TOP NEWS

🥂 North America's 50 Best Bars list was announced on April 29 during an awards ceremony at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver. Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City retained its top ranking, with Superbueno in New York City following in second place. The list featured 26 bars from the United States, 14 from Mexico, eight from Canada, and two from the Caribbean. Sip & Guzzle in New York, opening in January 2024, debuted at number five. New York had the most bars on the list with 11, while Mexico City was next with nine. The top 10 included Jewel of the South in New Orleans (fourth), Overstory in New York (sixth), and Kumiko in Chicago (tenth). The ranking also highlighted the rise of Mirate in Los Angeles, climbing 34 spots to rank 12th. The 50 Best organization, based in London, has been ranking top restaurants since 2002 and top bars since 2009, with the North American bars edition starting in 2022.

💾 Founded in 2015, Tokeet offers a user-centric platform for short-term and mid-term rental managers worldwide. CEO Kwesi Steele, experienced with IBM, DoubleClick, and Google, created Tokeet to tackle inefficiencies in vacation rental management. The company's integrated tools include channel management, dynamic pricing, AI-driven automation, and direct booking websites. Tokeet operates with a lean team of 50 people and avoids major VC funding to stay user-aligned. It supports over 60,000 properties across 95+ countries, enabling clients like Upstreet in Athens and The City Concierge in Lisbon to achieve significant growth and operational efficiency. The platform centralizes property management tasks, interfaces with major booking platforms, and uses AI to streamline operations. Plans include expanding in the mid-term rental segment, enhancing AI capabilities, and forming strategic partnerships. Tokeet emphasizes adaptability and automation in the hospitality industry.

🏠 Easter 2025 in Spain saw a boost in tourism with a 13% increase in international spending to €20 billion and a 9% rise in international arrivals to 15 million compared to 2024. Public investment of €3.4 billion contributed to this growth. Job creation in tourism also went up with 25,000 new jobs in March, a record month. Barcelona experienced a RevPAR fluctuation, with a peak increase of 24.83%. Madrid hotels fluctuated but had a stable 80.55% occupancy rate, with a spike during a major Champions League match. Seville’s hotel performance varied due to weather disrupting Holy Week events but saw a RevPAR increase of 26.74%. Valencia's coastal hotels reached high occupancy, with Benidorm and Gandia at 92% and Valencia City at 91%. Spain scheduled 69,327 flights for the holiday, 11.5% more than in 2024.

🏥 Hospitality leaders from across Europe convened at HOTREC's 90th General Assembly in Oslo, hosted by NHO Reiseliv. The event addressed the challenges of 2 million hospitality SMEs, focusing on reducing regulatory burdens and costs. CGA by NielsenIQ highlighted consumer trends towards quality and experiences, emphasizing the necessity of supportive EU policies. HOTREC will hold its 91st General Assembly in Cyprus this autumn. Contact: Jasper Dober, Media & Communications Manager, HOTREC.

🏡 Hospitality leaders met at HOTREC's 90th General Assembly in Oslo, hosted by NHO Reiseliv. The focus was on supporting the 2 million hospitality SMEs in Europe. Key discussions included the need for EU policies to reduce regulatory burdens and costs, as well as the importance of sustainability, digitalisation, and authenticity in consumer trends. Calls were made for practical tools and financial support to help businesses with green and digital transitions. HOTREC will meet again in Cyprus for its 91st General Assembly this autumn.

🏥 Hospitality leaders gathered in Oslo for HOTREC’s 90th General Assembly, reflecting on solutions for Europe’s 2 million hospitality SMEs. Alexandros Vassilikos emphasized the need for EU policies to lessen regulatory burdens and costs. Marie Audren called for practical tools and financial support for SMEs facing rapid regulatory changes. The assembly addressed consumer trends, AI implications, sustainability, and digitalisation. HOTREC will meet again in Cyprus for the 91st General Assembly this autumn.

🏠 Accor reported 9.2% revenue growth in Q1 2025, reaching €1.349 billion with a RevPAR increase of 5% from 2024; opened 45 new hotels with over 5,900 rooms. Pierre & Vacances - Center Parcs saw a -0.9% decline in economic revenue for H1 2024/2025, yet a 96% occupancy rate in Q2 at mountain resorts and 21.8% rise in Spanish accommodation revenue. CapitaLand Ascott Trust's (CLAS) gross profit grew 4% in Q1 2025, with key growth in the UK, US, and Japan; planning the Somerset Liang Court in Singapore for 2026. Compagnie des Alpes reported an 11.6% revenue increase to €849.5 million in the first half of the 2024/2025 fiscal year, a 5.5% rise in ski lift revenue, and a 32.8% jump in leisure park revenue, including the acquisition of Belantis in Germany.

🏩 Claudia Infante, Chief Data Officer at Margaritaville, explains the difference between hospitality and lodging on April 29, 2025. Emphasizing the business benefits of investing in genuine hospitality services, she encourages applying the insights to enhance operations and customer experiences.