TOP NEWS

🏨 South Africa's hotel occupancy rates hit 62.5% in early 2024, with a 12.3% year-on-year increase in RevPAR. A McKinsey report suggests hyper-personalization could boost direct bookings and guest retention by up to 30%. Sustainability is key, as 83% of global travelers prioritize it in accommodation choices. Cloud-based hotel management systems improve revenue and efficiency by 20-25%. Domestic overnight trips in South Africa surged to 38 million in 2023, with a 22.4% rise in spending to R121.4 billion.

🏨 In 2025, the U.S. hotel industry is adapting to challenges with 55% of HAMA survey respondents changing brand/management strategy. The American Hotel & Lodging Association sees over 14,000 new jobs but staffing remains below 2019 levels. Alberigo Hotel Management, featured in LODGING's 2025 guide, manages 2,350 rooms across 20 properties, focusing on guest experience and operational excellence. Contact: Richard Alberigo, President-CEO, richard@alberigohotelmgt.com.

💾 The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that the hospitality industry has high turnover rates. Hospitality roles are perceived as temporary and the work environment is demanding, leading to hiring barriers. AI and automation are now being used to overcome these barriers by crafting optimized job descriptions and improving hiring processes with tools like applicant tracking systems. Data indicates that 61% of workers prefer jobs offering remote or hybrid options. AI-driven hiring solutions are emerging, but bias and candidate experience concerns remain. Recruitment technology should integrate with existing systems to create a seamless employee lifecycle, and 69% of HR leaders expect hiring to be as difficult or more so than in 2024. Hospitality leaders are encouraged to leverage technology to improve recruitment and retention strategies.

📈 In April 2025, IDeaS, a SAS company, launched IDeaS Spotlight in London, a demand intelligence solution for the hospitality industry. Spotlight uses advanced analytics and AI to aid marketers in identifying high-value opportunities and optimizing marketing spend for maximum incremental revenue impact. It allows for quick strategy adjustments and fosters collaboration between marketing and revenue management teams. IDeaS clients will have selective access to the new solution starting July 2025.

🏨 Global hospitality in Q1 2025 saw guest satisfaction (GRI) peak at 86.7%, exceeding 2019's 86.4%. While review volumes grew by a marginal 0.7%, review response times halved to 3.1 days with a 70% response rate. North America led with robust GRI and review volume growth, whereas Asia and Africa faced review volume and GRI challenges, respectively. Despite improvements in Cleanliness, Room, and Service indexes, the global Value index stalled, signaling rising guest price sensitivity.

🏡 On Apr 23, 2025, the short-term rental sector (STR) faces a market plateau, with approximately 25% of U.S. leisure travelers using STRs consistently since 2020. Reputation issues from inconsistent experiences and negative media, particularly with under-35 travelers, have made it difficult to maintain loyalty as most STR users also stay in hotels. The sector must adapt by prioritizing transparency, consistency, and enhanced standards akin to hotels to remain competitive.

🌳 On April 23, 2025, industry leaders like Radisson Hotel Group, Accor, and NH Hotel Group, informed by Phocuswright research, address the sustainability behavior gap in hospitality. Despite a preference for sustainability, only 5–13% avoid non-sustainable destinations. Radisson incentivizes light housekeeping with charity donations, NH Hotels offers drink vouchers or tree-planting for towel reuse. Empowering messages enhance guest responsibility; technology like Radisson’s Stay App assists sustainable choices. Education on sustainable travel and incentives, such as loyalty points, encourage action, with Gen Z showing higher awareness. Collaboration on standards and intuitive tools is essential for the industry to lead in transforming intentions into action.

❄ On April 16, 2025, at Virtuoso’s event in Toronto, a travel trend panel highlighted the rise of "Coolcations" in Europe and Asia. Influenced by "The White Lotus" TV series, destinations like Maui, Sicily, and Thailand have seen booking surges. Canadian travelers are increasingly exploring domestic locales over U.S. visits, and luxury travel is surging, with strong interest in safaris and high-end cruises. Cities like Lisbon, Tokyo, and Paris are top picks, with Portugal, Iceland, and Colombia as regional favorites. Travel insurance is now nearly universally selected due to geopolitical concerns.

💻 BirchStreet Systems' cloud-based procurement platform aids hotels in sourcing eco-friendly products. AvidXchange has saved its customers 4,510 trees, 4 million gallons of water, 3.39 million pounds of CO2, and 222,000 pounds of solid waste through AP automation solutions. Financial tools like AvidXchange provide real-time analytics for better utility management and investment in sustainability. Epic Cleantec's OneWater™ system offers automated water reuse operations, aligning with hotels' operational efficiency and environmental goals. Matterport's digital twins reduce costs and emissions, showcasing a dual focus on efficiency and sustainability.

💸 Hoteliers juggle revenue maximization and customer satisfaction, with concerns that higher prices may lead to negative reviews. Rates impact Average Daily Rate (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR), while reviews influence reputation and booking decisions. The connection between rates and reviews is obscured by data challenges like anonymous feedback on platforms like TripAdvisor and limitations of surveys with low response rates. Known guest reviews from OTAs are verified but hard to link to specific rates for bulk analysis. Small sample sizes from reviews also present a bias issue, complicating rate versus review analysis. Strategies for correlating rates with reviews include analyzing internal surveys, tracking ADR and review score trends, examining OTA reviews, and assessing review sentiments during different rate periods. The "Value Equation" shows price is acceptable if matched by high-quality service and amenities. Guest perception varies by segment, room type, seasonality, and booking context. Knowing rate thresholds helps in adjusting pricing strategies, managing expectations, focusing operational resources, and tailoring marketing efforts. Continuous analysis is needed to adapt to market changes, with strategies like connecting internal survey data to rates, or tracking ADR against review scores.