Hospitalitynet

Once valued near $2 billion, hospitality startup Sonder promised hotel luxury at Airbnb prices. But the company’s Marriott partnership dissolved, guests were left stranded and the short-term rental company shut down for good. WSJ explains what went wrong.

There’s an explosion of talk about AI in hotels, but very little actual application. Or is there? AI has been coming to hotels for a while, but not in the flashy, headline-grabbing way many expect. There won’t be a moment when a chatbot takes over the front desk or a robot manages your F&B logistics overnight. Instead, AI is creeping into every corner of hotel operations in small, incremental ways. Quietly. Invisibly. Often without anyone calling it AI at all.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has marked 50 years of operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, celebrating a journey that began with the opening of InterContinental Riyadh in 1975 and has grown into one of the most significant footprints for the Group globally. The milestone, commemorated at a special gathering hosted at InterContinental Riyadh, underscores IHG’s long-term commitment to the Kingdom and its ambitions to help shape the future of Saudi Arabia’s tourism and hospitality sector.

Taekwang Industrial Acquires Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Namdaemun for KRW250 Billion in South Korea

Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, and NUO International Hotel Management Co., Ltd., recently signed a strategic Letter of Agreement to collaborate on brand development and international expansion. This landmark partnership represents a powerful alliance between two leading hospitality brands and a meaningful exchange between “Chinese Service” and “Thai Hospitality,” aimed at delivering exceptional experiences to global travellers.The signing ceremony, held at NUO Hotel Beijing, was attended by senior executives from both organisations, including Mr. Thirayuth Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts, Mr. Michael Henssler, Chief Operating Officer, alongside Mr. Jack Xia, Managing Director – Centara China, Mr. Tyrone Tang Ming, General Manager of NUO International, Mr. Andy Xu Jia, Deputy General Manager, and Ms. Yuki Qu Jing, Vice President of Marketing.