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Niels and Thijs van der Valk of Baoase on Family Hospitality, the Art of Saying Yes, and Building the Caribbean's Number One Resort
Niels and Thijs van der Valk, co-directors of Baoase Luxury Resort in Curaçao, detail the family-built property's philosophy, Indonesian design identity, and expansion plans behind its #1 Caribbean ranking.
Fewer silos, firmer rates, closer guests
Six senior commercial leaders from Rotana, Hyatt, Accor, Marriott and others share priorities for MEA hotels: unified commercial functions, rate discipline over discounting, and loyalty-led guest relationships.
By Mona Faraj, President HSMAI Middle East & Africa, HSMAI (Middle East)
Latest
The fastest reply isn't the one that wins the booking
Analysis of 2 million hotel emails across 48 properties finds reply quality, not speed, drives bookings, with complete answers converting at 58% vs 4%, and a €3.7M follow-up opportunity going largely untapped.
By Kristoffer Pedersen, Co-founder & COO, Altek AI
Decision paradox: Are we screwed if everything costs the same!?!?!
Using a flat-price F&B menu as a thought experiment, the author argues that uniform pricing removes a key tool for influencing customer choice and capturing willingness to pay.
By Fabian Bartnick, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, PerfectCheck
Key Takeaways from the Boutique Hotel Owners Conference 2026
Highlights from BLLA's 2026 Boutique Hotel Owners Conference cover boutique luxury RevPAR outperformance, AI's growing role in guest discovery, and how specificity and storytelling drive distribution and pricing power.
By Ariela Goharik Kiradjian, Partner & COO, BLLA
Recent Appointments
View allOperations & Strategy
Marco Gilardi has been appointed as Managing Director Hospitality at Starhotels Group
Operations & Strategy
Francesco Brunetti has been appointed as Deputy CEO & Asset Director at Starhotels Group
General Management
Marc Reader has been appointed as General Manager at Amilla Maldives
General Management
Kevin Carty has been appointed as General Manager at ORA Hospitality
Your Operator Is a Staffing Company With a Logo. The VCs Just Figured It Out.
Thayer Ventures co-founder Chris shares lessons from travel tech investing: why AI will reshape hotel distribution, why 2027 is the inflection point for agentic operations, and why the hotel operating model is overdue for reinvention.
Sloan Dean in conversation with Chris Hemmeter
Elevating the Swiss Resort Experience With Canary and Protel at Bergwelt Grindelwald
Bergwelt Grindelwald deployed Canary's guest management suite with Protel PMS, saving 25+ staff hours monthly and generating over CHF 500,000 in upsell revenue since November 2024.
Hyatt Builds on Record Growth in Canada with New Hotels Across Its Brand Portfolio
Hyatt's Canadian portfolio has quadrupled in under a decade, with 40+ deals in the pipeline and 10 openings targeted for 2027, including new brands Hyatt Select and Hyatt Studios.
Canada’s Hotel Construction Pipeline Reaches Record-High Project and Room Counts at Q3 Close
Canada's hotel pipeline hit a record 355 projects and 49,209 rooms in Q3 2026, led by Ontario, BC, and Quebec, with LE forecasting 36 new hotel openings by year-end.
Alisa Kremer on Social Media as a Commercial Discipline, Baoase on Family Hospitality and the Art of Saying Yes, Outdated AI Data Can Erase a Hotel from Shortlists
Wednesday brought Henri Roelings in conversation with KORDIE founder Alisa Kremer on social media as a commercial discipline, Niels and Thijs van der Valk of Baoase with Adam Mogelonsky on family hospitality and the art of saying yes, and Andrew Paul on outdated AI data erasing hotels from booking agent shortlists. Gmail's AI Inbox, BWH's WorldHotels rebrand, and property news from Rome to Manhattan rounded out the session.
Supplier News
View allNelsen Architects Launches Nomad Hospitality Interiors, Expanding Luxury Hospitality Design Platform with Early Projects Throughout US
Nelsen Architects has launched Nomad Hospitality Interiors, a new independent luxury interiors studio led by Heather Chilton-Gantt, with early projects including the La Posada de Santa Fe renovation.
