In an era where hotels are competing with hyper-personalized digital experiences, Rik van Leeuwen of Ireckonubelieves that data-driven automation is the key to guest loyalty and revenue growth. Speaking at ITB Berlin, he outlined how hoteliers can harness AI to predict guest behavior, automate engagement, and eliminate data silos.
The hospitality industry has long been fixated on room rates as the primary driver of revenue. But Thomas Landen, CMO at RoomPriceGenie, believes it's time to rethink revenue management as part of a broader commercial strategy. Speaking at ITB Berlin, Landen challenged the traditional, siloed approach and emphasized the need for hotels to integrate pricing with marketing, upsells, and dynamic asset utilization.
At this year’s ITB, Hospitality Net took to the show floor to ask a big question as part of the Hospitality Net World Panel Viewpoint: What is the single biggest impact AI will have on hospitality? We gathered insights from 20 industry leaders who shared their thoughts on how AI is transforming guest experiences, revenue management, operations, and the very fabric of hospitality itself.
Recently, a revenue manager reacted to my LinkedIn post about independent hoteliers’ overdependence on the OTAs by stating Even with the best intentions, money and talent, there's no way independents can beat the big OTA's in search and make money. There's no scheme where they can get a positive ROI on investing search. Google has been trying to break up the OTA monopoly on search for years, but never succeeded.
Hospitality often treats wellbeing as a luxury spa experience, but Valentina Clergue of EHL argues it's so much more.
Many hotels and travel companies embrace sustainability—but do they really know how to implement it? Carlos Martin-Rios, professor at EHL Hospitality Business School, warns that good intentions aren't enough.
According to Skift’s State of Travel 2024, social media is the preferred online source for trip planning for 32% of travelers, ahead of official sites, Google, review sites, travel influencers, offline sources like friends and family, etc. Stelico Consulting Group survey found out that 76% of US luxury travelers selected a hotel brand, cruise line, or airline based on social media.
Here is a summary on what to expect from the Hotel Yearbook 2025 Sustainability Tech Edition.
Hospitality Net’s Simone Puorto caught up with Willy Legrand, Professor at IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany, during our time at ITB Berlin, where sustainability was a hot topic. Willy is a well-known expert in the field and has played a big role in shaping the conversation around sustainable hospitality.
Hotel Yearbook 2025 Sustainability Tech Edition Debuts at ITB, Bridging Technology and Eco-Innovation in Hospitality
In 2024 Expedia spent on marketing $6.8 billion, which represents 49.6% of revenue, while Booking Holdings spent $7.3 billion which was 31% of revenue. These two mega OTAs spent on marketing a total of $14.1 billion. In total, last year the two mega OTAs spent on marketing $14.1 billion
Last year in February I published an article “The law of unintended - or is it intended? - consequences coming to a restaurant near you,” in which I argued that the new California law taking effect in April 2024, requiring fast-food chain restaurants to start paying a minimum of $20 an hour ($41,760 a year plus benefits), would affect adversely both consumers and restaurateurs alike:
The primary goal of revenue management (RM) is to ensure that the property sells the right product to the right customer at the right time for the right price on the right channel.
Content marketing includes content and descriptions about the property, its amenities, services, calendar of events, destination, activities and attractions that are being delivered to targeted audiences through various communication and media channels. Typically, content marketing does not explicitly promote a price or discount, but is intended to stimulate interest in the hotel products and services.
In the wake of Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s recent assertion that their upcoming Gemini AI aims to become a “universal AI agent” useful in everyday life, hoteliers are asking a pivotal question: How can they prepare for personal AI agents that promise to transform the travel and hospitality landscape? Industry experts in Hospitality Net's World Panel foresee AI-driven agents that autonomously research, plan, and book trips—potentially changing the distribution game, altering the role of OTAs, and opening unprecedented direct channels for hotels. Yet, readiness across the sector varies, and the urgency to adapt has never been more pressing.
Marriott just reported its 2024 financial results among which was important data about this global chain’s loyalty program Bonvoy. Bonvoy members grew 16% in 2024, reaching 228 million, generating 73% of US room nights and 66% of roomnights globally.
Recently, Tripadvisor fired more than 150 employees and contractors and reshuffled top management in an attempt to President Kristen Dalton announced internally that its chief technology officer and general manager of e-commerce will be leaving the company, according to a staff email obtained by Skift.
As the year 2025 unfolds, the business events sector—encompassing corporate travel, conferences, and other significant gatherings—finds itself at a critical juncture. The global imperative to address climate change and social equity has shifted market dynamics, compelling hotels and venues to provide ever more detailed sustainability data in response to corporate Requests for Proposals (RFPs). This “new normal” places higher expectations on hospitality providers to demonstrate robust environmental policies, socially responsible practices, and transparent reporting.
Hospitality is built on a foundation of service -an industry that prizes comfort, human connection, and memorable experiences above all else. Yet, when it comes to technology, hotels often stand accused of lagging behind. Many properties struggle with fragmented, outdated tech stacks that weigh down operations and hinder guest satisfaction. In a recent long-format HNtv INSIDERS discussion, Michael Cohen (Managing Partner at GAIN) and Matt Welle (CEO of Mews) explored why so many hoteliers feel stuck in legacy systems, and how new innovations—particularly AI—are helping them leapfrog into a more efficient, guest-centric future. Here are some of the conversation’s key takeaways and why they matter now more than ever.
A recent discussion on Hospitality Net’s World Panel has reignited the debate over whether differentiating hotel pricing based on a traveler’s geographic location is a prudent revenue management strategy or an ethically fraught practice. The conversation stems from research suggesting that several major OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) appear to offer higher rates to users in more affluent regions—most notably the San Francisco Bay Area—compared to those in less affluent cities like Phoenix or Kansas City. According to SFGate, the discrepancies can be dramatic, sometimes reaching $500 more per night for the very same room and dates.
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