By Peter Szabo
Built around the guest, not the room: Harman Singh Narula joins The Boardroom Reboot
Canary Technologies co-founder Harman Singh Narula discusses building a guest-centric hotel tech stack, the company's origin story, and AI's impact on hotel roles and operations.
AI Takes Flight
Using Cathay Pacific's Google AI contrail-avoidance trial as a framework, this piece argues hotels must define decision envelopes, run shadow-mode pilots, and track AI override rates before granting operational autonomy.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited
Latest
Hotel Amigo Introduces the New Grand Place Suites and Reveals the Transformation of the Iconic Blaton Suite
Hotel Amigo, a Rocco Forte Hotel, has unveiled the transformation of three of its most remarkable suites, introducing the new Grand Place Suites and revealing the newly redesigned Blaton Suite. Located in the heart of Brussels, just moments from the Grand Place, the project reflects the hotel's long-standing connection to the city - its architecture, craftsmanship and artistic heritage.
Radisson Blu Medlock Hotel, Manchester opens at Medlock Square
Radisson Blu Medlock Hotel, Manchester, a new 401-room upper-upscale hotel at the heart of Medlock Square on Manchester's Etihad Campus, opens today 7 September 2026. The hotel is the first development by Manchester City Football Club in partnership with Radisson Hotel Group and introduces a new hospitality destination within the city.
PATA and Content With Purpose Launch New Digital Series Championing Tourism with Purpose Across Pacific Asia
PATA and Content With Purpose have launched a free documentary series exploring sustainable, community-centered tourism across Asia Pacific, featuring destinations in Hawaii, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand, and the Marianas.
Recent Appointments
View AllInterContinental branded residences to arrive in Northwest Vietnam with The Residences at InterContinental Sapa Resort
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) and Alphanam Group have announced their collaboration on The Residences at InterContinental Sapa Resort, marking the debut of InterContinental branded residences in Northwest Vietnam.
The Hoxton set to make its Middle East debut with flagship Dubai location, featuring a wellness club
Ennismore, the fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company, in partnership with Select Group, one of the region's leading developers, announces the signing of The Hoxton, Dubai Media City. The signing marks a significant moment: The Hoxton's first venture into the United Arab Emirates, bringing the brand's globally celebrated open-house concept to the Middle East for the first time and becoming a new flagship for Ennismore in the region. This announcement follows closely on the heels of the brand's latest signings across Asia Pacific, The Hoxton, Bengaluru City in India in October and Melbourne last year, highlighting its robust global expansion into some of the most influential markets worldwide.
Montcalm Royal London House Joins Autograph Collection Hotels, Unveiling a New Chapter
Montcalm Royal London House has joined Marriott International’s Autograph Collection Hotels, marking a new chapter for the landmark Finsbury Square hotel, housed in the former headquarters of Royal Mail.
Vestige Namibia to Welcome Guests at Vestige Xaudum from 15 March 2027, with Reservations Now Open
Reservations are now open for Vestige Xaudum, which will welcome its first guests from 15 March 2027. Set deep within Khaudum National Park in northern Namibia, the six-suite lodge will mark a significant new chapter for Vestige Collection as its first property outside Spain, as well as the first of four distinctive lodges that will form this new Vestige Namibia circuit through some of the country’s most remarkable landscapes.
DoubleTree by Hilton to open 100-room hotel in Parramatta as part of Deicorp’s multi-use precinct
Parramatta is set to welcome DoubleTree by Hilton, with Hilton bringing the brand to one of Western Sydney’s fastest-growing commercial and infrastructure hubs.
Supplier News
View allFrom Open Standards to Brand Experience: Rethinking the Hotel Key Card
The article argues that open-standard key card systems give hotels vendor flexibility and credential control, while sustainable, custom-designed physical cards double as brand touchpoints.
Beyond Transactions: Why Payments Are Becoming the Backbone of Modern Hospitality
FreedomPay's SVP Kevin Carson argues hotel groups must shift from fragmented payment systems to integrated commerce platforms to improve resilience, staff productivity, and cross-property consistency.
Not every lost group deserves a follow-up email
The piece argues that sales teams should use meeting intelligence platforms to prioritize re-engagement with lost group accounts based on actual booking activity, not generic outreach schedules.
roommaster Reveals Its Reimagined Hotel Platform at Independent Hotel Show Miami 2026
roommaster will demo its rebuilt cloud-native PMS at Booth 419 and present a session on Revenue Per Available Guest (RevPAG) for independent hoteliers on September 16 in Miami Beach.
Otel AI Releases New Product Video: The AI That Gives You Your Morning Back
Otel AI's platform connects PMS, RMS, POS, and other hotel systems to automate reporting and run AI agents, with customers reporting 20+ hours saved weekly and RevPAR gains of 8.6% at The Alex Dublin.
