The Mapmaker's Paradox
A narrative essay argues that AI-driven recommendations are becoming the internet's new organizing principle, shifting value from clicks and search to trusted, curated guidance.
By Arlo Laitin, Chief Business Officer, Curacity
News
How Hotels Can Use Reviews to Book More Direct Group Business
Opinion piece argues hotels neglect review-gathering for group/MICE business, and outlines a practical SOP for capturing testimonials at peak emotional moments to win direct bookings.
By Cory Falter, Partner, Lure Agency
GCSTIMES Key Card as A First Touchpoint That Speaks for the Destination
Wooden key cards are positioned as a sensory branding tool that communicates destination identity, cultural values, and sustainability credentials at the first guest touchpoint.
Ask ChatGPT About Your Hotel. Now Ask It the Question Your Next Guest Actually Asks.
Hotels that pass the name-search test on AI engines often fail category queries like "best luxury hotel in [destination]," where guest shortlists are built from third-party sources hotels rarely manage.
By Andrew Paul, Managing Director, Americas Great Resorts
Loyalty programs may be the one asset agents can't take
Major hotel loyalty programs, with hundreds of millions of members, may become the critical data asset that AI booking agents depend on, giving chains structural leverage in the agentic travel era.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
Lodging Interactive Introduces CruVu™, a New Private Guest Recognition Service for Hotels and Restaurants
Lodging Interactive's CruVu captures private guest recognition by department or staff member, turning it into internal operational intelligence for hotel and restaurant managers to coach teams and improve service.
Cultural Relevance in Marketing
A Conrad New York Downtown executive outlines how hotels can use destination storytelling, co-created itineraries, multilingual content, and local partnerships to build cultural relevance into their marketing.
Shiji's Natalie Kimball: hotels can't outspend OTAs on AI, but they can still win on experience
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 Natalie Kimball, VP of Strategic Account Management for Horizon Distribution and Iceportal Content at Shiji.
Keeping an authentic voice when AI can’t read the room
Aparium Hotel Group's SVP of Brand and Marketing argues emotional connection and "reading the room" remain irreplaceable by AI, sharing how lifestyle hotels build authentic, neighborhood-rooted guest experiences.
Karen Stephens, Chief Marketing Officer, Revinate, Inc.
The numbers behind AI's rise as a booking channel for independent hotels
Lighthouse data shows AI referral traffic to hotel websites surged over 50% in weeks after ChatGPT expanded outbound links, with independent hotels best positioned to capture commission-free direct bookings.
By Femke Nollet, Content Specialist, Lighthouse
How to Map the Hotel Customer Journey and Increase Bookings
A practical guide to mapping all six stages of the hotel guest journey, from inspiration to post-stay loyalty, with tactics to increase direct bookings at each step.
Marriott solved the discovery problem. It traded one intermediary for another
Marriott's Google AI Mode partnership lets guests book directly inside Google's interface, bypassing OTA commissions, but cedes discovery data and risks paid "priority" placement fees as the product matures.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
Doug Kennedy’s Next Staff Training Webcast: Proactive, Polite, and Productive Hotel Sales Prospecting
Doug Kennedy's free July 24 webcast covers proactive hotel sales prospecting habits, CRM use, and warm-calling tactics, with future sessions on humanification and upselling.
What HSMAI 2026 Kept Saying (Whether It Meant To or Not)
A conference recap from HSMAI 2026 in San Antonio covering four recurring themes: resilient consumer spending, commercial team alignment, AI-driven hotel discovery, and the return to hospitality fundamentals.
By Sonya Taylor, Director of Operations and Marketing, Cogwheel Marketing & Analytics
Hoteliers beware: AI versus search is a false narrative
AI is not replacing search but expanding it, and hoteliers must adapt by optimizing for conversational queries, structured data, and AI-driven recommendation engines alongside traditional SEO.
By Shearly Reyes, Media Director, Cendyn™
Hotel chains built AI for the traveler who comes to them first. That traveler is leaving
Major chains have built AI tools to defend direct booking conversions, but the discovery journey now starts on ChatGPT and Google AI, platforms brands cannot see, measure, or control.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
The 2026 RFP Season Is Here – And It’s Unlike Any Before It
Amadeus-backed research finds 63% of hotels struggle to find qualified leads, urging a data-first approach to corporate RFP targeting, pre-season visibility, and post-contract account management.
By Joerg Schuler, Executive Vice President of Hospitality Commercial, Amadeus Hospitality
MIMARU Highlights How International Travelers Are Turning Japan's Marathons into Family Holidays
MIMARU reports nearly 80% of guests at its Tokyo Shinjuku property during marathon season are race participants, reflecting a growing trend of travelers building Japan holidays around marathon events.
Accor and H World Group Expand Long-Term Partnership Across Direct Booking and Loyalty Platforms
Accor and H World Group will give their combined 430 million loyalty members cross-access to each other's properties and select benefits across China, Europe, and the Middle East starting in 2026.
Pullman Hotels & Resorts Brings its Brand Evolution to Life
Pullman Hotels launches a new global brand campaign centered on human connection and cultural exchange, supported by the Pullman xChange event in Paris and a pipeline of 60+ new properties targeting 200+ hotels within five years.