Revenue Management

🍻 The Trafalgar in Chelsea, owned by Three Cheers Pub Co, extends its £5 drink offer to weekends. Opened on King’s Road, it's the first new pub there in over 100 years. Offers include pints of ale, cider, and lager, plus wines and spirits from Monday to Friday, 4pm-6:30pm, and Friday to Saturday, 10pm-midnight. Select cocktails are £7. Affordable pub food ranges from £4 to £12. Events include a comedy club on Thursdays and a quiz every Monday.

💰 MGM Resorts reported Q2 2026 financials: Consolidated revenue rose 1% to $4.5 billion, with net income at $292 million (up from $49 million). Las Vegas Strip Resorts generated $2.2 billion (up 3%), and Regional Operations saw $924 million (down 4%) in revenue. MGM China revenue remained flat at $1.1 billion. MGM Digital grew 20% to $196 million. MGM Osaka to open in 2030. Diluted EPS was $1.11, a rise from $0.18.

⚽ Kansas City, MO, experienced the largest increase in Average Daily Rate (ADR) during the FIFA World Cup match days in US host markets. While ADR saw significant changes, occupancy rates fell short because corporate groups either held events elsewhere or rescheduled them for after the World Cup. This decline in corporate bookings was not completely compensated by leisure fans visiting the host cities on game days.

🔥 On July 19, the 54th Oyster Festival in Andernos-les-Bains concluded, followed by a fire on July 21 that spread over 40,000 hectares near Saumos. By July 25, 220,000 people evacuated, impacting 24 hotels and 33 campgrounds, causing weekly revenue losses of 2 to 5 million euros. Bordeaux housed 5,000 evacuees at its exhibition center. The fire disrupted tourism, with significant cancellations affecting local businesses like Catherine Parinaud's properties. Government measures were announced on July 27 to support the affected regions.

🏨 Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA's revenue rose by 4.7% with a 4.8% RevPAR increase in the first half of 2026, surpassing market benchmarks. They focused on maintaining room rates over occupancy and reduced payroll costs by 0.7 percentage points. Strategic energy pre-purchasing and data-driven insights helped counter economic challenges. Daniel Kemp and Will Bishop emphasized adaptability and corporate travel growth as key strategies in a volatile market, demonstrating resilience and effective cost management.

🍳 Food and drink prices increased by 1.8% in June, according to the latest Foodservice Price Index from NIQ and Prestige Purchasing. This rise comes after a decrease in May, highlighting ongoing procurement challenges. Structural supply issues and unpredictable weather are affecting costs, despite recent drops in global energy prices.

📈 Parsippany, New Jersey, Q2 2026: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts reports a 2% U.S. RevPAR growth, with system-wide room growth at 4%, excluding Revo Hospitality Group. Net income rose 17% to $102 million, and adjusted EBITDA increased 9% to $212 million. The development pipeline reached 261,000 rooms. Global RevPAR decreased by 1%, with international decline due to geopolitical and regional issues. The company returned $86 million to shareholders through buybacks and $0.43 dividends per share.

📈 Costs in the U.S. hotels rise by 4% annually while GOP margins decline. With 10 hotels, diverse commission structures and marketing budgets create inconsistencies, hiding true acquisition costs per channel. Groups identifying and solving this issue focus on per-channel visibility, revealing unprofitable channels and adjusting strategies accordingly. Three recommended steps: calculate acquisition costs for one hotel manually, compare channel contribution with RevPAR, make data-driven channel decisions. CEOs can improve margins by optimizing existing demand.

🍴 Fine dining and hotels in the UK excelled in June by increasing productivity, generating higher revenue with fewer labor hours. This trend raises concerns about workforce wellbeing and service sustainability. The hospitality market showed polarization, with premium and experience-driven segments outperforming, unlike value-led dining and certain pub and bar operators.

🍴 In Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Huset is the world’s northernmost fine dining restaurant, originally built in 1951. It features a 14-course Arctic tasting menu and a wine cellar with over 1,000 titles. Recently transformed by Snøhetta, the interior blends stained oak and Swedish pine. Head chef Alberto Lozano emphasizes local ingredients and Nordic preservation techniques, offering dishes like Reindeer charcuterie and Ptarmigan pâté.