Invisible to the AI: Mirko Lalli on Why Hospitality Is Not Ready
Mirko Lalli warns that 80% of AI travel suggestions come from OTAs, leaving most hotels invisible, and argues that 70% of the fix is content strategy, not technology.
Europe - Latest
Marriott International Completes Transaction to Bring Lefay into its Global Portfolio through Joint Venture
Marriott acquires a stake in Italian luxury wellness brand Lefay via joint venture with the founding Leali family, adding two properties in Italy with more under development across Tuscany, Southern Italy, and the Swiss Alps.
Why a 'Generation Translator' Would Backfire: Ilona Guérin on the Next Generation of Hoteliers
EHL student and Young Hospitality Summit president Ilona Guérin argues Gen Z hoteliers are driven and passionate, but warns formalising "generation translator" roles would widen, not bridge, the gap.
Armenia Market Pulse 2026 – A New Chapter in the South Caucasus
Armenia's hotel market shows record arrivals of 2.3M in 2025, 68% average occupancy and a branded pipeline of ~2,700 keys, with a 2026-30 strategy targeting 3M visitors and $3.8B in tourism spend by 2030.
By Dayk Balyozyan and Alexandra Dumoulin
Expert Views (6)
Paul Mulcahy, Chief Commercial Officer, The Lux Collective
Bold prediction: The PMS isn't going anywhere by 2030 — but it will look nothing like it does today. It becomes the heart of the hotel, connecting and coordinating most AI tools, agents and decisions running across the property.
Fergus Boyd, Hospitality Consultant, HFTP
The death of the PMS was mooted back in 2014 when I joined hospitality from airlines. 14 years later, we still have PMSes. Their primary all-in-one functions were:- Handle check-in/out- Manage room key cutting- Take payments- Set up the hotel room inventory and types- Assign a price per room- Link to selling channels like OTAs- Manage housekeeping- Manage facilities management/maintenance- Handle on-site eventsSeparate RMSes now do pricing and push rates to PMSes.
Mustafa Gokcen, Global Head of Information Technology, Cheval Collection
The Enterprise PMS will still be around in 2030. Every hotel needs a system of record to manage reservations, inventory, rates, guest profiles, financial transactions, and operational controls. AI doesn't remove that requirement.
Finca La Bobadilla Reopens in Andalusia Following Design-Led Renovation by Único Hotels
Finca La Bobadilla, the iconic 73-room luxury estate set on a magnificent 350-hectare private landscape in the Sierra de Loja, is now open following a meticulous design-led renovation by Único Hotels.
Using AI to Teach the Most Human Skill: Sowon Kim on Difficult Conversations
EHL's Dr Sowon Kim uses AI-powered role-play avatars to train hospitality leaders in high-stakes interpersonal skills, and discusses loneliness, empathy, and her Women in Leadership programme.
St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Prepares for its Highly Anticipated Mayfair Debut with the Opening of The St. Regis London
The St. Regis London is set to debut in the heart of Mayfair this autumn, bringing the storied legacy of St. Regis Hotels & Resorts to one of London's most coveted addresses. Following a full renovation, the hotel occupies a landmark position at the intersection of Bond Street and Conduit Street, on the doorstep of the city's most distinguished fashion, art and cultural destinations.
New HSMAI Europe AI Advisory Board turns AI talk into action and high-level education for hotel industry
HSMAI Europe's newly launched AI Advisory Board, chaired by TrustYou's Ben Jost, will produce white papers, case studies and education content covering AI content strategy, direct channels and hotel tech architecture.
Introducing InterContinental Grand Ankara - Heritage meets modern luxury in the heart of Türkiye’s capital
InterContinental Grand Ankara – part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury & lifestyle portfolio – has opened its doors, following an extensive transformation of one of the city’s most iconic addresses. Marking a new era for luxury hospitality in Türkiye’s capital, InterContinental Grand Ankara joins the world’s first and largest luxury hotel brand, continuing the brand’s legacy of pioneering new destinations in every corner of the world.
