TOP NEWS

🏨 The Hospitality Show in San Antonio, Texas, featured a panel moderated by Michael Morton of Best Western. Over 400 vendors participated in the expo at the Henry B. González Convention Center, offering innovative solutions for hotel owners and operators. Keynote speakers included Mario Bass and Leanne Harwood discussing cultural alignment in hospitality, while AI's role in the industry was explored by Matt Schwartz, Liselotte de Maar, and Jeff Thoman. Revenue optimization strategies were discussed by Kevin Carey, Doreen Burse, Kristie Goshow, and Scott Strickland. The event included a red-carpet ribbon-cutting ceremony and networking parties at Howl at the Moon, Hard Rock Cafe, and Merkaba.

🕭 In Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin announced a $275 million renovation and expansion, adding 120,000 square feet of event space. This will bring the total meeting space to 469,000 square feet and the largest contiguous event space to 175,000 square feet. The triplex has 2,619 guest rooms. A two-story annex will add 41,000 square feet of multipurpose space and a ballroom, with construction starting in November and completion expected by late summer 2026.

🏥 The Hospitality Show 2024 took place at Henry B. González Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas, starting on October 28, with a conference including an awards session. The event continued on October 29 with panels and keynotes. Panelists like Kevin Carey from AHLA and senior executives from Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, United Airlines, and KSL Resorts discussed guest experience, workplace culture, and AI. Topics included labor productivity, guest engagement across all channels, and leveraging technology for operational efficiency. Wyndham launched a combined booking platform, while United Airlines emphasized hiring versatile talent and AI for customer updates.

💰 Nearly 90 Bristol and Bath hoteliers raised £10,600 in a Walk for Wellbeing for the Hospitality Action charity. This local event contributed to the nationwide total of £110,000. Participants walked 20km from DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre to the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath. Hospitality Action supports hospitality workers facing difficult times, including mental health and debt challenges. This was the second local walk and the fifth annual national event.

🌞 Planday and CODE Hospitality partnered to create "The Handbook to Happiness" for hospitality managers after finding 85% of hospitality employees faced poor mental health. The guide stresses planning shifts in advance, with 67% of employees desiring more notice, clear communication, and better management practices. Forza Restaurants, named Happiest Place to Work by CODE, schedules shifts a month ahead using Planday. The 13-page guide from Planday covers team bonding, mindfulness, exercise, diet, sleep, staff celebration, and music's positive effects.

📣 Jyoti Chopra, MGM Resorts International's Chief People, Inclusion, and Sustainability Officer, shared insights on how collaboration with the company's CFO led to significant organizational changes. Key initiatives include aligning finance and human capital strategies, introducing digital dashboards for real-time workforce data, and creating one of the industry's first paid sabbatical programs. The episode emphasized the importance of top leadership in championing learning and development, and making a compelling business case for investing in people and programs. The episode aired on October 30, 2024.

🏨 Key facts extracted: The article discusses "Effective Strategies to Increase Hotel Customer Retention." No specific dates, locations, statistics, or numerical data provided. The content summary indicates insights and trends on customer retention strategies in the hotel industry, emphasizing the role of technology in increasing retention rates. The article seems to be a part of Hotelogix's marketing content, as indicated by meta tags such as "Written by Hotelogix Marketing" and references to Hotelogix's online assets. The article's URL is https://blog.hotelogix.com/hotel-customer-retention/. There are no further details about the content as the provided text primarily consists of HTML tags, meta content, and webpage design elements. Summary: Discover key strategies to boost hotel customer retention, focusing on the latest trends and the use of technology to improve retention rates. Insights provided by Hotelogix's marketing expertise.

🛌 A study by h2c suggests outdated technology and a lack of personalization in hotels' tech stacks lead to potential revenue loss from direct bookings. Hotels overly dependent on OTAs see reduced profit margins. Modernizing tech, personalized guest experiences, and a balanced use of OTAs are recommended. The study emphasizes the importance of an integrated tech stack, including a responsive and intuitive booking engine, CRM, and real-time analytics for driving direct bookings and guest loyalty.

🏕 Jessie Fischer, Founder & CEO of GuestOS and Yosemite Tourism board member, discusses hospitality in Yosemite on Oct. 26, 2024. The episode covers topics such as creating connections with guests, the rise of nature-based experiences, community engagement in business, hospitality challenges in remote locations, and technology's role alongside nature. Recommendations for Yosemite first-time visitors include Glacier Point and Lower Yosemite Falls. The episode is supported by Hireology and features a masterclass with CEO Adam Robinson.