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Most Hotel Sales Teams Can Only Harvest Demand, U.S. RevPAR Forecast at 4.5% for 2026, World Cup Reviews Reveal What Guests Actually Noticed
Friday closed July with The Sales Leadership Brief's argument that most hotel sales teams are built to harvest existing demand and lack the capability to generate it, HVS forecasting 4.5% U.S. RevPAR growth for 2026 with transaction cap rates at 7.7%, and Shiji's benchmark of 224,000 World Cup reviews finding Mexico outperformed the U.S. on every guest metric. NYC led U.S. weekly RevPAR on World Cup final demand, Cvent on trust as the primary group booking signal, and a strong properties day from Brisbane to Burgundy closed the month.
Why lifestyle hotels need rethinking: from wellness to technology
Eric Jafari, co-founder of Locke and edyn, argues lifestyle hotels have grown complacent and that wellness and AI-driven personalization are key to reviving the segment.
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HEDNA Brings the Global Distribution Conversation Back to Lisbon, Portugal, September 15–17, 2026
HEDNA's 2026 Global Distribution Conference returns to Lisbon on Sept 15–17, focusing on AI-driven search disruption, direct booking strategy, content standards, and the evolving role of OTAs and B2B intermediaries.
How automated channel management prevents overbookings and keeps your rates right on every platform
Automated channel management eliminates overbookings by syncing availability and rates across all OTAs instantly, removing the manual update gap that allows double bookings to occur.
By Femke Nollet, Content Specialist, Lighthouse
Radisson Hotel Group opens The Merchant Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals, in the heart of Brisbane
The Merchant Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals, has opened in the heart of Brisbane's central business district, marking the debut of the Radisson Individuals brand in Queensland. Inspired by the trading heritage of the historic Roma Street markets, the contemporary 58-room boutique hotel combines distinctive local character, personalised service and modern comfort within easy reach of the city's corporate, government, cultural and entertainment precincts.
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View AllU.S. hotel results for week ending 25 July
U.S. hotels posted RevPAR growth of 6.3% for the week of 19-25 July 2026, with NYC leading gains driven by the World Cup final and Las Vegas dragged down by tough year-ago comparisons.
Leonardo Hotels grows in France by acquiring a hotel on Lake Geneva
Leonardo Hotels Central Europe will strengthen its presence in France when it takes over the former Hilton Evian-les-Bains on Lake Geneva with effect from 1 August 2026. The hotel will initially operate under the name of Hotel Evian-les-Bains by Leonardo Hotels and will undergo extensive renovations whilst remaining open for business.
LivAway Suites® Plants Roots in Tucson with Fourth Arizona Opening
LivAway Suites has opened its doors in Tucson, Arizona, marking the brand's fourth Arizona property and further accelerating one of the hospitality industry's fastest-growing economy extended stay platforms. With 21 additional locations open or under development nationwide, LivAway continues to build momentum as demand grows for flexible, affordable long-term lodging across the country.
TownePlace Suites Latham Albany Airport Offers a Fresh Take on Extended Stay Travel
Buffalo Lodging Associates, LLC, announced the 114 all-suite hotel, TownePlace Suites Latham Albany Airport, located at 5 Forts Ferry Road, Albany, New York, has completed renovation to its guest suites and public spaces. The refreshed design delivers the modern, comfortable experience today's travelers are seeking, a welcoming place where guests can settle in, maintain their routines, and easily connect with the Albany area during their stay.
Fontenille Collection Unveils its First Opening in Burgundy with Château de Cîteaux
This summer, as Fontenille Collection celebrates its 10-year anniversary, the group sets roots in Burgundy for the first time with the transformation of Château de Cîteaux. Rising over 12th-century Cistercian cellars among the oldest in the region, this 19th-century house in the heart of Meursault brings together winemaking legacy, monastic heritage and contemplative contemporary design within a setting that feels quietly timeless.
Supplier News
View allWhat 224,000 Guest Reviews Reveal About Hotel Performance During the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Shiji's benchmark of 224,171 reviews across 1,819 hotels in 14 host cities finds GRI improved in both the US and Mexico, with Mexico outperforming on all key metrics and F&B scoring a 9.27-point gain.
Can Access Credentials Inspire Local Discovery?
GCSTIMES explores how hotel key cards, designed with local food-inspired graphics and FSC-certified materials, can serve as guest touchpoints that encourage neighbourhood exploration.
One Group Booking Is Worth 20-50 Room Nights. Most Independent Hotels Still Struggle to Manage It.
A free eBook from roommaster outlines how independent hotels can fix group booking operations, from faster RFP response to attrition clause enforcement, amid 28% growth in meetings and events demand.
BCD Travel accelerates AI strategy with strategic investment in corporate travel AI leader AMGINE
BCD Travel has made a strategic investment in AMGINE and expanded their existing partnership, targeting AI gains in group-air management, email automation, and agentic workflows across global travel programs.
