Mood Media survey data shows nearly two-thirds of guests rank atmosphere above price and service when choosing hotels, with 60% having recommended a property specifically because of its design.
HFTP's Hospitality AI Collective unveiled a strategic roadmap, five subcommittees, and an AI certification program expected to launch Summer 2026, targeting industry-wide AI education, governance, and research.
AXIS Architecture + Design completed the 173-room Hilton Arcadia, merging a new six-story tower with a converted office building across 153,000 sq ft of hospitality space inspired by Santa Anita Park's Art Deco heritage.
The article argues summer revenue leakage stems from slow decision workflows, not unpredictable demand, and outlines a phased shift from static reporting to live, bounded automation.
Thursday brought Curacity's argument that AI citation share, not query cost, is hospitality's next major distribution fight, Pertlink's translation of MIT AI engineering signals into a 12-month hotel readiness roadmap, and ETC data showing Europe arrivals up 5% year-to-date despite Middle East headwinds. Lighthouse's HITEC booth conversation on hiring AI rather than installing it, Fattal's first US acquisition, and a properties day spanning Kenya to San Sebastián rounded out the session.
Accor's third Global Leadership Council gathered senior buyers from 18 organizations representing 3 million business travelers, identifying five key trends for 2026: strategic partnerships, cost-experience balance, AI adoption, pricing agility, and rate visibility.
A guide for hotel operations professionals on the financial frameworks owners, asset managers, and consultants use, covering NOI, capital stacks, debt sizing, and equity structures.
A Delphi-inspired study drawing on 40 years of scholarship and 22 senior executive interviews proposes a 30-skill configurational framework for hospitality leadership in an AI-driven environment.
ETC's Q2 2026 report shows Europe arrivals up 5% year-to-date, with Greece, Italy and Malta leading growth, but Middle East conflict dampened aviation and hurt Cyprus and Türkiye.
Research shows 31% of customers distrust businesses with no negative reviews, making how hotels respond to criticism a stronger marketing signal than five-star ratings alone.
GBTA's 2025 Annual Business Meeting covered financial performance and org highlights, and announced five newly elected Board of Directors members starting August 5 at Convention in Chicago.
The hotel robotics market, valued at $0.76B in 2026, is expanding rapidly as labor costs hit 33% of revenue and turnover stays 76% above pre-pandemic levels, driving adoption of delivery, housekeeping, and concierge robots.
Fattal Hotel Group acquires the 117-room Blakely Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, its first US property, with plans to close, renovate, and reopen it under an existing brand by mid-2027.
Nocturne Luxury Villas acquires Jayne's Luxury Rentals, a 300-property manager in Ontario's Muskoka region, bringing the group's total collection to nearly 1,400 villas across North America and the Caribbean.
We didn't go to HITEC 2026 for the demos. We went for the conversations. We sat down with exhibitors right there on the show floor. No script, no prepared questions, just one starting point: tell us what you do, in plain language. This is where it went with Brett Kohn, Chief Marketing Officer at Lighthouse.
A 30-year hotel developer argues that repeat visitation, driven by universities, medical districts, and community ties, is a more reliable demand signal than traditional destination discovery metrics.
A Pertlink white paper translates eight AI engineering signals from MIT Technology Review into property-level implications, with a 12-month readiness roadmap for hoteliers navigating chip costs, agent orchestration, open-source models, and AI-enabled fraud.
GBTA backs the Quiet Skies Act, which gives the DOT 180 days to enforce a voice call ban on commercial flights that Congress mandated in 2018 but never implemented.
A hotel executive's insight reframes how hoteliers should think about non-room spaces as untapped revenue drivers.
Beechwood Hospitality merges with MMI Hospitality Group, a private investment partnership founded in 1956, forming a combined portfolio of 24+ hotels, resorts, private clubs, and restaurants across the Sun Belt.