Category: Recent News

Marriott International, Inc. is proud to celebrate the winners of the 2025 J. Willard Marriott Awards of Excellence at the company’s annual ceremony, which brings together associates from around the world. Established in 1987 and named after Marriott’s founder, the J. Willard Marriott Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding individuals, teams and properties for their exemplary achievements, commitment to excellence and extraordinary service to communities, guests and each other.

The Ulysses Prize is UN Tourism’s highest academic honor, awarded to individuals whose work has significantly advanced the understanding and development of tourism through knowledge creation and its practical application. Since its establishment, the Prize has recognized the world’s foremost thinkers whose contributions have shaped the future of the sector.

Imagine you’re navigating the dating app scene. OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) are like matchmakers who introduce your hotel to a broad pool of potential guests. You pay them a commission for every successful match (booking). On the other hand, Metasearch platforms are more like dating profile collectors, they show your hotel alongside others but let the guest choose where to book, including directly with you.

Here at OTA Sync, we’ve helped hundreds of properties increase their direct bookings by an average of 31%. How? By focusing on strategies that actually work instead of industry myths. Let’s cut through the noise and explore how your property can win more direct bookings without breaking the bank.

Boutique hospitality is asserting its influence across business, policy, and culture. With BLLA’s Boutique Hotel Investment Conference returning to New York on June 4, the spotlight is once again on independent hotel ownership and capital strategy—an area gaining fresh momentum amid shifting traveler values and investor priorities.

At its core, hospitality is all about service. In an industry where personalized experiences are paramount, Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents numerous opportunities to enhance operational efficiency and elevate customer service. Technological advancements and evolving consumer expectations drive the adoption of AI in hospitality.

In hospitality, your team is your brand. No matter how stunning the property, how seamless the technology, or how luxurious the amenities, guests will always remember how your people made them feel. And yet, the hospitality industry faces a massive challenge: keeping those incredible people around long enough to make a lasting impact.

wp:paragraph

“Happy Monday,” Celeste Berke-Knisely says, smiling through the chaos. It sounds like a casual greeting—except it’s not.

Not that long ago, hotel room phones were a reliable source of revenue. Back in the early 2000s, it wasn’t unusual for a hotel to earn several dollars per occupied room per night—thanks largely to high fees for external calls. One 400-room property could bring in half a million dollars a year just from phone use.