TOP NEWS

🍽 In 2025, editors from Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality interviewed over 60 chefs on the Extra Serving and Menu Talk podcasts. These included corporate chefs from Taco John's and Marco's Pizza, as well as independents from Kyu and Northern Spy. Celebrity chefs Nelson German and Stephanie Izard also joined. Discussions covered culinary innovations, with expertise ranging from beverages to desserts. Tune into these podcasts for insights from top culinary minds.

New England, 10 December 2025 — Lafayette Hotels, an independent hotel group with 26 properties across New England, has boosted efficiency and more than doubled direct online bookings since adopting RMS, a long-established…

📈 Paris, Brittany, and the French Riviera excel in luxury hotel performance, while Île-de-France outside Paris struggles. Medium-sized cities (150,000-300,000 inhabitants) are gaining potential. Over ten years, RevPAR rose with slower cost increases, maintaining value creation potential. AI aims to boost productivity, and a +1 point Booking rating boosts RevPAR by 16%. CSR is crucial, with banks favoring green financing. The European hotel industry faces five challenges: process transformation, market fragmentation, asset modernisation, modularity, and CSR mobilisation.

📖 Joanna Fantozzi, a Senior Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since August 2021, has over seven years of experience in hospitality journalism. Her career includes roles at Informa, Insider, and The Daily Meal. Joanna holds degrees from The College of New Jersey and CUNY. She has moderated industry events like MUFSO and Restaurants Rise and contributed to major publications. Her expertise covers restaurant news and cultural issues.

🍴 Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor at Nation's Restaurant News since 1999, covers F&B trends. He holds a degree from Tufts University (1990) and a culinary certificate from Le Cordon Bleu (1986). Thorn, a former columnist for The New York Sun (2005-2008), has written for the Oxford Encyclopedia and received the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award. He served as IFEC president in 2005 and was inducted into Disciples d'Escoffier in 2014. Thorn resides in Brooklyn, NY.

💰 Curated Spaces introduces ‘Gift a Trip’, a new travel gifting feature. It allows gifters to anonymously gather preferences and book personalized trips without stress. Alex Oldfield, co-founder, highlights the feature’s focus on meaningful, personalized, and carefully executed experiences. This innovative tool eliminates guesswork and is available year-round, ensuring gifts are both thoughtful and timely.

🏨 Life Hotels, Inwood Hotels, Emerald Stay, Groupe Valdys, and The Boost Society are pioneering sustainable growth in France's hospitality sector. Life Hotels automates payments for efficiency, planning new openings in 2026. Inwood Hotels migrated to an automation-ready platform in 2021, maintaining boutique charm. Emerald Stay's digital model boosts revenue by 30%. Groupe Valdys integrates systems for wellness-focused hospitality. The Boost Society uses automation across 38+ properties for diverse stay management. These groups leverage technology to scale without losing their unique character.

💻 Amadeus highlights 2026 travel trends, including pet-friendly travel, bespoke hospitality, and AI-planned trips. By 2030, the global pet industry could reach $500 billion. SkyePets plans long-haul pet flights between Australia and the US. Airbus A321XLR jets will increase flight range by 700 nautical miles. IndiGo launches India's first non-stop service to Athens in January 2026. Pop culture influences tourism; Bridgerton boosts Bath's economy by £5 million annually. Universal Studios Great Britain construction begins in 2026.

✈️ Dec 3, 2025: In 2026, tourism will prioritize deeper, personal experiences over traditional sightseeing. Skyscanner highlights shifts towards beauty rituals, local food exploration, and mountain travel for serenity. Trips will focus on individual interests—beauty, food, nature—eschewing 'tourist checklist' holidays for authenticity. Travel is increasingly seen as a form of well-being, offering opportunities for self-care, connection with nature, and meaningful cultural engagement. For more, visit the BBC.

💻 Shiji was named a finalist for the 2025 Geography and Global AWS Partner Award, specifically in the "Industry Partner of the Year – Travel and Hospitality" category, on December 2, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Shiji's recognition emphasizes its innovative use of AWS services to enhance hotel operational efficiency and guest experiences. Globally, Shiji supports over 91,000 hotels with its cloud-based technology. The awards are reviewed by Canalys, focusing on customer success. Shiji employs over 5,000 worldwide.