TOP NEWS

1540 posts

The day’s essential hospitality headlines: must-read news for hotel professionals, curated by our editors.

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  • 5 min

6 Reasons Hotel Brand Standards are Essential This Festive Season

🎄 In a luxury resort, the festive season often felt like hosting a 1000-person dinner party; however, bringing in temporary staff without clear, defined standards led to confusion and negatively impacted guest experiences. It's emphasized that well-defined brand standards are an operational imperative for success, safety, compliance, and especially during high-pressure periods like festive seasons. Standards ensure consistency in service, enable actionable insights from audits, streamline onboarding and operations, and allow for personalized, authentic guest interactions. Implementing brand standards can make the difference between surviving and thriving in the hospitality industry.
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  • 3 min

Pulse of the Industry Series Q1 and Q2 2024Part 5 – JAPAN

🏦 Japan's hotel industry saw a rise in tech integration, like robot-staffed hotels, and a focus on sustainability in 2024. Tourist recovery is underway, with Q1 2024 seeing an 85 TrustYou Performance Score, higher than the global average. Challenges include staffing shortages and competitive markets. Anticipation for 2025 includes further tech advancements and sustainable practices. Vegan options and service quality impacted guest experiences significantly (+5.68 and +5.05), while room and bathroom cleanliness had the most negative impact (-5.69 and -4.31).
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  • 13 min

Boost Hotel Performance Through Profit & Loss Mastery

💰 Commercial teams in hotels, comprising Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Management departments, play a crucial role in revenue generation and market presence. Financial literacy, particularly understanding the Profit & Loss (P&L) statement, enables these teams to identify profitable revenue streams, assess cost implications, and make informed decisions that align with the hotel's financial goals. Mastering P&L can lead to strategic choices that balance occupancy with profitability, enhancing the hotel's financial health. Business Intelligence tools like Demand Calendar aid in transforming data into actionable insights for optimizing strategies and managing costs effectively.
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  • 4 min

Hospitality’s Future: Grounded in Connection, Powered by Tech

📌 Hotels are incorporating digital onboarding and training to enhance efficiency and sustainability, while also focusing on human-centered service. Eccleston Square Hotel in London and Shashi Hotel in Mountain View, California, exemplify a balance of high-tech features and personalized service. Initiatives include AI chatbots, IoT for smart room controls, and data-driven personalized experiences. Emphasis on human connections in hospitality remains vital, with technology complementing but not replacing personal interactions. Kathleen Lin Hurtubise of AlohaHP champions a blend of technology with the Aloha spirit.
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54 hotel conferences and trade shows to attend in 2025

📆 Attending hospitality industry events in 2025 offers networking, learning about trends, and discovering innovations. Key events in the US & Canada include: HEDNA in San Diego (Jan 27–29), Women in Travel and Hospitality in Westlake Village (Feb 20), HUNTER in Atlanta (Mar 18–20), AAHOA Convention in New Orleans (Apr 15-17, 6,000 attendees, 500 exhibitors), BITAC® Operations in Newport Beach (Apr 27–29), Hotec Operations in Orlando (May 19–21), NYU IHIIC in New York City (Jun 1–3), Boutique Hotel Investment Conference in NYC (Jun 4), HITEC in Indianapolis (Jun 16–19), HAC Conference in Ottawa (Jun 16–17), Hotel Data Conference in Nashville (Aug 6–8), Skift Global Forum in NYC (Sep 16–18), Independent Hotel Show in Miami (Sep 17–18), Boutique Hotel Owners Conference in Los Angeles (Sep 29–30), Glamping forum in Aurora (Sep 30–Oct 1), The Lodging Conference in Phoenix (Oct 6–9), The Hospitality Show in Denver (Oct 26–28), NEIRA in Newport (Nov 5–7), Phocuswright Conference in San Diego (Nov 18–20). In LATAM, ANATO in
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Contactless guest experience: How integrated technology makes it possible

🛌 A 2022 Statista survey revealed 50% of respondents desire permanent adoption of contactless hotel services. Sweet Accommodations, using Cloudbeds, increased upsells and repeat customers by 20%, dedicating 16 extra hours weekly to guest experience enhancement. Contactless technology includes online check-in, AI communication, and digital keys, with chatbots potentially boosting booking rates by 30% and upsells by 55%.
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  • 5 min

Tell Newsletter #83

💾 Zoox, Amazon's autonomous vehicle company, plans to introduce custom robotaxis in San Francisco and Las Vegas, initially for employee use, with public roll-out set for the following year. AI-powered booking agents like Bookline.io and HotelPlanner.ai manage thousands of calls daily, despite 22% of hotel bookings still being made over the phone. Klairhaus offers high-quality home office accessories made from natural materials by European artisans. McKinsey report points out the $1 trillion potential value of travel experiences, noting that nearly 50% of these bookings occur offline. Hopscotch Labs introduces AI and headphones for location-based information, suggesting a screen-free future for augmented reality. In the hotel industry, top talent retention is linked to structured environments, not freedom. Citate.ai aims to influence AI chatbots, raising questions about AI's role in reputation management.
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Instant Financial Announces New Mobile App for Improved Employee Pay Flexibility

📱 Accor's global study of 9,000 professionals reveals a potential 36% revenue increase if all important meetings are conducted face-to-face. 85% believe prioritizing in-person meetings could significantly boost revenue, expecting to close 37% more deals. 92% find face-to-face interaction important with clients, and 85% with internal colleagues; one in-person meeting equates to the impact of three virtual meetings. The main driver for business travel is to close deals (34%), followed by client (31%) and contract negotiations (30%). A hybrid model of digital and in-person meetings is becoming the standard. Sophie Hulgard, Accor's Chief Sales Officer, emphasizes the irreplaceable value of in-person interactions for business success.
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Pulse of the Industry Series Q1 and Q2 2024: US

🏨 In Q1 and Q2 2024, the US hospitality industry leveraged technology for competitive advantages, enhanced the guest experience with digital tools, and emphasized sustainability. The bleisure tourism market reached nearly $594.51 billion in 2023. Performance scores for US hotels improved from 79.3 in Q1 2023 to 80.8 in Q2 2024. Challenges included intense competition, staffing shortages, and evolving consumer expectations. Room cleanliness negatively impacted scores by -9.52 points, while great service improved them. The US hotel market is valued at over $106 billion, with 90,000+ hotels and an average occupancy rate just under 65%. Looking into 2025, resilience, tech-driven solutions, and environmental sustainability are expected to be key trends.
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