TOP NEWS

📈 2026, three weeks in, Fabian Bartnick reflects on two years of his newsletter with over a million views and thousands of subscribers. In 2026, he advocates for alignment over reinvention, emphasizing clarity rather than mere productivity. Revenue management isn’t just about numbers but optimizing life choices. The shift is towards sustainable, meaningful success. Fabian, a seasoned leader in commercial growth and revenue management, focuses on aligning decisions, behavior, and learning for measurable growth.

🗺️ In 2025, TNMT surveyed travel trends, revealing AI dominated 35% of media articles, followed by Transformative Travel's wellness focus. Google tested autonomous booking, while Booking.com and Expedia expanded AI use. Viral Travel saw TikTok and Booking.com partnerships boost bookings, marking a 62% rise in Jet2's loyalty. Restricted Travel was impacted by geopolitical tensions, as cities like Barcelona implemented overtourism measures. Despite AI's initial lead, experts favored Transformational Travel, highlighting travel's human-centric nature.

💻 In Kenya, hotels can digitally transform by enhancing roles with AI without changing their org charts. Key roles include the Guest Intent Owner, Service Recovery Orchestrator, Maintenance Intelligence Lead, and Revenue Signal Manager. These positions leverage AI for accountability, incident management, predictive maintenance, and real-time demand signal detection. This strategy fosters rapid, visible improvements by optimizing existing resources and expertise, ensuring that digital transformation becomes actionable and effective in the hospitality sector.

📈 Two weeks ago, Hapi concluded its strategic planning session to set priorities for the future. The focus was on honest discussions without unnecessary slides or buzzwords. They reflected on 2025, identified key areas for investment, and emphasized the importance of doing the right things together. Recent in-person meetings with customers and prospects validated Hapi's vision, highlighting the role of data in offering insights and personalized experiences in the hospitality industry.

🗺️ Brits in 2026 favor shorter breaks, with 34% opting for three to five-night holidays compared to 9% in 2016. Egypt’s Red Sea tops destinations, along with Costa Blanca, Tenerife, Amsterdam, and Antalya. Shoulder season getaways are popular, with February, April, and May leading. Spontaneity is up, with 36% booking within 90 days. All-inclusive trips make up 46% of bookings, and 24% book five-star escapes, a rise from 14% in 2016.

💻 Almost 33% of all-in-one tech users in the hospitality sector plan to switch to integrated 'Best-in-Class' solutions within 1-2 years, while only 14% of current best-in-class users consider moving to all-in-one systems. Larger hotels prefer best-in-class for functionality, while smaller properties value all-in-one for simplicity. AI adoption is rising, with 78% of hotel chains using it, yet strategic direction is often unclear. Future platforms must blend ease of use with advanced capabilities.

🏨 Crestline Hotels & Resorts will manage Hotel Spero Vignette Collection, an IHG Hotel, in Union Square, San Francisco. The property features 236 guestrooms, conveniently located near dining, shopping, and the cable car turnaround. Crestline's CEO, James Carroll, emphasized their commitment to expanding their luxury hotel portfolio. This addition increases Crestline's presence in California to nine hotels.

📱 Tambourine, a leader in hotel marketing technology, launches Tambourine One, integrating website and booking engine tech. Key features: no booking engine transaction fees, built-in mobile wallets, room & air packaging, personalization, and accessibility protection. Mekell Barker, SVP, highlights cost reduction and improved performance. Existing clients upgrade at no extra cost. Trusted by hotels in 50+ countries, Tambourine offers a seamless switch with dedicated support for smooth implementation and long-term value maximization.