The Tricycle of Guest Service Excellence: A Perfect Model For Remarkable Experiences
Doug Kennedy | October 4th, 2024
Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino Partners With Travel Outlook to Elevate Guest Service Experience
Travel Outlook, The Premier Hotel Call Center™ | October 2nd, 2024
AHLA Launches Hospitality Law Database for Hoteliers
AHLA | July 24, 2024
WASHINGTON (July 24, 2024) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today announced the launch of its Hospitality Law Database, which gives hoteliers quick access to a nationwide compendium of state and local laws that impact hotel operations. This new online tool will help hotel owners, managers, human resources professionals, lawyers, and others navigate and abide by the ever-changing patchwork of state and local laws that affect the hotel industry. Tracking laws across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the top 25 U.S. hotel markets, AHLA's growing Hospitality Law Database makes it easy to filter hotel-relate...
The Impact of Technology Trends on Transforming the Hospitality Industry
Ahmed Mahmoud | July 24, 2024
By Ahmed Mahmoud Digital transformation and the leverage of technology play an important role in today’s hospitality industry, especially in the post-pandemic era. Facing the challenges of labor shortage, the rising cost of operation, and the changes in consumer needs and behaviors, hospitality businesses need to pivot their services and products with the latest technology in order to keep their competitive edge. Every year, new technology emerges and dies. hotels either adopt them and thrive, or are left behind by their competitors, but technology doesn’t stop for anyone. Just like the hotel industry. In 2024, the hotel industry...
Hotel Food and Beverage Trends: Shaping the Future of Hospitality
Nasir Zahir | July 24, 2024
Hotel Food and Beverage Trends: Shaping the Future of Hospitality The hotel food and beverage (F&B) sector is constantly evolving, adapting to the changing preferences and expectations of guests. Here are some of the key trends shaping the future of hotel F&B: 1. Health and Wellness: With an increasing focus on health and wellness, hotels are offering more nutritious and balanced menu options. Guests are seeking organic, gluten-free, and vegan dishes, pushing hotels to incorporate fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Smoothie bars, juice stations, and wellness-focused dining experiences are becoming common, catering to the health-con...
U.S. Travel Announces 2024 Hall of Leaders Honorees
U.S. Travel Association | July 24, 2024
NAPA, CALIF. - Destination leaders Christopher L. Thompson, former president and CEO of Brand USA, and William D. “Bill” Talbert, III, former president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, will be honored as the 2024 inductees into the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders this fall, the U.S. Travel Association announced today. “Bill and Chris embody the highest ideals of a travel leader. Over many years, each has contributed in meaningful ways to the success and growth of this industry,” said Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “Under Chris’s stewardship, Brand USA has flourished t...
United Center Joint Venture Reveals Plans for The 1901 Project on Chicago’s West Side
THE UNITED CENTER | July 23, 2024
CHICAGO, July 23, 2024 -- United Center next-generation owners Michael Reinsdorf and Danny Wirtz today jointly announced plans for the largest private investment on Chicago's West Side: a catalytic mixed-use development project that includes housing, retail, entertainment and public open space on more than 55 acres of privately owned land surrounding the iconic arena campus. Spearheaded by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families, The 1901 Project will transform the West Side with a jolt of new development, bridging neighborhoods and enhancing opportunities for residents, businesses and all of Chicago. "The 1901 Project represents a con...
Agilysys Announces Fiscal 2025 First Quarter Record Revenue of $63.5M
Agilysys | July 23, 2024
Includes Subscription Revenue Growth of 32.0% Quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $12.1M and Adjusted EPS of $0.30 ALPHARETTA, GA – July 22, 2024 - Agilysys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGYS), a leading global provider of hospitality software solutions that deliver High Return Hospitality, today reported results for its fiscal 2025 first quarter ending June 30, 2024. Summary of Fiscal 2025 First Quarter Financial Results Total net revenue increased 13.3% to a record $63.5 million compared to total net revenue of $56.1 million in the comparable prior-year period. Recurring revenue (comprised of subscription and maintenance charges) was a record ...
Accor Signs Dual-Branded Project Banping Island in Wenzhou
Accor | July 23, 2024
Accor Greater China today announced the signing of a unique dual-branded project on Banping Island in Wenzhou, featuring the debut of Peppers Edge – a new regional brand extension of Peppers, a premium guesthouse concept originating from Australia. The 235-room Peppers Edge hotel will be joined by a 135-room MGallery luxury resort hotel. MGallery and Peppers Edge Wenzhou Banping Island are expected to open in late 2027. The resort will provide both leisure and business guests with an intimate and personalized style of hospitality, centered around environmental sensitivity, memorable experiences connected to nature and community, ...
Radisson RED Hotel & Radisson RED Apartments Krakow Opens in Poland
RADISSON HOTEL GROUP | July 23, 2024
Radisson RED Hotel & Radisson RED Apartments Krakow offers lifestyle hotel experiences with bold design and modern amenities. The property features 229 rooms, along with 46 extended-stay apartments located in a separate building. The main building offers a wide selection of rooms and suites, including superior rooms with a terrace overlooking the University of Economics campus, in addition to corner and junior suites, and a presidential suite. In the separate apartment building, apartments ranging from 27 to 92 square meters will be available, with the largest two-bedroom apartment accommodating up to four adults.. All apartments, except...
