Hotel direct booking, all in one place. This hub aggregates the latest news, strategies and tools to help hotels win bookings away from the OTAs, curated by 10 Minutes News. Stay sharp on the push for direct revenue.
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Hotel CIOs and PMS CEOs Split on Cost Versus Guest Experience, Wholesale Channels Quietly Reroute Your Rooms
20 July 2026Monday is a technology-heavy start to the week, anchored by a Hospitality Net original that put the people who buy hotel technology and the people who build it in one room. The themes it surfaced, cost versus experience, who owns the data, and how hard it still is to integrate, run through much of the day’s other coverage. There is deal news too, from Riyadh to Cairo to Greater China. Inside the room where PMS chiefs and hotel CIOs spoke…
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Cloudbeds Challenges Traditional PMS, Advocates for Unified Data Model and AI Integration in Hospitality Management
20 July 2026💻 Josh Graham, Cloudbeds’ head of market development, argues that traditional Property Management Systems (PMS) are outdated. He suggests that unified data models are essential and highlights Cloudbeds’ integrated platform approach. At HITEC, he proposed staging a funeral for traditional PMS. With over 350 PMS systems globally, many are fragmented due to localization needs. Cloudbeds’ AI, Signals, focuses on revenue intelligence, connecting marketing and revenue systems. Graham believes AI rewards context, making it the perfect time for independent hotels.
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The best Mallorca hotels for watching the 2026 total solar eclipse
20 July 2026Mallorca is in the path of totality for the 2026 solar eclipse – and its hotels are ready with boats, rooftops and clifftop dinners
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Fixing Connected Friction: How to Integrate Your PMS, RMS, and CRS Flawlessly
20 July 2026This article was written by Revoptimum. Click here to read the original article Introduction: The Invisible Cost of System Disconnects In the modern digital hotel landscape, operational success relies entirely on data speed. A customer browsing an accommodation option on the other side of the world expects to see identical pricing, true inventory availability, and instant booking confirmation whether they are searching via an OTA, a corporate GDS portal, or your official brand website. Behind the scenes, this seamless guest…
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Hostaway fuels its next phase of growth by expanding leadership team with three strategic executive appointments
20 July 2026New Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Product Officer join Hostaway as the company enters its next phase of global growth. Toronto, CA, 20 July 2026 — Hostaway, the leading AI-driven vacation rental property management software (PMS), today announced the appointment of three senior executives to its leadership team. These strategic hires come as the company enters its next phase of scaling, following a milestone year in 2025 where it became the first vacation rental management software unicorn. Joining…
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The room’s the same. You wouldn’t recognize who’s buying it now
20 July 2026You gave a wholesaler a net rate and an allotment to fill your soft weeks, and that part still works the way you think it does. Where the room goes next — and who walks away owning the guest — is a deal you never actually signed. Think back to the last wholesale contract you signed. What came back was heads in beds during the weeks you couldn’t fill on your own — and you knew, roughly, where those rooms…
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AI Is Now Writing Your Hotel’s Reputation. Here Is How to Make Sure It Gets It Right.
20 July 2026For years, hotel reputation management meant two things. Watch your reviews and manage your search results. You kept your rating healthy on the major platforms; you tried to get the right pages onto the first screen of a search, and that was the job. That job just changed, and most hotels have not noticed yet. Increasingly, the first thing a traveler learns about your hotel does not come from your website, your reviews, or a search result they read for…
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The Big PMS Debate: a closed-door discussion between the world’s leading PMS CEOs and hotel CIOs
20 July 2026It does not happen often that the people who run hotel technology and the people who build it sit in one room and talk openly. They usually meet across a sales table. This session was made to take that away. It ran on the sidelines of HITEC in San Antonio, which is part of why it was possible at all. It brought together operators and suppliers who are based across different regions of the world and are rarely in the…
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Rethinking Distribution in The Age of Data and Direct Relationships
20 July 2026For decades, hotel distribution followed a fairly straight forward rule – the more places you showed up, the more bookings you captured. Visibility in front of your target audience was considered the win. OTA’s, GDS connections and third party partnerships were stacked higher and wider, and success was measured by how many channels offered your rates. That playbook worked until it didn’t. In our current market, that same approach often comes at a cost due to margin pressure, diluted loyalty…
