Mon.Aug 26, 2024

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Amex GBT Blends AI With Agents to Win Business Travel Share

Skift Blog

Skift Take: The world’s largest travel-management company is using AI to read and respond to trip requests via emails. The goal is to free up human agents for more critical tasks, like perhaps explaining to executives why they can't expense that "team-building" trip to Vegas.

Travel 333
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Paving the Way to Extended Stay: How Franchisors Can Set Up Developers for Success

Lodging

LODGING brings you the first installment of our three-part Ownership Series, providing owner perspectives on various hot topics and industry trends. We speak with Damon C. Healey, managing principal of Eternal Companies, on the various ways that a brand can facilitate success in the extended-stay sector. The extended-stay segment is attracting developers for three fundamental reasons: opportunity, performance, and longevity.

Branding 312
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U.S. National Park Foundation Gets Record $100 Million to Fight Overtourism

Skift Blog

Skift Take: It's no surprise the national parks have a lot of visitors. But growth has been accelerating and parks leaders have been looking for ways to lessen the impact.

Tourism 330
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Relais & Châteaux Publishes Second Sustainability Report and Records Positive Gains Across Almost Every Indicator

Hospitality Net

The new publication demonstrates positive gains across almost all its indicators and core objectives against the Association’s first sustainability report, published in 2022. The report also announces the formation of a Sustainability Commission, with members hand-picked by President Laurent Gardinier, to advance and accelerate the Association’s sustainability action plan.

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Don't Let AI Pass You By: The New Era of Personalized Sales Coaching & Development

Speaker: Brendan Sweeney, VP of Sales & Devyn Blume, Sr. Account Executive

Are you curious about how artificial intelligence is reshaping sales coaching, learning, and development? Join Brendan Sweeney and Devyn Blume of Allego for an engaging new webinar exploring AI's transformative role in sales coaching and performance improvement! Brendan and Devyn will share actionable insights and strategies for integrating AI into coaching and development - ensuring personalized, effective, and scalable training!

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Sri Lanka Rolls Out Free 30-Day Tourist Visas for 35 Nations: Did Your Country Make the List?

Skift Blog

Skift Take: Thailand, Malaysia, China – and now Sri Lanka – are catching on: relaxing travel rules boosts tourism. With Sri Lanka eyeing a jump from 1.49 million visitors last year to 2.5 million this year, easing entry is their big play.

Tourism 329
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How much wellness actually impacts hotel revenue

Hospitality Net

With wellness tourism booming and more hotels and resorts implementing wellness programs, what does it all mean in terms of hotel revenue? The Wellness Real Estate Report 2024 by RLA Global, with statistical support from HotStats, offers some answers to this question.

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More Trending

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PwC Manhattan Lodging Index: Q2 2024

Hospitality Net

The rate of growth in occupancy, average daily rate (“ADR”) and revenue per available room (“RevPAR”), while robust, continued to decelerate. Luxury hotel occupancy benefitted from increased demand, while ADR growth levels for lower priced properties continued to show significant improvements. For the overall Manhattan hotel market, Q1 RevPAR increased 9.4 percent while Q2 increased 6.8 percent, from the same respective periods in 2023.

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Faster Visas, More Direct Flights: What India-U.S. Tourism Needs – India Report

Skift Blog

Skift Take: Travel is growing between India and the U.S. but there is a lot of room for growth. The key will be knocking down barriers and making travel easier.

Tourism 319
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Hotel investors continue to embrace independent management, with three new signings for Trilogy Hotels in the West

Hospitality Net

Trilogy Hotels broadens its portfolio in the West, announcing three new signings with Novotel Sydney Parramatta, Mercure Sydney Parramatta and Leura Gardens Resort.

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Trip.com on How China’s Older Travelers Are Shaking Up the Travel Scene

Skift Blog

Skift Take: China’s population is aging fast, but these seniors aren’t slowing down—they’re leveling up their travel game and spending big on mid- to high-end trips. Companies like Trip.com are taking note. As more seniors chase unique, quality experiences, you can bet other travel companies will want a piece of the action too.

Travel 318
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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

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IHG Hotels & Resorts seals two-hotel deal in Quang Binh, Vietnam

Hospitality Net

IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, today announces a two-hotel deal with Hai Thanh Hung Investment Joint Stock Company and Vietnam Royal Investment and Construction Co., Ltd (VRIC) in Quang Binh province.

Resorts 246
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Hornblower CEO Starts Post-Bankruptcy Pivot for Travel Experiences Company

Skift Blog

Skift Take: If you've ever sailed past Niagara Falls or toured a city on a sightseeing bus, you may have thought, "This is nice and all, but I wish there was something more." Tour operator Hornblower plans to fix that.

