U.S. hotel results for week ending 5 September
U.S. hotels posted a 21st straight week of positive year-over-year gains, with RevPAR up 16.1% to $100.31, boosted by the Labor Day calendar shift.
News
Me and Stephen King
A hospitality professional reflects on how Stephen King's "On Writing" inspired a daily writing habit and ultimately led to publishing their first book.
By David Lund, The Hotel Financial Coach, David Lund
Hotel Catering and Conventions: A Decade of Change - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
A detailed industry review covers a decade of shifts in hotel catering and conventions, from menu personalization and tech gains to hidden fees, labor shortages, and F&B contract traps hitting smaller groups hardest.
By Nasir Zahir
Hospitality’s Superpower in the AI Era
An industry keynote speaker argues that as AI automates routine hospitality tasks, the human capacity for empathy, judgement, and connection becomes more valuable, not less, and offers a practical leadership framework to balance both.
By Professor Ioannis S. Pantelidis, PhD, SFHEA, FIH, Deputy Dean, London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism, and Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of West London
Creative Hospitality and Laidback Luxury at Nayara Bocas del Toro
Owner Dan Behm shares how Nayara Bocas del Toro, a 20-key private island resort in Panama with ADR above $1,500, was built from scratch and is driving the growing "laidback luxury" travel trend.
By Adam Mogelonsky and Larry Mogelonsky
Once Upon A Stay: The Power of Storytelling in Hospitality
An opinion piece exploring how storytelling builds brand identity and emotional loyalty in hospitality, with practical homework frameworks and a student video assignment as a teaching model.
By Robert O’Halloran, Professor Director, School of Hospitality Leadership, East Carolina University
The Battle for Guest Interface is Starting Again
Conversational AI is poised to disrupt OTA dominance by enabling natural-language hotel search, but current ARI-based distribution infrastructure lacks the data granularity needed to deliver meaningful results.
By Martin Soler, Partner, Soler & Associates
Your Hotel Website Is Now a Verification Tool Not a Discovery Tool, Only 6% of Hotels Appear Consistently in AI Results, AI Is Deskilling Junior Sales Leaders
Friday brought hospitality.today's argument that hotel websites have shifted from discovery to verification tools as AI drives initial consideration, Pertlink's data showing only 6% of hotels appear consistently in AI recommendations with 82% of cited content sourced from OTAs, and The Sales Leadership Brief on AI eroding the critical thinking skills of junior sales reps before they can develop them. WTTC's £14.4bn UK tourist tax warning, Savills naming the UK Europe's most liquid hotel market, and nine property announcements closed the week.
You are responsible for the P&L. Who is for the aquifer?
The Routledge Handbook on Regenerative Tourism and Hospitality, co-edited by the author, challenges hospitality to account for natural and community systems before they fail, not after.
By Willy Legrand, Professor, IU International University of Applied Sciences Germany, IU International University of Applied Sciences
Asian Games 2026: Nagoya hotel prices hit their peak in a subdued year for Japan
Nagoya hotel rates for the week of Sept 21 hit JPY 48,399, 123% above the city's 2026 annual average, driven by inventory removal for athletes rather than a major demand surge.
By Jonathan Gough, Content Team Lead, Lighthouse
New research highlights hosting as an engine for Latino generational wealth
A USHCC/Airbnb-commissioned poll of 1,516 U.S. adults finds 76% of Latino adults view short-term hosting as a practical income supplement, with retirement security and multigenerational wealth as key motivators.
WTTC Warns Uncapped UK Tourist Taxes Could Lead to Fewer Jobs in the Sector and Drive Visitors and Spending to Competing Destinations
WTTC warns uncapped overnight visitor levies in England could cut international visitor spending by up to £14.4bn in 2027, with 29% of key-market travellers considering alternative destinations.
What Should Hotel Leaders Know About Google’s New AI Booking Capability? Insights from Natalie Kimball
Shiji Horizon's Natalie Kimball breaks down Google's AI Mode booking launch and what it means for hotel distribution, direct booking strategy, and content accuracy.
By Natalie Kimball, Vice President of Strategic Account Management for Horizon Distribution and Iceportal Content, Shiji
Choose a Brand with a Calculator Not With Your Heart
A disciplined, model-driven framework for hotel brand selection, covering full fee stack analysis, validated RevPAR lift, labor market fit, PIP costs, and franchise agreement negotiation.
By Stephen Rushmore, Hotel Valuation Expert and Founder of HVS, Hotel Valuation Software
Savills names UK most liquid European hotel market
UK hotel transactions reached £2.1bn in H1 2026, a £500m year-on-year increase, with London alone accounting for £1.4bn and attracting buyers from Spain, Italy, Israel, Singapore, and domestic sources.
Remington Hospitality Adds Hyatt Regency Long Island to Managed Portfolio
Remington Hospitality adds the 358-room Hyatt Regency Long Island to its third-party managed portfolio, citing the property's demand drivers and opportunities to improve operational and commercial performance.
2026/27 Federal Per-Diem Update: Growth Returns Following a Year of Stability
The GSA raised the standard CONUS lodging allowance from $110 to $113 for FY2027, with the 7-year trend showing 18% standard rate growth and over 100% growth in markets like New York City.
By Chelsey Leffet, Managing Director, Northeast Leader, HVS
How to conduct an effective hotel displacement analysis
A practical guide to hotel displacement analysis covering data inputs, ancillary revenue, demand forecasting, and how Lighthouse's AI tool Ernest automates the process from hours to minutes.
By Jonathan Gough, Content Team Lead, Lighthouse
Same Pitch, Different League
Only 6% of hotels appear consistently in AI-generated recommendations, with 82% of AI-cited content sourced from OTAs and editorial media, putting independent and unbranded hotels at severe visibility risk.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited
Your hotel website stopped being how she finds you. It became how she checks you.
As AI assistants drive hotel discovery but not trust, the author argues hotel websites must shift from acquisition tools to verification tools, starting with transparent all-in pricing that matches OTA displays.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today