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AI Remembers What She Liked, Not Where She Stayed, U.S. ADR Hits an All-Time Record at $179, Hotel Restaurants Have a Structure Problem Not a Menu Problem
Friday brought hospitality.today's argument that AI assistants are reducing hotels to a set of conditions rather than named properties as guest preferences persist across trips, CoStar data showing U.S. ADR hitting an all-time record high of $179.30 with RevPAR up 10.4% for the week, and a veteran hotel kitchen professional on why underperforming hotel restaurants fail on structure and accountability rather than concept. Japan leading the WEF's TTDI, KKR's 16-hotel Japan exit, and five property announcements closed the week.
Spa Industry Trends 2026: Medical Spas, Longevity & Spa Tourism
The global spa market reached $157B in 2024 with 201,861 spas, driven by medical spa growth (forecast 15.9% CAGR to 2033), longevity trends, and rising demand for results-driven, personalized wellness.
By Emma Näpänkangas, Hospitality Strategy Writer, EHL
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The hidden revenue opportunity in your hotel budget
Revinate's 2026 Secret Shopped Call Report, based on 308 mystery calls to luxury and upscale properties, reveals where AI can handle routine queries and where human agents remain critical for high-value reservations.
Karen Stephens, Chief Marketing Officer, Revinate, Inc.
From Care to Career: Travelodge Expands Employability Programme to Manchester
Travelodge expanded its 'Care to Career' programme to Manchester, offering care leavers aged 18-30 a four-day employability bootcamp with guaranteed interviews, following a successful 2024 Liverpool pilot.
WTTC, JATA and Tourism Expo Japan Join Forces to Drive Japan's Global Tourism Growth
WTTC, JATA and Tourism EXPO Japan signed an MOU to boost collaboration, as Japan's travel sector hit $343.1B in GDP contribution and ranked 7th globally for international visitor spending.
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View AllU.S. hotel results for week ending 19 September
U.S. hotels posted a 10.4% RevPAR gain for the week of 13-19 September 2026, with ADR hitting an all-time record high of $179.30, driven by strong performances in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Caravan Hatta by Our Habitas Debuts in the Hajar Mountains
Caravan Hatta by Our Habitas opens its doors this month at Hatta Resorts, marking the brand’s debut in the United Arab Emirates. Set against the dramatic landscape of the Hajar Mountains and overlooking the turquoise waters of Hatta Dam, the retreat introduces a new chapter in experiential hospitality, one rooted in culture, community and an intrinsic sense of place.
MGallery Collection unveils Nírema Hotel & Spa Samos, a new design-led seafront retreat in Greece
MGallery Collection, Accor's portfolio of distinctive hotels each defined by a singular DNA, announces the opening of Nírema Hotel & Spa Samos – MGallery Collection this September : The property is a new luxury seaside retreat located at the entrance of Vathy, on the Greek island of Samos. Framed by the Aegean Sea and the Ampelos mountains, the hotel introduces travelers to a more intimate and authentic side of Greece, where wellbeing, nature and local heritage come together in a serene Mediterranean setting.
Crowne Plaza by IHG Hotels & Resorts expands its Paris presence with the opening of Crowne Plaza Paris Marne-la-Vallée
Crowne Plaza by IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s largest premium hotel brands and a pioneer in blended travel, today announces the opening of Crowne Plaza Paris Marne-la-Vallée, a new destination hotel for Crowne Plaza in France.
PENN and NASCAR JV To Break Ground on Tribute Portfolio Hotel at Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway
Kansas Entertainment, LLC, a joint venture between PENN Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN) (“PENN” or the “Company”) and NASCAR™️, will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, September 25, 2026, at 10:00am CST for a new boutique hotel adjacent to Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway (“Hollywood Casino”). The hotel will be affiliated with the Tribute Portfolio, part of Marriott Bonvoy, and will be financed, developed, and operated by Prime Group US and Shaner Hotels, with Kansas Entertainment contributing vacant land for the project.
Supplier News
View allReeco Appoints Lauren Lontine, VP of Sales
Reeco names Lauren Lontine as VP of Sales to lead sales and customer success as the AI-powered procure-to-pay platform enters a new phase of growth.
Gekko Group accelerates its direct hotel contracting expansion across Europe
Gekko Group appoints two Strategic Hotel Account Managers to drive direct hotel contracting across six European markets: UK, Benelux, DACH, Spain, Italy, and Portugal.
