Track SHR Group in one place. This hub aggregates the latest news and product updates around SHR’s CRS, booking engine and revenue tools for hotels, as covered by trusted sources. Follow a long-standing distribution and revenue technology provider.
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Why digital keys are the future of security and guest experience
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30 October 2026Why hand out plastic when every guest has a phone? FLEXIPASS explains how digital keys improve security and streamline arrivals. The post Why digital keys are the future of security and guest experience appeared first on Cloudbeds.
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Digital registration cards speed hotel check-in by collecting guest information before arrival and reducing paperwork
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30 October 2026🏨 Akia’s October 30, 2026 article outlines 5 benefits of digital hotel registration: faster check-ins, operational efficiency, automated data collection, improved security, and a better pre-arrival experience. Guests complete forms via email or text before arrival, submitting identification, payment authorization, and signatures. Property management system integration reduces manual entry and errors, while digital forms enable upgrades and personalized offers. Hotels can retain in-person service through a hybrid approach.
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Hotel guest loyalty strategies for independent hotels
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30 October 2026Forget points. Real guest loyalty is earned when your hotel delivers experiences too good to forget. The post Hotel guest loyalty strategies for independent hotels appeared first on Cloudbeds.
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How to conduct a hotel competitive analysis in 7 steps, from competitor selection to rate and performance benchmarking
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29 October 2026🏨 A 2026 survey of 450 senior revenue decision-makers found 43% of hotels lacked a revenue management system. Half of independent properties base pricing decisions on competitor rates. The guide recommends benchmarking 5–7 direct competitors, comparing equivalent rooms and booking terms, and checking rates 30–90 days ahead. Track occupancy, average daily rate and revenue per available room using MPI, ARI and RGI. Review rates weekly, performance monthly and positioning quarterly; assign three actions with owners and deadlines.
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Deevana Hotels & Resorts commits to 45% plant-based share of protein purchases by weight by 2030
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29 October 2026🌱 Deevana Hotels & Resorts, operating 4-star properties in Phuket and Krabi, Thailand, aims for a 45:55 split of plant-based to animal-based protein purchases by weight by 2030. Developed with NGO Lever Foundation, the policy expands plant-based menu choices without eliminating animal protein, supporting sustainability and diverse dietary preferences. The group also targets a 5% greenhouse-gas emissions reduction by 2026, alongside existing waste management, water and energy conservation, and mangrove planting initiatives.
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Plant-Forward Oyster Oyster in Washington, DC Earns Three-Star Food Made Good Rating in 2026
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29 October 2026🌱 Chef-partner Rob Rubba’s Oyster Oyster in Shaw, Washington, DC, earned three stars in its first Food Made Good assessment in 2026. After nearly 17 years cooking meat and fish, Rubba champions seasonal, plant-forward tasting menus supporting regional farms and healthy soil. One course features a local oyster, with a vegan alternative available. The restaurant reduces waste by transforming stems, skins and seeds into dishes and drinks, while running weekly staff learning sessions.
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Hotel Net Promoter Score measures guests’ willingness to recommend, with a hospitality industry average of 44
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28 October 2026🏨 Hoteliers use Net Promoter Score (NPS), developed by Fred Reichheld in 2003, to measure guests’ willingness to recommend their hotel. Scores range from −100 to +100, calculated as the percentage of promoters (9–10 ratings) minus detractors (0–6). Hospitality’s average is 44, while survey response rates hover around 20%. Sending surveys within 24 hours of checkout and acting on feedback helps improve loyalty. Bain reports over 80% of referrals come from promoters.
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Accor and Corinthia Group partner to bring five Verdi hotels into Handwritten Collection starting in November
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28 October 2026🏨 Accor and Corinthia Group will bring five Verdi Hotels in Malta, Portugal and Tunisia into Handwritten Collection starting in November, with further expansion planned in Hungary and the Czech Republic. The partnership gives hotels access to Accor’s distribution, loyalty and commercial capabilities while preserving their identities and operational expertise. Handwritten Collection already spans more than 50 hotels across 22 countries, with 58 additional properties in its pipeline.
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Meta launches Muse AI agent in Japan, its first market outside North America, with Trip.com, Agoda and 426,000 Klook experiences
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28 October 2026🇯🇵 Meta’s Muse AI agent has launched in Japan, its first market outside North America, on iOS, Android and web. Integrations include Trip.com, Agoda, Stripe and Shopify. Klook connects 426,000 bookable experiences across 4,600 destinations; with traveller approval, Muse places orders, redirects users to Klook for payment and saves bookings in chat. Following Muse’s September launch, Expedia Group announced an integration. Klook marketing SVP Jakii Chu highlighted the expansion on October 23.
