.” About Namastay Namastay simplifies online booking and payment for hotels and their guests. Using modern payment technology - including Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Klarna and Alma and is built to PCI DSS and GDPR standards. Namastay enables hotels to increase direct revenue, reduce reliance on OTAs while delivering a seamless, secure, and integrated experience directly on their website. The solution is used by 300 hotels in more than 42 countries and is an official supplier to Relais & Châteaux and Preferred Hotels

Like all hospitality conferences, most of the breakout sessions at the recent HITEC and HSMAI Commercial Strategy events focused on the use of AI for various applications. Although I already considered myself to be a pretty well-schooled, early adopter of integrating AI into sales, I definitely walked away with some great new ideas. Yet while sitting in one particular session, which was about using AI to instantly respond to RFP inquiries with proposals, I started thinking about where the tech companies are leading the industry. The presenter, whom I know and respect as a leading professional from one of the prominent sales CRM providers, was generously showing the eager audience how they can simply use Claude to immediately get in the game of automated response without a major tech investment. There was certainly a lot of validity in the example he used, which was how a SMERF group inquiry arriving at 5 p.m. on a Friday would sit there all weekend, and most likely longer, until a busy hotel salesperson finally digs the inquiry out of a stuffed inbox on Monday. Alternatively, as he demonstrated, AI can process the inquiry and respond almost immediately with a full proposal. Although this instant-response format seemed to be an obvious win, when compared to slower, human-touched sales responses, I was immediately tempted to raise questions about how that would work in the real world. How would automated responses work if inventory was on hold, but near the end of the cut-off date? A human salesperson would recognize and factor in this nuance. What would the response be if the buyer sent incomplete information? Could AI handle the many other inconsistencies that most real-world inquiries present, such as the breakdown of bed types, billing needs, and inquiries that were asking for rates slightly lower than the revenue system calls for, but that might generate more ancillary revenue? For now, let’s forget all those questions and assume that with the pace at which AI is learning each year, all these and other possible challenges could be resolved, and we end up with a world where AI does the full and complete proposal response in minutes. If this starts to work, I imagine it would quickly be implemented by the majority of hotels in any given market, because — on the surface — who wouldn’t want to embrace this? When I got to this place, my next question was what will this be like from the buyer’s side? To me, this may be the downside of full AI automation. Let’s take another look at the HITEC speaker’s example of a buyer looking to book a SMERF group on a Friday at 5 pm. They visit three websites and (correctly) fill out three website inquiry forms. Within minutes, they have three proposals in their inbox, but lacking any human interaction, they are probably going to all look the same. Now let’s imagine the buyer is either a professional, third-party meeting planner, or an in-house corporate planner, either

