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Google Ships Agentic Booking and Puts a Points Price Beside Your Rate, HVS Holds 4.5% for 2026, 98% of Ready Buyers Abandon Anyway
Friday closed the week where it opened. Google announced that US travellers can now book a hotel without leaving AI Mode, with ten launch partners including Booking.com, Choice, Expedia, Hilton, IHG, Marriott, Priceline and Wyndham, and the merchant of record staying with the hotel or platform rather than Google. The same post added a points price to the answer: Choice, Hilton and Wyndham are live, Accor and Hyatt are next, so a guest with a balance can now compare a cash rate against a night that costs nothing out of pocket without leaving the conversation. HVS held its 2026 US RevPAR forecast at 4.5% with Q2 cap rates at 7.7%, and GuestCentric data found 56% of engaged website visitors show high booking intent while 98% still leave.
Your rate now competes with a points price inside Google's answer
Google's AI Mode now lets US travelers book hotels and compare cash rates against loyalty points in one conversation, removing the friction that previously delayed award redemption decisions.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
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How Hotels Create Memorable Guest Experiences
Drawing on memory science, the article outlines five design strategies, from arrival rituals to engineered departures, to help hotels create emotionally resonant moments that guests remember and share.
By Tatyana Tsukanova, Assistant Professor, EHL
Toll House Hotel Los Gatos Joins Tapestry Collection by Hilton
115-room boutique hotel brings walkable downtown Los Gatos location, Santa Cruz Mountains setting and Silicon Valley access to Hilton’s collection of independent hotels.
Whitbread Celebrates Topping Out of Flagship Premier Inn Brighton City Centre
Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel company and owner of Premier Inn, has marked an important construction milestone at its new flagship hotel in Brighton City Centre.
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View AllU.S. hotel results for week ending 22 August
U.S. hotels posted their 19th straight week of positive year-over-year results for the week of 16-22 August, with RevPAR up 4.4% to $106.12; San Francisco and St. Louis led gains.
PARKROYAL Parramatta completes landmark transformation as Western Sydney enters a new era for business events
As Western Sydney enters one of the most significant periods of economic growth in its history, PARKROYAL Parramatta has completed the final stage of its multi-million-dollar transformation, positioning the hotel to meet the evolving needs of a region fast becoming one of Australia's most important destinations for business, investment and major events.
Lemala Kuria Hills Lodge Completes Renovation in the Northern Serengeti
The lodge enhances its established footprint with a brand-new two-bedroom family suite, reloaded spa and redesigned dining tent.
Valor Hospitality Expands to West Coast With Management of The Monsaraz, a Tapestry Collection Hotel
Valor Hospitality takes over management of The Monsaraz in Point Loma, San Diego, its first West Coast property, as part of broader U.S. expansion targeting California and other Western states.
Raines Selected To Manage 114-Room AC Hotel Downtown Little Rock
Raines brings its portfolio to 50 properties and 5,393 keys with the addition of the Marriott-branded AC Hotel in downtown Little Rock, with F&B programming at the AC Lounge central to its management strategy.
Supplier News
View allWebinar on Sep 10: Top Tips to Create AI Visibility for Your Hotel
Milestone's September 10 webinar covers how AI platforms select and recommend hotels, with tips on content quality, authority, and entity building to boost visibility.
Shiji and Rivalry Tech Partnership Reveals an Unexpected Benefit of Self-Service: More Time for Hospitality
A kiosk deployment at Hyatt Regency Savannah drove a 22% rise in marketplace orders and a 24% sales increase, while shifting 72% of transactions to self-service and freeing staff for higher-value guest interactions.
The Organic Element in Desert Wellness and the Wooden Key Card
A reflective piece on how organic elements like wood and frankincense create intimate, tactile counterpoints to the mineral grandeur of desert resort environments.
40% of Golfweek Top 100 U.S. Resort Golf Courses Use Agilysys Golf
Agilysys Golf has surpassed 100 property deployments, with 39 of Golfweek's Top 100 U.S. resort courses now using the platform, including 14 of the Top 20.
BCD announces planned leadership transitions to accelerate growth, innovation and client value
BCD Travel is reshaping its C-suite with three new appointments effective late 2026 and early 2027, including an external hire from FCM, as two longtime executives retire after nearly five decades of combined service.