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Agoda and Traveloka sign reciprocal hotel distribution deals with Emerging Travel Group, whose RateHawk platform serves over 110,000 travel professionals
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28 October 2026🏨 Agoda announced a hotel-sharing partnership with RateHawk owner Emerging Travel Group on 15 October; Traveloka followed on 27 October. Both gain inventory across Europe, the US, Latin America and the Middle East, while ETG gains Asia-Pacific hotels. RateHawk serves over 110,000 travel professionals, offering 3.2 million options from 350-plus suppliers and 250,000 directly contracted hotels. Overlapping B2B and consumer inventory weakens exclusive-access advantages, though prices, availability and cancellation terms still vary.
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Mandarin Oriental plans to reopen Budapest’s historic Gellért Hotel in 2028 with 143 rooms and suites
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28 October 2026🏨 Mandarin Oriental plans to reopen Budapest’s historic Gellért Hotel in 2028 as its first Hungarian property. Opened in 1918 and owned by BDPST Group, the Art Nouveau landmark on the Buda side will feature 143 rooms and suites designed by Alexander Waterworth Interiors. Restoration guided by archival photographs and plans will preserve historic spaces. Wellness facilities will include seven treatment areas, an indoor pool beneath a retractable glass roof, a sauna and a cold plunge pool.
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Fletcher Hotels, Netherlands’ Largest Hotel Chain, Acquired by India’s Sunday PropTech, Covering 170 Properties
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26 October 2026🏨 Who? Fletcher Hotels, Sunday PropTech, Prism (OYO parent), Egeria. When? Announced recently; key events: 2016, 2021, 2026. Where? Netherlands, Germany, Belgium. What? Sunday PropTech acquires Fletcher Hotels with 170 hotels and 5,800 employees. How? Acquisition by an Indian-backed entity; no rebranding planned. Key stats: 130 owned, 40 partner hotels. Notable history: OYO’s growth, rebranding as Prism, upcoming IPO in India. Strategy: 3-4 star hotels, unique locations.
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Meta’s Muse AI Gains Over 10 Million Users in Six Weeks, Partners with Expedia and Duffel for Travel Services
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26 October 2026🌍 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized travel as a key use case for Muse, Meta’s AI agent. During Meta’s Q3 earnings call, he highlighted plans to monetize Muse by taking a percentage of the value it creates. Travel partners include Expedia for hotel bookings and Duffel for flights. Cloudbeds aims to integrate Muse with U.S. hotel booking engines by Q1 2027. Over 10 million users in the U.S. and Canada activated Muse in six weeks, with 25% using it daily.…
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Kempinski’s Single Brand Portfolio of 70+ Hotels Attracts Interest Amid Potential Sale, Offering Diversification for Major Hotel Groups
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26 October 2026🏨 Kempinski, with over 70 hotels under a single brand, stands out amidst major hotel chains like Accor (50+ brands), Marriott (35+), and Hilton (25+). While big groups eye luxury expansion, Kempinski offers a unique diversification opportunity, especially lacking U.S. properties. However, selling Kempinski could impact Global Hotel Alliance, as it represents 7% of their portfolio. Despite Hyatt’s interest due to its presence in Germany, financial constraints may hinder its acquisition capabilities.
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Hotel guests can split costs with BNPL; 17% of US summer travelers planned to use it in 2026
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24 October 2026🏨 Expedia Group expanded its Affirm partnership in January 2026, bringing installment payments to Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo in the US. A 2026 NerdWallet survey found 17% of US summer travelers planned to use buy now, pay later. Hotels receive payment upfront minus fees, while providers collect guest installments and assume repayment risk. Affirm reports hotel booking values can rise by up to 48%, highlighting potential benefits for hotels offering flexible payments directly.
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Hotel POS systems connect restaurant, spa and gift shop billing: A guide to 24 providers
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22 October 2026🏨 Hotels use point-of-sale systems to connect restaurant, spa and shop purchases with guest bills. Integrating POS with property management systems automates charges, reduces billing errors and tracks revenue. Hospitality POS terminals are projected to reach $8.3 billion globally by 2032, while hotel upselling represents a $28 billion opportunity. An Australian hotel chain increased food-and-beverage spending by 8% using in-room QR codes and poolside handheld terminals. Cloudbeds offers native POS and third-party integrations.
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Lighthouse Study Confirms Flight Searches Predict Hotel Demand, Providing Up to 10 Weeks’ Advance Insight on Occupancy Trends
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22 October 2026📈 Lighthouse research shows flight and hotel searches indicate future hotel demand, with strong correlations found in both 2022 and data from 2024-2026. For example, in Washington, flight searches for July 4, 2026, were 40% above the prior year, leading to a 98% occupancy. In Milan, hotel searches were 60% higher before the Winter Olympics, raising occupancy to 86%. Such data allows hotels to adjust pricing and marketing strategies in advance, enhancing revenue opportunities.