Is AI Over-Hyped? Or Do We Actually Need to Learn This Stuff?
Daniel Craig | July 23, 2024
After so much buzz about AI over the past two years, things have grown a bit quiet. Was it all just marketing bluster, or is generative AI still poised to transform how we work and live? For hoteliers, is it enough to dabble occasionally with ChatGPT or Gemini, or do you actually have to learn how to use these tools? To find answers to these questions, it’s helpful to look at the path new technologies typically follow from inception to mass adoption. Charting AI on the Hype Cycle Decades ago, Gartner introduced the Hype Cycle to map the maturation process of emerging technologies. The model is intended to help people and compan...
Global Business Travel Industry Spending Expected to Hit Record $1.48 Trillion in 2024
Global Business Travel Association | July 23, 2024
Boosted by economic stability, pent-up demand and recovery momentum, spending is projected to surpass $2 trillion by 2028 according to the latest GBTA Business Travel Index Report The business travel industry has proven itself resilient as it leaves the global pandemic behind and moves into a new era of post-pandemic stabilization. The forecast for 2024 predicts global business travel spending will reach $1.48 trillion USD by the end of the year, an increase on 2019 spending which was a previous record at $1.43 trillion. Additionally, by 2028, it is projected to exceed $2.0 trillion, highlighting a robust path ahead for the business travel...
USALI 12th Revised Edition, Deep Dive: Energy, Water, and Waste
USALI | July 23, 2024
Across the globe, businesses have begun to address the issues related to establishing and monitoring standards for enhanced reporting of environmental costs and liabilities. As with other industries, the lodging industry is increasingly required by various stakeholders, including meeting planners, corporate and leisure customers, investors, and municipalities, to quantify the environmental impact of a guest’s stay and the overall environmental impact of the hotel. The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) had the foresight to establish the AHLA Sustainability Committee several years ago. In updating the Uniform System of Accounts...
U.S. Hotel Performance for June 2024
CoStar Group | July 23, 2024
WASHINGTON – 23 July 2024 – The U.S. hotel industry reported improved performance results from the previous month, according to June 2024 data from CoStar. CoStar is a leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information, and analytics in the property markets. June 2024 (percentage change from June 2023): Occupancy: 69.6% (flat) Average daily rate (ADR): US$161.30 (+1.5%) Revenue per available room (RevPAR): US$112.33 (+1.5%) Among the Top 25 Markets, New York City experienced the highest levels in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (+2.5% to 87.8%), ADR (+4.4% to US$317.91) and RevPAR ...
Looking Ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh and Its Impact on the Hotel Market
Christian Cross | July 23, 2024
Earlier this year, the Steel City was announced as the host for the 2026 NFL Draft. The scale and draw of this event make it highly sought after by cities, with many local and state governments actively competing for the opportunity to serve as the host city. Following nearly half a century of being held in New York City (1965–2014), the NFL Draft began to be rotated to other cities in 2015. The number of visitors attracted to the host cites and the economic impact of this event have been significant, peaking in the pre-pandemic period when Nashville was host, boasting an attendance of 600,000 people and a total economic impact of $224 ...
Courtyard by Marriott Sapporo Debuts in Capital of Japan’s Island of Hokkaido
Courtyard by Marriott | July 23, 2024
Courtyard by Marriott®, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of over 30 extraordinary hotel brands, today announced the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Sapporo in Sapporo City, the capital of Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. The new hotel is the eighth Courtyard by Marriott hotel to open in Japan and the first Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Hokkaido. "We are full of positive anticipation as we embark on this exciting journey with the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Sapporo, the eighth Courtyard hotel in Japan and the first to debut in beautiful Hokkaido,” said Karl Hudson, Area Vice President Japan & Guam, Marriott I...
Marriott International Appoints Sam Basu as Area General Manager for Puerto Rico and General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC | July 23, 2024
(San Juan, Puerto Rico – July 23, 2024) - Marriott International is pleased to announce Sam Basu as new Area General Manager of Puerto Rico, and concurrently to General Manager of the iconic The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan. With over two decades of extensive experience in luxury hospitality spanning across the United States, Central America and Puerto Rico, Basu will oversee the breadth of Marriott’s portfolio on the island, liaise with franchise partners, foster relationships with local officials and lead the highly anticipated re-opening of The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan. As the General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan, Basu brings a wealt...
Salamander Collection Appoints Connie Power as Director of Sales and Marketing at Aspen Meadows Resort
Salamander Collection | July 23, 2024
Aspen, Colorado (July 23, 2024) – Salamander Collection has announced the appointment of Connie Power as Director of Sales and Marketing at the recently enhanced Aspen Meadows Resort. Power has more than 25 years of experience in the resort and hospitality industry, with deep connections in domestic and international sales, marketing, and public relations. She is a fifth-generation Aspen local – a rarity in the region which is known for attracting talent and tourists from all over the world. She has worked with a variety of local hospitality standouts, including the Aspen Skiing Company where she was director of sales for The Limelight...
