Advertisement

Latest

HN Brief
Editorial Article

Should Hotels Abandon Google Search Because of Zero-Click, Wholesalers Aren't Worried About AI, APAC Hotel Investment Up 54%

Tuesday opened with a World Panel viewpoint asking whether zero-click search makes Google marketing obsolete for hotels, hospitality.today's argument that wholesalers are structurally unbothered by AI booking agents, and JLL data showing APAC hotel investment volumes up 54% to $6.8 billion in H1 2026. Lighthouse eclipse pricing data, Curacity on earned media as the only AI-proof distribution strategy, and openings from Mykonos to Shanghai rounded out the session.

Hospitality Net
Development Pipeline

Hotel Equities Named Operator of the New SLS Punta del Este, Opening Early 2029

Hotel Equities (HE), a best-in-class hospitality operator, announces a hotel management agreement with Grupo Ginevra-GNV for the operation of SLS Punta del Este, a new Accor-branded luxury hotel and residential development opening in early 2029. The agreement marks Hotel Equities' first project in Uruguay, extending the company's Caribbean & Latin America (CALA) presence into South America.

SLS
Punta del Este, Uruguay
Ad AI Hospitality
Ernest - Lighthouse's AI for hoteliers

"Just tell me why my weekend pickup dropped." With Ernest, now you can ask your commercial data anything, and act on the answer. 
Lighthouse
Development Opening

Kimpton Nine Trees Shanghai Officially Opens Next Generation Wellness Escape in South Shanghai

IHG Hotels & Resorts officially opened Kimpton Nine Trees Shanghai on June 30, 2026, an addition to the hospitality company’s Lifestyle & Luxury portfolio. As the second Kimpton hotel in Shanghai, the property is located in Fengxian, a livable eco-district in South Shanghai, surrounded by expansive woodlands and lush urban greenery. Blending forward-thinking wellness concepts with Kimpton’s distinctive philosophy of vibrant hospitality, the hotel introduces the first large-scale lifestyle and wellness destination in Fengxian, designed to attract Shanghai residents, as well as travelers from the region and around the world.

Kimpton
Shanghai, China
Ad #1 Hotel PMS
See why hotels are switching to Mews

Revenue up. Manual work down. Hotels using Mews see 35% higher RevPAR and 45% more upsells. Book a free demo. 
Mews
Development Opening

Mangia’s Unveils Costa Ragusa: A New Sicilian Destination

Mangia's Hotels & Resorts, Italy's leading hotel collection, is unveiling Costa Ragusa, a new lifestyle destination on Sicily's south-eastern coast that brings together two distinctive hospitality concepts alongside a curated collection of restaurants, wellness facilities and leisure offerings. Anchored by the 5-star all-inclusive Mangia's Costa Ragusa Borgo, which soft-opened on 1 July, and the 5-star luxury Icona's Costa Ragusa Resort, due to open 1 August, the destination is designed to welcome both resident guests and visitors seeking authentic Sicilian experiences. Together, they represent the first chapter of an ambitious destination development project on Sicily's south-eastern coast, opening up one of Italy's most authentic and under-explored regions to international travellers.

Mangia's
Scoglitti, Italy
Development Pipeline

Minor Hotels Expands into Türkiye's Aegean with Anantara Çeşme Retreat and Residences

Minor Hotels announces the development of Anantara Retreat Çeşme and Anantara Residences Çeşme, a new luxury retreat and branded residences in Türkiye's renowned Aegean region. Scheduled to open in 2030, the project will strengthen Minor Hotels' growing luxury portfolio in Türkiye while expanding into one of the country's most sought-after leisure destinations.

Anantara
Çeşme, Turkey
Max Starkov
By Max Starkov
Expert Views (15)
Alessio Re
Alessio Re, Founder, Klartika

No. The question bundles several things under "Google search marketing." Ads, Hotel Ads, Business Profile and YouTube sit alongside organic, and zero-click only erodes one slice of that, informational organic clicks.Booking intent is transactional and local, the query types least touched by AI Overviews: under 10% of commercial searches trigger one.

Max Starkov
Max Starkov, Hospitality & travel technologist and digital strategist, Hospitality Net

The zero-click phenomenon on Google is a fact. So, how can hoteliers benefit from it? What does it mean for hotel marketing? The answer is very simple: If there are no clicks, Google Hotel Ads and Google Ads become FREE BRAND MARKETING for the hotel since Google charges CPC only if someone clicks on your sponsored listings (Google Ads or Google Hotel Ads).The moral of the story?

Mark Fancourt
Mark Fancourt, Co-Founder & Principal Consultant, TRAVHOTECH

Should hoteliers abandon Google search marketing because of zero-click search? All of the structural evidence suggests not. This is still the foundational architecture of online content as we enter the next generation of search—or AI Search, as I coin it.Whether consumers use an AI-powered browser layout or a native generative application, they are initially looking for frictionless information.

View all Answers
Development Renovation

sbe brings Katsuya, Umami & multi-million-dollar transformation to Palm Springs

V Capri Palm Springs, a Dolce by Wyndham hotel, announces its next chapter under Sam Nazarian’s sbe Entertainment Group (sbe), one of the world's pioneering lifestyle hospitality companies behind globally recognized brands including SLS, Mondrian, Katsuya, Hyde and more, as part of its rapidly expanding HQ Hotels & Residences collection. Backed by sbe's proven track record of creating world-class hospitality, dining and entertainment brands, the property will undergo a significant evolution designed to introduce iconic restaurant brands, enhanced guest amenities and thoughtfully curated programming that positions V Capri Palm Springs as one of Southern California's premier travel destinations.

Dolce Hotels and Resorts by Wyndham
Palm Springs, California, United States