Wooden Key Cards: From Access Credentials to Skillcation Markers
Hotels can reframe wooden keycards as collectible markers of skill-based guest experiences, linking tangible objects to workshops like pottery, weaving, or tea to deepen guest connection and encourage return visits.
OTAs already speak the language of AI discovery, and most hotel marketers don't
Hotel marketers are falling behind OTAs in AI search fluency, risking direct bookings as AI assistants increasingly surface inaccurate or OTA-sourced property information.
The Importance of the PMS User Experience
Poor PMS usability creates hidden operational costs, including supervisor interventions, data errors, and wasted staff time, that never appear in a technology budget.
What is the AI Alliance?
Ira Vouk of AIHA and Cendyn's Luke Markesky discuss responsible AI adoption in hospitality, covering standards, data privacy, risk management, and industry accountability.
Ryan Haynes, Director/Lead Consultant, Hoteliers' Voice Podcast/ Haynes MarComs Ltd
HVS Europe Hotel Transactions Bulletin - Week Ending 04 September 2026
HVS Europe's weekly bulletin covers six hotel transactions across Italy, Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, France, and Germany, with deal values ranging from €7M to over €200M.
A Visa Change Hits the Floor Before It Hits the Report, Seven Accor Hotels Change Hands in the UK, Hotels Put AI Where the Value Isn't
Monday opened with a regulatory change most properties have not audited for. DHS has moved J-1 exchange visitors from Duration of Status to fixed admission dates, which means a delayed arrival no longer pushes the end date back, and a trainee who joins six weeks late enters a programme that has already moved past them. Headcount stays correct and compliance stays clean while the gap shows up on the floor. Starboard Hotels and LaSalle bought seven Accor-branded hotels with 913 bedrooms from Ares and EQ Group, taking Starboard past 3,000 rooms, and Bain Capital sold the Lake Como EDITION six months after it opened. Google Cloud research from 2,400 executives found returns come from embedding AI in core value-creating processes, which in hotels is not the booking page.
Starboard/LaSalle JV acquires seven Accor hotels in key markets across the UK from Ares and EQ Group
Starboard Hotels and LaSalle Investment Management acquired seven Accor-branded hotels across the UK, growing Starboard's portfolio to 28 properties and over 3,000 rooms.
The Neuroscience of Natural Materials: Why Wood, Stone and Patina Outperform Synthetic Finishes in Guest Perception
Opinion piece argues natural materials like wood, stone and aged metals shape guest perception more effectively than synthetic finishes by triggering positive neurological and emotional responses.
By Peter Chambers, Associate Editor, Renovated
Country Inn Hotels & Resorts makes its debut in Delhi NCR with the launch of Country Inn Smart Stays, Gurgaon on the Golf Course Road
Country Inn Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Espire Hospitality Limited, one of India’s fastest-growing hospitality companies, has announced the opening of Country Inn Smart Stays, Gurgaon, marking the brand’s first hotel in the Delhi NCR region and further expanding its presence in India’s key business and commercial markets.
HVS Asia Pacific Hospitality Newsletter - Week Ending 4 September 2026
Five deals across Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan totaling hundreds of millions in transaction value, covering acquisitions, a mixed-use luxury development, and a value-add repositioning play.
TRUNK(HOTEL) Expands Beyond Tokyo To Launch TRUNK(HOTEL) SAPPORO in Hokkaido in September 2027
Luxury boutique hotel brand, TRUNK(HOTEL) announced today its first expansion outside its Tokyo home base, TRUNK(HOTEL) SAPPORO, opening on September 17, 2027 in central Sapporo’s Odori district. Featuring 107 guest rooms among 18 stories, the brand’s fourth and largest hotel will carry through its signature emphasis on honoring the city’s history, culture, people, nature, and cuisine, and reinterpreting these elements into an unparalleled guest experience exclusive to this destination.
The Westin Cleveland Downtown Completes Full Renovation as Landmark Hotel Marks 50 Years
The Westin Cleveland Downtown announced the completion of a full hotel renovation, marking a major milestone in the property’s evolution as it celebrates over 50 years in downtown Cleveland. Blending the legacy of a longtime city landmark with a fresh new design vision, the transformation introduces fully renovated guestrooms, suites and meeting spaces, ushering in what can best be described as the rebirth of a Cleveland legend.
New Hampshire's Courtyard by Marriott Hanover Lebanon Unveils Comprehensive Renovation
Courtyard by Marriott Hanover Lebanon, located at 10 Morgan Drive in Lebanon, New Hampshire, has completed a comprehensive, full-property renovation designed to deliver a refreshed and contemporary guest experience while maintaining the convenience, functionality and service travelers expect from Courtyard by Marriott.