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Hotel Wholesalers Now Distribute Rooms Across 135 Markets, Potentially Diluting Direct Customer Relationships for Hotels
20 July 2026💰 Jul 20, 2026, by Markus Busch. The wholesale hotel industry is evolving, with traditional contracts becoming obsolete. Rocket Travel by Agoda, part of Booking Holdings, integrates hotel inventories into systems accessible to banks like Citi (since 2023) and airlines. HBX’s single connection reaches over 60,000 sellers in 135 markets. Hotels face losing direct customer relationships as rooms sell through third-party portals, impacting loyalty. Wholesale deals now cost both margin and customer retention. The guest’s stay remains the only chance…
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Spain Hotel Bookings Surge 76% and ADR Increases 85% Due to Upcoming Total Solar Eclipse in August
17 July 2026📈 Spain is experiencing a 76% increase in hotel bookings and an 85% rise in ADR due to the August 12 total solar eclipse, the first from mainland Spain in 120 years. 🚀 Connectivity is vital for hotels to enter the AI commerce layer, as per hospitality.today and reconline AG. Despite rising costs, 56% of Americans plan summer trips. Global guest satisfaction reached 87.3% in Q2 2026, with response times improving to 3.7 days. Faraway Hotels launched simultaneously in the…
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Hotels See 30% Increase in Average Order Spend with Mobile Ordering, Enhancing Guest Experience and Revenue
17 July 2026📱 Digital mobile ordering boosts hotel F&B operations by enhancing service efficiency and increasing revenue. Guests spend an average of 30% more per order with digital menus, accessing QR codes for seamless ordering anywhere in the hotel. This integrated system minimizes order errors, ensures menu accuracy, and offers multi-lingual options, improving guest satisfaction and loyalty. By reducing friction, hotels can better compete with third-party apps and maintain brand consistency across multiple properties.
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Dream Vacation Orlando Introduces Owner-Adjusted Performance Report to Address Profitability Measurement Gap in Vacation Rentals
17 July 2026🏠 Dream Vacation Orlando, managing over 120 properties in Greater Orlando, identifies a measurement gap in vacation rental earnings. Unlike hotels, where USALI provides clarity, rental management splits costs between management companies and owners, obscuring total returns. With high occupancy but declining revenue in Central Florida, operators lacking unit-level data risk unexplained margin compression. The new Owner-Adjusted Performance Report integrates management and owner data for clarity, enabling data-driven decisions over mere intuition.
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Cloudbeds Hospitality Management System Used by Tens of Thousands of Properties Across Over 150 Countries
17 July 2026🏨 Cloudbeds, founded in 2012, is a leading hospitality management system used by tens of thousands of properties across 150+ countries. Recognized for eight consecutive years by Hotel Tech Report as a top Hotel Management System and Best Place to Work, it integrates operations, distribution, guest experience, and revenue marketing to enhance direct bookings and pricing strategies for ambitious hoteliers and large hotel groups.
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X Hospitality Implements Cloudbeds Platform to Transform The Blue Hotel Bondi into a Digital-First Guest Experience
17 July 2026💻 At Bondi Beach, The Blue Hotel features 33 rooms and uses Cloudbeds to offer a fully digital guest journey. During COVID-19, owners and X Hospitality crafted a seamless mobile-first experience, eliminating traditional front desks. Guests engage via familiar messaging channels with a four-step pre-arrival process. Cloudbeds integrates with systems like Goki for keyless entry and Flexkeeping for housekeeping. X Hospitality, expanding from 8 to 40 employees, now employs this model across Australia, advising intuitive, scalable technology for hospitality growth.
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AI Search Platforms Like ChatGPT and Gemini Revolutionize Hotel Discovery and Booking Strategies
17 July 2026📈 Hotels must optimize for AI search across platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude. These AI tools rely on data from websites, review sites, and trusted sources. A consistent, clear, and accessible online presence helps hotels improve visibility. Using structured data, accurate Google Business Profiles, and relevant content is key. Hotels should focus on generative engine optimization (GEO) to enhance their AI search rankings and increase direct booking opportunities. Adapting now builds trust and visibility across multiple platforms.
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Shiji’s Q2 2026 Report Shows 62% of Global Hotel Reviews from Booking.com and Google, Highlights Satisfaction Rise
17 July 2026📚 In Q2 2026, Shiji’s benchmark report revealed improvements in global guest satisfaction and review response. Booking.com and Google contributed over 62% of global review volume. Hotels engaging in timely feedback responses exhibited higher satisfaction metrics. Shifts in review sources highlighted travelers’ evolving feedback habits. The report covered regions such as Asia, Europe, and North America, offering a comparative analysis of guest experiences. It emphasized reputation management as crucial for competitive advantage in hospitality.