French Open drove Paris hotel performance in May
Paris hotels hit record May ADR and RevPAR figures during the French Open, with peak occupancy of 93.4% and ADR topping EUR485 on the final Sunday of the tournament.
Empathy Is Something You Design, Not Something You Hope For: Adrienne Boissy on What Healthcare Can Teach Hospitality
Dr. Adrienne Boissy draws on healthcare's measurable approach to empathy, burnout, and system design to challenge hospitality leaders to move beyond aspiration and build human connection into operations.
Quality Lodgings grows to 134 hotels with its largest expansion ever in Austria
Quality Lodgings adds nine hotels across Austria, Germany, and Belgium, with six Austrian additions marking its largest-ever single-country expansion and bringing the collection to 134 hotels across eight European countries.
What 200 Restaurants Taught Him About Running Hotels: Christian Hürlimann on HotellerieSuisse
HotellerieSuisse director Christian Hürlimann draws on 20 years overseeing 200 catering outlets to argue that empowering middle managers, using AI for back-of-house efficiency, and trusting staff to resolve guest issues are the keys to better hotel leadership.
New Premium Resort Coming to Finland's Nuuksio National Park
The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the lodging business unit wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment (CLI), has announced the signing of its first property in the Nordic region under the Oakwood brand, with a new premium resort development bordering Finland’s Nuuksio National Park. Scheduled to open in early 2028, the property marks Oakwood’s debut in Finland and Ascott’s continued expansion across Europe.
Nobu Hotel Madrid to Open September 2026
As Madrid continues to cement its position as one of Europe's most exciting cultural and luxury destinations, Nobu Hospitality announces that Nobu Hotel Madrid will officially open on September 1, 2026, with reservations now available.
The Ickworth, part of Luxury Family Hotels, reopens following a full renovation, marking a new chapter for the Suffolk estate
Luxury Family Hotels is delighted to announce the grand opening of The Ickworth in Suffolk, following a full renovation by StudioJill. The Ickworth’s full refurbishment includes all bedrooms, public areas, wellness facilities and restaurants, celebrating a new lease of life for the historic and esteemed Grade 1 listed Italianate house. Set within 1,800 acres of Suffolk countryside and just under two hours from London, The Ickworth is the latest jewel in the Luxury Family Hotels crown.
Cavallino Bianco Caorle – Venice welcomes families to a world of light, colour and wonder
Overlooking the sea in the venetian coastal town of Caorle, Italy, Cavallino Bianco Caorle - Venezia a 101-key, five-star, luxury, family-oriented beach resort, is officially open, welcoming its first guests on May 1st, welcoming families to a destination that is no longer just a vision, but a holiday experience ready to be lived.
'We're Not Less Committed': EHL Student Billy Turnbull on What the Industry Gets Wrong About His Generation
EHL student Billy Turnbull argues Gen Z hotel workers aren't uncommitted, but that outdated behind-the-scenes tech and grueling shift cultures are the real drivers of early attrition.
Expert Views (11)
Matthijs Welle, CEO, Mews
Generally, more people with access to AI will not mean better solutions, it will mean more noise in the market, more fragmented and badly deployed technology - just like the last decades, but at a bigger scale, and the people who suffer are hotel employees and guests. I do believe that to stand out from the pack and deliver something truly remarkable, you need genuine innovators to bring all these solutions together in a coherent ecosystem that is open, collaborative, and truly end-to-end in how we serve guests. The best technology partners will build closer partnerships at the backend layer, while hoteliers can build complete AI workflows on the frontend.
Gustav Søgård, Founder, Opally
By HITEC 2030, AI will not have eaten established hospitality tech. It will have eaten the repetitive workflow layer around it. Hotels will still rely on PMS, CRS, RMS, payments, distribution, and other systems of record. Those systems are too operationally critical to disappear quickly.
George Roukas, President, GAIPAN
2030 is a long time from now, especially in AI-years, which are only about 60 days long!If I think about the current trajectories and strategies of the bigger companies that will lead this movement, I see larger travel enterprises implementing foundational agentic backbones like Frontier from OpenAI or Claude Enterprise from Anthropic.