Hotels are putting AI agents to work in live operations, with Apaleo MCP Server use up 70%
Apaleo reports 70% growth in MCP Server usage between July and September 2026, with hotels deploying AI agents for tasks like bulk reservation changes, forecasting, and rate management.
AI-Powered Guest Engagement Linked to Higher Hotel Revenue, Better Personalization and Happier Guests, Study of 10+ Million Interactions Finds
Canary Technologies releases a study of 10+ million hotel guest interactions, linking AI-powered engagement to higher revenue, improved personalization, and guest satisfaction.
HotelPartner adds profit with brand refresh
HotelPartner rebrands to HotelPartner Revenue Profit Management and launches a new service-light platform tier in Europe for consultants and smaller hotel groups.
Closing the Loop in Guest Experience Management
A fireside session at the 2026 Quest Guest Experience Leadership Workshop highlights how hotels must connect feedback systems to operational workflows, assigning ownership and verifying outcomes to prevent problems rather than react to them.
The fastest hotel replies don't win the most bookings. How you answer does.
A study of 2M emails across 48 hotels finds reply speed is a poor predictor of bookings, while complete, action-oriented responses and follow-ups drive conversion rates up to 58%.
Otel publishes a free 2027 AI strategy guide for hotels
Otel releases a free guide helping hoteliers select and validate their first AI project within four weeks, targeting GMs and revenue managers planning 2027 budgets.
Avalora’s VAIA Agentic AI Assistant Integrates with Yipy To Create a Centralized Information Database for Hotels
Avalora's VAIA AI assistant now integrates with Yipy's standards management system, letting hotels update operational info once and push it across up to 50 connected technology platforms automatically.
1,800-room StandardX flagship property coming to Manhattan
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and Extell Development Company, a full-service national real estate developer of residential, commercial and hospitality properties, announce plans for the debut of The StandardX brand to North America for the first time with The StandardX Times Square, an approximately 1,800-room hotel at 255 West 45th Street, located in the heart of Manhattan's Theater District.
Aimbridge Hospitality Strengthens Portfolio with 718-Key Delta Marriott Orlando Celebration
Aimbridge Hospitality takes over management of the 718-key Delta Hotels by Marriott Orlando Celebration in Kissimmee, FL, owned by Accesso, following a ~$35M renovation.
Mykonian-born lifestyle brand Nammos to open its first U.S. destination in the heart of Midtown Manhattan
Nammos, the globally celebrated Mediterranean lifestyle brand born on the shores of Mykonos in 2003, will make its highly anticipated U.S. debut with the opening of Nammos New York, located on the 51st Street in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.
Jared Karras Joins Meyer Jabara Hotels as Senior Vice President of Operations for its New Full-Service and Lifestyle Division
Meyer Jabara Hotels splits into two operating divisions and names Jared Karras SVP of Operations for its new Full Service and Lifestyle Division as it approaches its 50th year.
Why Social Media Belongs in Hospitality’s Leadership Thinking
An interview with KORDIE founder Alisa Kremer on why social media must be treated as a commercial discipline, with implications for measurement, AI, brand differentiation, and leadership accountability.
The strategy behind your 2027 hotel marketing plan
Cendyn's guide outlines how to build a structured 2027 hotel marketing calendar that ties promotions to demand gaps, channel mix, and profitability rather than reactive discounting.
The Hotel That Wasn’t There
A narrative-driven opinion piece warning hoteliers that outdated AI training data can erase a property from AI booking agent shortlists, costing real occupancy before the problem is even noticed.
By Andrew Paul, Managing Director, Americas Great Resorts
Your Tech Budget Runs on a Calendar. Your Hotel Doesn’t.
Maestro PMS argues hoteliers should choose a modular, flexibly deployed PMS that scales with operational changes rather than one tied to annual budget cycles and contract renewals.
By Lisa Jane Wheaton, Senior Project Strategist, Maestro
HSMAI Europe launches weekly video podcast exploring the impact of AI on hospitality
HSMAI Europe launches a weekly video podcast on AI's impact on hospitality, covering distribution, guest experience, operations and talent, with new episodes every Wednesday on YouTube and Spotify.
Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes Expands Across the Greek Islands with Four New Exceptional Homes
Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes adds four luxury private villas in Mykonos, Corfu and Lefkada, priced from €17,059 to €69,062 per week, expanding its Mediterranean portfolio.