Hong Kong-based conglomerate Jardine Matheson (JARD.SI) said on Friday its unit would buy the rest of the shares of Mandarin Oriental (MOIL.SI) it does not already own, valuing the hotel investment and management firm at $4.2 billion.
Some big companies have recently been crowing about how much of their code is generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
The Patel Motel Story is a new short documentary co-directed and narrated by Amar Shah, exploring the extraordinary rise of Indian American motel owners in the United States. Premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, the film traces how Indian immigrants—many from Gujarat and sharing the surname Patel—came to own more than 60% of the country’s hotels and motels, despite representing only 1% of the population.
Congressional Democrats and Republicans failed to come to agreement by yesterday’s budget deadline to keep the U.S. government funded. A shutdown began at 12:01 am Eastern Time on Wednesday as both sides voted down the other’s proposals to extend funding temporarily. The Republican proposal would have extended funding through Nov. 21, but fell in a 55-to-45 vote, with two Democrats joining in favor of the plan. The Democrats’ plan, which would have extended funding through the end of October and included $1 trillion in healthcare spending that is the major point of contention for the budget row, fell to a 47-to-53 vote. Budget measures require a 60-vote majority.
Even as US consumers signal the first notable 5% decline in overall holiday spending since 2020, travel demand looks surprisingly resilient. PwC’s latest Holiday Outlook suggests travel and entertainment will be “holding steady,” ticking up by about 1% year over year — a bright spot in an otherwise tighter season.
It’s the summer of the burn-it-down ballot measure in Los Angeles. For the past three months, labor unions and business groups have been locked in a protracted fight over a law, approved by the City Council in May, hiking the minimum wage for hotel employees and workers at Los Angeles International Airport to $30 per hour by 2028.
A few comments on an earnings call in July have turned into one of the summer’s more persistent aviation debates. As reported by businesstravelnews.com, Delta Air Lines president Glen Hauenstein noted that the carrier was testing Fetcherr’s AI-driven revenue management tools across part of its domestic network. What seemed like a routine update quickly escalated into a broader discussion about privacy, transparency, and the future of airline pricing.
The European Commission’s digital wallet initiative will take effect next year, but it’s just the first step. During a session at Phocuswright Europe 2025, industry leaders sat down to discuss the impact of these digital identity wallets and how artificial intelligence (AI) will come into play.
The five-star El Encanto resort in Santa Barbara, a Hollywood getaway for more than a century where rooms cost north of $1,000 a night, has been sold to Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen for $82.2 million.
This year's hottest summer travel trend? Waiting for deals. Americans are scaling back travel plans from flights to drives or waiting to book only if the price is right, a tell-tale sign of an industry slowdown that's got travel companies worried.
Google’s recent unveiling of what it calls a “new class of agentic experiences” feels like a turning point. At its I/O 2025 event in May, for example, the company showed off a digital assistant that didn’t just answer questions; it helped work on a bicycle repair by finding a matching user manual, locating a YouTube tutorial, and even calling a local store to ask about a part, all with minimal human nudging. Such capabilities could soon extend far outside the Google ecosystem. The company has introduced an open standard called Agent-to-Agent, or A2A, which aims to let agents from different companies talk to each other and work together.
Presidential suites have come a long way since they first made an appearance in luxury hotels in the early 1900s. Originally designed as comfortable, spacious dwellings for dignitaries and heads of state—with ensuite bathrooms!—a presidential suite may now occupy 3,000 square feet, a palace of one’s own. Expect multiple bedrooms, dining rooms, private art collections on display, wet bars, and personalized wellness rooms—all accessed by private elevator and served by a 24-hour butler and concierge.
Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses, has teased the launch of a new business as he prepares to step back from his role at Six Senses after more than 13 years.
Two Dutch consumer groups said on Wednesday they are seeking affected customers for a legal claim against Booking.com (BKNG.O), opens new tab, one of the world's largest online travel agencies, over what they described as inflated hotel prices since 2013.The Consumer Competition Claims Foundation (CCC) and the Consumers' Association said in a statement that Booking.com had allegedly been charging consumers too much for hotel rooms for years, leading to "hundreds of millions of euros in damage to Dutch consumers".
For nearly a century, New York City's Waldorf Astoria set the standard for luxury hotels. Now, after seven years, an army of artisans has brought the Art Deco beauty back to life. "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King interviews Hilton's Chris Nasetta and takes a tour, as a grand hotel begins a new chapter.
Travel companies’ ability to gain visibility in the travel discovery process has become more challenging as users across the globe move from traditional search tools like Google to artificial intelligence (AI)-powered search.
Travel is something of an easy target for cybersecurity attacks due to the nature of hospitality—and artificial intelligence (AI) may be increasing the risk for travel brands.
Europeans are scaling back business trips to the United States amid the Trump administration’s intensifying hostilities toward trade partners and immigrant visitors. European business travel bookings to the U.S. in April dropped 26 percent compared to the same month last year as companies seek markets offering “greater stability,” Politico reported, citing data from the London-based HotelHub, a booking platform used by travel agencies. HotelHub’s chief commercial officer Paul Raymond pointed to “uncertainty around the traditional partnership” and President Donald Trump’s tariff chaos as reasons European companies are thinking twice about coming to America. After calling the European Union “nasty‚” Trump slapped the bloc with 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum, 25 percent tariffs on cars and 20 percent tariffs on all other goods, before abruptly hitting pause on the policies in April. Yet the fallout from America’s souring reputation isn’t just limited to European business travel. The U.S. is set to lose $12.5 billion in international travel spending this year, according to a World Travel & Tourism Council report published last week. “While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the ‘closed’ sign,” said Julia Simpson, the WTTC president and CEO.
In a firm show of resolve, Dalata Hotel Group has slammed the door on an unsolicited €6.05-per-share cash approach from the Pandox–Eiendomsspar partnership, branding the proposal a glaring undervaluation of Ireland’s largest hotel operator.
Luxury travel is evolving, and at its forefront is a rapidly growing sector: glamping. The fusion of nature and high-end hospitality has propelled glamping from a niche offering to a mainstream industry poised for significant expansion. According to Arizton research, the U.S. glamping market is projected to skyrocket from $561 million in 2023 to $1.3 billion by 2029, underscoring the increasing demand for high-end outdoor experiences.