TOP NEWS

📌 November 2025. Hotels fall into the "Heads in Beds" fallacy, aiming to maximize occupancy by matching competitors' prices, leading to generic offerings. Differentiated hotels focus on specific guest needs: "The Connector," "The Achiever," "The Escapist," and "The Explorer." By catering to specific "Why" needs, hotels use value-based pricing strategies, achieving higher rates and loyalty. This strategic shift turns rivals into irrelevancies, emphasizing solutions over proximity, and transforms marketing into a precise, efficient effort.

🏨 2025 marked the “Year of the Operator,” as Josiah discusses how top hotel operators maintained profitability despite underwhelming top-line results. Operational excellence is highlighted as a key advantage moving into 2026. By creating a "virtuous cycle" involving teams, guests, and financial outcomes, operators displayed how strategic management can transcend performance expectations. Listeners are encouraged to implement these insights to enhance their hospitality ventures.

💻 Nov 24, 2025, in Singapore: At the HICAP conference, hotel leaders discussed the shift towards AI-driven discovery, emphasizing its role over traditional search methods. Hotels face a pivotal 12 months to adapt, focusing on data control, personalization, and operational efficiency. AI's influence will depend on customer data ownership, impacting hotel visibility. Aggregated loyalty platforms and AI-driven engagement are crucial for competitive positioning. Organizational commitment to data and AI integration is essential to stay relevant and reclaim discovery influence.

📅 Hosted by BHN editor Eloise Hanson, a free online webinar takes place from 14:00-15:00 GMT, offering insights into market pressures, growth strategies, and evolving guest behaviors. The event, aimed at hotel owners, investors, developers, executives, and service providers, promises an interactive experience with live Q&A sessions. Join over 7,000 professionals for advanced insights on technology, AI, and operations. Expert speakers are yet to be confirmed.

🛥 30 January 2025 marks the initial steel cutting for the Orient Express Olympian, a 220-meter vessel. Keel laying is scheduled for November 2025, with launch in April 2026 and delivery by April 2027. Its sister ship, Orient Express Corinthian, will begin sea trials in December 2025, launching Mediterranean and Caribbean itineraries in May 2026. This expansion aligns with Accor’s ultra-luxury strategy, including new hotels in Venice (April 2026) and Rome (2025).

🏨 In 2024, hospitality assets accounted for 18% of real estate investments, with over 100 transactions, primarily single-asset deals. Paris and Île-de-France led the activity, comprising two-thirds of the volume. France ranked among Europe's top three hotel investment markets, following the UK and Spain, with €17 billion in transactions across Europe, up 62% year-on-year. The average price per key increased by 9% to €215,300. Portfolio transactions grew by 40%, driven by private equity funds.

🌎 In 2026, 26% of global travelers start hotel searches on OTAs, up from 18% in 2025, surpassing search engines which fell to 21% from 36%. In the UK, 26% use OTAs, rising from 16% in 2024, while 24% use search engines, down from 40%. AI use for travel planning rose to 4%, with 80% of travelers seeking AI features like price alerts. Dynamic pricing is supported by 65% globally and 55% in the UK.

📰 Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor at Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999, reports on culinary trends. He hosts the podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn." Thorn studied at Tufts University, Le Cordon Bleu, and in China. He was a columnist for The New York Sun (2005-2008) and won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award. Inducted into Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014, Thorn specializes in French and Asian cuisines. He resides in Brooklyn, NY.

📦 Tina Necrason, global head of branded residences at Hyatt, discusses the sector's growth drivers and future opportunities. Hyatt is adapting its portfolio to align with evolving demands.