InterContinental is extending its global partnership with Timeshifter , giving guests across its 242 hotels and resorts in almost 70 countries complimentary access to personalised jet lag mitigation plans. Now, each and every guest staying at an InterContinental hotel or resort will have access to a personalized plan to overcome travel fatigue whether staying for the very first time or returning to a beloved hotel or resort. The collaboration reinforced InterContinental’s commitment to restorative travel by placing the latest circadian technology into the palms of its guests to enable them to arrive at their best, ready to explore the world. Trusted by athletes, astronauts, and global travellers alike, Timeshifter is a leading tool for managing the effects of long-distance travel. For InterContinental, it forms part of the brand’s evolving guest experience and its Intentional Flexibility initiatives: a series of thoughtful solutions that help modern luxury travellers move seamlessly across time zones and shape-shift throughout their day. Our partnership with Timeshifter is about putting the right technology in the hands of our guests so they can seamlessly shift through their day-to-day. By harnessing the power of cutting-edge solutions like Timeshifter, we’re not only addressing the common challenges faced by travellers but also redefining the entire guest experience. The technology embodies InterContinental’s relentless commitment to delivering intuitive service by adjusting to the evolving needs of luxury travellers Tom Rowntree, Vice President of Luxury & Lifestyle Brands, IHG Hotels & Resorts The Timeshifter app draws on the latest circadian science to compose personalised plans that address the underlying cause and symptoms of jet lag. Recommendations are tailored to each guest’s itinerary, chronotype, normal sleep pattern and personal preferences, offering guidance on sleep, light exposure and avoidance, and caffeine timing, applying the same algorithm used by astronauts, Olympic athletes, F1 teams, NBA players, and national soccer teams in high-performance settings. We have known for decades that circadian clocks govern nearly every function in the human body, from sleep and alertness to metabolism and immune function. When we travel across multiple time zones, our circadian clocks can’t keep up. That’s why when people cross time zones, they spend the first days of their trips fighting jet lag. Science shows that the only way to adapt quickly to new time zones is by resetting the central circadian clock in our brain – and that’s exactly what the Timeshifter app helps travelers do in a simple, practical way. Now, through our collaboration with InterContinental we can allow guests to optimise every moment of their time exploring the world Mickey Beyer-Clausen, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Timeshifter Timeshifter is complemented by a wider suite of restorative travel initiatives at InterContinental hotels and resorts, including nutritionally rich dishes designed to help counter the body’s natural response to travel. Together, these elements support a more holistic approach to travel fatigue, helping guests feel replenished, restored, and reenergised throughout and beyond their stay. A range of scientifically backed nutritionally rich Nourish Bowls and Anytime Plates, designed to combat energy slumps and

Taking place on Wednesday 1 October, FHS Living will cover all living asset classes including branded residences, student accommodation, senior living, serviced living, co-living, shared ownership, club concepts, mixed use, and hotels & resorts, with global leaders in the sector taking centre stage for an afternoon of debate, analysis and advice. In the run up to FHS Living, co-located with FHS World , industry experts share their thoughts on the key factors driving this ever-growing asset class, how brands can differentiate themselves in the market, where the best investment opportunities are, and more. With input from Susanna Mander, Global Director of Brand Expansion, Meliá Hotels International ; Makram El Zyr, Corporate Vice President – Development, Rotana; Victor Abou Ghanem - CEO, STORY Hospitality and Mohamad Haj Hassan , Market Managing Director, Middle East & Africa, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. *** In recent years, branded residences have shifted from a niche to a mainstream asset class. What factors are driving this acceleration? According to Susanna Mander, Global Director of Brand Expansion, Meliá Hotels International , the growth is not only financial – it’s emotional. “ People today are not just buying real estate; they are buying a way of living, a sense of belonging and a trusted experience,” she says. “The pandemic accelerated the search for flexibility, wellbeing and community. At the same time, owners and investors recognised that hospitality brands bring operational expertise, brand credibility and long-term asset stewardship, which translates into stronger value and resilience. “For us, branded living is the natural evolution of hospitality: extending the relationship with our guests from a stay to a lifetime,” she added. Makram El Zyr, Corporate Vice President – Development, Rotana believes that the shift is driven by a change in people’s expectations. “Today’s buyers are not just looking for a place to live; they want quality, comfort, and peace of mind. They want good design, great service, and amenities that make their daily life easier, whether it’s wellness facility, a personal trainer, or a shared terrace where they can host friends and family. The idea of a home that takes care of you, the way a great hotel does, is becoming something people actively seek out rather than stumble upon,” he said. The Middle East is among the world’s fast-growing regions for branded residences, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arabic Emirates a big draw for investors. What makes these markets so attractive? Mohamad Haj Hassan, Market Managing Director, Middle East & Africa, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts , believes that KSA and the UAE are particularly attractive because they combine ambitious national development strategies, investor-friendly reforms, and strong demand from both local and international buyers. “In Saudi Arabia, the transformation under Vision 2030 is creating entirely new destinations where hospitality and residential living are being developed together. Major projects such as The Red Sea project, and AMAALA are embedding branded residences into large-scale master plans. At the same time, regulatory reforms and evolving property ownership frameworks are opening the market further