Wyndham Crosses 100-Hotel Mark in Mexico
The company nearly doubled its Mexican footprint in five years through strategic partnerships and all-inclusive resort acquisitions.
Central & South America - Latest
Expert Views (19)
Tomeu Fiol, Vice President of Business Applications, Mindata
OpenAI just admitted what Google already learned with "Book on Google" back in 2022: people use AI to discover, not to buy. I fully agree with Simone the reason is structural, not technical. A hotel booking is not a single transaction.
David Teklit, CEO, Teklogix
Conversational platforms will complete bookings, but not by simplifying hospitality's complexity. They will succeed when they can orchestrate it. Today a single reservation touches PMS, CRS, channel management, payment processing, cancellation logic etc.
Fergus Boyd, Independent Hospitality Consultant
I’d agree. A retail transaction, even a high value one, is much simpler than a hotel or flight booking. Shopify is a top retail IBE, but its funnel is much simpler (view products, select product, pick colour, select size SMLXL, add to basket, add an upsell box of chocs, set delivery address, etc), than the well-converting IBEs in hospitality like Journey, Net Affinity, P3, Profit Room, Allora etc.
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In a city that is continually transforming, a collection of storied buildings has been thoughtfully reborn for a new generation. Welcome to Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena - where history, modernity and the promise of what’s next blend seamlessly in an atmosphere of timeless elegance and elevated hospitality.
Expert Views (10)
Tammy Pahel, VP of Spa & Wellness Operations, Carillon Miami Wellness Resort
We are entering a defining era for wellness one shaped not only by global change, but by a profound shift in how people value their health, time, and quality of life. Wellness is no longer an amenity; it is becoming the foundation of modern living.Throughout my career, I’ve seen our industry evolve from offering moments of escape to creating pathways for longevity, resilience, and transformation.
Mindy Terry, Principal, CSC Consulting
The number one challenge is that wellness behavior has evolved faster than spa operating models—and as a result, the spa is no longer the primary gateway to wellness; it is one of many.Consumers are engaging in wellness more frequently through fitness, recovery, longevity clinics, and local access models, but much of that engagement is happening outside the hotel spa.
Expert Views (8)
Custódio Barreiros, Founder & CEO, EIP MGT
Optimising AI literacy in F&B operations starts with a simple principle: buying technology is not the same as building capability.Too many operators still approach AI as a procurement exercise rather than an operational transformation discipline.
Amber Trendell, Senior Director, Strategy, Restaurants, Oracle Hospitality
AI investments in F&B deliver value only when adoption is treated as seriously as the technology. The implementation gap is rarely caused by weak tools. It is usually caused by weak translation between strategy, tech implementation and frontline execution.
Lucas Stamm, Director of Marketing & Digital, Nara Hospitality Group
AI literacy in F&B does not start with tools. It starts with understanding what the operation actually produces.Most teams I see try to adopt AI before they can even describe what their workflow does step by step – mostly for the lack of SOP.
By Max Starkov
Expert Views (17)
Erik Muñoz, Business Development Director EMEA, TrustYou
The idea that “search is dead” is mostly an exaggeration. What is really happening is a change in how people find information online, not the disappearance of search itself. For hoteliers, this difference is important because people are still searching for hotels, but the way they search and where the traffic goes is starting to change.
Markus Mueller, Managing Director, GauVendi
Traditional search isn't dying — it's disaggregating. The front-end experience is shifting dramatically, but the underlying data infrastructure remains largely the same. When ChatGPT or Perplexity answers a hotel query, it's still drawing from indexed web content, reviews, and structured data that lives in the same ecosystem traditional SEO has always served.
Expert Views (18)
Fergus Boyd, Independent Hospitality Consultant
In a word, no. Websites were designed to entice humans to view, discover, consider, buy. They are heavy with images, HTML, JavaScript, etc. to entice us in and encourage us to dwell. APIs were invented for M2M, machine to machine, transactions.
Juanjo Rodriguez, Founder, The Hotels Network & Chief AI Officer, Lighthouse
Agents will be everywhere, but behind the scenes. Booking agents are a short-term solution; using AI to simulate human behavior is like asking for a faster horse. Agents that behave as people, visiting websites and simulating human behavior (clicking on links, filling forms) are an incredible technological feat, but are a poor solution to most real-word problems: - Agents are very slow, because they have to replicate user paths built for humans- They fail often, because every website they visit is differentThe future will be MCP- and API-based, with agents interacting with those MCP/API.
Ian Millar, Senior Lecturer Hospitality Technology, EHL
Crystal ball time. 5 to 10 years i think we will quite similar to where we are today. the slow pace of change will not change and traditional tech stacks will still be around. lack of motivation to change, contracts and low investment will hinder the change.
Sofitel launches first Branded Residences project in Argentina
In one of the most significant real estate milestones in the region over the past decade, Sofitel, the renowned French luxury hotel brand and part of Accor, announces the launch of its first branded residences in Argentina: Sofitel Residences Buenos Aires Madero.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Sustainability Edition
Luxury Hospitality as a Regenerative Way of Life
Yasemin Oruc argues that luxury hospitality is uniquely positioned to lead a shift from “doing less harm” to regenerative, net-positive impact, treating hospitality as a living system embedded in people and place. This article explores how regenerative hospitality turns experiences into co-created, transformative journeys that support personal well-being while restoring ecosystems and communities. Luxury hotels, with their resources and cultural influence, can act as pioneers and prototypes for this regenerative way of life.
