Meet The Lobby Boys
Terence Ronson recounts the early careers of three hotel lobby managers in Hong Kong, none of whom had traditional front office backgrounds when they started.
Asia Pacific - Latest
IHG Hotels & Resorts signs landmark 14-hotel portfolio deal in Japan
IHG and GCP Hospitality have signed a 14-hotel, 1,063-room conversion deal in Kyoto, one of Japan's largest such portfolio agreements, anchored by 12 Garner hotels converting over the next 12 months.
Marriott International Signs Agreement to Introduce Ritz-Carlton Reserve to Shanghai, Marking the Brand’s First Urban Concept
Marriott International, Inc. today announced that it has signed an agreement with Shanghai SIIC North Bund New Landmark Construction and Development Co., Ltd. to introduce the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve to Shanghai, marking the debut of the urban Reserve concept, a highly selective extension of the brand created for the world’s leading global gateway cities. Scheduled to open in 2030, the property will bring the rarity, personalization, and sense of wellbeing that define the Reserve experience to one of the world’s most dynamic urban destinations.
ITC Hotels Signs Storii Assagao, expands presence in Goa
ITC Hotels Limited today announced the signing of a management agreement for a 51 key hotel in Assagao, North Goa, under its fast-growing Storii by ITC Hotels brand. The hotel is envisioned as a distinctive hospitality offering inspired by the region's vibrant character attracting travellers to its dynamic culinary treasure, natural beauty, boutique retail experiences, and proximity to the state’s celebrated beaches and attractions.
IHCL Unveils Taj Palace, Lucknow, Expands Its Presence In Uttar Pradesh
Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) , India's largest hospitality company, today announced the opening of Taj Palace, Lucknow. The hotel was inaugurated by Shri Yogi Adityanath, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
The Countdown Begins to Stamford Place’s September Opening, Singapore’s Newest Lifestyle Destination in City Hall
This September, a familiar landmark in Singapore's Civic District will begin a new chapter as Stamford Place, a vibrant mixed-use destination that blends living, working, dining, and social connection under one roof. Bringing together APT., a new boutique serviced apartment, hospitality-inspired workspaces by The Great Room by Industrious, and a carefully curated mix of dining, retail and art.
Intercontinental Tahiti Resort & Spa Unveils Renovated Premium Rooms and Suites
InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa, set along Tahiti’s beautiful lagoon, is pleased to unveil newly renovated premium rooms and suites. Marking an exciting new chapter for the resort, the refreshed accommodations bring a renewed sense of space and contemporary Polynesian elegance to some of the resort’s most sought-after accommodations.
Expert Views (13)
Linchi Kwok, Professor and Department Chair, Cal Poly Pomona
Thank you, Simone, for raising a critical question about marketers’ essential role as AI reshapes the workplace. I see broader applications of this question across job functions beyond marketing.Specialization remains important in hotel marketing.
Max Starkov, Hospitality & travel technologist and digital strategist, Hospitality Net
Are we over-specializing in hospitality digital marketing? The well-known idiomatic proverb “Jack of all trades, master of none" provides the answer to this question. Twenty years ago, a hospitality digital marketer could become a Jack of all trades.
Markus Mueller, Managing Director, GauVendi
LLMs are changing where value sits. In the past, deep knowledge of how to execute a specific task created an advantage. Today, I can use an LLM to understand the mechanics, explore options and complete work that once required a narrow specialist.This makes the big picture more important, not less.
PATA Announces New Executive Board Members
PATA has expanded its Executive Board with five new members from Hawaii, Singapore, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, and Nepal, representing both public tourism bodies and private travel companies.
Meliá Aurea Nha Trang: The Art of Living by the Ocean Arrives on Vietnam's Coast
Meliá Hotels International continues its expansion in Vietnam with the opening of Meliá Aurea Nha Trang, a new upper-upscale oceanfront retreat opened on 12 August 2026 and brings Mediterranean soul, Spanish warm service to one of the country’s most captivating coastal destinations. Set beside its sister property, Gran Meliá’s all‑villa hideaway Villa Le Corail, the new resort from Europe second largest hotel group brings a more accessible expression of the Meliá lifestyle to central Vietnam, complete with the little details that make a stay feel special.
Drift off dreaming of brekkie: Holiday Inn Express launches the world's first Breakfast Pillow in Australia
Holiday Inn Express Australia launches a limited-edition pillow with built-in speakers playing breakfast-inspired white noise tracks, available at all ANZ properties from August to November 2026.
Bangkok named world’s best workcation city for 2026 in IWG’s annual Work from Anywhere Index; Singapore and Kuala Lumpur rank among Asia’s top cities as flexible working reshapes travel and work
IWG's 2026 Work from Anywhere Index ranks Bangkok first globally, with Singapore (17th) and Kuala Lumpur (32nd) also featured, as 48% of workers plan to extend trips by working remotely.
Fusion Hotel Group Announces Integration of Ayola and Odua Brands from Topotels Hotels & Resorts
Fusion Hotel Group integrates Topotels' seven Indonesian midscale properties under the Ayola and Odua brands, expanding its footprint across Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya.
Tollbooths on the Token Highway
Stripe's reported $7B acquisition of OpenRouter, combined with its earlier Metronome buy, creates a vertically integrated AI billing stack that makes model routing costs opaque to operators and demands new cost-tracking disciplines for hospitality.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited
An Abacus, a One-Cent Note, and Fifty Years of Memory
Terence Ronson reflects on 50-year-old hotel memorabilia from Hong Kong, including a branded one-cent note and an abacus, in a memoir excerpt from The Lobby Boys.
IHCL and Tata Steel Foundation Partner to Support Indigenous Culinary Heritage
IHCL, Tata Steel Foundation, and IHM Aurangabad delivered a 10-day culinary workshop for 20 tribal home cooks from 12 communities across 8 Indian states, with 70% women participants.
Ascott Partners with SIMCO Group to Open Ascott West Hanoi in Vietnam’s Capital
The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a Singapore-headquartered global hospitality company wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment (CLI), has signed a management agreement with SIMCO Group (Steel Industry Material Joint Stock Company) to operate Ascott West Hanoi. Slated to open in Q1 2030, the project marks the first collaboration between the two partners and reinforces Ascott’s continued expansion in Hanoi’s fast-growing western commercial corridor.
IHG Hotels & Resorts Expands in the Taiwan Market with New Hotel Signings and Enhances Digital Member Services
IHG signs five new hotels in Taiwan, including the market debut of HUALUXE, and launches a LINE MINI App for its 160M-member IHG One Rewards program.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Debuts in Thailand with the Opening of Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, part of the world-leading hospitality group Accor, in partnership with Asset World Corp Public Company Limited (AWC), today announced the opening of Fairmont Bangkok Sukhumvit. Marking Fairmont’s first hotel in Thailand, the new property introduces the brand’s distinctive spirit of culture, connection and celebration to Bangkok’s vibrant Sukhumvit neighborhood, offering 416 guestrooms and 58 suites for exceptional stays, dining, wellness experiences, celebrations, and world-class meetings and events in one of the city’s most dynamic destinations.
Fraser Residence Putrajaya debuts in the integrated lakeside development of Malaysia’s administrative capital
Frasers Hospitality, today announced the soft opening of Fraser Residence Putrajaya, its newest landmark that marks the brand’s debut in Malaysia. Situated within TERRA, which is Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd’s integrated mixed-use development on the serene banks of Putrajaya Lake, the property introduces Frasers Hospitality’s signature blend of serviced living, family-oriented design and community-driven spaces to the country’s administrative capital.