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SiteMinder Reports 76% Increase in Hotel Bookings in Spain Ahead of August 2026 Total Solar Eclipse
17 July 2026☀️ Hotel demand surges in Spain ahead of the August 12, 2026, solar eclipse, with bookings up 76% and prices 85% higher in Asturias compared to last year. A Coruña sees a 65% rise in bookings, Palma 75%, and Valencia 75%. Guests are booking earlier, with lead times up 77% in Asturias. However, stays are shorter, with Asturias seeing a 36% drop in length. The eclipse attracts more international guests, boosting tourism demand across Spain.
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Expedia Group and RateHawk Redefine Hotel Connectivity as Key Competitive Advantage through Autonomous Distribution Systems
17 July 2026🏨 June 22 saw Expedia Group and RateHawk redefine hotel connectivity, emphasizing its role in competition. Expedia surveyed 1,500 hotel decision makers, differentiating “basic” and “full” connectivity, and introduced “autonomous distribution” as a new operational model. Only half of fully connected hotels automate OTA tasks, while 74% of unconnected ones do tasks manually. Despite benefits like increased occupancy and reduced manual work, 32% of hoteliers fear losing control over pricing and inventory. Connectivity becomes crucial for competitive advantage.
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Many Hotel Event Spaces Underperform Due to Lack of Key Metrics Like Utilisation Rate and RevPASM Tracking
17 July 2026📅 Meetings and events can constitute up to 50% of hotel revenue, often more at dedicated venues. Key metrics include utilisation rate (60-75% ideal), attendee density, and revenue per square metre. Challenges arise due to dispersed data systems. Proper data management can identify underutilised spaces and enable dynamic pricing. Consistent performance tracking aids forecasting and investment decisions. A 150 sqm room generating $12,000 monthly equals $80/sqm. Effective data usage leads to strategic pricing adjustments.
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Koddi Launches ‘Occupancy Insights’ Feature to Mitigate Budget Skewing in Hotel Metasearch Bid Automation
17 July 2026📈 Jul 15, 2026, Koddi launched Occupancy Insights to optimize hotel campaigns on platforms like Google and Expedia. Koddi argues traditional bid automation favors already-popular properties, pushing budgets towards these winners. The feature lets hotels adjust bids based on occupancy and other metrics to avoid overspending on high-demand dates. Koddi provides no evidence for their claim, urging hoteliers to analyze their data for effective spending rather than relying solely on automated systems.
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Expedia and RateHawk Redefine Connectivity as Essential for Hotel Distribution, Emphasizing Machine-Readable Systems
17 July 2026🏨 Jul 17, 2026, Expedia Group and RateHawk redefine connectivity as central to hotel distribution. Expedia surveyed 1,500 hotel decision makers, highlighting the shift from basic to full connectivity and unveiling autonomous distribution. RateHawk’s research emphasizes standardized, machine-readable formats. Despite benefits like higher occupancy and reduced manual work, 32% of hoteliers fear losing pricing control. Connectivity is now essential for competition, with Expedia and RateHawk shaping how hotels operate commercially.
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Rocco Forte Hotels Adopts Sion Platform to Pay Advisor Commissions Within 48 Hours of Processing
17 July 2026💰 Rocco Forte Hotels, as of July 17, 2026, pays advisors within 24-48 hours post-processing via Sion. The industry’s average payment time is 39 days post-checkout, with Onyx CenterSource handling commissions for most. Only 52% of hotels use direct debit, causing delays. Rocco Forte commits to 20-day payments post-checkout. ASTA plans to publish a watchlist for late-paying hotels. Ensure your hotel’s checkout-to-commission timeline is minimized to avoid advisor dissatisfaction.
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Hospitality Social Media Summit to Debut at Chicago Booth London with Two-Day Program and Six-Month Digital Development
16 July 2026📱 The Hospitality Social Media Summit will take place at Chicago Booth School of Business in London on September 3-4, 2026. This two-day event provides executive education for hospitality social leaders, followed by six months of digital development. Led by industry experts like Whitney Reynolds, Laura Ferrari, and Santiago García Solimei, the program focuses on strategic social media management, practical labs, and AI applications. Delegates leave with actionable frameworks, plans, and a certified completion certificate.
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Visa Launches New Hotel Booking Feature for 4.4 Billion Cardholders, Potentially Shifting Hotel Distribution Dynamics
16 July 2026💳 Visa, with 4.4 billion cardholders, enters hotel distribution, enabling direct hotel bookings using card credentials. Hotels face booking friction, with direct rates stuck at 5-15%, while digital wallets double mobile bookings. 38% of hoteliers cite integration as a key tech challenge. Cross-departmental training cuts turnover by 45%, offering 2.5x ROI in 18 months. Langham Hospitality saves food waste across five markets; Hyatt sees demand from destination weddings. New hotels open in Charleston, Plano, and near Yellowstone.