Travel 304
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3 tips from hospitality experts for making your email channel a revenue powerhouse

Hospitality Net

Here’s a situation that happens more than you think. Your guest opens their email inbox to your latest campaign only to say, "Another one? And why would I even want this?

Revenue 246
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BWH Hotels Picks Canary Technologies to Run Guest Management System

Lodging

NEW YORK—BWH Hotels chose Canary Technologies to power its AI-driven guest management system. The all-in-one platform will impact the guest experience and streamline hotel operations across BWH Hotels’ portfolio. This partnership marks a milestone by integrating Canary’s platform and AI-powered solutions with BWH Hotels’ hospitality.

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Beyond the Basics: How to Develop and Retain a Top-Performing Sales Team

Speaker: Brendan Sweeney, VP of Sales at Allego

Maximizing sales rep performance is no easy task. 📈 Traditional sales training methods focus heavily on the first few weeks in the sales role. Companies dedicate time, resources, and budget to onboarding new hires, only for them to forget what was learned in those first few weeks, lose motivation, and struggle to come to grips with their role.

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Travly Launches Online Travel Agent for Social-First Traveler

Hospitality Net

Travly, the ultimate travel media network for social-first discovery and curated experiences, announced the launch of its proprietary Online Travel Agent (OTA) platform now available through both its app and website. Solidifying its place as the leading one-stop-shop for the modern traveler, Travly is the world’s largest and fastest-growing cross-platform travel media company, with over 45 owned handles across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Travel 246
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Hilton, Marriott among Australia’s top 10 large workplaces

Hotel Management

Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture, has declared Hilton and Marriott among Australia’s top 10 workplaces employing more than 1000 people. Hilton claimed the number two spot for the second year running, while Marriott International was fourth, jumping two spots from a sixth place ranking last year. “We are beyond excited to share that Hilton has once again achieved significant recognition from the Great Place to Work Institute,” said Hilton’s Regional Director, Human R

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2025 Budget Planning: Key AI Innovations for Labor Management in the Hospitality Industry

Hospitality Net

As the hospitality industry gears up for 2025, hoteliers are increasingly looking to AI technologies to optimize their operations and budget planning. This blog delves into the latest AI-driven trends that are set to revolutionize labor management in hotels, helping hoteliers stay ahead of the curve.

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The Third Alternative: Soft Branding Has Emerged as a Compelling Compromise Between Core Branding and Independence 

Lodging

Historically, hotel owners have had the option to either affiliate with a known brand or operate independently. Affiliating with a brand provided access to a reservation system, loyal customers, communal marketing programs, a known identity among consumers, and a sense of stability within the finance and investment community. Brand affiliation, however, comes with costs.

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ABM Evolution: How Top Marketers Are Using Account-Based Strategies

In times of economic uncertainty, account-based strategies are essential. According to several business analysts and practitioners, ABM is a necessity for creating more predictable revenue. Research shows that nearly three-quarters of marketers (74%) already have the resources needed to build successful ABM programs.

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Soldiering On: 15 Fun Facts about IHG Army Hotels as it Celebrates 15 Years of Serving the Military Community

Hospitality Net

Nearly two decades ago, the U.S. Army established the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) program to improve the conditions of – and ensure long-term viability for – temporary on-post lodging facilities. In 2009, IHG joined the effort as the Army’s exclusive partner with a mission to deliver exceptional hotel stay experiences tailored to the unique needs of military service members, families and guests.

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Valencia Hotel Group Breaks Ground on Caravan Court

Lodging

HOUSTON, Texas—Valencia Hotel Group announced that construction is underway for the development of Caravan Court, the eighth property in the Valencia Hotel Collection, set to debut in Arlington, Texas in 2026. With 145 rooms and seven suites, Caravan Court will be a reinvention of the classic motor court hotel. Valencia Hotel Group, in partnership with Sam Mahrouq and Walid Joulani of Division Hotel Management LLC, will build the Caravan Court property on the site of […] The post Valencia

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STR Weekly Insights: 11-17 August 2024

Hospitality Net

Weekday performance saved an otherwise lackluster week across the U.S. hotel industry. Occupancy was essentially flat for the week with weekdays (Monday through Wednesday) up and the rest of the week down. Average daily rate (ADR) continued to rise, pushing gains in revenue per available room (RevPAR) for the fifth straight week, albeit at a rate below the level of inflation.

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Marriott Opens 600th Property in the Asia Pacific Excluding China Region

Lodging

Marriott International, Inc. announced the opening of its 600th property in the Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC) region with the Adelaide Marriott Hotel. Paying homage to the company’s flagship brand, the opening marks the first Marriott International property in South Australia, underscoring the company’s focus on growing its presence in emerging destinations.

