Wilhelm Luxem, Head of Quality Commission at Swiss Deluxe Hotels, shares how luxury properties can adopt technology while preserving authentic human connection, drawing on a 50-year career.
Salzburg's largest conference hotel now operates under the Radisson Blu brand. The Radisson Blu Hotel & Conference Centre, Salzburg is an upper-upscale, full-service hotel with 262 rooms and suites and 1,785 square meters of event space, including a 960-square-meter ballroom for up to 1,000 guests. The hotel's integration into Radisson Hotel Group connects an established conference venue with international distribution, the Radisson Meetings program and Radisson Rewards, the group's loyalty network with more than 27 million members worldwide. The launch under the Radisson Blu brand comes at a time of record growth in Austria's meetings and events sector.
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world's leading hotel companies, announces the signing of Hotel Indigo Stockholm – Kvarnholmen in Sweden. Developed by Kvarnholmen Utveckling (KUAB) - a joint venture between Peab and JM - the property will be leased and operated by 1912 Hotels under a franchise agreement with IHG. The signing marks the first Hotel Indigo in Sweden and strengthens IHG's growing Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio across Northern Europe.
Zoltan Istvan challenges the hospitality industry to think beyond its most basic assumption: that its guests will remain human. From life extension drugs and brain implants to humanoid companions and autonomous AI entities, he maps a transhumanist future that renders current notions of the guest experience — and the guest itself — genuinely obsolete.
Located in the heart of the 7th district of Paris, just a stone's throw from the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower, Hotel La Bourdonnais and its bar, Minuit Express, make the perfect starting point for a Parisian adventure. Fully renovated in the spring of 2026, this 4-star boutique hotel, part of the Inwood Hotels collection, boasts a prime location, just a few minutes away on foot from the most beautiful monuments the capital has to offer. Its elegant interiors, inspired by the golden age of explorers, offer a refined interlude at the heart of a vibrant and ever-changing Paris.
One of my favorite short stories of all time is Der Sandmann by German Romantic author E. T. A. Hoffmann. At first reading, it is a Gothic tale about childhood trauma, but beneath the surface lies something far more unsettling: a philosophical autopsy of the fragile boundary between the human and the artificial, and, perhaps, a cautionary tale about the hospitality of tomorrow.
THDP has completed the interior redesign of the guestrooms and public areas of Porta Rossa Hotel Firenze Colbert Collection, one of Florence’s oldest and most historically significant hotels. The project redefines the guest experience through a sensitive and layered approach that enhances the building’s architectural and cultural legacy while introducing a contemporary language of understated elegance.
Hotelschool The Hague becomes the first Dutch hospitality business school to earn a QS 5-Star rating, with an employer reputation score of 85.4/100 in the 2026 QS World University Rankings.
Ruby opens Ruby Frida in Stockholm. It is the brand’s first property in Sweden and an electric new addition to its ever-growing global portfolio. Located in the vibrant Stockholm district of Kungsholmen near Fridhemsplan, inspired by the city’s influential music heritage and the creative spirit of the swinging sixties, the 187-room hotel introduces Ruby’s signature character-rich, design-led approach to one of Stockholm’s most connected and fast evolving areas. Ruby Frida combines dynamic social spaces, a design concept deeply connected to Stockholm’s cultural pulse, a 24 serving cocktails and barista coffee, and an effortless guest experience designed around what cosmopolitan travellers value most.
United States will never adopt the same ruling. It's a capitalist country where businesses needs (not the government) dictate business actions. Smart operators will implement automation where it makes sense and where it augments "human touch".
The classic philosophy in hospitality is that guests require services provided by super nice, smiling, well-trained humans. I believe this philosophy is greatly exaggerated, especially today. A great example of why guests do not care about human-provided services comes from the vacation rental sector.Today, 20% of roomnights are consumed at vacation rentals/ short-term rentals: houses, villas, condos and apartments.
So far I haven't personally seen AI actually cut jobs. I'm not saying it hasn't but I haven't personally seen it yet. It has however empowered people to do a whole lot more, so it might slow down future hires. But I haven't seen it replace anyone that was hired, unless the person utterly refused to learn how to use AI.
Andrew Evans of Keystep Solutions leads a roundtable discussion in Stratford-Upon-Avon where hoteliers share protocols for keeping guests safe following a high-profile Travelodge incident.
citizenM co-founder Michael Levie argues hospitality's real problem is humans behaving like robots, and that automation should free staff for genuine human moments, not replace them.
Alina Hernandez argues that experience design must precede physical construction, with co-creation from guests and staff replacing assumption-driven decisions to avoid costly retrofits.
Les Temps Istanbul Karakoy, Curio Collection by Hilton, is set to open its doors in June 2026, breathing new life into the historic Generali Han. Merging the grandeur of the early 20th century with a sophisticated modern aesthetic, the hotel introduces a "Minimalist Elegance" philosophy to one of Istanbul's most vibrant neighbourhoods.
Pernod Ricard's Global Brand Homes Director Laura Sileo Pavat outlines how the spirits giant welcomes 1 million visitors annually across distilleries and châteaux, using five key elements to maintain personal guest connections at scale.
WTTC's Global Summit will be held in Valletta, Malta from 7-9 October 2026, as the country's tourism sector is forecast to contribute $4.9B to GDP and support 72,200 jobs in 2026.
Kelly Ommundsen of the World Economic Forum argues hospitality tech is over-designed for confident users, under-regulated, and too often deployed without asking what problem it actually solves.
Hapimag AG, a leading provider of holiday apartments across Europe, has made one of its most popular properties on Sylt fit for the future. After around one and a half years of construction, the Westerland Aalborg resort presents itself as a modern retreat that masterfully combines tradition with contemporary style. Since 11 June 2026, the property, located in immediate proximity to the beach promenade and Brandenburger Strand, has been combining ecological efficiency with barrier-free comfort.
Marriott International is set to open Aloft by Marriott Manchester City Centre on 16 June 2026, marking the brand's first property in the city and its largest in Europe with 358 rooms.
Gain Advisors received the Mews 2026 Strategic Star Award at the Mews Unfold forum in Amsterdam, recognizing its advisory model built on senior hospitality practitioners driving measurable commercial outcomes for hoteliers.