Five-star service at villa scale
Opinion piece examines how small villa teams can sustain five-star service standards by front-loading operations, building redundancy into key roles, and planning recovery responses before problems occur.
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The Invisible Hero of the Guest Journey
The guest arrival shapes the entire stay through the Halo Effect, setting a positive emotional baseline that makes guests more forgiving and receptive to peak moments that follow.
By Miranda Allison, Experience Designer & Founder, Pretty Darn Delightful
Why Physical Key Cards Still Matter in a Mobile-First Hotel World
The article argues physical key cards remain essential alongside digital keys due to shared-room access challenges, arrival friction, and their role as a tangible brand touchpoint.
How Lodging Properties Can Personalize Guest Stays Without Complicated Technology
Independent lodging properties can personalize guest stays using simple context like travel purpose and group type, without relying on complex systems or large software platforms.
By Diann Turner, Marketing Director, Frictionless Guest App
Average food hygiene rating for hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses revealed across the UK, as over 95% score a 4 or a 5
FSA data analysis shows UK hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses average a 4.79 food hygiene rating, with 95.5% scoring 4 or 5, outperforming restaurants and other food business types.
Al Khoory Hotels selects Shiji’s Daylight PMS and Infrasys POS to power guest-centric hospitality across its portfolio
Al Khoory Hotels adopts Shiji's Daylight PMS, Infrasys Cloud POS, and Reviewpro Reputation to unify guest data and operations across its UAE portfolio on a single cloud-based platform.
Your Hotel Now Has Five AIs, and None of Them Have Met Each Other
Opinion arguing that siloed AI tools across pricing, messaging, and booking create contradictory guest interactions, making hotels feel less coherent than before AI adoption.
By Are Morch, Digital Transformation Coach for Hotels, Are Morch, Digital Transformation Coach
Doing Well by Doing Good: Why Sustainability Pays off
Opinion piece argues sustainability is now a quantifiable business advantage, with training, waste reduction, and authentic storytelling delivering measurable ROI across operations, revenue, and brand perception.
By Amy Wald, Sustainability Expert, Strategic Solution Partners
Is Fitness Now A Primary Booking Driver
Fitness is emerging as a standalone booking driver across all hotel segments, with examples from Equinox, SIRO, Canyon Ranch, and EVEN Hotels showing how programming and design can lift ADR and guest satisfaction.
By Adam Mogelonsky and Larry Mogelonsky
The Bosses Who Shaped Us
Terence Ronson reflects on formative early-career experiences at a Hilton International property, recalling the leadership styles and personal moments that shaped his hospitality values.
Beyond Blue: Why a Wooden Key Card Can Extend the Blue Mind Experience
Drawing on Blue Mind theory and wood-touch research, the piece argues waterfront hotels can deepen nature connection through material choices like wooden key cards.
An 800-Room, Five-Star, Often-Overbooked Juggernaut
A nostalgic memoir excerpt from a former Hong Kong Hilton front-of-house team member, recalling life managing an 800-room five-star property in the pre-digital era of the 1970s.
Canary Technologies Named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 List
Canary Technologies, serving 20,000+ hotels with its AI guest management platform, has been named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing U.S. private companies.
Is Time Without a Smartphone Becoming the New Luxury?
Drawing on peer-reviewed research, the author argues luxury hotels should shift from constant connectivity to "considerate connectivity," giving guests control over their attention rather than banning smartphones outright.
By Nansy Kouroupi, Visiting Lecturer and Associate Researcher, Les Roches
Therme Group Announces Strategic Alliance with Marriott International to Explore Next-Generation Wellbeing Experiences
Therme Group and Marriott International will co-develop wellbeing travel packages for Bonvoy members, reimagine hotel amenities, and explore long-term global development opportunities.
Therme Group and Marriott
How Hotels Get Recommended by AI Agents before Their Competitors Do
Hotels risk being invisible to AI booking agents unless they address five readiness layers: machine-legible data, rate parity, reputation signals, specific positioning, and protocol presence.
By Muhammad Tanveer, Author - The Sales Leadership Brief (Linkedin Newsletter), The Sales Leadership Brief
Three Ways Hotels Are Turning Blue Mind into Guest Experiences
Three hospitality approaches to Blue Mind wellness are emerging: designing water into the guest environment, offering immersive water-based activities, and using water directly as a therapeutic medium.
Here’s What Happens When AI Starts Making Decisions and Bookings for Hotel and Travel Guests
Agentic AI is shifting travel from search-and-select to ask-and-act, but nearly 70% of travelers still prefer to complete bookings via trusted brands rather than AI agents, signaling the need for appropriate, not maximum, automation.
By Ivana Johnston, Co-Founder and CEO, Puzzle Partner
Customer Experience Is Built One Detail at a Time
Drawing on quotes from Charles Eames, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney, the article argues that exceptional guest experience results from intentionally managing hundreds of small details, not singular standout moments.
By Shep Hyken, Customer Service and Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker and Bestselling Author, Shepard Presentations, LLC.
Stayntouch Partners with Paradise in a Box to Bring the Aloha Spirit to Hotel Check-In
Stayntouch integrates Paradise in a Box's locally sourced Hawaiian gift sets into its PMS upselling flow, letting hotels offer curated amenities at mobile check-in, kiosks, and front desk.