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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Claremont Resort’s Haunted Tours Generate 200-Person Waitlist, Selling Out in Six Days This October.
9 October 2026Podcast Sales & Marketing Recap 🏨 Claremont Resort & Club’s October ghost tours sold out in six days, with a 200-person waitlist. This historic hotel, built in 1915, capitalizes on its haunted lore, offering themed experiences like ‘Witching Hour’ teas. Mickey Stout, with over 20 years in hospitality, leads marketing efforts that have broadened guest engagement. The hotel has 276 rooms and hosts 70 weekly Group X classes. Karen Stephens, CMO at Revinate, emphasizes data-driven guest personalization to boost bookings.
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Hotelier Podcast Highlights the Importance of Quality Guest Data Over AI Implementation for Direct Booking Success
1 October 2026💻 55 minutes ago, Dylan Cole, Managing Director, EMEA of Revinate, discussed with Charlie Osmond, Co-Founder of Triptease, the impact of AI on hotel bookings. The conversation highlighted the importance of clean and connected guest data for successful AI integration. By 2026, less than 2% of hotel bookings will come directly from AI platforms like ChatGPT. Hotels must focus on maintaining high-quality data to drive effective marketing, enhance guest personalization, and compete with OTAs in an AI-driven landscape.
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Revinate Report Reveals 92% Failure in Capturing Guest Details in Luxury Hotel Calls, Urges AI-Human Balance
25 September 2026📞 Karen Stephens, CMO of Revinate, highlights hotels’ potential revenue from reservations teams through AI and human collaboration. Revinate’s 2026 report shows 92% of calls to luxury hotels failed to capture guest details, with front desks underperforming compared to central reservations offices. AI excels at simple queries, but 95% of AI deployments fail to improve profits due to inadequate handoffs. Only 41.9% of calls are monitored, highlighting the need for better call handling and strategic planning.
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AI Usage in European Travel: 45% Plan Holidays with AI, 37% Use It During Trips, Report Finds
24 September 2026🛫 European OTA lastminute.com reports a rise in AI use for holiday planning and experiences. 37% of travelers use AI during trips; 57% of Spaniards and 51% of Italians plan trips with AI. 59.6% book low-cost flights with 4-star hotels. Weekend trips increased by 10.1%, with Friday as the main departure day. 18-24 year-olds take 2.33 trips per year. Bookings to cooler destinations are up 9.3%. Extreme weather influences 15% of future travel plans.
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Revinate’s Voice Channel Strategy at The Broadmoor Generates Nearly $1 Million in Booking Revenue Over Three Months
17 September 2026📣 Sarah Stephens of The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs reveals how personalized guest experiences through voice conversations can drive nearly $1 million in direct booking revenue over just three months. With a team of 13-15 agents, her proactive follow-ups and attention to detail enhance both luxury service and revenue. The Broadmoor prides itself as the longest-running Forbes Five-Star hotel, emphasizing memorable guest interactions that begin with a simple reservation call.
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Thomas Bangert’s Travecta Uses AI to Transform Multi-Day Tour Inventory into Structured, Bookable Global Distribution
14 September 2026💻 In a podcast episode of “Everything AI in Travel” featuring Thomas Bangert, founder of Travecta, discusses the challenge of infrastructure in multi-day tours. Thomas, with 26 years in travel and roles at lastminute.com, TripAdvisor, and Amadeus, highlights the absence of a system like Hotelbeds for multi-day tours. Travecta, his fourth startup, aims to transform unstructured local tour data into instantly bookable inventory using AI. This shift could enable seamless connections between DMCs and global distributors.
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Podcast Reveals 92% of Hotel Calls Miss Capturing Guest Contact Information, Missing Opportunities for Direct Bookings
10 September 2026📱 In a Revinate podcast episode, Brent Sanders and Colton Bean discuss transforming hotel reservation calls into personalized experiences. In 2022, a study of 308 calls found 92% of unbooked calls didn’t collect any contact details. Suncadia Resort, using Revinate, emphasizes asking discovery questions to capture guest data. The approach increases direct bookings and fosters long-term relationships. Training agents to capture details naturally and follow up via CRM is crucial for effective engagement and customer retention.
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Study Reveals 92% of Luxury Hotel Calls Fail to Capture Guest Contact Information, Missing Key Revenue Opportunities
4 September 2026📞 In a study by Revinate Hospitality Research Group, 308 mystery shopper calls to 135 luxury hotels revealed significant revenue leaks. 92% of calls didn’t capture guest contact details, with only 4.7% securing emails and 5.4% phone numbers. Calls often failed to ask discovery questions, especially with front desk agents, who managed this 74% of the time. 62.1% of hotels used automated call systems, leading to after-hours booking issues, as 26.3% of calls ended in voicemail.
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Sky Mitchell Transforms Career Setback Into $600 Million Basecamp Resorts Hospitality Empire with Sustainable Focus
3 September 2026📈 Sky Mitchell, Founder and CEO of Basecamp Resorts, turned a career setback into a $600 million hospitality success. After being fired, Mitchell used $38,000 from a BMW financing deal to buy land in Canmore, starting Basecamp. She raised capital while living in a construction trailer and emphasizes hiring smarter team members. Basecamp’s evolution includes Everwild Nordic spas, with a sustainable focus. Karen Stephens, CMO at Revinate, hosts the podcast “Hotel Moment” featuring this journey.
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Omio Joins Online Travel UK, Enhancing Representation of Multimodal Travel in Online Travel Sector
2 September 2026🛫 Omio has joined Online Travel UK (OTUK) in September 2023 to enhance representation in the online travel sector. As part of OTUK, Omio will work with companies like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Expedia Group. OTUK collaborates with government bodies to advocate for a competitive and consumer-centric travel industry in the UK. Catriona Meehan from Omio emphasized the need for open markets and strong competition as travel becomes more international and technology-driven.
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The Malcolm Hotel Invests in 154 Staff Housing Units to Address Labor Shortages and Enhance Guest Experience
19 August 2026🏨 In Canmore, Alberta, Andrew Shepherd, GM of The Malcolm Hotel, highlights the importance of quickly assessing guest needs within 10 seconds to create memorable experiences. The hotel invested in 154 staff housing units to address labor shortages and stabilize their workforce. Emphasizing personalized guest interactions, Shepherd mentions using guest preferences and empowering staff to resolve issues independently. The Malcolm Hotel’s unique Scottish-themed setting, proximity to Banff, and luxurious amenities add to its appeal.
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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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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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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.
