SiteMinder report reveals major shift in how travellers are researching their 2026 hotel stays

Sydney, Australia – Online travel agencies (OTAs) have overtaken search engines as travellers’ primary starting point for hotel discovery, according to SiteMinder’s Changing Traveller Report 2026, released today. Twenty-six percent of travellers surveyed will now begin their hotel research on an OTA, up from 18% last year, while those who will start with a search engine have fallen to 21% from 36%.Word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family have doubled from 7% to 14%, familiar hotel brands have grown from 3% to 7%, while AI use as a discovery starting point has reached 4%, up from 1% last year — rising higher among Gen Zs and Millennials.The hotel discovery landscape is more dynamic than it’s ever been before. Not only is the starting point of research diversifying, but travellers are moving more seamlessly between channels, often using several simultaneously to build confidence in their choices. This non-linear journey has become the natural rhythm of modern travel plannin…

Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming Partner with Ocean Conservancy for Second Annual Global Sound Waves Program

For the second consecutive year, Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming joined forces with nonprofit organization Ocean Conservancy for the Global Sound Waves joint sustainability program. This collaboration unites Hard Rock team members and communities worldwide with Ocean Conservancy’s mission of protecting the oceans by reducing waste and driving meaningful environmental change.

Could the Next Competitive Advantage for Law Firms Come Not from AI or Pricing, but from the Art of Hosting?

While law firms have long competed on expertise and reputation, today’s clients increasingly remember how they felt during the experience. Drawing parallels with hospitality, this article explores how empathy, anticipation, and human-centered design could redefine professionalism in the legal world. As competition intensifies and AI increasingly automates routine legal tasks, the true differentiator is shifting toward the quality of the overall client experience — the clarity, empathy, consistency, and sense of care that surround the legal expertise itself.