New Year's Eve pushed Sydney room rates to record-high
NYE rates hit AUD 1,009, while concerts by Jimmy Barnes and Lady Gaga also drove strong performance throughout December.
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Paris hotel performance reached December high
RevPAR jumped 7.8% year-over-year with New Year's Eve hitting record occupancy of 93.3% and the highest ADR since the 2024 Olympics.
Is your hotel visible in ChatGPT search? A quick guide to help you compete with OTAs for AI planned trips
The guide outlines strategies for hotels to optimize their websites and data for AI search engines like ChatGPT to compete with OTAs for direct bookings.
By Jonathan Gough, Content Team Lead, Lighthouse
SuitePad Named Best In-Room Tablet at the 2026 HotelTechAwards for the 7th Year
SuitePad wins its seventh consecutive HotelTechAward based on verified hotelier reviews and performance data across integration, adoption, and support metrics.
Nestor Stay Grows Booking Value 62% and Direct Bookings 168% after Using AI Tools on Apaleo
London-based group used AI tools via Apaleo's open API platform to automate guest communications, review analysis, and voice bookings across 14 properties.
Blastness wins the HotelTechAwards 2026 as the Best Hotel Reservations Software
Blastness processed over €2 billion in bookings annually and helped clients increase direct channel bookings by 104% over seven years.
RoomPriceGenie Wins First Place for “Best Revenue Management System (RMS)” in the 2026 HotelTechAwards
RoomPriceGenie also won "Best Place to Work" and secured $75M investment from Five Elms Capital in 2025.
SiteMinder launches 20th anniversary year with major sweep at 2026 HotelTechAwards
SiteMinder won seven awards including Best Channel Manager and Best Booking Engine, processing 130 million reservations worth $55 billion annually.
Mews dominates HotelTechAwards, winning Best PMS for the third year running and Best POS
Mews achieved a perfect 100 HT Score and expanded recognition across multiple tech categories including POS, housekeeping, and revenue management through recent acquisitions.
Where to Invest: A Pragmatic View of Hospitality in 2026
The author argues reinvestment in existing hotels offers the best risk-adjusted returns in 2026, as transaction math improves but sellers resist higher cap rates.
By Andrew Carey, Chief Executive Officer, Newport Hospitality Group
Lighthouse Wins HotelTechAwards for Sixth Consecutive Year, The Hotels Network Secures Fourth Straight Win for Best Direct Booking Tool
Lighthouse swept four categories for the sixth straight year while integrating acquired Hotels Network into unified platform serving 80,000+ hotels.
Should hoteliers become AI experts?
Australian hotels lag in AI readiness despite growing demand, but can succeed by partnering with tech experts rather than building in-house expertise.
By Tom Varsavsky, Chief Technology Officer, SiteMinder
HotelTechAwards Names Canary Technologies the Best Guest Experience System
Canary won nine categories at HotelTechReport's awards, including the inaugural AI Voice Bot award for technology that handles phone calls autonomously.
Moving Past ROAS as Marketing KPI
The article argues hotels should replace ROAS with full-funnel metrics like market share and brand.com contribution to measure long-term marketing success.
By Stephanie Sparks Smith, CEO & Digital Matriarch, Cogwheel Marketing, Cogwheel Marketing & Analytics
U.S. hotel results for week ending 3 January
U.S. hotels posted 7.9% RevPAR growth during holiday week, with Miami leading at +26.4% while Tampa dropped 19.4%.
How hoteliers can capitalise on the potential of AI
The article focuses on predictive analytics and machine learning applications for demand forecasting and competitor analysis, with Australian hotels reporting 15% booking increases for July-August.
By Mike Rogers, Chief Data Officer, SiteMinder
Trybe Announces $30M Series A Investment From Five Elms Capital
The $30M investment from Five Elms Capital will fund global expansion, AI feature development, and enhanced payments capabilities for the spa software provider.
The New Standard of Pickup Analysis: Year-Round Clarity in a Single View
LodgIQ promotes its Advanced Pickup Analytics module that provides 12-month booking pace visibility, claiming to help one client achieve +12% occupancy and another reach 97% forecast accuracy.
By Samuel Johnson, Head of Operations, LodgIQ™
What does ‘family focused’ really mean in a hotel? A General Manager’s inside secrets
Byron Fiddler of New Park Manor shares strategies for authentic family hospitality, from pre-arrival guest contact to inclusive spa access and child-friendly dining solutions.
By Ryan Haynes, Director/Lead Consultant, Hoteliers' Voice Podcast/ Haynes MarComs Ltd
More Than a Bed: How Hotels are Unlocking Social Impact
Hotels can repurpose unsold rooms for social causes like supporting unpaid carers, creating community value at minimal cost while strengthening ESG credentials.
By Charlotte Newman, CEO, Carefree