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U.S. RevPAR Forecast Raised to 4.4% but a Government Shutdown Could Cost $1B a Week, Hospitality Must Go Triple on Materiality, Win the AI Decision Layer in Six Stages
Tuesday brought STR and Tourism Economics raising the 2026 U.S. RevPAR forecast to 4.4% on World Cup premiums while USTA, A4A, and AHLA jointly warned Congress a September shutdown could cost $1 billion weekly and disrupt six million travelers, a World Panel viewpoint on why hospitality must move from double to triple materiality in sustainability reporting, and Milestone's six-stage framework for winning the AI hotel recommendation layer from discovery through agentic booking. APAC's divergent H1 results, after-hours booking loss, and four property announcements rounded out the session.
The Kitchen as Climate Lever: How Hotel Chefs Are Driving Sustainability
From zero-waste nose-to-tail menus to AI-assisted waste tracking, hotel chefs are emerging as key sustainability operators, cutting food costs while reducing carbon and landfill impact.
By Nasir Zahir
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The Meliá Collection Brings Its Signature Luxury Experience to the Italian Riviera
Meliá Hotels International continues to strengthen the international growth of its luxury portfolio with the signing of a new The Meliá Collection hotel in Lerici, a timeless seaside destination on Italy’s enchanting Gulf of Poets. Scheduled to open within 24 months under a franchise agreement with SoGes Group, the property will mark the company’s first hotel in the Ligurian Riviera and become its 18th hotel in Italy.
IHG Introduces its new premium collection brand, Noted Collection to the Middle East with Signing in Saudi Arabia
IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hospitality companies, has signed a franchise agreement with Morina Development & Investment Co. LLC to introduce Cantonal Hotel Riyadh Noted Collection by IHG to the Kingdom. The signing marks the first Noted Collection hotel in the Middle East and a significant milestone for IHG’s premium collection brand, bringing a distinctive conversion-led proposition to one of the company’s most dynamic growth markets.
Puerto Rico Grants Approval for Esencia, Activating $2 Billion+ Investment on the Southwest Coast
Reuben Brothers and Three Rules Capital received approval for Esencia, a $2B+ master-planned resort on Puerto Rico's southwest coast featuring Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood hotels, 1,200 residences, and a first opening targeted for late 2029.
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View AllWorld Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Sets Agenda for Hospitality's Net-Positive Future
The World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance announced its Global Summit in Paris (8-9 Dec 2026), covering climate risk, AI, CSRD compliance, and net-positive business strategy for its 66,000+ hotel network.
The Invisible Ink
Anthropic and other major AI providers now embed invisible watermarks in AI-generated text, per an EU transparency rule that took effect August 2, 2026, and this marking is global, not EU-only. The catch: a detected mark only shows content was processed by AI, not that AI wrote it, so a non-native speaker's human-written draft that got a grammar check can trigger the same flag as fully generated copy.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited
Carlisle Bay Antigua to Unveil Phase Two of Multi-Million Dollar Resort Renovation
Five-star resort and member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Carlisle Bay Antigua is continuing its multimillion-dollar renovation with the second phase set to debut in October 2026. Building on the successful launch of Phase One in October 2025, which introduced fully renovated Ocean, Bay and Garden Suites designed by London-based designer Miminat Shodeinde of Miminat Designs, the next stage of the transformation will unveil newly reimagined Carlisle Suites and twenty Beach Suites now known as Signature Beach Suites. The second stage will be co-led by Shodeinde alongside Cara Doherty, part of the ownership group of Carlisle Bay.
HVS Asia Pacific Hospitality Newsletter - Week Ending 7 August 2026
Four transactions across Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong total hundreds of millions in deal value, spanning acquisitions, a planned hotel redevelopment, and a serviced apartment sale.
Now Open: Three Little Bears Retreat Introduces a New Kind of National Park Lodge Experience
Three Little Bears Retreat, a privately owned 65+ acre wilderness retreat with elevated cabins and lodges that boarders the Great Smoky Mountains Park, is now open, ushering in a new model of mountain travel with an ambitious vision: to create the type of destination long associated with Africa’s safari lodges, Alaska’s wilderness fishing lodges and the grand National Park Lodges of the American West, reimagined for America’s most visited National Park.
Supplier News
View allIceportal Content Surpasses 650 Demand Channels, Expanding Hospitality’s Largest Hotel Content Distribution Ecosystem
Iceportal Content now connects 60,000+ hotel properties with 650+ demand partners, distributing 2.5M images globally, with five new integrations added in Q2 2026.
