Asia Pacific luxury hotel transactions surge 77% between 2017-2025
JLL reports luxury hotel transactions in Asia Pacific hit $2.1 billion in 2025, with luxury deals now accounting for nearly 20% of all hotel transactions, up from 8% in 2017.
News
Why the New Economics of Labor Is Redefining Hotel Performance
Forward-thinking hotels are using technology to align staffing with forecast demand upfront rather than managing labor reactively after schedules are set.
By John Lockyer, Chief Executive Officer, Unifocus
The Real Cost of Booking.com: Five Practical Steps for Southeast Asian Hotels
Hotels in Southeast Asia pay up to 28% in hidden OTA fees beyond headline commissions, making direct booking strategies essential for profitability.
By Dr. Tong Yin, Founder of InsightBridge Global LLC and a doctoral researcher, Auburn University
Membership & Subscription Travel: The Recurring Revenue Model Hotels Keep Ignoring
Hotels can build predictable revenue streams through membership models offering local access to amenities, reducing dependence on volatile room bookings and expensive OTA distribution.
By Julia Krebs, Senior Lecturer and Hospitality Consultant, Les Roches-Marbella
Hotels Are Rethinking the Reception Desk- Here’s Why Outdoor Self-Service Is Becoming the Next Hospitality Standard
Kiosk.eu launches the Dehor outdoor check-in kiosk, combining QR booking retrieval, passport scanning, and RFID key dispensing for 24/7 autonomous hotel arrivals.
By Dipesh Bharambe, Digital Marketing Specialist, Kiosk Embedded Systems GmbH
Tourism 2030: A Better, More Accessible Travel Experience for the Middle East
Wyndham's 100-hotel Super 8 signing in Saudi Arabia exemplifies how mid-market and lifestyle brands are filling a supply gap as UAE and Saudi Tourism 2030 strategies shift from luxury-led to balanced growth.
By Mohammed Haj Hassan, Market Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, The Bench
Sleep Tourism Viewpoint Lands, AI Architecture Debate Synthesizes, Axel Grew From €2.4M to €46M
A new viewpoint frames sleep as a measurable performance variable rather than a passive amenity, set against a sleep tourism market projected to nearly double from $74.54 billion in 2024 to $148.98 billion by 2030. Five opinion pieces today converge on the architectural question that has run through the brief for three weeks: where AI sits in the hotel tech stack, with data quality, vendor sprawl, and the case for AI beside the PMS rather than inside it. Axel Hotels grew from €2.4 million to €46 million in revenue across 13 properties through franchising focused on LGBTQ+ travelers, with partners reporting 40% revenue uplifts.
The F-Word Costing Hotels Millions in Group Sales (And It's Not What You Think)
Hotels lose millions in group bookings by designing sales processes for their own convenience rather than meeting planners' needs.
By Susan Tucker, Partner & COO, The Lure Agency, Lure Agency
The Tipping Point: Why Digital Tipping Has Stalled and How 2026 Changes Everything
NFC-based tipping systems that bypass app downloads and PMS integration could resolve the cash-tip gap affecting frontline retention, with 2026 seen as the inflection point for mass adoption.
By Doron Dreyer, Co-Founder and CEO, GratifID
Summer Staffing is No Longer Seasonal: Why Hoteliers Need a New Playbook for Peak Travel Demand
Newport Hospitality Group argues that seasonal hotel staffing now demands year-round strategy, with faster hiring, cultural investment, and structured training to reduce turnover and protect guest experience.
By Brendan McCoy, Senior Vice President & Chief Operations Officer, Newport Hospitality Group
From Binders to Real-Time: How Hospitality America Rewired Operations for a Digital Era
Hospitality America shares how adopting Actabl's ProfitSword and Hotel Effectiveness across its Southeast portfolio cut GM admin hours, improved labor cost control, and boosted retention over 30 years.
By Ryan Sistare, Vice President of Operations, Hospitality America
The Convergence of Hospitality, AI, and Robotics - Part One: Where We Are Now
Industry experts examine current AI and robotics applications in hospitality, from kitchen automation to revenue management, while debating where human presence remains essential.
The Hidden Cost of Managing Too Many Tech Vendors - and What Hotels Can Do About It
Vendor sprawl in hotels drives hidden costs: IT teams spend 25% of time on vendor coordination, while fragmented systems waste up to 25% of tech budgets and accelerate negative guest reviews.
By Lance Platt, President and CEO, Groove Technology Solutions
The Hotel That Follows You
A hospitality MBA graduate proposes the "touring hotel" model: a circuit of connected boutique properties sharing one guest profile, luggage logistics, and service memory across a multi-stop itinerary.
By Ali Bahbahani, Founder, Ali Bahbahani & Partners
Vertiq signs London’s Hyde & Seek
Vertiq Hospitality Partners will manage the 309-room Hyde & Seek hotel in London, opening this Autumn under Marriott's Tribute Portfolio after a £42m renovation by owner MUI Group.
PATA Launches the Micro-credential Programme to Facilitate Tourism Professionals' Industry-Relevant Skills Training
PATA's new self-paced online programme offers short courses on ESG and AI-powered marketing, targeting tourism professionals from entry-level to senior roles across Asia Pacific.
Is Your Team Chat a Legal Liability? Most Operators Don't Know the Answer
Hospitality operators using personal messaging apps for team communication risk losing guest data, facing compliance audits, and having no records during HR or legal disputes.
By Rebecca Lazar, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Zenzap
The Price of Auditor Experience: How Disclosure Regulation Shapes Audit Fees
A study of 5,016 firm-year observations across 14 European countries finds that one additional year of audit partner tenure raises fees by 17.35% in weak-disclosure markets, versus just 2.02% in strong-disclosure ones.
Jason Zvatora of OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels on Cultural Authenticity, Commercial Strategy, and Building the World's Most Iconic Beachfront Brand
Jason Zvatora discusses OUTRIGGER's focus on place-specific cultural experiences, balancing family and romance guests, and prioritizing total revenue over room revenue alone.
HVS Europe Hotel Transactions Bulletin - Week Ending 15 May 2026
HVS weekly bulletin covering six European hotel transactions including acquisitions in Spain, UK, France, and Italy, with deal values ranging from €8M to €42M.