News

A Turkish travel association filed a lawsuit to block access to 10 global booking platforms, including Airbnb and Expedia, accusing them of operating illegally within the country, the group said on Tuesday.

The Department of Homeland Security’s presence in Minneapolis reached the hotel industry’s doorstep when a Hampton Inn outside the city refused to accept the bookings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents three weeks ago. Hilton subsequently booted the hotel from its system, but the event made national headlines. In the aftermath, other hotel companies have been pressed on room bookings made by ICE agents.

The Environment Ministry has ordered the company behind a canceled hotel development project at a seaside Aegean Sea beauty spot to fill in the excavations left behind by interrupted construction work within one month.

Hotel Mount Fuji will run its annual “If You Can’t See Mount Fuji” campaign, offering free accommodation vouchers, from February 2 to 13.

The founder of Studio 54 and Morgans Hotel Group is teaming up with Highgate to operate his Public Hotels

Archipelago and its luxury lifestyle hotel brand Huxley have partnered with Italian luxury brand Tonino Lamborghini to develop and operate a global portfolio of hotels and residences.

More than 60 firefighters and 42 vehicles are tackling the blaze at the Grandes Alpes Hotel in Savoie, in the French Alps, which broke out shortly before 7pm on Tuesday. The local fire service said 83 people have been evacuated and rehoused. There are no reports of casualties.

Spark Hospitality is a Romanian hotel operator managing independent and branded hotels across Romania. Founded in 2023, the company announces its first international expansion, assuming the commercial management of Salzburger Hof Hotel Collection in Bad Gastein, Austria.

Dozens of protesters were arrested Tuesday after they occupied the lobby of a Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan, accusing the hotel of housing federal immigration officers.

Sofitel, the French luxury hospitality brand from Accor, proudly announces the opening of Sofitel Riyadh Hotel and Convention Centre, marking the brand’s debut in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s capital. 

Mandy Farmer, the CEO and founder of Accent Inns and Hotel Zed, has been appointed chair of the Hotel Association of Canada, becoming just the second woman in the organization’s history to hold the role.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a ceremony to inaugurate a hot spring resort in North Hamgyong Province.

Independent Scottish hospitality group Manorview have announced they are sharing £135,766 of profit with team members across the business. Manorview, who own and operate 11 venues, broke the news to the team on Monday evening at team meetings and events across the business.

Spain's largest hotel chain, Melia, expects room rates at its Spanish resorts to rise by around 5% in 2026, in line with its total projected revenue growth, Chief Executive Gabriel Escarrer said on Wednesday.

A man surnamed Hsu (徐) was indicted on Wednesday for allegedly trying to extort US$600,000 from a Taipei hotel after finding a cockroach in a meal.

Hilton is officially launching a new vertical in the lodging industry with Apartment Collection by Hilton, the company announced Thursday morning. Set to debut in the first half of this year, the new brand is a collection model designed to offer travelers furnished, apartment-style accommodations with the safety net of hotel-grade service.

Barcelona’s Grand Hotel Central has introduced a new rooftop wellness experience with a panoramic sauna on La Terraza del Central, the hotel’s terrace featuring an infinity pool and city views. Open until the end of March, the new seasonal sauna combines dry heat with cold-contrast therapy via immersion in the pool, offering a unique urban approach to relaxation.

First Impression has announced that it is entering the hospitality market, focussing on hotel chains that aim to stand out through experience and innovation.

Honkarakenne Plc is developing Finland's largest ever log hotel on the banks of the Tornionjoki River, a stone’s throw from the centre of Tornio. Tornio-Haparanda is fast becoming Lapland's next travel industry hub: a direct train connection to Sweden, which may open later this year, would allow climate-conscious and international tourists to reach the city directly from Central Europe.

In a statement on Tuesday, DoubleDragon said the hotel will rise at 540 Flinders Street in central Melbourne. It is expected to be completed by 2029.

The Cape Verde Government announced that it has taken possession of the assets and building of the hotel-casino that Macau Legend, an operator facing financial difficulties, began constructing in the capital, Praia, but abandoned years ago.

A Chinese woman fled arrest while two Chinese partners and a Thai nominee were taken into custody during a raid on an illegally operated hotel in Chiang Mai province on Thursday, January 15.

More economy and mid-range hotel operators in China are leasing office buildings for conversion to guest accommodation, reports the South China Morning Post. 

Key among those tailwinds is a restriction on further hotel development in Barcelona. The city’s authorities have paid attention to complaints from local residents that their city was seeing a negative impact from too many tourist visitors.