Category: Recent News

In this week’s episode of the Hotel Moment podcast, Marc Winchell, Corporate CRM at Pacific Hospitality Group, joins Karen Stephens, Revinate CMO, with a compelling call to action for hoteliers to focus on generating direct business if they want to build a loyalty program that lasts. Marc disavows points-based loyalty programs, and he details how hoteliers should instead use personalization as a tool to deepen guest relationships and provide tailored communication that OTAs can’t compete with.

In the same vein as your website and social media platforms, the Guest Directory can be just as valuable in terms of functioning as your ‘shop window’ – demonstrating the breadth of your services and offer, boosting guest engagement, enhancing the guest journey and, crucially, driving ancillary revenue. Whilst historically it has served as a straightforward in-room paper guide with practical information on hotel facilities and policies, with the advance of mobile technology it has been transformed into a dynamic, digital tool.

Ever feel like flight prices are all over the map?

But, wait a second, before you read the rest of this. Did you know that this is just an excerpt from the complete newsletter that is available here? Sent out once a week, original viewpoints, insights and interesting things to read.

As the holiday season approaches, hoteliers are preparing for a surge of travelers seeking warmer climates this year. Amadeus’ forward-looking business intelligence data today reveals the destinations that are currently recording the top hotel occupancy rates for the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s (December 22 – January 4), showing year-on-year growth in some major markets worldwide.

Hotel bookings for the days leading up to Christmas, 21-25 December, are up significantly from last year—as much as 43% in Germany—shows new data from SiteMinder, the world’s leading hotel distribution and revenue platform. The surge is being driven by growth in international bookings over the month of December, which have risen as much as 26% in Indonesia and 15% in the United States.The rises complement a year-on-year increase in both length of stay and booking lead time during the Christmas week, showing grown confidence in international travel and a return to people booking further in advance.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is an area of intense focus and scrutiny across the travel and hospital industry. Gender diversity, especially, is capturing attention because women represent a significant share of industry employees. A key industry theme is the challenges women face in obtaining promotions, earning the same salaries as men, and ascending into corporate leadership positions.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced the option to sign two iconic additions to its portfolio of exceptional hotels from early 2025: Hôtel Lutetia in Paris and the Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam. The acceptance of the offer is subject to the completion of a consultation process with the relevant Works Councils, which will begin shortly. The Conservatorium Hotel is set to be rebranded as Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium, Amsterdam in January 2026, following a comprehensive upgrade (the hotel will stay open during that period).

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced the option to sign two iconic additions to its portfolio of exceptional hotels from early 2025: Hôtel Lutetia in Paris and the Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam. The acceptance of the offer is subject to the completion of a consultation process with the relevant Works Councils, which will begin shortly. Following completion of the transaction, Hôtel Lutetia will be rebranded as Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris.

The European Union faced profound challenges under the previous Commission’s mandate, navigating global health crises and geopolitical upheaval while balancing climate commitments with economic competitiveness. As the Commission entered a new mandate on 1st December 2024, with Greek Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas in charge of ‘Sustainable Transport and Tourism’, the business travel sector readies itself for changes that could reshape the industry’s future.