The shift from revenue growth to profit optimization isn’t just about changing metrics—it’s changing how hotels think about performance. With rising costs across labor, energy, and distribution, a strong RevPAR doesn’t guarantee a strong bottom line. Being busy isn’t the same as being profitable.
Radisson Hotel Group proudly announces the debut of Radisson Residences Taghazout Bay, in the heart of Morocco's surf capital. Nestled on the scenic hills of Taghazout Bay with sweeping views of the Atlantic, the new property features 208 modern serviced apartments, padel court, two outdoor pools and a kids area.
Revenue management isn't just yielding prices. In fact, the difference between yield management and revenue management is precisely that revenue management doesn't stop at room revenue and captures all revenue streams.
Brilliantly articulated. This is exactly where the conversation needs to be moving forward. The era of chasing topline numbers is over, today's commercial leaders are being judged by flow-through intelligence, not occupancy percentages.
We've been having these conversations for about 20 years now. A lot has been said and published on this topic, including my own articles, podcast episodes, webinars, and even dedicated chapters in my last two books. The answer, at least to me, is obvious: until RMS providers build true profit optimization capabilities into their products (which requires proper data flow for the missing pieces of the equation), we're not going to move forward.
The ambitious vision for Total Profit Optimization is not a destination we are equipped to reach today. It's not a pipedream, but a strategic challenge demanding a phased, constructive approach. The core issue is a structural disconnect stemming from the historical focus on Rooms: The Talent Evolution: We currently possess excellent Rooms Optimizers, whose skill sets were sharpened by focused toolsets and market dynamics.
Accor, a world-leading hospitality group, has announced strategic agreement with John Williams Hotels & Resorts and Boulevard Hotel Group to launch Mövenpick and Mövenpick Living in Abuja, Nigeria.
Nearly seven in ten South African travellers (69%) plan to take the same or more holidays in 2026 compared to 2025, including 49% who intend to travel more frequently, according to Marriott Bonvoy’s Ticket to Travel research. Younger generations are leading demand, with 66% of Gen Z planning on taking more holidays next year and embracing AI planning tools, luxury add-ons, and passion-driven trips.
In my previous airline and telcoms world, we used service buses like TIBCO to sit on top of enterprise systems. The upside was the potential of plug and play (although we never actually changed back end ERPs). The downside was extra latency and cost.
In practice, it's not that simple. A hub always depends on common integration standards — yet many systems still lack proper REST APIs to communicate effectively. For example, we dynamically manage room assignments and reassignments based on guest fit and preferences, but not all PMSs even offer APIs that allow us to do this.
Radisson Hotel Group proudly announces the debut of Radisson Residences Taghazout Bay, in the heart of Morocco's surf capital. Nestled on the scenic hills of Taghazout Bay with sweeping views of the Atlantic, the new property features 208 modern serviced apartments, padel court, two outdoor pools and a kid's area.
The hospitality industry must build on the exemplars of performative sustainability towards a transformative regeneration. In other words, from sustaining to healing! The sector can no longer afford to dwell at the periphery of systemic change, tinkering with low-leverage interventions such as LED bulbs, reusing towels and low-flow fixtures. While these remain necessary, they are insufficient and superficial.
Looking ahead to 2026, the hospitality industry stands at a pivotal crossroads, facing mounting pressure to address its environmental and social responsibilities more transparently and effectively. The first priority should be the establishment of comprehensive data platform in collaboration with industry membership organizations. These platforms must not only aggregate sustainability KPIs and attributes for internal benchmarking and B2B purposes but also translate this data into educational content for end consumers, fostering wider public engagement and understanding.
In some ways, 2025 has been a challenging year for sustainability in the hospitality industry, particularly in the US, where the policy changes of the new administration are less supportive of programs addressing environmental and social initiatives. Nevertheless – I am heartened that the work goes on and progress is still being made across hospitality and tourism.
The starting point of my short feedback here is Donella Meadows" twelve leverage points. I am looking at current hospitality practices and what could be "transformative" (for lack of better word) along those leverage points (LP).