RG Venture Studio Launches Capstone, Bringing Revenue Optimization to Hotel Event Space
Capstone applies hotel-style demand forecasting and opportunity cost analysis to event space, helping commercial teams evaluate group business value and displacement effects in real time.
HBX Group and Virtuoso expand global partnership to enhance luxury travel offering
HBX Group expands its 25-year North America relationship with Virtuoso to a global scale, giving 20,000+ luxury travel advisors worldwide access to Bedsonline's full accommodation, mobility, and experiences portfolio.
Blastness partners with DirectBooker to bring hotels onto AI platforms and drive direct bookings
Blastness clients can now list hotel inventory on ChatGPT and Claude via DirectBooker, with commission below one-third of typical OTA rates and no setup or fixed fees.
Cloudbeds and Klook Expand Distribution Opportunities for Hotels Across Asia Pacific
Cloudbeds integrates with Klook to let hotels across Asia Pacific tap into a travel ecosystem spanning experiences, transport, and attractions alongside accommodation bookings.
The Beauty of Imperfection: Wabi-Sabi in Hospitality
The article applies the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi to hotel design, arguing that imperfection, age, and natural materials can create a richer guest experience than conventional luxury perfection.
Venuelocity Elevates Hotel Sales with the Launch of vProposal, a Design-Forward, Integrated Proposal Platform
Venuelocity launched vProposal, a mobile-optimized proposal platform that integrates with CRM and catering systems to help hotel sales teams create visual, data-synced group sales proposals.
HFTP’s 2026 Annual Convention Unites 300+ Hospitality Professionals for Education, Connection and Celebration
HFTP's 74th Annual Convention drew 300+ members to Reno for three days of education covering technology, finance, ethics, and operations, alongside networking and community giving.
OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Beach Resort Unveils All-New Guestrooms
OUTRIGGER Hospitality Group today announced that the newly reimagined guestrooms at OUTRIGGER Waikīkī Beach Resort are complete and available to book, marking the first guest-facing milestone of the resort's $100 million transformation. To celebrate the moment, the resort has launched: "Catch Waikīkī's Next Wave," a campaign inviting people to share what they love about Waikīkī Beach for the chance to win a return trip to this iconic shoreline.
Most Hotel Restaurants Don't Have a Food Problem. They Have a Structure Problem.
A veteran hotel kitchen professional argues that underperforming hotel restaurants suffer from structural failures, including unclear outlet ownership, absent recipe standards, and poor resource allocation, not menu or concept issues.
1.5 billion travelers a year: new global index measures which destinations are ready
The WEF's TTDI 2026 ranks 110 economies on tourism readiness across infrastructure, policy, and resilience, with Japan leading and Asia-Pacific dominating the most-improved list.
Field & Stream Lodge Co. Announces Expansion to Bend, Oregon and Big Bear, California
Field & Stream Lodge Co., backed by Starwood Capital Group and AJ Capital Partners, will convert former Shilo Inn and Holiday Inn Resort properties in Bend and Big Bear into adventure-focused lodges opening in 2028.
How Modern Hotels Blend Blue, Green, and Happy Design
An opinion piece exploring how hotels can integrate Blue, Green, and Happy design concepts with the 95:5 rule and the three-places framework to address evolving guest wellbeing expectations.
By Laszlo Puczko, CEO & Co-Founder, HTWWlife
Landingplace Hotels Launches Borderless Hotel Alliance, Signs First Hotel
Landingplace Hotels launched Borderless Hotel Alliance, a platform giving independent hotels access to tech, distribution, and loyalty resources without requiring a brand change, signing a Virginia Beach property as its first member.
Explora Journeys Signs Letter Of Intent For Fleet Of Luxury River Ships
Explora Journeys signed a Letter of Intent with Dutch shipbuilder Den Breejen Shipyard to build its first luxury river ships, with sales planned to open in 2027.
The agent remembers what she liked. Not where she stayed.
AI assistants like ChatGPT now retain guest preferences across trips, reducing hotels to a set of conditions rather than named properties, reshaping how future bookings are influenced.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
KKR Sells Four Points Flex by Sheraton Portfolio in Japan
KKR has sold 16 Four Points Flex by Sheraton hotels across 11 Japanese cities to an unnamed global institutional investor, following a renovation and repositioning program launched after its 2024 acquisition from Unizo Holdings.