Who Owns The AI Hotel Stack? A 2×2 Market Map Of Venture Capital’s Biggest Bets
Venture capital has rarely moved with such conviction into a single industry vertical. In the past 18 months alone, more than $2 billion has flowed into AI-native hospitality technology startups, backing companies that promise to rewire everything…
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Why Bob W treats hotels like software
What if a hotel operated less like a hotel, and more like software? In a recent episode ofMattTalks, Niko Karstikko, co-founder and CEO of Bob W, shared how his company is rethinking hospitality from the ground up. Bob W operates nearly 6,000…
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Hospitality sector faces mounting challenges as staffing shortages and rising costs hinder recovery
The hospitality sector in South Africa is caught in a precarious balancing act, grappling with a myriad of challenges that threaten its recovery and future sustainability. According to the inaugural Hospitality Asset Management Company (HAMAC) South…
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Hotel tech is advancing, but operational impact still lags: Otelier
Otelier has released The 2026 Hotel Operations Index: Progress, Pressure, and the Path Forward, an industry report developed in partnership with hospitality software company Agilysys and cloud business management company Sage…
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The gap between the cheapest and most expensive properties in Europe is growing
The gap between Europe’s most expensive and cheapest destinations has nearly doubled in 10 years thanks to the growing cost of luxury properties.
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The other day I spent time with a few of the truly serious humans in the world of networking and security last week. I always find discussions with these industry experts fascinating, particularly the insights into the thought processes of those on…
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World Inequality Report 2026: 56,000 Ultra-Rich Wealthier Than 4 Billion Poorest People
The World Inequality Report 2026 exposes an unprecedented wealth concentration crisis, revealing that just 56,000 ultra-wealthy individuals control more wealth than the poorest half of humanity combined, while calling for urgent global tax reforms…
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What to expect from hospitality and travel technology in 2026
2026 will be defined by two forces: frictionless travel experiences and the industry’s struggle to keep up with AI‑driven change. The hotel industry needs to move from fragmentation to a unified system, but the speed of AI innovation is creating…
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Entering the Era of Stagnation: PR and Communications Predictions for 2026
Midas PR founder Dr Karine Lohitnavy-Frick offers a different perspective on the year ahead
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Irony of Asia’s outdoor lodging market
It’s low-cost, high returns, fast payback. Yet, few takers. Players in Asia’s outdoor lodging want that changed and here’s why and how.
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Who will take on Trump branded residences in India?
Trump Residences Gurgaon, launched in May, sold out all 298 units in five hours, developer Tribeca trumpeted on its website. Featuring two 51-story towers, it is the Trump Organization’s fifth branded residences project in India, a market it entered…
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The Kingdom is poised to witness a massive expansion in its hospitality sector by developing 362,000 hotel rooms to cater for a projected surge in tourism, with 150 million domestic and international visitors expected by 2030…
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How to ensure your luxury offering evolves with the times
Once upon a time, luxury in hospitality was defined by things such as marble floors, expensive silverware and the thread count of the linens. It was about spectacle and exclusivity. Fast forward to the post-Covid era and that is giving way to a…
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Latin American construction pipeline surging
Latin America’s hospitality sector is experiencing solid construction activity that reflects growing confidence in the region’s tourism and business travel prospects, according to the latest data from Lodging Econometrics…
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6 Hotel Marketing Budget Fixes to Survive (and Thrive) This Budget Season
When Q4 hits, hotel marketers and sales teams everywhere brace themselves for what can only be described as the “Game of Thrones” of the hospitality world: Budget Season…
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Hotels are one of the most compelling – and misunderstood – asset classes in commercial real estate.
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The most complete infographic of all the hotel brands of the global hotel industry
About a year ago, I shared the Hotel Brand Pyramid a chart I had picked up at a seminar. It turned out to be both old and incomplete, and the feedback came in fast: wrong brands, missing brands, and far too simplistic for today’s hotel landscape…
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Reimagining the Guest Experience in 2025: Why AI Alone Isn’t the Answer
Travel brands are racing to meet the new demands of digital-native travelers. From AI-powered personalization to seamless guest journeys, everyone claims to be reimagining the guest experience. However, the lived reality for many travelers tells a…
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