TOP NEWS

📋 RaizUp will host the first Revenue Leadership Program cohort from October 1 to November 30, an 8-week professional growth initiative for leaders in hospitality. Celebrating five years of consultancy, the program provides 25 online sessions across four key verticals: total revenue management, digital marketing, leadership development, and AI/tech. Designed for practical application, the program enables immediate implementation of skills and knowledge.

🏖 Domestic flight bookings increased by 1%, international by 3%; average domestic roundtrip ticket costs $660, international $1,315. Domestic cruise bookings soared 19%, international cruises 6%, with costs averaging $2,355 and $3,560 respectively. Top fall travel destinations include Orlando, Boston, and Seattle in the U.S, with Rome, Paris, and London internationally. Gas prices decline due to a quiet hurricane season and winter-blend gasoline. Car rental rates dropped 5% domestically and 15% internationally, with high demand in Boston, Denver, Portland, Montreal, and Vancouver.

📌 A Hotelier's Guide on Online Travel Agencies published in September 2024 by Suniti Bahl explains how online travel agencies (OTAs) operate, their impact on the hospitality industry, and strategies for hotels to increase visibility and bookings. The article, hosted on Hotelogix's blog, includes marketing tactics and is part of the Hotelogix Blog's content on tips and trends in hospitality.

🏨 Luxury hotel The Joule in Dallas, Texas, focuses on personal and professional growth, with Tal Shnall as their Learning and Development Manager. Shnall, with a background in operations and leadership, emphasizes continuous development and resilience. Despite starting with basic hospitality skills in the 90s at a Hilton property, his career progressed to leadership roles in Marriott and Starwood. Shnall advocates for personal investment in growth, citing books, podcasts, and seminars as resources. He is part of the John Maxwell leadership team and implements these learnings in his role at The Joule, aiming to elevate the careers of his team and enhance guest experiences.

🏠 Enhancing guest satisfaction in Parisian hotels can be achieved through simple touches like local music (01:58), fresh croissants on arrival (04:07), reading materials that immerse in the local environment (05:10), recommendations for local coffee shops (06:57), personalized restaurant suggestions (08:44), and curated walking or running routes (09:38). These experiences help guests connect with the location and elevate their stay.

🏨 The article, dated 2024-09-13, discusses the hotel star rating system, highlighting its influence on guest choices and bookings. It offers guidance on improving a hotel's rating to attract more travelers. The article is associated with Hotelogix and includes tips and trends in hospitality, aiming to boost hotel bookings by enhancing star ratings.

🏖️ The Data Appeal Company and Destination Think have initiated a global partnership to boost tourism sustainability through AI-driven sentiment analysis and regenerative tourism. Data Appeal collects data from over 130 sources for a Sentiment Score, aiding destinations in enhancing visitor experience and targeting development areas. This collaboration will extend Destination Think's European reach and introduce Data Appeal to North America and Oceania, offering predictive insights for tourism boards to proactively improve services.

🏠 Guesty AI, a property management software platform, launched two AI features: AI Assistant website builder and ReviewSmart AI, aiming to enhance short-term rentals and hospitality. The AI Assistant helps create SEO-optimized websites quickly, already adopted by 25% of Guesty's website builder users. ReviewSmart AI categorizes negative guest reviews into actionable insights, becoming a popular tool among advanced users. CEO Amiad Soto emphasizes AI-driven efficiency in optimizing bookings and guest experience.

🏠 Sam Nazarian founded SBE Entertainment in 2002 and made a cameo on "The Hills" in 2007, showcasing his hospitality ventures. SBE acquired Sahara Hotel in 2007, converting it to SLS. Years later, Nazarian sold SBE's hotel platform to Accor but kept its F&B business. In partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and expecting to open 50 hotels by 2030, the first two HQ Hotels & Residences will open in Detroit and Montreux, Switzerland, with Montreux's 155-room hotel and spa set for 2025. SBE announced a $55-million fund for growth and has confirmed deals in Detroit and Montreux, aimed at millennials and Gen-Z. Mike Metcalf, former COO of Crescent Hotels & Resorts, became president of HQ Hotels in August.

📈 Las Vegas led the top 25 markets in event volume growth with 36% in August, followed by New York at 30.2%, marking New York's first appearance on the list since April 2024. The average event space used for these markets was 3,435 square feet with 124 attendees. Louisville, Kentucky dominated secondary markets with a 104.6% increase, utilizing an average of 3,084 square feet for events with 115 attendees. Key drivers included sports tourism, national association meetings, and weddings.