TOP NEWS

📰 citizenM CEO Lennert de Jong revealed how during COVID, his team innovated the hotel loyalty model by launching a subscription inspired by Amazon and Netflix, addressing occupancy issues. The program, now boasting over 50,000 subscribers, marks a strategic shift from traditional transactional rewards to deeper value through subscription-based loyalty. This approach aims to enhance customer relationships and engagement, offering insights for hospitality leaders to boost guest loyalty and business growth.

📰 With 75% of travelers starting hotel searches on search engines, SEO is crucial. AI optimization enhances visibility, while tools like Google Analytics provide key user insights. Dynamic pricing can capitalize on events like concerts, maximizing revenue. Define a unique value and reward direct bookings for increased profitability. Mews supports marketing with its booking engine and AI-powered tools, capturing guest profiles and optimizing revenue. Utilize data and targeted campaigns for a successful hotel marketing strategy.

📈 Revenue management, rooted in the 1970s airline industry, now leverages big data and AI to predict trends, enhancing hotel strategies. Cloud computing democratizes access, even for smaller hotels. The role of revenue managers shifts from data handling to strategic leadership, emphasizing collaboration across departments. Key strategies include reframing revenue management, breaking silos, and using advanced tech. Remember the 4Ps: Pricing, Positioning, Pace, Performance. Embrace technology while maintaining human insights for a competitive edge.

🏨 Lifestyle hospitality offers experiences tailored to travelers' lifestyles, especially for younger generations who demand a better customer journey. Cédric Gobilliard, CEO of Southern Europe at Ennismore, highlighted this trend at the 2022 Hospitality Operator Forum. Food and Beverage (F&B) are crucial, accounting for over 60% of revenue. Coach Omnium reports 45% of clients desire more differentiation, signaling a shift from standardized to personalized experiences.

📚 Sunnyvale, CA, July 8th, 2025 – LodgIQ launched a new PDF guide, "Modern Revenue Management," for hotel owners and managers. It promotes integrated commercial strategies over siloed functions, focusing on Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning. The guide aims to modernize revenue management and improve collaboration among sales, marketing, and revenue teams. LodgIQ, serving 550+ hotels, offers data-driven insights and advanced analytics for the hospitality industry. Available for free download on their website.

🏨 American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) praised the inclusion of crucial tax provisions in the U.S. House and Senate-passed Budget Reconciliation package. This package benefits small business hotel owners, preventing significant tax hikes and supporting job creation. Speaker Johnson and Chairman Jason Smith were among the key supporters. AHLA engaged with Congress and officials for months. The provisions await President Trump's signature to become law, ensuring the hospitality industry's growth.

🏨 Edward Mady, author and hospitality leader, emphasizes creating a strong internal culture for consistent and personal guest experiences. At the Beverly Hills Hotel, he introduced initiatives like the "Quarter Century Club" to celebrate employees with over 25 years of service, significantly boosting engagement by 12%. Mady advocates for 208 hours of employee training annually, highlighting the importance of culture, selection, and continuous improvement in the hospitality industry.

📈 Jul 4, 2025, at the HSMAI Commercial Strategic Conference, industry leaders from Crescent Hotels, Expedia Group, and Booking.com emphasized the value of online travel agencies (OTAs) for hoteliers. Expedia manages over seven petabytes of data, providing actionable insights. Key strategies include leveraging OTA data, enhancing content consistency, and embracing AI-driven personalization. The focus is shifting from competition to partnership, with OTAs seen as strategic collaborators in marketing and revenue generation. It's a new era for hotel-OTA relationships.

🍴 Small restaurants saw a 0.4% sales growth in June 2025 compared to June 2024, but faced a -2.6% drop in transactions and -2.5% decline in foot traffic. The broader small business index revealed a 1.4% sales drop from May to June, with foot traffic down 2%. Among 2 million small businesses, only 13 states reported positive foodservice performance in June versus 34 in May. Alaska led growth at 5%, while the U.S. unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%.