Track lastminute.com (SWX: LMN) in one place. This hub aggregates the latest news and product moves around the European OTA group, curated by 10 Minutes News. Follow a well-known name in online travel.
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Karen Stephens Explores Evolving Hotel F&B Concepts with Ami Alexander on Revinate’s Hotel Moment Podcast
12 August 2026🏨 In a recent Hotel Moment podcast, Karen Stephens of Revinate and Ami Alexander of Barrel Aged Management explored the transformation of hotel food and beverage (F&B). They discussed the evolving guest expectations for authentic, locally-inspired dining experiences. Alexander emphasized the significance of brand storytelling in creating memorable hospitality concepts. The conversation highlighted the strategic role of F&B in hotel operations, offering insights into how innovative design and thoughtful concepts can drive guest loyalty and enhance overall guest experiences.
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Lindsey Ueberroth of Preferred Travel Group Highlights Success of Independent Hotels in Post-“Beigification” Era
6 August 2026📰 In a Hotel Moment podcast episode, Karen Stephens and Lindsey Ueberroth discuss the decline of hotel brand uniformity in favor of unique, independent hotels. Preferred Hotels and Resorts, under Ueberroth’s leadership, includes over 625 hotels across 80 countries. Key trends include a focus on personalized guest experiences, heritage travel, and the role of AI in hospitality. Their Luxury Travel Report highlights the increasing importance of loyalty programs and travel advisors.
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Luxury Hospitality Shifts Focus from Exclusivity to Human-Centered Experiences, Says Aethos CEO Lily Wecker
30 July 2026📰 In a recent Hotel Moment podcast episode, Dylan Cole from Revinate and Lily Wecker of Aethos discussed evolving luxury trends in hospitality. Aethos recently opened a restaurant in London and targets experiential luxury, attracting mainly Gen Z and Millennials, with over half of their guests under 40. Their approach favors high emotional density over exclusivity, promoting connection and mindfulness. Aethos’ Milan property exemplifies this by encouraging guest interaction. The ultimate goal for Aethos is fostering a sense of belonging.
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Booking Holdings Faces Challenges in Realizing “Connected Trip” Vision Amid Antitrust Issues and AI Competition
27 July 2026🗺️ In 2019, Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel introduced the “connected trip” strategy. By 2023, Booking Holdings’ operations face challenges: its attempted $1.6 billion acquisition of Etraveli was blocked by the EU over antitrust concerns. Booking’s business shifted from a 27% merchant mix in 2019 to 70% recently. The company’s grand vision is hindered by technical, legal, and financial challenges, while AI developments threaten its relevance. Booking must adapt or risk losing control over coordinating end-to-end travel services.
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Dream Inn Santa Cruz Builds Guest Loyalty Through Storytelling and Personalized Campaigns, Says Director Lydia Bates
16 July 2026🏨 Hotel Moment podcast features Lydia Bates, Director of Sales and Marketing at Dream Inn Santa Cruz, discussing the hotel’s emphasis on human-led hospitality. The Dream Inn in Santa Cruz, California, built in the 1960s, offers 165 rooms with ocean views, leveraging storytelling and personalization to boost guest loyalty. The hotel uses pre-arrival communications and local expertise to enhance guest experiences and convert OTA visitors into direct bookers. Creative campaigns like “Ride Out the Storm” address seasonal demand fluctuations.
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Aparium Hotel Group Emphasizes Emotional Connection and Authentic Storytelling Over AI in Hospitality Experience
3 July 2026📰 In 2023, Revinate’s CMO, Karen Stephens, discusses with Dina Niekamp from Aparium Hotel Group how AI is complementing but not replacing the essential human touch in hospitality. Aparium, known for its eight hotels deeply rooted in local communities, embraces emotional connections and authenticity. Aparium’s “fifth meatball” philosophy empowers staff to anticipate guest needs. Their unique “translocal” approach integrates local culture with strong food and beverage offerings, creating memorable guest experiences.
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Hotel Teams Urged to Move Beyond Data Reporting to Drive Growth with AI, Says Sage Hospitality Expert
30 June 2026📈 In a Hotel Moment podcast episode, Karen Stephens, Revinate’s Chief Marketing Officer, interviews Jeff Michael, Area Director of Revenue Management at Sage Hospitality Group, about leveraging data in hospitality. Emphasizing AI’s role, they highlight its potential to enhance guest personalization at scale, aligning revenue, sales, and marketing for profitability. Stephens, based in San Francisco, has been with Revinate for over 11 years, recently transitioning from Chief Revenue Officer after achieving their highest booking in Q4 2023.
