IHG debuts voco hotels in Malaysia
A new chapter in Sarawak's hospitality landscape begins as voco Kuching welcomes its first guests, marking the debut of IHG Hotels & Resorts' premium voco brand in Malaysia.
Asia Pacific - Latest
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
Synthetic Persuasion: AI and the Evolution of Marketing
Neil Foster maps the collision between hospitality's two tectonic forces — human connection and operational optimization — and argues that AI has become the primary mechanism through which synthetic persuasion now operates: shaping discovery, engineering desire, and guiding decisions through systems so seamlessly embedded that they no longer feel like persuasion at all. The critical question he leaves open is whether that same technology can amplify genuine care rather than replace it.
By Neil Foster, Hospitality Technology Advisor, Techtonic Hospitality Services
Marriott International and CG Hospitality Global Sign Strategic Agreement to Introduce Series by Marriott in Great China
Marriott and CG Hospitality Global will jointly develop around 100 Series by Marriott hotels in Greater China over 10 years, with four Arro Khampa boutique resorts joining the portfolio by end of 2026.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts Debuts a New Beachfront Resort in Malaysia with Hilton Burau Bay Langkawi Resort
Set along the scenic shores of Burau Bay, the 251-room resort introduces a richly layered escape defined by restorative wellness, diverse culinary concepts, and immersive rainforest discovery.
How Vietnam is Redrawing the Southeast Asian Tourism Map with Near-50% Increase in International Search Interest
Agoda data shows nearly 50% year-on-year growth in international accommodation searches for Vietnam in 2025, driven by visa reform, expanded air routes, and infrastructure investment.
Angsana Velavaru refreshes its villas with a new sense of colour, craft, and character
Angsana Velavaru has refreshed three of its most beloved villa categories: the Beach Infinity Pool Villa, the Velavaru Two-Bedroom Pool Villa, and the Angsana Three-Bedroom Pool Villa. Updated furnishings, reimagined living spaces, and a bolder embrace of the island's vibrant spirit invite you to experience the resort in a distinctly new light.
Heritage-Listed Blue Mountains Estate Officially Unveiled as Ardour Hotel after Multi-Million Dollar Refurbishment
Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa has marked the start of a new chapter in its renowned history today, officially unveiling its rebrand to Ardour Lilianfels Blue Mountains and welcoming its very first Ardour guests.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
Data Isolation Is AI's Biggest Obstacle in Hospitality
Frank Trampert argues that the hospitality industry's AI ambitions are being held back not by a lack of technology, but by a data architecture problem it has largely refused to confront. Using the recurring archetype of a loyal guest who remains a stranger across ten properties of the same group, he makes the case that cross-property behavioral intelligence is the real prize — and that data discipline, not more tools, is what stands between the industry and it.
By Frank Trampert, CRO, Revinate, Inc.
Hilton Announces the Debut of Spark by Hilton in Asia Pacific with the Opening of the First Two Hotels in Bengaluru and Goa, India
Hilton opens its first two Spark by Hilton hotels in Bengaluru and Goa, launching the brand in Asia Pacific under a strategic deal with Olive Hospitality to develop 150 properties across India.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
Poor Hotel Data Is Killing Direct Bookings. C.U.P.S. Can Fix It
Daniel Doppler opens with a simple experiment — ask an AI to recommend a hotel in your city — and uses the almost universally disappointing results to make a pointed argument: most hotels are invisible to AI not because of anything the technology does wrong, but because their own data is too fragmented, inconsistent, and unstructured for a machine to trust. His four-step CUPS framework offers a practical starting point for fixing that before the window closes.
By Daniel C. Doppler, President, Quinta
EDITION Hotels Unveils Original Mini-Drama Series — An Invitation from E
EDITION Hotels launched a six-episode mini-drama filmed across its three Greater China properties, marking the brand's 10th anniversary in the region and the opening of The Dali EDITION.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
The Distribution Layer in the AI-First Era
Max Starkov argues that the rise of AI platforms as travel discovery tools is reshaping hotel distribution faster than most properties are prepared to handle but that chasing AI visibility without fixing the fundamentals of guest retention is a strategic mistake. The hotels most at risk, he contends, are independents that have neither invested in the tech stack needed to feed AI systems nor built the first-party data infrastructure to keep guests coming back.
By Max Starkov, Hospitality & travel technologist and digital strategist, Hospitality Net
IHG Hotels & Resorts signs Holiday Inn Mathura, tapping demand in a key spiritual tourism market
IHG® Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hospitality companies, has signed a management agreement with Embrassio Hotels & Resorts Private Limited, the hospitality arm of Vrindara Group, to develop Holiday Inn Mathura. Scheduled to open in early 2030, the signing reinforces IHG's commitment to expanding its presence across high-potential travel markets in India and driving growth in demand-led destinations across the country.
Thailand luxury hotel transactions recorded THB 2.2bn in 2025
JLL data shows APAC luxury hotel transactions hit $2.1bn in 2025, up 77% since 2017, with Thailand's Bangkok, Phuket, and Samui posting double-digit ADR growth since 2019.
CrescentRating and Chameleon Strategies Launch Asia's Most Detailed Outbound Travel Intelligence Resource
The Asia Pacific Outbound Traveler Handbook 2026 covers 26 Asian source markets with actionable intelligence for destination marketers, airlines, and tour operators, available free at AsiaTravelTrends.com.
Punthill Epping officially opens in Melbourne’s booming north
LiveStay has officially opened the doors to Punthill Epping, a new 100-key apartment hotel positioned within Melbourne’s rapidly growing northern corridor and the landmark $2 billion New Epping urban renewal precinct developed by Riverlee.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
The Invisible Shortlist
Kurt Weinsheimer draws on 25 years in online travel to argue that the shift to AI-powered discovery is categorically different from every platform change that came before it. When a search returns five options instead of fifty, being sixth is the same as being invisible — and most hotels have no idea how they appear, or whether they appear at all, on the shortlists AI systems are already building.
By Kurt Weinsheimer, President and GM Properties, Sojern
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
The Death of Blue Links: Hospitality Marketing After Search
Antonio Picozzi argues that the thirty-year paradigm of search-driven hospitality marketing is collapsing and that generative AI is replacing the logic of discoverability with an entirely different logic: one where being understood matters more than being ranked, and where a hotel's digital identity is only as strong as its least consistent data source.
By Antonio Picozzi, CEO & Founder, dAirect
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
From Search to Synthesis: Visibility in an Answer-Based Internet
The pre-stay booking funnel has fundamentally shifted, and most hotel tech stacks are nowhere near ready for it. Alessio Re maps the three-layer challenge hotels now face - getting cited by AI systems, owning accurate and structured data, and having a vendor stack capable of converting agent-driven discovery into actual bookings - and argues that treating this as an SEO problem with new vocabulary will not get the industry far enough, fast enough.
By Alessio Re, Co-founder, Elegia
The Dali EDITION Opens in Yunnan, Marking a New Chapter for Contemporary Luxury in Southwest China
Defined by the dramatic interplay of Cangshan Mountain’s peaks and the stillness of Erhai Lake, Dali unfolds as a place shaped by nature, heritage, and a long-standing spirit of artistic and cultural exchange. EDITION, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio, reimagines this storied destination with the opening of The Dali EDITION, bringing a refined, contemporary perspective to Southwest China.