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Kempinski CEO Barbara Muckermann Departs with Top Executives Amid Forecasted 2025 Profit Decline
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22 October 2026🏨 Barbara Muckermann exits Kempinski as CEO after 2.5 years, joined by finance, people, development, and brand chiefs. Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group, founded in 1897, faces challenges as it anticipates a sharp drop in pretax profits for 2025. This marks the fifth CEO departure since 2014. Kempinski operates 74 hotels. Skift implies internal disputes, highlighting broader concerns about European companies’ decline, signaling potential risks for the luxury sector.
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Creating a Hotel Business Plan in 2027: Essential Steps for Success and Financial Viability
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22 October 2026🏨 A hotel business plan serves as a roadmap and a funding document, crucial for proving concepts before capital investment. By 2027, key sections include executive summaries, financial projections focused on occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, and GOPPAR, and strategic plans for marketing and operations. Emphasizing competitive analysis, realistic financial modeling, and technology integration is vital. Aim for financing readiness with contractor quotes and lender shortlists before contracts. Regularly update the plan to align with market realities and goals.
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Sous Vide Cooking Offers Solutions for Labor Shortages, Cost Management, and Consistency in High-Volume Kitchens
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21 October 2026🍴 Labor shortages, rising costs, and staffing issues challenge kitchens. Sous vide offers solutions by improving consistency, labor efficiency, and yield. It’s beneficial for high-volume operations, reducing send-backs and improving plate yields by 8-10% in banquet settings. Sous vide requires fewer skilled hours, enhances menu flexibility, and centralizes production. Investment in sous vide yields ROI by improving food costs (5-15% yield), labor savings, and revenue protection. Emphasizing workflow changes over mere equipment purchase is key.
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Wellness Economy Projected to Reach $9.8 Trillion by 2029, Driven by Diverse Business Models and Investments
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21 October 2026🏨 In 2024, CBRE analyzed 297 US hotels with self-operated spas, with revenues growing by 1.4% but profits declining by 0.5%. The Global Wellness Institute predicts the wellness economy will reach $9.8 trillion by 2029. Wellness real estate leads with a 23.6% annual growth since 2019. The average US medical spa generated $1.4 million in 2024. Therme Group and CVC announced a €1 billion joint venture in January 2026 for wellness destinations.
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Google Launches Hotel Booking via AI in U.S., Partners with Major Hotel Chains and OTAs
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21 October 2026🏨 Google has launched AI-driven hotel booking in the U.S., allowing conversational booking and payment via Google Pay. Partners include Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Choice Hotels, Wyndham, Booking.com, Expedia, and Trip.com. This shift from search-based booking to AI recommendations is set to redefine hotel distribution. The focus is moving from visibility to AI compatibility. The future could see AI agents booking hotels based on user preferences and history, prompting a new focus on recommendation rather than search optimization.
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Barbara Muckermann Steps Down as CEO After Kempinski’s Portfolio Shrinks from 82 to 75 Hotels, Revenue Falls.
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20 October 2026📈 In 2022, Barbara Muckermann, the first female president of the Hospitality Awards, aimed to restore a 127-year-old hotel group’s prestige. Upon her arrival, Kempinski had 82 hotels in 36 countries. The portfolio shrank to 75 hotels in 33 countries, with 2024 revenue dropping to €164.6 million from €174.9 million. Net profit increased to €17.6 million. Muckermann introduced direct property acquisition, securing a flagship in Prague to enhance European presence.
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Hotel Budgeting Focuses on Stable Patterns and Per-Guest Growth, Less on Room Night Increases
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20 October 2026📋 In hotel budgeting, most destinations display consistent yearly patterns. For a 100-room hotel with 65% occupancy, adding €10 per room night from upgrades and additional guest spending can boost revenue by €237,250 annually, translating to approximately €190,000 in profit. This profit is achievable without new guests, unlike the 1,950 extra room nights necessary to garner similar profits from room sales alone, highlighting the value of focusing on per-guest revenue growth.
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Hotel CRM systems centralize guest data as OTAs account for 63.4% of independent hotel bookings
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20 October 2026🏨 Cloudbeds’ report, based on 90 million bookings, finds online travel agencies generate 63.4% of independent hotel bookings, up 2 percentage points annually. Cancellation rates reach 21.8%, versus 10.6% for direct bookings. New guests can cost up to 20 times more to acquire than returning guests. Hotel CRMs unify guest data and automate personalized marketing to encourage direct bookings. Hotel 1550 SFO increased its direct-booking share from 8–10% to 18% after adopting Cloudbeds’ unified platform.
