TOP NEWS

🏨 U.S. RevPAR growth in 2024 revised down to 1.2% from 2%, with a stronger 2% increase expected in H2 over H1's 0.5%. Urban and airport hotels to outperform; resorts to underperform. Costa Rica's occupancy to surpass 67% from 2019; Colombia to attract over 6 million tourists. Europe's RevPAR growth slows to 5% due to weaker U.S. demand. Middle East H1 2024 shows a robust hotel performance. Asia Pacific sees RevPAR growth driven by 80bps occupancy increase, with China's outbound air travel nearing 90% of pre-pandemic levels by year-end.

🏨 Peachtree Group is constructing a 19-story dual-branded hotel in uptown Dallas, featuring Marriott brands AC Hotel and Moxy Hotel, to open in summer 2026. The development adds 264 upscale rooms to the McKinney Avenue corridor, with AC Hotel offering 110 rooms and Moxy Hotel 154 rooms. Amenities include a signature Moxy Bar and Restaurant, an eighth-floor bar and lounge with an outdoor terrace, a fitness center, and a 261-stall parking garage. Peachtree has recently expanded its portfolio by 789 rooms and launched a restaurant management division.

💸 Small and mid-size hotels rely on the right OTA channel manager to update room availability, pricing, and bookings on platforms like Booking.com and Expedia. A proper channel manager streamlines operations, prevents overbookings, and maximizes revenue. Key considerations when choosing include real-time updates, integration with the Property Management System (PMS), user-friendly interface, dynamic pricing tools, and reporting analytics. Additional factors are OTA network coverage, customer support, cost, and scalability to support business growth.

💲 In June, a report showed 63% of hospitality businesses took a cut of employees’ tips, with 29% using them to cover costs and 28% taking a profitable share. The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act, which prohibits businesses from withholding service charges from employees, was enforced this week, aiming to reallocate £200m yearly back to staff. A RSM UK survey found 80% of consumers support staff receiving 100% of tips. Ping Pong, a London-based restaurant chain, faced backlash for trying to circumvent the law with a 15% 'brand charge,' later reducing it to a 5% discretionary service charge distributed to staff.

📝 85% of UK hospitality workers experienced poor mental health in the past year, with 67% desiring more notice of shift patterns. Planday's survey of over 2,000 shift workers informs The Single Biggest Shift campaign, targeting enhanced employee retention and happiness. 15% wouldn't recommend the industry, citing low pay (66%), long hours (57%), and rota control (46%). Currently, 53% plan to leave their jobs, and 68% considered industry change due to erratic scheduling. Planday CEO, Dave Lee, suggests planning shifts ahead and better mental health support to retain staff; 47% prioritize work-life balance, and 25% want regular working patterns.

```html ✈ ``` In June, the annual Travel and Mobility Sector Attractiveness Report was published, focusing on investment trends in aviation, ground transport, hospitality, and online travel. Despite global instability, corporate funding into Asia's Travel and Mobility Tech remained stable during the pandemic (2020-2023), with total venture funding in Asia dropping to $78.1 billion USD in 2023 from 2021's $187.4 billion USD. Ground Transport and Online Travel, especially OTAs like AirTrip, Yanolja, EaseMyTrip, and Trip.com, led corporate investments in Asia, deviating from global trends where Aviation dominated. Investments are geared towards enhancing the digital consumer experience, with booking innovations and fintech solutions being top priorities. Non-travel corporations, such as Douyin, are increasingly entering the travel sector, integrating travel services to offer seamless booking experiences within their platforms.

📈 Acclaimed chef, author, and TV host Carla Hall to keynote at the National Restaurant Association Show 2025, scheduled for May 17-20 at McCormick Place, Chicago. The keynote session is set for May 18, 2025, at 1 p.m. Registration for the event is available with an early bird rate until November 18. Hall, a former "Top Chef" contestant and "The Chew" co-host, will share industry insights and her journey from accountant to culinary icon, aiming to inspire foodservice professionals. Michelle Korsmo, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, will provide an industry outlook and host a Q&A with Hall. Hall's work includes judging on Food Network shows and advocating for causes like No Kid Hungry. The National Restaurant Association Show, started in 1919, is a platform for foodservice innovation and trends.

📣 Cloudbeds, headquartered in San Diego, CA, partners with PXier, enhancing its property management system with sales, catering, and spa software solutions. Cloudbeds, serving properties in 150+ countries, has been honored by Hotel Tech Report (2021-2024) and World Travel Awards (2022), and featured in Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 (2023). The integration leverages Cloudbeds’ open API for real-time data sync, centralized event management, and automated spa management, catering to hotels of all sizes.

🏨 A 2018 Cornell University study highlights that a hotel's brand significantly impacts its reputation more than star classification or chain scale. Consistency in guest experience is key to building brand trust and loyalty, with positive reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor boosting a hotel's market share. Negative feedback, when managed well using Reputation Management Software, can turn into improved service. The Library Hotel Collection exemplifies success through top TripAdvisor rankings, achieved by prioritizing guest happiness and encouraging online sharing of positive experiences. Hotels that prompt guests to review their stay see a 4-6% higher rating than unprompted reviews. Brand strength, closely tied to guest satisfaction, is essential for long-term profitability and competitiveness.

🏨 On October 3, 2024, Ruby Molly Hotel Dublin, boasting 272 luxury rooms, integrated Shiji's Enterprise Platform to boost automation, consolidate guest data, and enhance efficiency. This technology enables rapid integration of new properties, streamlines check-in/check-out, and supports Ruby's "lean luxury" approach, balancing high quality with cost optimization. Shiji, established in 1998, serves 91,000 hotels and Ruby, starting in 2013, now runs 19 hotels with more upcoming, plus workspaces across Europe.