Mews secures the first e-money license held by a hospitality operating system in the European Economic Area
Mews has secured an EMI license from De Nederlandsche Bank, making it the first hospitality operating system in the EEA to hold regulated e-money status, with rollout planned from late 2026.
What Role Does a Key Card Play in a Hotel’s Identity Infrastructure?
GCSTIMES reframes the hotel key card as part of a six-layer identity infrastructure spanning identity, credentials, access, permissions, operations, and data.
Five Reasons Why Adding Digital Tipping to the 2027 Budget Can Boost Employee Retention and Guest Satisfaction
GratifID CEO argues that adding digital tipping to 2027 budgets addresses hotel staffing shortages, citing AHLA data showing 42% of operators cite workforce shortages as a top financial pressure.
The Ava Hotel Paso Robles selects IRIS to unlock smarter guest experiences and new F&B revenue
The Ava Hotel Paso Robles, a Curio Collection by Hilton property opened in August 2025, deployed IRIS mobile ordering and digital directory integrated with Toast POS to streamline F&B operations and drive ancillary revenue.
FCS Solutions Partners with Salto to bring Mobile Access for Hotel Housekeeping
FCS Solutions integrates its FCS1 platform with Salto's smart access control, letting room attendants unlock assigned guest rooms via mobile app and replacing master keys with a digital audit trail.
From Digital to Physical: Rethinking the Hotel Key Card for Star-Bathing
A supplier opinion piece arguing hotel key cards can serve as a ritual object in star-bathing wellness experiences, with GCSTIMES promoting plant-based and wood credentials aligned with ISO 14068.
Bilt Expands Bilt OS for Hospitality, Now for Travel Advisors
Bilt OS for Hospitality expands to travel advisors, offering a unified platform with booking tools, itinerary building, commission tracking, and an AI concierge to consolidate fragmented legacy systems.
HSMAI Opens Nominations for Gilbert Award and Top 25 Extraordinary Minds
HSMAI is accepting nominations through September 30 for the Gilbert Award for career achievement and the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds, with ceremonies in Q1 2027.
The 5 Best Secure Team Chat Apps for Multi-Location Hospitality Businesses
A vendor-authored comparison of five team chat apps evaluating data ownership, access control, and location separation for hospitality businesses managing multiple properties.
By Rebecca Lazar, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Zenzap
World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards opens entries for 2026 programme
The World Sustainable Travel Hospitality Awards opens entries for its third annual programme, with 22 categories aligned to the UN SDGs and a gala ceremony set for Paris on 9 December 2026.
What H1 2026 tells us about APAC hospitality's next chapter
HotStats H1 2026 data shows positive TRevPAR and GOPPAR growth across Japan, Singapore, Australia, and Southeast Asia, but aggregate figures mask significant divergence between markets.
By Shikha Menon, Global Sales Director, HotStats
Mandarin Oriental Unveils Latest Chapter Of Its Iconic Fan Campaign Featuring Yuja Wang And Charlotte De Witte
Mandarin Oriental's 25-year-old Fan Campaign returns with pianist Yuja Wang and DJ Charlotte de Witte, translating their personal performance rituals into two new exclusive guest experiences launching August 4, 2026.
Minor Hotels Announces Avani Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia
Minor Hotels, a leading global hotel owner and operator, has announced Avani Kota Kinabalu, a 352-key premium lifestyle hotel set to open in Q1 2027. Forming part of The Logg Luyang integrated development by KTI Landmark, the property will introduce the Avani brand to Sabah and expand Minor Hotels’ presence in Malaysia.
U.S. Hotel Forecast Assumptions – August 2026
STR and Tourism Economics raise 2026 U.S. RevPAR growth to +4.4%, boosted by World Cup premiums, with 2027 growth moderating to +2.1% amid macroeconomic normalization.
U.S. Travel Association, Airlines for America, American Hotel & Lodging Association Urge Congress to Resolve Funding Differences, Protect America's Travel System
USTA, A4A, and AHLA jointly urge Congress to pass a continuing resolution before Sept. 30, warning a shutdown could disrupt 6M+ travelers, delay 9,000+ flights, and cost $1B per week.
Cambria Hotels Debuts in Bend, Oregon, Steps from Mount Bachelor and the Old Mill District
Cambria Hotels, an upscale brand of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), has announced the opening of Cambria Hotel Bend – Mt. Bachelor in Oregon, further strengthening the brand's presence in key leisure and business travel markets.
Cambria Hotels Opens in Euless, Texas, Bringing Upscale Hospitality to the DFW Airport Corridor
Cambria Hotels, an upscale brand of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), has announced the opening of Cambria Hotel Euless – DFW Airport South in Texas, further strengthening the brand's presence in key leisure and business travel markets.