The Rise of Experience-First Hotels: Designing for Memories, Not Just Stays

In the rapidly evolving world of hospitality, a fundamental shift is underway. No longer is a hotel merely a place to rest one’s head; today, it’s a portal to emotion, exploration, and personalized engagement. The traditional benchmarks of luxury—thread count, square footage, and concierge services—are being replaced or complemented by immersive experiences and local storytelling. This new wave of hospitality, known as the “experience-first” approach, is all about designing hotels not just for comfort, but for creating lasting memories.

Splendid Hospitality Group to invest tens of millions in their York hotels

Award-winning hospitality business, Splendid Hospitality Group (SHG), one of the region’s largest and most established hospitality companies, which employs over 350 people in the area, announces that it plans to invest tens of millions of pounds in its 4 York hotels. The continued investment underscores the Group’s generational commitment to enhancing the city’s visitor experience, supporting local jobs and strengthening York’s position as a premier destination for tourism and business travel.

U.S. hotel performance update

U.S. hotel performance data for 8-14 June came in lower than projected with a third straight week of hotel demand declines at a time when the early-summer travel season was expected to lift performance.

Don’t overthink AI: Just do it.

I’m quite sure that one day someone asked “So… where do we start with this computer thing?” The answer was: anywhere. Some people opened Lotus 1-2-3 some people did graphic design, some wrote a letter. The point wasn’t the starting point, it was the fact we’d started. Generative AI is the same seismic moment, only faster and louder, and the “where do I start?” needs to change to “what’s next”.

Barcelona Market Pulse 2025 – From Strength to Strength

Barcelona, the capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is famed for its distinctive architecture, rich cultural heritage and vibrant atmosphere. In 2024, Catalonia outpaced the national economy with a 3.6% growth in GDP (compared to Spain’s 3.2%) with tourism remaining a key driver, contributing around 14.0% of Barcelona’s GDP.

Unpacking the Guest Experience: Insights for the Modern Hotelier

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Araceli Budia, Senior Manager of Global Digital & Guest Experience at Palladium Hotel Group. Our conversation peeled back the layers to reveal what it truly means to create memorable experiences for guests in today’s hospitality world. Palladium is a dynamic, family-run company in expansion mode, having recently entered the UAE market and boasting over 40 hotels across eight destinations. This allows them to move quickly, fostering an environment that encourages innovation, disruptive ideas, and a unique collaborative energy.

Recast: Hospitality is like building bridges — you need the right tools

In this week’s episode of the Hotel Moment podcast, we’re revisiting a conversation with Robbert Manussen, Area General Manager, Taiwan at IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Karen Stephens, Revinate CMO. Robbert stresses that the technology revolution is here and explains why it’s time for hoteliers to start seriously investing in their tech tools. But Robbert says it’s about investing with intention, warning, “Don’t invest in technology for the sake of investing.” If you want to build a hotel tech stack that serves your business goals and serves the guest experience, it’s about choosing the right systems.