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Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol Set to Transform Hotel Booking with AI, Impacting Distribution Strategies for Hoteliers
19 June 2026🛌 In an episode of Hotel Moment, hosts Karen Stephens and Dylan Cole discuss the impact of Google’s expansion into hotel booking with its Universal Commerce Protocol. The next 12 months are crucial for hotel distribution. AI-powered search and agent-to-agent booking are transforming the landscape. Hotels must focus on AI discoverability, clean data, and direct booking strategies. Karen Stephens, with over 25 years in hospitality tech, leads Revinate’s marketing efforts and hosts the podcast.
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Google Expands Hotel Booking with Universal Commerce Protocol, Revolutionizing AI-Driven Hotel Discovery and Distribution
19 June 2026🛒 Hosts Karen Stephens and Dylan Cole explore Google’s expansion into hotel bookings through its Universal Commerce Protocol on ‘Hotel Moment.’ They discuss AI’s impact on hotel bookings and the upcoming 12 crucial months for hotel distribution. Key themes include AI-powered search, OTA roles, and strategies for hotels to enhance discoverability and trust. Karen, with 25 years in hospitality tech, has led Revinate’s marketing efforts, achieving a record-breaking booking quarter in Q4 2023.
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Lastminute.com to Cut 25% of Workforce, Reinvest €16 Million in AI-Powered Travel Technology by 2027
18 June 2026📈 On June 17, 2026, Lastminute.com announced a 25% workforce reduction across multiple countries by the end of 2026, saving €16 million annually from 2027. This restructuring supports the transition to an AI-powered travel platform, emphasizing data infrastructure and AI expertise. Operating in over 35 countries, the company aims to automate flight-hotel package assembly, reducing reliance on human curation and prioritizing data-driven decision-making for hotel inventory inclusion.
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Wilhelm Luxem Discusses Integrating Technology to Enhance Service in Luxury Hotels on Hotel Moment Podcast
17 June 2026🏨 In a conversation on Hotel Moment, Wilhelm Luxem, with a 50-year career in luxury hospitality, emphasizes technology’s role in enhancing service. His approach includes a two-week training rule and addressing the demand for personalized experiences, aiming to maintain authentic human connections. Karen Stephens, Revinate’s Chief Marketing Officer with over 25 years in hospitality tech, hosts the podcast. In her current role, she led Revinate to its highest booking quarter in Q4 2023.
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Booking Site to Close on June 2; Last Day for Bookings is May 15, Company Confirms
17 April 2026📅 Bookings can be made through May 15, with the site closing on June 2, as per the company announcement.
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Ecommpay Report Identifies £16.5 Billion Revenue Potential for UK Travel Industry Through Improved Payment Strategies
11 March 2026🛰 With a staggering cart abandonment rate of 81.7% in e-commerce, the UK travel sector could unlock £16.5 billion by optimizing payment strategies. Ecommpay’s report analyzed 2025 payment stacks of top OTAs like Booking.com and Airbnb, identifying gaps and innovations. Mobile-first experiences and flexible payment options like BNPL and open banking are crucial. Enhancing payment processes can boost conversion rates, trust, and revenue for travel brands.
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Recast: Why regenerative tourism is the future of hospitality
29 January 2026🏨 Karen Stephens and Aradhana Khowala discuss the future of tourism on the Hotel Moment Podcast. Aradhana, with two decades of experience across 85 countries, emphasizes the shift from sustainability to regenerative tourism, advocating for industries to give back more than they take. She critiques current travel AI as “lipstick on legacy” and highlights the need for systemic change in tourism. Amid global instability, tourism faces challenges, with lost revenues and reduced bookings impacting local economies.
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Australia, 2026, and hospitality: What’s actually changing?
22 January 2026📰 Australia 2026: Hospitality trends reveal high operating costs, strong domestic travel, and a mix of properties. The focus is on personalization using real-time guest data to enhance bookings and on-property spending. Unified tech stacks are vital due to staff shortages, while privacy remains crucial amid recent data breaches. Revinate’s platform supports over 12,500 hotels driving $17.2 billion in direct revenue. Strategies prioritize guest experience and real-time data utilization over merely increasing tech tools.
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lastminute.com launches MCP server for…
21 January 2026✈️ European OTA lastminute.com has launched its first Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server for flights, built entirely in-house. This marks the first step in their multi-year AI infrastructure roadmap. The company aims to enhance scalability and AI capabilities as part of a three-year strategic plan. The MCP Server is now available on the Anthropic Marketplace for developers. CEO Alessandro Petazzi emphasizes AI as a strategic asset to improve customer experience and operational efficiency.
