News

A fire broke out at a hotel on Bangkok's Khao San Road, a popular tourist destination, killing three foreigners and injuring several other people, Thai police have said.

Mandarin Oriental has announced full ownership in its branded collection of Exclusive Homes, a portfolio of private vacation homes and mansions, and will operate the business independently. 

Rotana, the internationally renowned hotel management company, has announced plans to construct the first five-star hotel in Somalia, marking a major economic and urban development milestone. The Mogadishu Rotana, set for completion in 2026, will feature 321 keys, including 261 guest rooms and 60 hotel apartments.

Swiss media reports that the Basel branch of the Hotel Association has set a new rule to ensure that price gouging among its members does not occur. The organisation agreed at a meeting in November that for the week of the Eurovision Song Contest, a room should not cost double the rate charged by Basel Tourism for rooms.

The standard for canceling accommodation contracts without a penalty fee is changing from "the day of the contract" to "within 24 hours after the contract."

Practising hospitality activities including daily apartment rentals in Saudi Arabia without licensing from authorities is punishable by fines of up to SR1 million, a legal expert has warned.

As the Maharashtra government has granted permission for all-night New Year celebrations, hotel owners in Mumbai have taken proactive steps to ensure a safe experience for partygoers and prevent any untoward incidents, particularly related to alcohol consumption.

Some hotels in Tbilisi declare that tourist bookings are being actively canceled amid the instability in the country. Bookings are mostly cancalled in the center of the capital. Wyndham Grand Tbilisi, located on Gudiashvili Street told BMG, that their occupancy rate in December does not exceed 20%, which is a sharply reduced figure compared to previous years.

The IIHM Institute of Hospitality Skills (IIHS), India's largest training centre affiliated with the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), proudly announces the grand opening of its state-of-the-art facility in Udaipur today. This centre aims to provide comprehensive hospitality skills courses, catering to professionals seeking to upskill and enhance their career prospects.

The tourist tax in Greece is set to rise, targeting accommodations and cruise passengers to help fund recovery efforts from natural disasters. The Greek parliament, led by a conservative majority, passed the bill to counteract the financial strain caused by climate change-driven events like floods, droughts, and wildfires.

In hotels, as in banking, the real money is in being a capital-light intermediary rather than actually owning things. No wonder Posadas is pursuing its international expansion with an asset-light strategy.

The Federal Trade Commission announced on Friday it finalized an order  requiring Marriott International and subsidiary Starwood Hotels to improve their digital security, reports BleepingComputer. The FTC charged the companies with lax security practices that resulted in three big breaches detected in 2015, 2018, and 2020, “affecting more than 344 million customers worldwide,” leaking passport details, payment cards, and other info.

Auberge Resorts Collection on Feb. 1 will take over management of The Woodward, a lakeside hotel in Geneva, Switzerland. The luxury hotel, housed in a building dating to 1901, has been part of the Oetker Collection. It will be Auberge's first hotel in Switzerland.

Amsterdam is the latest European city to stage protests against overtourism following a campaign against its “unliveable” conditions on Saturday (21 December). The demonstration by locals on the Leidseplein symbolically took place outside the controversial new build, the Diamond hotel.

According to BGF Retail on Dec. 22, BGF Retail's cumulative annual sales reached 6.48 trillion won (approximately $4.48 billion) as of Q3 this year, a 5.3 percent increase from 6.15 trillion won during the same period last year. This figure highlights that the sales growth rate of hotel-based stores is at least six times higher than regular stores. Similarly, sales of GS25 convenience stores, operated by GS Retail, in hotels and resorts increased by 17.6 percent year-over-year during the same period.

Police in Homa Bay Town are investigating an incident where a university student died after he was tortured at a hotel.

Real estate developer Nusco has signed an agreement for the opening of the first Hyatt hotel unit in Bucharest in Nusco City, a mixed-use development in the northern part of the city.

Otonomus, a leading AI-driven technology and hospitality company, announces its flagship Otonomus Hotel in Las Vegas will exhibit at CES 2025, showcasing what it believes to be the first AI-powered hotel. The company will demonstrate how they blend AI, attribute-based booking, and personalized guest services to CES attendees at their booth in Tech East, LVCC, North Hall, Grand Lobby, and Level 1 Meeting Rooms — 8543.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending €46.8 million to CIMEX Group, a leading hospitality operator in Czechia. The EBRD financing is being provided as part of a €140.4 million syndicated loan facility with UniCredit Bank and Raiffeisenbank.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. has inked a long-term licensing agreement with the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, expanding its Las Vegas footprint by 7,000 rooms.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) announced that all six of its Australian properties have been awarded the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Industry Criteria for Hotels certification today, 18th December.

As Oyo takes the wheel at Motel 6, it’s not just revamping operations. By expanding beyond OTAs and focusing on direct bookings and corporate demand, Oyo looks to cut commissions, boost margins, and build loyalty through better control of customer data.

The Hotel Workers’ Union will go ahead with a strike on New Year’s Eve, between 30 December and 1 January, at a time when the region’s hotels will be full.

BM Caterers is trialling artificial intelligence (AI) self-checkout systems across two client sites, which if successful could be rolled out further in 2025. The business is trialling the new technology at the headquarters of a logistics specialist in Crewe and a London-based law firm.