TOP NEWS

🏡 SiteMinder's 2025 Changing Traveller Report identifies the 'everything traveller,' focusing on accommodation preferences and behaviors. Luxury hotel guests, willing to pay for enhanced experiences and convenience, plan to increase travel budgets, with 59% spending more than the previous year. Event travel is a key growth area, with 68% traveling for events like family celebrations (34%), music (34%), or sports (23%). Millennials lead upscale bookings at 21%, with high-end room must-haves being views (55%) and quality bedding (53%). Add-on preferences include breakfast (51%) and airport transfers (34%). Spa treatments and gourmet experiences rank high (43%), with 45% working during trips. Despite cost-consciousness, 27% state rising costs don't affect their plans. James Bishop, SiteMinder's VP, highlights the 'save to spend' approach, with 59% favoring package deals. Digital savvy luxury travelers expect online efficiency, starting searches on search engines (31%) and OTAs (21%), preferring third-party booking platforms (49%). AI use is anticipated for 52% during accommodation exploration and 43% for pre-arrival communication. Luxury hotels are urged to enhance digital experiences to attract these guests and capitalize on a market with significant millennial influence.

🍽 🍴 Christine has over 21 years of experience in hospitality tech, focusing on standalone food and beverage spaces and now food and beverage tech in hotels. As Director of Solutions Engineering at Shiji Group, she bridges technology with industry challenges. Shiji Group offers end-to-end hospitality technology solutions, enhancing guest experiences from pre-stay to post-stay. They tackle common industry issues like labor force challenges and aim to streamline operations. Christine emphasizes the importance of technology in improving efficiency and guest services, such as through mobile ordering applications which can result in significant revenue increases, like a 17% profit increase observed in some properties. Shiji also explores the potential of leveraging existing kitchen operations beyond traditional restaurant hours to boost on-property guest spending and counteract the convenience of food delivery apps.

Where Luxury, Design, and Innovation Converge to Redefine Hospitality Excellence PARIS, FRANCE — Influence Society, the creative agency bridging the worlds of refined design, advanced technology, and exceptional hospitality, proudly…

🛒 In the era of increasing automation, service teams, especially in retail and hospitality, are evolving to integrate technology with human expertise. Mike Groesch of NCR Voyix emphasizes the balance between automation and human oversight for seamless operations. Automation augments human roles, necessitating service personnel to adapt and manage advanced systems while prioritizing customer service. NCR Voyix's Aloha Cloud Platform exemplifies efficiency in hospitality by integrating operational touchpoints. Proactively, Stinker convenience stores implemented dual edge servers for POS infrastructure reliability. Labor shortages prompt businesses to retain personnel through training, development, automation of repetitive tasks, and recognition programs like Service Appreciation Celebrations. Continuous upskilling of service teams is advised to maintain operational efficiency and adaptability.

🛆 Article published on March 11, 2025, offers a guide on reducing hotel Guest Acquisition Cost (GAC) and maximizing revenue. Tips include boosting direct bookings and understanding the calculation and measurement of GAC. Authored by Vanshikha Dhar and shared on Hotelogix Blog, the piece aims to assist hoteliers with cost-efficient strategies.

📈 Maximizing revenue in hotel meetings and events hinges on focusing on the number of delegates and their spending, not just room occupancy. The collaborative strategy involves Marketing to attract, Sales to convert leads, and Revenue Management to optimize pricing, forecasting, and availability. Key performance indicators (KPIs) include Total Delegates, Revenue per Delegate, and Delegate Revenue Share vs. Competition. Demand Calendar, a Hotel Business Intelligence tool, assists in aligning marketing campaigns, pricing strategies, and operations for profitability. Hotels adopting a delegate-centric approach should focus on delegate numbers, average spending, and integrate analytical tools for informed decision-making.

🛡 AI-driven solutions in hotels aim to fill labor shortages by automating tasks and optimizing operations. Legal expert Lara Shortz emphasizes the importance of balancing automation with legal and employee well-being considerations. AI tools enhance efficiency but cannot replace the human aspect crucial in hospitality. Union activities and labor disputes can arise from the perceived threat of AI to jobs. Furthermore, AI in performance reviews introduces risks of biases and errors. The gig economy's legal landscape varies at state levels, requiring careful contract drafting to avoid cross-liability. Hotels should consult counsel when deploying AI tools to navigate labor laws, privacy regulations, and union negotiations, safeguarding workforce stability and brand reputation.

💰 Hotel general managers should focus on three core questions: the most profitable guest segments and customers, a forecast for the next 12–18 months, and actual profit levels. Revenue doesn’t fully indicate profitability without considering Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC), ancillary revenue, and long-term value. Profitable segments should be targeted for marketing and personalized experiences. It's crucial to use data for segment profitability analysis, incorporate all revenue streams in forecasting, and regularly update forecasts to adapt to market changes. Profitability is measured in net revenue, gross profit, GOP, and EBITDA. Failure to understand these aspects can lead to misaligned strategies, reduced profitability, and lost market opportunities. Regular P&L reviews and benchmarking against industry standards are essential practices. Continuous improvement requires updated segment profitability, fine-tuning forecasts, and monitoring profit levels.

🏨 SH Hotels & Resorts rebrands as Starwood Hotels on its 10th anniversary. Starwood, created nearly 30 years ago by Barry Sternlicht, targets significant growth with over 40 properties open or in development across four continents by 2025. Key launches include flagship properties in Tokyo, Melbourne, and Copenhagen. 1 Hotels brand, since 2015, expanded to major destinations and plans new properties in Seattle, Melbourne, Copenhagen, and Tokyo by 2025. The brand partners with Arbor Day Foundation to donate 100,000 trees in LA. Treehouse Hotels will open in Manchester (UK) and Silicon Valley in Spring 2025. Baccarat Hotels expanding to Rome, Florence, Riyadh, Dubai, and the Maldives. Starwood's sustainability milestones include LEED, BREEAM certifications, 46,612 tons CO2 offset, 75% waste diversion, 3.4 million pounds recycled annually, and 417,265 pounds materials reused/donated in 2024. The team will grow to over 5,000 members in 2025.