Marriott Hotels Introduces Day Use Rooms as Demand Grows for Flexible, Private Spaces in London
Five Marriott properties across London now offer day use rooms for guests needing a private space to work, rest or refresh without an overnight booking.
Europe - Latest
Introducing W Residences Sardinia – Poltu Quatu, an expansion of hospitality to coastal living
Castello Sgr, the leading Italian asset management company, presents W Residences Sardinia - Poltu Quatu, a 29-unit residential project that introduces a new coastal living dimension within the bustling cliffside village of Poltu Quatu and one of the Mediterranean's most striking islands. The residences are expected to launch sales from July 2026, with the official openings slated to start in 2027.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
Anticipatory Markets: Where Revenue Management Meets the Traveler’s Journey
Klaus Kohlmayr argues that revenue management is undergoing a structural shift from reactive optimization to anticipatory intelligence — where pricing decisions are no longer based on historical extrapolation but on probabilistic futures and real-time guest intent signals. In a world where AI assistants increasingly mediate booking decisions, the hotels that act earlier with better data will outperform those waiting for demand to declare itself.
By Klaus Kohlmayr, Chief Evangelist and Development Officer, IDeaS
Adopting Enhanced Cultural Intelligence in Swiss Hospitality
EHL research based on executive interviews finds Swiss hotels lack structured cultural intelligence training, leaving staff unprepared for growing Indian, Middle Eastern, and Asian guest segments.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
The Future of Distribution Isn’t Passive Connectivity. It’s Agentic Execution.
Sankar Narayan argues that connectivity alone is no longer enough to solve hospitality's revenue problem. The real gap, he says, is execution. With 45% of hoteliers identifying revenue opportunities every week they cannot act on in time, and nearly four in five spending over 11 hours on manual tasks that should be automated, he makes the case that the industry's next competitive frontier is not smarter insights, but faster action.
By Sankar Narayan, CEO and Managing Director, SiteMinder
Research: three-quarters of Dutch people trade luxury hotel amenities for a lower room price
A survey of 1,000 Dutch hotel guests finds 75%+ prefer lower room rates over unused amenities, with clean rooms, comfortable beds, and pricing transparency ranking as top priorities.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
The 30% Distribution Tax: Market Power in Agentic Commerce
Fredrik Sjoberg draws a sharp historical line from the 10% commission of the travel agent era to the 15–25% of OTAs, and asks whether the AI agent era will push that number to 30% — the rate Apple held in the App Store for over a decade simply because it controlled the front door. The industry, he argues, is making the same structural mistakes it made with OTAs, and has a narrow window to act before the terms are set for good.
By Fredrik Sjoberg, Adjunct Professor at New York University Tisch Center of Hospitality. Founder & CEO, Maison Labs
J.MAK Welcomes CASA METT SITGES
Opening July 1, Casa METT Sitges is a relaxed 5-star luxury resort that captures the spirit of the coast across five historic villas, entertaining spaces and an expansive garden just steps from the Mediterranean Sea and close to the heart of Sitges. Known for its artistic spirit, open-minded atmosphere, and effortless coastal lifestyle, the historic beach town of Sitges is 45 minutes from Barcelona on the coast.
Two years on: HOSPA’s tips and troncs guide sets out clear advice for hospitality businesses in the UK
HOSPA has published a practical guide on the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023, covering troncs, written policies, record keeping, tax, VAT, and agency worker inclusion for UK hospitality operators.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
When AI Becomes the Travel Agent
Pablo Delgado argues that AI assistants are not simply adding another channel to hotel distribution — they are compressing the entire travel funnel into a single conversation, potentially owning discovery, consideration, and transaction in one pass. The hotels that wait for certainty before adapting, he warns, risk repeating the same mistake they made when OTAs arrived.
By Pablo Delgado, Managing Partner & CEO America, Mirai
The Standard, Brussels Joins World of Hyatt
The Standard, Brussels becomes the first Hyatt-affiliated hotel in Belgium, allowing World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points at nearly the full Standard portfolio.
IHG Hotels & Resorts reaches over 50 open and pipeline properties in Italy with four new hotel signings
IHG's four new signings in Italy include a dual-branded Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites in Milan, a Hotel Indigo in Alberobello, and a Garner in Turin, bringing its Italian portfolio past 50 open and pipeline properties.
IHG Hotels & Resorts expands luxury footprint in Portugal with InterContinental Vilamoura – Algarve signing
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, announces the signing of InterContinental Vilamoura – Algarve in Vilamoura, Portugal, in partnership with HDP Algarve SA. The signing reinforces the continued appeal of the Algarve as a top luxury resort destination in Southern Europe and marks the fourth InterContinental property in Portugal, further strengthening IHG’s leading Luxury & Lifestyle presence in the country.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
Do You Think You’re Ready for A2A Commerce?
Ira Vouk challenges the industry's comfortable assumption that agentic AI is still a distant, chatbot-adjacent phenomenon. The real disruption, she argues, is not travelers talking to AI assistants, it is machines negotiating directly with machines, and a hospitality infrastructure built entirely around human browsing behavior that is nowhere near ready for it.
By Ira Vouk, Hospitality Tech and AI Consultant, Hospitality 2.0 Consulting
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Technology Edition
The Signal Was Always There. We Just Had No Way to Capture It.
Drawing on a career that moved from reservation phones to housekeeping supervision to manager on duty, Are Morch argues that the real pre-stay challenge has never been technological — it has always been a signal problem. The guest intent is there, the data exists across departments, but without a system to capture and connect it, every interaction starts from scratch and the intelligence is lost.
By Are Morch, Digital Transformation Coach for Hotels, Are Morch, AI Champion
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
Radisson Blu Hotel, Bonn opens on the Rhine next to Germany's largest conference center
A 336-room upper-upscale hotel on the banks of the Rhine, directly adjacent to the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB), is now open under the Radisson Blu brand. Located in Bonn's former government district, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Bonn brings together riverfront views, skyline dining and direct access to one of Germany's most important conference venues – as Bonn continues to strengthen its position as an international destination for events, institutions and leisure travel.
HMA crowns 2026 award winners at annual celebration
The HMA named winners across seven categories at its 2026 ceremony, recognising UK hotel marketing campaigns spanning AI content, social media, partnerships, and conservation-linked brand storytelling.
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.
Michel Roux Leads London Culinary Journey for The Langham
Langham Hospitality Group adds Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr. to its "Langham Luminaries" roster, leveraging his decade-long consultancy at The Langham, London to anchor the brand's global "Your Story. Our Legacy." campaign.