TOP NEWS

🏠 Visa launched the Visa Destinations platform on June 25, 2026, across ten cities, including Paris, London, Dubai, and New York. More than 150 card issuers promote it. The platform focuses on dining, culture, and shopping, with direct deals for the Louvre, Disneyland Paris, and Printemps. Hotels are accessed via the pre-existing Visa Luxury Hotel Collection. The platform moves hotel decisions to a secondary role, influencing how trips are planned and where cardholders spend.

🏠 Hosts on Airbnb pay 3% to 15% per booking for platform and traffic costs, while losing direct access to guest relationships. Airbnb retains customer data and potential future bookings. Direct bookings incur about 3% in credit card fees, but host retains guest information and saves on finder's fees for future stays. Airbnb, a publicly traded company, maintains shareholder interests, keeping fees stable or increasing. Direct bookings help hosts own their business and customer relationships.

📈 US hotels' labor costs hit $123 billion in 2024, marking a 20% rise from 2019. Labor at unionized hotels now consumes 43% of revenue compared to 33.5% at non-union hotels. Optimal hotel profitability is at 65-70% occupancy, not maximum. CPOR became crucial in 2025; labor costs per room rose between 2% and 11.2%. Hotels achieving profit focus on CPOR and GOPPAR metrics, aligning revenue with operational efficiency, rather than solely RevPAR.

📈 Serge Trigano discussed his 1997 ousting from Club Méditerranée and the launch of Mama Shelter. Kevin Machefert shared insights on his group's turnaround. Sylvie Bergeret shared MKG stats, while Jérôme Schibler and Hannah Davies provided on-ground perspectives. Gaëtan Bouvier talked about declining alcohol consumption among the youth. Food waste and water stress were highlighted as areas for improved efficiency. Adrien Lanotte emphasized AI's potential and its comparison to past disruptions in the sector.

For the past twenty years, hotel marketing has revolved around visibility. The goal was to appear on the first page of Google, rank highly on OTAs, build a strong review…

🗺 Switzerland, a top global tourist destination, sees a shift in visitor demographics, with rising numbers from Asia alongside traditional European and U.S. tourists. The Swiss tourism sector questions if it's culturally prepared for this change. Research indicates 80% of Indian tourists are first-time visitors, attracted by Bollywood filming locations. Middle Eastern tourists favor Switzerland's cool climate and luxury services. Swiss hotels are urged to adapt to diverse cultural needs, moving beyond standardization to enhance guest experiences.

🏠 Wild Form Design Studio, based in New York, designed an interior for Love Thy Neighbor, a bar near The Stonewall Inn in West Village, celebrating the queer community. Opened just before New York's Pride celebrations, the bar honors the historical 1969 Gay Rights Movement protests. Founders Shigefumi Kabashima and Elias Popa emphasize "no straight lines" in the design. A Marsha P. Johnson quote is displayed on the floor, and a brick from the original Stonewall Inn is featured.

🌴 Costa Navarino, in Messinia, allocates 8% of its budget to sustainable infrastructure, achieving a 75% emission reduction in 2024. It aims for net-zero emissions by 2050. Over 7,000 olive trees were relocated, and a 2025 wildlife survey highlighted biodiversity richness. The Six Senses Laamu resort's "Fish For Tomorrow" program involved 45 fishermen in 2024, landing over 13,000 kg of fish, contributing $33,440 to the local economy. Schindlerhof hotel won the 2025 Ludwig Erhard Prize.

🎨 In 2026, the National Gallery of Iceland showcases Björk’s creativity with two exhibitions: "Metamorphlings," featuring 80 masks by James Merry, and "Echolalia," with audiovisual installations like "Ancestress" and "Sorrowful Soil." On August 12, Hafnarfjörður hosts "Echolalia: the rave," celebrating Smekkleysa's 40th anniversary, featuring performances by Arca and others. Björk's upcoming 11th album is previewed with "Nerve Bloom." These exhibits, running until September 20, emphasize Björk's experimental artistry.

🏖 June 15, 2026, Chicago: The James Beard Awards recognized top culinary talents, including Michael Tusk (Outstanding Chef), Adrian Torres (Emerging Chef), and Kalaya (Outstanding Restaurant). New York’s Jacob Riis Bathhouse will reopen in July as a private club following an $88 million renovation. A $1,000 annual fee grants pool access. U.S. cities like Portland and Boston enhance urban swimming with projects like New York’s + POOL. Hospitality Design celebrated its 2026 Wave of the Future honorees.