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🏡 In December 2013, Jaume and co-founder Liza Masías established Aina Hospitality, an investment fund targeting boutique hotels. Initially raising more funds than expected, they expanded to larger properties, acquiring a portfolio of nine hotels within approximately 3.5 years. Aina Hospitality transformed into a hotel management company, while BOSCALT was created to handle investments. They attracted backers like Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity, focusing on luxury and ultra-luxury properties, such as Hyde London City and Baccarat Hotel Roma. They prioritize sustainability, with each property having a sustainability champion, and aim for the Silver sustainability standard for historic renovations. Despite the challenges of financing and competitive markets, their unique investment philosophy draws investors, offering a personal connection to the assets.

🎵 Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" generated $98.2 million in U.S. hotel revenue in three months. JW Marriott Miami Turnberry earned an extra $25,000 over two days with themed cabanas. Hotels in Sydney and Singapore saw occupancy rate increases up to 65% and 70%, respectively. Personalized experiences and targeting tools, like those offered by Marriott Bonvoy and THN's Personalization platform, enhanced guest engagement. Repeat bookings in Nashville rose over 30% post-tour, proving the effectiveness of targeted loyalty programs and personalized hotel experiences.

💰 Bleisure travel, blending business and leisure, was spotted by Future Laboratory in the early 2000s, with technology reshaping work and travel behaviors. The hospitality industry lacks solid data due to no specific "bleisure" code in reservation systems, relying on indirect metrics like extended stays and ancillary spending. Post-pandemic, "work from anywhere" policies surged, prompting companies to adapt travel guidelines, allowing trip extensions for leisure, with cost-sharing models for business and personal expenses. Estimates suggest the bleisure market could reach tens to hundreds of billions globally, with a projected CAGR of 8%-12%. Hospitality can leverage this trend by tailoring services and partnering with corporations for cost-effective travel solutions. Despite the lack of hard data and return-to-office trends, bleisure's potential impact remains significant.

🏡 Mademoiselle Conciergerie, a luxury villa rental brand, doubled its portfolio value by leveraging eviivo's property management system. In 2024, the company's annual revenues soared from €470,000 to over €1.2 million with nearly 2,000 reservations and 40% direct bookings. Operating 25 luxury villas over 250 km in Languedoc-Roussillon, France, the co-founders Laetitia Denux and Erwann Deverdun started the business in 2022. They offer unique properties with tailored services, assisted by the efficiencies of eviivo's platform.

📈 An experiment with 118 finance professionals trading with tomorrow's Wall Street Journal showed only a 51.5% success rate and a 3.2% average gain. Among 1,500 online players, the median loss was 30%, with 36% going bankrupt. Boom Supersonic's XB-1 aircraft broke the Mach 1 barrier on January 28, aiming to carry 65-80 passengers at Mach 1.7 with 130 orders from airlines like American and United. OpenAI's Operator, available to US ChatGPT Pro users for $200/month, can book flights and accommodations through browsers. The Travel Tech Essentialist Job Board lists 1,169 open roles.

📌 Radisson Hotel Group achieved a record year in 2024, adding almost 40,000 keys globally. The Radisson Collection grew to nearly 70 hotels, including first properties in Paris and Madrid, third in Riyadh, and flagship openings in Rome and Srinagar. The art’otel brand opened in London in May 2024 and is planned for Rome in 2025. Radisson Blu added over 20 hotels with new markets in Casablanca and Conakry. Radisson RED entered markets like Danang, Berlin, Auckland, Vientiane, Abuja, and made its Ireland debut in Galway and Thailand debut in Phuket Patong Beach. Radisson Individuals saw 15 new APAC additions in 2024, and Prize by Radisson was launched with upcoming properties in Gdansk and Berlin. Over 150 Radisson properties are operational or under development, including new Mauritius hotels. The group plans to continue strategic geographic expansions in 2025.

📊 A recent study by Belvera Partners found only 13.5% of top B2B travel technology CEOs and visible individuals are 'non-white'. Belvera's B2B Travel Tech Map, updated monthly, features over 400 entities but reveals a lack of diversity, with some sectors like lobby groups, vacation rentals, and hospitality schools having zero 'non-white' leaders. In contrast, hotel distribution and sales have 20%. This follows another report showing only 15.6% of travel tech leaders are female. Industry experts urge reflecting consumer diversity and predict better economic outcomes for diverse companies.