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Diving into Diversity: Decoding the Foundations of Inclusion in Hospitality Talent Acquisition

Speaker: Lauren Fernandez - CEO & Founder, Full Course

Companies all over the world, including Marriot International and Hilton Worldwide, are aware of the value of including DEI in their talent acquisition strategy. However, despite these initiatives, there is still plenty that the hospitality sector can do to promote DEI. When comparing the hospitality industries in India, Iraq, the UK, and the US, you will see that there is a consistent underrepresentation of persons from different ethnic, gender, and disability origins across all levels of the i

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Over 500 hotel investors and executives gather in October for HTIF 2024

Hospitality Net

Hotel & Tourism Investment Forum – HTIF 2024, the most influential hospitality conference in Bulgaria and one of the most visited in Europe will cover a broad range of topics, including sustainable hospitality investments and operations, strategic management, digitalization, revenue management, and human resources.

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Marriott Veteran Jacobs Rounds Out New Leadership Team at Aimbridge

Lodging

Aimbridge Hospitality recently rounded out a new executive leadership team with yet another Marriott veteran, naming Eric Jacobs to the position of chief global growth officer. In May, Jacobs joined CEO Craig Smith, who came to the company in March after serving as group president and managing director, international, with Marriott, as well as Executive Chairman Steve Joyce, who also worked previously at Marriott and was more recently CEO of Choice Hotels International, as part […] The pos

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Meetingmax Introduces Integration with Sabre GDS for Seamless Group Reservations

Hospitality Net

Meetingmax, an industry leader in event room block management software, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking integration with Sabre’s Global Distribution System (GDS). This partnership marks a significant milestone in the evolution of group hotel bookings, setting a new standard for event housing management for both event planners and hoteliers.

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CoStar: U.S. Hotel Performance Remained Mostly Flat in July

Lodging

WASHINGTON—The U.S. hotel industry reported mostly flat performance comparisons year over year, according to July 2024 data from CoStar. U.S. Hotel PerformanceJuly 2024 Percentage change from July 2023:Occupancy: 68.8 percent (down 0.5 percent)ADR: $161.69 (up 0.5 percent)RevPAR: $111.18 (flat) Among the Top 25 Markets, Oahu Island experienced the highest levels in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (up 4.5 percent to 88.3 percent), ADR (up 1.4 percent to $310.46), and RevPAR (

Occupancy 147
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ABM Success Recipe: Mastering the Crawl, Walk, Run Approach

Shifting to an account-based marketing (ABM) strategy can be both exciting and challenging. Well-implemented ABM motions build engagement with high-value accounts and drive impactful campaigns that resonate with your audience. But where do you begin, and how do you progress from crawling to running? Watch now as Demand Gen experts delve into the essentials of each stage of the ABM process.

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Why are hotels and buyers struggling with sustainability reporting?

Hospitality Net

As more travel programmes incorporate sustainability goals into their supplier relationships, it’s imperative that buyers have a straightforward and open-source way to analyse the sustainability performance of hotel suppliers.

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Kimpton Santo Hotel Shares Opening Details

Lodging

SAN ANTONIO, Texas—White Lodging and Kimpton Santo, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury and lifestyle portfolio, announced Kimpton Santo Hotel will open on Aug. 29, 2024. The property, with four food and beverage outlets, creates new culinary destinations alongside the 347 guestrooms and rooftop pool, combining the area’s history with service and modern amenities.

Hotels 147
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LBA Hospitality and 3H Group Add Hyatt Place Tampa Airport/Westshore To Portfolio

Hospitality Net

In the dynamic realm of hospitality management, the partnership between LBA Hospitality and real estate developer 3H Group has taken a step forward with the strategic acquisition of the Hyatt Place Tampa Airport/Westshore. This move not only fortifies their already fruitful collaboration but also marks a milestone in an ambitious expansion plan for LBA and 3H with more properties on the horizon.

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Schwartz completes $25 million Leura Gardens acquisition

Hotel Management

Schwartz Family Company has completed the AU$25 million acquisition of Leura Gardens Resort , expanding its presence in New South Wales’ Blue Mountains region. The resort becomes the 15 th hotel in the Schwartz network, joining the award-winning Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains and Leura Golf Club, all within a short drive of each other. “The Blue Mountains is Sydney’s holiday playground and one of the most popular destinations for weddings, retreats, leisure groups, conferences and events, and by

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A Buyer’s Guide to Future-Proofing Your Restaurant Tech Stack

The race to 100% digital is on. With the restaurant industry still in the early innings of its digital transformation, brands need an airtight strategy when it comes to building out their tech stack. Download the buyer’s guide to learn where to prioritize your efforts and get the most out of every investment.