By Yasemin Oruc, Senior Lecturer Hospitality Marketing & Innovation and Research Fellow City Hospitality, Hotelschool The Hague; President, EMEA, CHRIE, Hotelschool The Hague
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Sustainability Edition
The Regenerative Compass: A Moral Guide for Hospitality Leaders
Jonathan Normand frames regeneration as the only viable path for hospitality in a world of ecological overshoot and collapsing trust, arguing that sustainability alone is no longer enough. It introduces the 7C Leadership Compass as a practical, deeply human guide for leaders who want to align business success with the long-term wellbeing of people, places, and the planet, and positions Moral Ambition plus cross-industry coalitions as the engine of real, regenerative change.
By Jonathan Normand, CEO & Founder, B Lab Switzerland
GFA, Hilton Announce Waldorf Astoria Residences Guadalajara, First Standalone Branded Residences in Mexico and the Caribbean and Latin America
Mexican firm Grupo Imobiliario GFA, internationally recognized for setting new standards in high-end real estate development, and global hospitality leader Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announces the signing of Waldorf Astoria Residences Guadalajara (The Residences). Expected to deliver in Winter 2029, this milestone project marks the debut of the first Waldorf Astoria standalone branded residence in Mexico and the Caribbean and Latin America and exemplifies the continued growth of the Waldorf Astoria residential portfolio globally.
IHG Accelerates Growth in Mexico, Reinforcing Long Term Commitment to Key Americas Market
IHG plans to nearly double its Mexico growth pace with 62 hotels in development, building on its current 187 properties and 5th largest global market position.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Sustainability Edition
A Mindset Shift for Resilience and Prosperity in Hospitality
Maribel Esparcia Pérez argues that hospitality asset management must move beyond extractive, short-term models toward regenerative, resilient systems that account for climate risk, ecosystem health, and community wellbeing. Using examples like Casa Leonardo and Coron Natural Farms, she shows how regenerative practices can protect asset value, strengthen local resilience, and align with emerging financial and regulatory frameworks.
By Maribel Esparcia Pérez, COO, Honest Operations
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Sustainability Edition
What Regeneration Asks of Hospitality
O’Shannon Burns argues that regeneration in hospitality is not a new label for sustainability or a framework to “roll out,” but an emergent, place-based practice grounded in relationships between people, land, culture, and more-than-human life. Drawing on global regenerative futures research, the article outlines four key orientations and challenges hospitality leaders to move from aspirational impact language toward honest accountability and structural change.
By O'Shannon Burns, Founder, Aurora Collective and Program Director, Cornell University, Aurora Collective
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Sustainability Edition
Green sprouts of hope in the regeneration question
Starting from her own skepticism, Dr Natasha Montesalvo explores where regenerative tourism is already moving from rhetoric to reality, highlighting destinations and hotels that build regeneration into governance, design, and operations from day one. Through examples like Red Sea Global, Capella Ubud, Maroma and TTNQ’s Reforest partnership, she shows that measurable positive impact on ecosystems and communities is possible – but only when strong policy, thoughtful design, and long-term performance tracking replace vague “do good” intentions.
By Natasha Montesalvo, Director of Research and Policy and Principal Consultant – Destinations, Strategy and Insights, EarthCheck
Carnival drove Rio de Janeiro room rates to all-time high
February 2026 RevPAR hit BRL 1,050.78, up 48% year-over-year, with peak Sunday performance reaching BRL 2,491.14 RevPAR and 93.7% occupancy.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Sustainability Edition
Where Will You Place Your First Needle?
Using Camiguin Island in the Philippines as a living laboratory, Mahe Besson explores regenerative tourism through the metaphor of acupuncture: small, precise interventions that unlock a destination’s own capacity to heal. Rather than rebuilding systems from scratch, she argues for carefully chosen “acupuncture points” such as teaching resorts, youth ocean programs, and co-created (un)Summits that let local ecosystems and communities regain their flow.
By Mahé Besson, Project manager, 7Generations
Tivoli Hotels & Resorts Debuts in Northern Brazil with the Opening of Tivoli Maiorana Belém
Following the global spotlight of COP30, Tivoli Hotels & Resorts continues its Brazilian expansion with the opening of Tivoli Maiorana Belém. This landmark property marks the brand’s first venture into Northern Brazil and its third in the country, joining established icons in São Paulo and Bahia.
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Sustainability Edition
Values over value: adding to place rather than extracting from it
David Leventhal challenges tourism’s “growth is always good” mindset, arguing that low-density, values-driven, regenerative hospitality can deliver both better guest experiences and stronger profitability. He explains how Playa Viva optimises resources, rebuilds degraded landscapes, involves local communities, and experiments with inclusive pricing models, while also tackling tough questions on aviation emissions, greenwashing, and how to scale without becoming extractive.
By Willy Legrand and David Leventhal
Hotel Yearbook Article The Hotel Yearbook 2026 - Sustainability Edition
When Hospitality shapes places, not just stays
Regenerative hospitality reframes hotels from standalone assets into locally embedded infrastructures that strengthen ecosystems, communities, and destination resilience. Diane Binder argues that the real shift is from “doing less harm” to actively serving place – with independent and franchised hotels acting as catalysts for land restoration, cultural vitality, and shared prosperity, supported by new governance, measurement, and blended finance models.
By Diane Binder, Founder & CEO, Regenopolis