TOP NEWS

🏨 Hotels globally reached a record $11.1 trillion GDP contribution in 2024. Personalization drives guest satisfaction, with mid-tier hotels outperforming luxury ones due to competitive pricing and service. AI reviews challenge authenticity as fraud detection lags. Stricter review policies lowered total reviews but improved quality. The Guest Experience Benchmark Report 2024, based on over 39 million reviews from 11,200 properties, indicates guest expectations and AI are reshaping hospitality. Guest satisfaction rose since Q3 2022, with shifting value perceptions in 2024; Europe, Latin America, and Africa saw trend reversals. Mid-tier hotels' GRI rebounded post-August 2022, attracting 5-star guests. Review volumes dropped due to anti-fraud efforts, with Latin America seeing a 10% decrease in 2023, and Booking.com's market share fell from almost 50% in 2022 to 37% in 2024. Italy's proof-of-purchase law for reviews may reduce volumes if adopted globally. AI-generated reviews threaten to disrupt the feedback loop. Asia leads in Net Promoter Scores, showing earlier pandemic recovery. Response times to reviews improved, dropping to around four days in 2024 from over six days in 2022. High Net Promoter Scores correlate with better revenue and occupancy rates, suggesting reputation analytics should be integral to revenue management.

📦 The EU AI Act impacts the hospitality industry, addressing guest relations, pricing, marketing, HR solutions, and AI systems like ChatGPT. Compliance involves AI mapping, risk assessments, and proactive measures. Non-covered AI includes simple software not meeting AI system criteria. Participation in HTNG EMEA Community of Interest is open without HTNG membership or cost. The article reflects personal takeaways from a session by Bartholomäus Regenhardt of Cooley LLP.

📱 In 2025, hoteliers leveraging social media trends can boost engagement and direct bookings by focusing on hyperlocal storytelling, short-form video (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts), user-generated content (UGC), micro and nano influencer marketing, evolving culinary and wellness experiences, and virtual tours with AR/VR technologies. Instagram introduces AI-powered content suggestions, TikTok expands its Travel Hub, Threads integrates more with Instagram, and Google enhances AI video search, making it vital for hotels to adapt to these changes for marketing success.

🏦 Marriott International, Inc. reported global RevPAR up 5% in Q4 2024, with 4.1% growth in the US/Canada and 7.2% internationally. Q4 diluted EPS was $1.63 and adjusted diluted EPS was $2.45, with net income at $455 million and adjusted net income at $686 million. Adjusted EBITDA reached $1,286 million. Over 123,000 rooms added in 2024, increasing net rooms by 6.8%, leading to 1.7 million rooms worldwide. Nearly 3.8k properties and over 577k rooms were in the development pipeline. The company returned $4.4 billion to shareholders in 2024. Marriott Bonvoy membership nearly hit 228 million.

📈 Google launched Meridian, an open-source marketing mix model (MMM), alongside a partner program with over 20 certified partners. Designed after global brand testing and feedback, Meridian customizes to specific needs, like those of Finder, an Australian financial company. Meridian applies Bayesian causal inference for more accurate budget decisions, blending prior knowledge with real-world data. It provides a more realistic view of media performance, including Google media, and can measure sales, website visits, profit, and conversions. It redefines reach and frequency for video investments and integrates with incrementality experiment results. The model's code is available on GitHub, and a network of experts helps maximize its potential for advertisers.

📌 In 2024, Marriott International added 123,000 rooms, reaching 1.7 million globally and a 6.8% net growth. Hilton added nearly 100,000 rooms, a 7.3% net growth. Marriott's pipeline had 3,800 properties and over 577,000 rooms; Hilton's had 498,600 rooms. Conversions drove growth, with Marriott's MGM and Sonder deals adding 38,000 and 9,000 rooms, respectively. Marriott's Global RevPAR rose 4.3%, with U.S. and Canada's Q4 RevPAR up over 4%. Marriott added over 31 million new members to its Bonvoy program in 2024, totaling around 228 million. They also plan technology investments and property renovations, including the Elegant Hotels portfolio in Barbados. Marriott expects $80-90 million annual savings from restructuring, including 800+ layoffs at its Maryland headquarters from January 3, 2025.

🏨 At the 30th Hospitality Operator Forum, attendees will hear from speakers like Federico Gonzales Tejera, CEO of Louvre Hotel Group, and Alban Ruggiero, CEO of JOST, on June 12th at the InterContinental Paris le Grand. Louvre Hotel Group has been undergoing transformation for nearly 2 years. JOST, a brand mixing modern accommodations with social spaces, is expanding with a new establishment in Lille, supported by Turenne Capital's Benjamin Altaras.

📂 Marc Schwarz, Director of Service at Thrive Hospitality, shared insights from his time at Land Rover in an episode aired on Feb. 11, 2025. The episode is part of the Hospitality Daily Podcast and focuses on the hospitality mindset that can be learned from Land Rover. Listeners are encouraged to share the episode to implement ideas that benefit their businesses and customers. Music for the show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound.