Category: Recent News

Two UAE-based hospitality powerhouses have come together in a milestone partnership as Rotana, one of the Middle East’s leading hotel management companies, joins Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) – the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands.

Today, hotel digital marketing is no longer just about personalisation. While it’s still a key player, there’s so much more happening that’s reshaping how hotels connect with guests. As a marketer working in a hotel or hospitality business, if you want to stay ahead, you need to keep up with the shift..

Hybrid hospitality pioneer The Social Hub will mark the next step in its growth across Europe with the opening of a highly anticipated fourth Italian hotel in Rome’s trendy San Lorenzo district on Monday (March 31).

According to BCD Travel’s Cities & Trends 2025 Europe Report, Germany remains the most visited country in the region by BCD clients’ European business travelers. The intercontinental list is led by the United States. The report is based on BCD flight and car rental data from 2024 in a range of European markets.1

Last year marked a turning point for the European hotel investment market with transaction volume surging 62% year-on-year, the highest level recorded since 2019, according to our latest HVS European Hotel Transaction Report.

I just received an email from the Dollar Shave Club. I’ve been a member (as in customer) of the “club” for more than 10 years. I joined the club after watching their irreverent, R-rated (for language) YouTube video that has more than 28 million views. The concept was simple. Pay a small monthly fee and new razor blades are delivered to your mailbox. The member never has to worry about running out of fresh razor blades ever again.

Hotel chains with strict brand guidelines often deliver some of the most consistent marketing in the industry — a major benefit for travelers who value reliability. But when corporate dictates the same voice for every hotel, the messaging can feel generic or disconnected from local customers.

Hotels today are racing to meet guests’ expectations with technology such as touchless check-ins. The real differentiator isn’t what wows guests at first sight—it’s what happens when no one’s looking. In Episode 12 of the Shiji Insights Podcast, Florencia sits down with Teresa de Pablo, Area Manager for Spain and Latin America at Hotelkit, to discuss the vital connection between internal communication, operational efficiency, and guest satisfaction.

Email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools in a hotel’s marketing arsenal, and continues to outperform other digital channels. Effective e-marketing is crucial for hotels to stand out and attract potential and past guests.

We’ve seen this before. The internet, OTAs, online review management—those who moved early reaped the rewards. They weren’t necessarily the best, they were just ready when the shift happened. AI is the same. In hospitality, we don’t yet know how or when AI will transform operations, guest experiences, or revenue strategies (some changes are happening already). But history tells us one thing the ones who wait pay it in lost revenue.