Understanding Opting-In and Opting-Out Strategies Knowing the difference between opting-in and opting-out is essential when aiming to influence behaviour and drive change effectively. The "default option" principle can be applied to almost any business or operational process, allowing organisations to guide decisions without lengthy explanations or losing control over outcomes.
In 2026 hospitality should prioritise shifting from surface-level sustainability actions to systemic change through investment in leadership training. While technical improvements remain important, the primary focus must be on transforming internal mindsets.
As we say goodbye to 2025, I am optimistic for the future of the hospitality industry in 2026 and beyond, it is truly a resilient business. Travelers continue to seek a memorable experience and the corporate sector is back doing events that fuel our economic growth!
Profitability is what every budget really comes down to. Still, building a budget is more than just organizing or plugging numbers into the excel file (If it´s your go-to tool, still). It's about understanding what is coming in, what's going out, and how your revenue plan ties everything together.
For our 2026 budget, my primary focus will be on sustaining brand awareness and strengthening the property’s positioning. Guests today are increasingly attentive to consistency; they expect the same level of quality and service regardless of market conditions or rate fluctuations.
Anantara, the purveyor of immersive hospitality, is unveiling its first safari tented camp - Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp - set to launch in April 2026. Poised high above the banks of the Kafue River, one of Zambia's most vital waterways, the luxury camp connects guests directly to Kafue National Park, the country's largest and oldest reserve, drawing them into a vast, protected wilderness where wildlife roams across untouched terrain.
In the future, brands and OTAs will need to: Reduce their inventory and storytelling — so it's portable, embeddable, and instantly bookable anywhere. Invest in API-first distribution — enabling social, AI, and agent ecosystems to transact on their behalf.
That's an interesting question. However, I don't believe social media will become transactional when it comes to travel and hospitality. That doesn't mean it can't and won't become so for other industries - I can see this already happening for everyday purchases: apparel, jewelry, consumer goods, clothings, etc.
Good one! 💡 I definitely get a lot of product and service inspiration through my social media feeds. Entertainment is a big factor, but as someone tied into the hospitality sector, I particularly enjoy seeing industry offerings—whether that's cutting-edge technology or tangible experiences like hotels, resorts, and restaurants.
The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a leading international lodging operator and a wholly owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Investment, has announced the signing of a franchise agreement for Somerset Admiralty Way Lagos, a new serviced residence located in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. The signing took place during FHS World Dubai, one of the region's leading hospitality and investment forums, marking another key milestone in Ascott's continued expansion across the Middle East and Africa.
The shift toward experience-based booking is absolutely transforming the game. AI can finally solve the paradox of choice. Hotels can now showcase everything they offer but in a way that's targeted and relevant. Don't sell me a romantic getaway when I'm traveling alone.
There is a massive industry gap here. Full stop. Discussion about this capability in the industry is topical. Those in a position to enable it are few, if even thinking about it. Packages are a clumsy solution to the underlying problem of being able to successfully deliver rooms digitally.
If the game has shifted...so must our KPIs. Today's revenue leaders must zoom out and focus on TRevPAR, capturing not just what happens in the room, but around it. Whether you're luxury or budget, you can take advantage of experiential revenue, something that thanks to digitalization, every hotel can play (and not only ultra-luxury resorts).
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the debut of its lifestyle brand Tapestry Collection by Hilton in Sub-Saharan Africa, following the signing of an agreement for a new property - Zaria Court Kigali, Tapestry Collection by Hilton in Rwanda. This addition reinforces Hilton's continued growth across Africa, with plans to open more than 100 hotels on the continent in the coming years.
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the debut of its lifestyle brand Tapestry Collection by Hilton in Sub-Saharan Africa, following the signing of an agreement for a new property - Ava Hotel Nairobi, Tapestry Collection by Hilton in Kenya. This addition reinforces Hilton's continued growth across Africa, with plans to open more than 100 hotels on the continent in the coming years.