Influence Society, a leading digital marketing agency serving high-end hospitality brands, proudly announces the release of SOCIETIES 2025, its signature yearly publication that serves as a strategic guide for hotel brands navigating a rapidly evolving market. This edition confronts key issues impacting hospitality: the rise of AI as a new baseline, the reemergence of long-form storytelling, the shift from possession to experiential engagement, and the growing need for design-forward, emotionally resonant branding. With over 60 pages of deeply researched perspectives, SOCIETIES 2025 is aimed squarely at hoteliers and brand leaders seeking to lead, not just compete.
AI won’t save your hotel if your teams are still copy-pasting between systems
In many hotel groups, automation is discussed as a question of intelligence.
The Customer is Always Right
When Harry Gordon Selfridge opened his revolutionary department store in London in 1909, he didn’t just bring American-style retail to the heart of Britain—he introduced a philosophy that would shape the customer experience for more than a century.
GCSTIMES Environmental Policy Series Finale: Consumer Health & Safety & Our Sustainability Commitment
Today, we conclude our Environmental Policy series with Consumer Health & Safety, while reflecting on the broader commitments we have shared throughout this journey. As a sustainable hotel supplier serving global hotels and resorts, protecting the wellbeing of end users is fundamental to our mission.
A case for windowless rooms: mastering the art of the basics
In an industry focused on amenities, scaling down can be shockingly innovative. Especially when you remove almost everything and get the basics exactly right.
Scandic Signs with SVG Property for New Scandic Go in Stavanger
Scandic is continuing to invest in Stavanger and will open a new hotel under the Scandic Go brand. The hotel will offer 152 rooms in one of the city’s most central buildings. Work will start in 2027, with the hotel opening its doors in 2028.
The Grand Hotel Leicester to Reopen after Transformation
The historic Grand Hotel Leicester is set to reopen in January 2026 after a bold reimagining, as it officially joins The Unlimited Collection. The Grand Hotel Leicester by The Unlimited Collection will be managed by The Ascott Limited, following a strategic collaboration between The Ascott Limited and S Hotels & Resorts Public Company Limited (SET: SHR), the international hospitality company under Singha Estate Public Company Limited (SET: S), announced in June 2024 to oversee a portfolio of landmark properties in the United Kingdom.
International Luxury Hotel Association Reaches 1 Million Members Worldwide
The International Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA) has reached a major milestone, officially surpassing 1 million members worldwide, solidifying its position as the world’s leading global community for luxury hospitality and travel professionals.
You Won’t Be Replaced by AI but You’ll Be Replaced by Someone Who Uses It
The call came at midnight.
Luxury: the brand premium pays, but not at any price
Summer 2025 reinforced the observation: domestic middle classes arbitrate every euro and shift toward entry-level or alternative solutions, while international clienteles and higher-income visitors from neighboring countries continue to pay for singularity, rarity, and above all the certainty of a memorable experience, but also one aligned with their standard of living.