Desert Wellness: How Hotels Are Using the Desert in Two Directions
Two models are reshaping desert wellness: immersive cultural programming tied to landscape heritage, and amenity-led propositions that convert remoteness, silence, and darkness into guest benefits.
ExplorUS consolidates six systems into one platform to run hotels, restaurants, retail, camping and marinas across 30 parks nationwide
ExplorUS, operating 200+ U.S. park destinations, will replace six lodging technology platforms with Cloudbeds to unify operations across hotels, restaurants, retail, camping, and marinas.
Stayntouch and Namastay Announce Integration to Power Direct, High-Conversion and Mobile-First Bookings for Independent Hotels
Stayntouch PMS and Namastay's direct booking engine now integrate in real time, enabling independent hotels to offer mobile-first, frictionless checkout while syncing reservations automatically.
Peachtree Group and Merritt Development Celebrate Opening of The Residence Inn by Marriott San Antonio Riverwalk
Joint developers Peachtree Group and Merritt Development Group today announced the grand opening of the Residence Inn by Marriott San Antonio Riverwalk, bringing a new extended-stay option to downtown San Antonio just steps from the iconic River Walk. The 10-story, 171-suite hotel is designed for the modern traveler who values flexibility and comfort, offering spacious accommodations, amenities and a central location near the city’s dining, entertainment and business hubs.
Marriott and The Reef Resorts & Spa Sign Three-Resort Conversion in Playa del Carmen to Debut Tribute Portfolio All-Inclusive Brand
Marriott will convert three Reef Resorts properties in Playa del Carmen into Tribute Portfolio all-inclusive hotels by 2027, adding 676 rooms to its Mexico pipeline with renovations starting in late 2026.
Award-Winning Hilton Garden Inn Wayne Reveals a Fresh, Modern Look
Buffalo Lodging Associates proudly announces the completion of a remarkable renovation at the four-story Hilton Garden Inn Wayne, located at 15 Nevins Road in Wayne, New Jersey. The 125-room hotel has undergone a transformation featuring an updated lobby, bar and restaurant, fitness center, banquet space, and boardroom. Every space has been thoughtfully refreshed with a modern aesthetic and inviting pops of color that add warmth and personality to each space.
56% of Guests Are Ready to Book—Why Do 98% Abandon Your Hotel Website?
GuestCentric's AI assistant Melissa shows 56% of engaged hotel website visitors have high booking intent, yet a 2% average conversion rate persists due to unanswered questions and checkout friction.
By Joao Trindade, VP of Marketing & Product, GuestCentric Systems
Choice Hotels Partnrs with Google to Help Travelers Book Hotels Through AI Mode in Search
Choice Hotels becomes an early partner for Google's AI Mode in Search, enabling travelers to find, compare, and book properties conversationally, with Choice Privileges points visibility integrated.
Holiday Inn by IHG Opens First New-Build Featuring Reimagined Lobby Design Near Denver Airport
One of hospitality’s most trusted and recognizable brands brings its modern evolution to life through elevated dining, flexible spaces and a more intuitive guest experience.
HVS U.S. Market Pulse: August 2026
HVS forecasts 4.5% U.S. RevPAR growth for 2026, driven by FIFA World Cup lift, domestic travel shifts, and AI-sector demand, with cap rates averaging 7.7% in Q2 and transaction volume rising 9.1%.
By Rodney Clough, President - HVS Americas, Denver, HVS
Booking.com Reveals Travelers Prioritize Trips Ahead of Other Day-to-Day Expenses
A Booking.com survey of 1,332 U.S. travelers finds 84% view travel as a quality-of-life investment, with 68% cutting daily expenses to fund trips and 69% using flexible payment options.
Hilton Australia Recognised as Number 1 Hospitality Workplace by Great Place to Work®
Hilton Australia ranked No. 1 hospitality workplace by Great Place to Work for companies with 1,000+ employees, covering all four Australasia markets across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Hilton Expands LXR Hotels & Resorts in Costa Rica with Maravé Manuel Antonio Signing
Anticipated to open in 2029, the nature‑immersed luxury resort and residences will bring elevated hospitality and ownership opportunities to one of Costa Rica’s most coveted coastal destinations.