Airbnb seems set up for hotel expansion, competition with OTAs
Airbnb is changing its service fee structure from split to single fee, potentially positioning the company to compete with online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia and Booking.com. But not all affected will benefit. While it may give the…
read more
Can ‘fun’ shake up franchising in Asia Pacific?
Ovolo bets its ‘fun’ ethos and unique design can rewrite the rules of franchising in Asia Pacific, but is the region ready for non-conformity?
read more
With AI, Could We Lose the Art in Culinary Arts?
AI has many uses and applications, from optimising operations to streamlining service. But when it comes to creativity, where do chefs stand?
read more
Matt Preston reveals his biggest hotel gripes
If your hotel room doesn’t have these basic features you really need to lift your booking game.
read more
Luxury hotel REIT Braemar up for sale
The luxury hotel REIT said it doesn’t believe it “can flourish in today’s market environment” and will begin the sales process immediately.
read more
Hotel pricing in 2025: Key takeaways for hoteliers from H1 to H2
Economic uncertainty and shifting traveler habits reshaped hotel rates in early 2025. While most regions felt the pressure, a few notable markets managed to defy the trend.
read more
Why Trinity’s CEO is bullish on the current deal environment
CEO Sean Hehir discusses Trinity’s latest transactions, what he's seeing in the M&A market right now and the robust state of leisure travel.
read more
Amsterdam Hotels on AI Risks: Protecting Guest Privacy with Secure Systems, Ireckonu Warns
In a significant warning to the hospitality industry, Ireckonu, a leading provider of technology solutions for hotels, has raised alarms about the potential privacy risks hotels face when using public AI tools like ChatGPT with guest data. With the…
read more
Roundtable: Middle East Meets West: The logistics of global design
Hotel Designs gathered leading designers and suppliers at Dedar’s London showroom for a candid conversation on navigating the booming Middle Eastern hospitality market…
read more
Booking.com and hotels increasingly go their separate ways
Hotels are reporting a significant recent drop-off in sales from online travel agencies (OTAs), particularly Booking.com, after “leaning” away from them in recent years, alongside other broader industry trends…
read more
Adaptable Ascott leans in to new models
The Ascott Ltd…
read more
There’s A Reason Why You’re Seeing More Hotels With Rounded Shapes
From the sweeping façades of Dubai’s Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab to curved saunas at Austria’s Das Edelweiss, here’s how and why luxury hotels use the power of the curve to shape guest experiences.
read more
Olga Polizzi, Deputy Chairman and Director of Design at Rocco Forte Hotels
As a new chapter unfolds at The Charles Hotel in Munich, Olga Polizzi, speaks candidly about the nuances of revisiting an existing project, the value of creative partnerships, and the subtle shifts in guest expectations…
read more
He bought the world’s oldest passenger ship — and spent $18 million turning it into a hotel
In 1914, two years after the Titanic embarked on its ill-fated maiden voyage, the steam-powered SS Medina rolled off the shipyard at Newport News, Virginia.
read more
Mechanical and semi-automated parking systems offer an alternative to the permanent rigidity of ramps and wide circulation aisles. Systems like stackers or puzzle platforms condense vehicle storage into smaller footprints, freeing up land or…
read more
What next for the hotel lending market?
During the pandemic and its aftermath, there were very few lenders willing to finance hotels. Today things couldn’t be more different. An abundance of different types of finance includes traditional bank loans, debt funds, institutional investors…
read more
Even Babies Are Welcome at the Spa at These Ultra Luxury Resorts
What was once an exclusively grown-up domain is now being marketed as a multigenerational wellness experience appropriate for stressed teenagers, curious elementary schoolers and even toddlers and babies. Gone are the days of dropping your children…
read more
What hotel investors think about capex in 2025
Typically, major hotel owners had set aside four per cent of gross annual revenue for capital improvements (capex) and four to five per cent in reserves for repair, maintenance, and replacement of furniture, fixtures, and Equipment (FF&E), depending…
read more