Cloudbeds Launches OTA Ads to Seamlessly Manage OTA Campaigns within the Platform
Cloudbeds' new OTA Ads feature lets hoteliers launch and manage Expedia TravelAds campaigns directly within the Cloudbeds platform, consolidating paid OTA visibility alongside metasearch, retargeting, and reputation tools.
The Access Group agrees to acquire Talent Funnel, strengthening its AI-enabled workforce management capability for hospitality
The Access Group is acquiring UK hospitality ATS provider Talent Funnel, which serves 100+ customers across 2,193 sites and handles 75,000 hires annually, with completion expected August 2026.
Shiji’s Daylight PMS Selected by Kempinski Hotels to Elevate Luxury Guest Experiences
Kempinski Hotels has deployed Shiji's Daylight PMS across 4,400+ rooms since 2025, focusing on centralized guest profile management and personalized service delivery across its China portfolio.
Travelsoft announces the acquisition of Afidium by Orchestra, strengthening product synergies for French travel professionals
Travelsoft's French entity Orchestra acquires Afidium, a travel software specialist founded in 2005, to combine distribution and booking capabilities with Afidium's air optimisation and PNR management expertise.
Hospitality Leaders to Convene in Paris to Tackle Industry’s Greatest Pressures
The World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Global Summit convenes 250+ hospitality leaders in Paris on 8-9 December, hosted by Accor, to drive actionable sustainability frameworks across 66,000+ hotels.
Concept Integrity: The Missing Link Behind Successful Restaurants
The author argues that restaurant success depends less on originality and more on consistently delivering the concept promised to guests across every operational touchpoint.
By Amin Beik
Hotel Equities and We Wai Kai Nation Break Ground on Four Points by Sheraton Campbell River on Vancouver Island
Hotel Equities (HE), a best-in-class hospitality operator, today announces the groundbreaking of Four Points by Sheraton Campbell River in Campbell River, British Columbia. HE will operate the property upon opening under Marriott International's Four Points by Sheraton brand, working alongside We Wai Kai Nation, which owns and is developing the 102-room hotel at 200 Brant Drive. Part of the Quinsam Crossing commercial development, the hotel is anticipated to open in spring 2028.
The Elora Mill Just Got More Remarkable — The Walser Building Opens This Fall
The Elora Mill is proud to announce the opening of the restored Walser Building this October, a landmark addition and the 8th heritage restoration on the property, making it one of the most anticipated hospitality expansions in Ontario this year. A building that has stood at the heart of Elora since 1851 will now host nine new hotel rooms, each one shaped by the same reverence for heritage, craft and design that has defined the Elora Mill.
Vision Opens Dual-Branded Home2 Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton Chattanooga West Lookout Mountain
Vision Hospitality Group has announced the opening of the dual-branded Home2 Suites by Hilton Chattanooga West Lookout Mountain and Tru by Hilton Chattanooga West/Lookout Mountain, marking the completion of the first phase of the company's mixed-use development in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Lever China Deepens Partnership with Artyzen Hotel Group to Advance Its Plant-Based Dining Policy
Lever China and Artyzen Hotel Group target 30% plant-based menu coverage across all Artyzen properties worldwide by end of 2027, starting with three Asia-Pacific locations.
Lever China and Artyzen
Melbourne's Accommodation Scene Gets a New Address: Urban Rest Melbourne Opens on Lonsdale St with an Australian-First
Urban Rest, the Australian-founded flexible living operator, launches Urban Rest Melbourne after a multimillion-dollar renovation. Located at 23-33 Lonsdale Street, Urban Rest Melbourne offers modern, oversized apartments, a brand new residents' lounge, digital check-in, and a state-of-the-art fitness and group training centre by Conditn. The launch will also see the property become the first mixed-use asset in the country to combine co-living and short-term accommodation in one building, offering a truly flexible living model.
HVS U.S. Market Pulse: July 2026
HVS forecasts 4.5% U.S. RevPAR growth for 2026, lifted by World Cup demand and revenge travel, with transaction cap rates averaging 7.7% in Q2 and sales volume up 9.1% over Q1.
By Rodney Clough, President - HVS Americas, Denver, HVS
Menu Engineering Beyond the Basics: Optimizing Strategy, Not Just Items
EHL professors and industry experts explain how menu engineering should function as a system-level diagnostic tool, not just an item-by-item margin exercise, especially as guest spending behavior shifts.
By Paulina Schmidt and Cindy Heo
Human Trafficking: the Underground Market of Hospitality
Hotels' built-in features of privacy, anonymity, and rapid turnover make them vulnerable environments for trafficking, and the article argues that leadership and operational systems are the critical line of intervention.
By Nick Nguyen and Priyanko Guchait