Viewline Resort Snowmass, an Autograph Collection Hotel, Appoints New Executive Chef Marc Boussarie
Viewline Resort Snowmass | July 23, 2024
ASPEN, CO. (July 23, 2024) – Viewline Resort Snowmass, an Autograph Collection Hotel and mid-mountain resort in the heart of Colorado’s Snowmass Village, announces the appointment of Executive Chef Marc Boussarie. In his new role as Executive Chef at Viewline Resort Snowmass, Chef Marc oversees culinary operations for the 254-room property including banquets, special events, and the resort’s signature restaurant Stark’s Alpine Grill. With a consistently creative menu development approach, Chef Marc has revitalized the culinary offerings at the resort for locals and visitors, with new offerings available now on Stark’s dinner menu. ...
SpringHill Suites Jackson Hole Unveils Property-Wide Transformation
SpringHill Suites by Marriott | July 23, 2024
Featuring an impressive collection of original artwork, the 121-room property completes eight-month refresh of all guest rooms, lobby, common areas and meeting spaces JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (July 23, 2024) — SpringHill Suites Jackson Hole, a 121 all-suite property centrally located in the heart of downtown Jackson, has announced the completion of its property-wide redesign and transformation. Inspired by the natural beauty of the surrounding area and rugged Teton Range, the renovations encompass significant enhancements across the property including a refresh to all suites; a new arrival experience with the complete redesign of the lobby and a...
The Strand, Turks and Caicos Welcomes General Manager Frits Hannenberg
The Strand, Turks and Caicos | July 23, 2024
Denver (July 23, 2024) – The Strand, Turks and Caicos, a new luxury oceanfront residential resort opening in fall 2024, is pleased to announce the appointments of Frits Hannenberg as general manager and Jenny Hannenberg-Feig as hospitality manager. “We’re thrilled to welcome Frits and Jenny to The Strand’s opening team,” says John Fair, managing director of The Strand. “Not only are they a powerful hospitality duo and husband and wife team with unmatched expertise in ultra-luxury resorts on the island and throughout the region, but they bring a keen dedication to fostering a welcoming and personalized community for our guests ...
AAHOA Voices Concerns Over NYC Hotel Licensing Bill
AAHOA | July 23, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 23 – AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association), the largest hotel owners association in the world, expresses deep concern over the recently introduced New York City Council bill that would prohibit hotels from operating without an additional license, including preventing the use of subcontractors for core functions such as housekeeping, front desk, and security. The proposed legislation's blanket approach, coupled with its rapid progression and lack of consultation with hospitality experts, fails to consider the unique operational needs of New York City hotels. This would pose substantial challenges in maintai...
Pick Up Your Calls to Pick Up More Bookings!
Doug Kennedy | July 23, 2024
The more important the trip, the more likely they are to pick up the phone. Despite the pundits’ predictions, the phones continue to ring with incoming reservations leads even now in the mid-2020s, and yes, even at branded hotels across all segments. I’m sure some readers are thinking “Well not us. The majority of our rooms are booked online.” Yet if you listen to real phone calls from real callers, as KTN’s QA team does daily through our remote call scoring process, you realize that many people call with questions before booking online, whether at an OTA or the hotel’s direct website. Other guests book first and then call wit...
Robots? In My Hotel? Three Ways AI Is Stepping Up as Hospitality’s Next Great PMS Support Tool
Warren Dehan | July 23, 2024
Artificial intelligence is uniting departments and supporting hospitality from behind the scenes By Warren Dehan Where did all of these robots come from? While hospitality may seem like the last place you might expect to find Artificial Intelligence, this technology has significantly impacted how hoteliers do business. While most generative AI today reacts to text prompts, it will soon rewrite the rules for hotel operations. Properties of all sizes, branded and independent alike, will benefit from automation taking over repetitive, mundane tasks — but our industry often struggles to explain how this will play out in practice. Unlike scie...
Q2 2024 Major U.S. Hotel Sales Survey
Daniel Lesser | July 22, 2024
By Daniel H. Lesser Despite the Federal Reserve’s aggressive monetary policy aimed at controlling persistent inflation, during the first half of 2024, the U.S. economy continued to demonstrate resilience. While strong growth in many subcategories of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) including consumer and government spending, investment, exports, and employment have many optimistic, the economic outlook is tempered by global geopolitical risks including on-going wars in Europe and the Middle East. Although the U.S. economic outlook remains positive, signs of a softening consumer are mounting within lower-to-middle-income households. While re...
Marriott International Strengthens Leadership Position in Branded Residences, Announces Owner Recognition Platform
Marriott International | July 22, 2024
Strong Developer Value and Elevated Owner Experiences Continue to Fuel Growth for Marriott Branded Residences Portfolio Today, Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) announces the continued growth and global leadership of Marriott Branded Residences, along with enhanced Residence Owners benefits through ONVIA, the company’s newly integrated Owner recognition platform. For nearly 25 years, Marriott International has offered whole-ownership, private branded residences that are consistent with the level of design and service experienced at its renowned hospitality offerings. Leading the branded residential segment, Marriott has...