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Cloudbeds partners with Jumbonline to expand global distribution for hotels
19 January 2026💻 Cloudbeds, based in San Diego, partners with Jumbonline to enhance hotel distribution globally. The integration offers access to Jumbonline’s network of over 2,500 travel agents and 3,000 clients, including TUI and Lastminute.com. Hotels benefit from visibility across 37 destinations, with Jumbonline processing up to one billion searches daily. Real-time synchronization reduces overbookings. Founded in 2012, Cloudbeds operates in 150 countries with accolades from 2021-2026. Jumbonline connects 120,000 hotels, using a high-performance API.
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European hoteliers: Here are your 2026 hospitality trends
14 January 2026🌐 Revinate Europe Managing Director, Dylan Cole, discusses 2026 hospitality trends in Europe. Key trends include hyperpersonalization, unified tech stacks, real-time decision-making, and cybersecurity. Different regions face unique challenges: UK & Ireland focus on margins; DACH emphasizes data privacy; Northern Europe demands high personalization; Southern Europe enhances in-stay revenue. Tech stacks simplify operations across Europe. Real-time data is crucial for adapting to fast-changing guest behavior. Privacy and trust are essential for brand integrity and guest loyalty.
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Shoulder season starts to rival summer…
15 December 2025🗺️ Departure growth at lastminute.com soared in 2025, with increases of 7% in September, 12% in October, and 23% in November, marking November as the fastest-growing month. Shoulder season travel now constitutes 19% of annual trips, reaching 58% of summer’s peak size. Top destinations include Mallorca, Tenerife, Crete, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. Notably, bookings to London surged 30% during late November, coinciding with Radiohead’s concerts. Beach breaks account for 60% of autumn travel.
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Travel firms named among ‘top challenger…
17 October 2025🗺️ Ryanair, Airbnb, easyJet, lastminute.com, and Booking.com are among the UK’s top challenger brands, as per the Trouble Making 100 Report. Ryanair ranked 3rd, easyJet 53rd, lastminute.com 70th, Airbnb 18th, and Booking.com 72nd. The report uses consumer perspectives, awareness scores, and ad spend data from the past 18 months, narrowing 400 brands to 100. Virgin also made the list, but not specifically for its travel brands.
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Media agency Forward launches new creative…
11 September 2025🌐 Forward, part of lastminute.com, has launched a new creative production division enhancing its end-to-end travel industry services. This expansion integrates their media and insights strategies, aiming to combat fragmented strategies and improve campaign consistency. Creativity drives 50% of campaign success, prompting 65% of marketers to focus more on quality. Forward’s team includes creatives and digital producers, supported by external filmmakers, working with clients like the Abu Dhabi Tourism Board and American Express to deliver data-driven advertising solutions.
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Boatscribe secures fix-figure investment…
9 September 2025This article was written by Travolution. Click here to read the original article Yacht rental platform aims to make yachting mainstream Yacht rental marketplace Boatscribe has raised a six-figure investment as it bids to make yachting a mainstream and accessible travel experience. The metasearch platform has secured the funding from family-owned fleet operator EOS Yacht Charter and hopes to use the investment to open the yacht charter market to millions. “Within the next three years, our goal is to be…
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The Untapped Goldmine: Why Regional OTAs Could Be Your Hotel’s Secret to Higher Occupancy
3 September 2025📰 Asia, Middle East, and Europe are seeing a rise in regional OTAs like Traveloka, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, and HRS. These platforms target specific markets, increasing visibility and conversion rates. STAAH connects to over 2,000 OTAs, enabling seamless management of global and regional channels. Real-time updates, dynamic pricing, and integration with PMS make it efficient for hotels to manage multiple platforms, ensuring significant reach and relevance without additional workload.
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Tourism Innovation Summit is back for its…
22 July 2025🗺 Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS) occurs on October 22-24, 2025, at FIBES Seville. Over 8,000 professionals will attend, with 400 experts across five auditoriums. The summit addresses digitalization, sustainability, and traveler profiles. Key speakers include CEOs from Lastminute.com and WeRoad. 200 companies will exhibit tech solutions, and South Korea will be the guest country. Events like the Tourism Innovation Awards and Touristech Startup Fest will highlight disruptive projects. Registration is open.
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Tourism Industry: Everything You Need to Know About Tourism
16 May 2025This article was written by Revfine. Click here to read the original article The tourism industry, also known as the travel industry, is linked to people traveling to other locations, either domestically or internationally, for leisure, social, or business purposes. It is closely connected to the hotel industry, the hospitality industry, and the transport industry. Much of it is based on keeping tourists happy, occupied, and equipped with the things they need during their time away from home. Table of…
