Six industry leaders at the Travel Tech Startup Summit in Washington DC identify AI obsolescence, broken acquisition funnels, and investor pressure as the top threats for travel startups heading into 2027.
Highline Hospitality Partners acquires its 23rd hotel, a 125-room Courtyard by Marriott in Cranberry Township, PA, bringing it under common ownership with the adjacent Pittsburgh Marriott North.
Concord Hospitality assumes management of Poteat Hotels' seven-property, 711-room portfolio across five North Carolina cities, deepening its presence in its home state.
One of the most impactful immersive experiences has been creating opportunities for guests to move beyond being observers and become active participants in the destination. Rather than simply providing a service, we focus on creating meaningful moments that engage the senses, tell a story, and encourage genuine interaction.A particularly memorable example is our locally inspired culinary experiences, where guests can discover regional ingredients, learn about cultural traditions, interact with our culinary team, and participate in elements of the preparation and tasting.
When I became General Manager at Hard Rock Hotel New York, I wanted our arrival experience to reflect the soul of the property and the people who power it. With more than 35 years across five hotel brands, I’ve learned that the most memorable moments in hospitality come from teams who believe in a shared purpose.
Upon joining my latest property, I wanted to make the destination part of the guest experience rather than simply something guests could see from the hotel.I identified a number of exceptional local organic producers within 45 minutes of the property and developed direct partnerships with them, working closely with our Chef to integrate their products into our menus and create dishes that could only truly belong to this destination.We worked with a local goat cheese producer, a grower cultivating more than 120 varieties of citrus, an olive oil producer whose oil reaches 584 mg/kg of polyphenols, and Morocco’s only truffle producer.The objective was not simply to source better ingredients, but to give our guests a story behind what they were eating: where it came from, who produced it, and why it was unique to the region.The experience became a way of discovering the destination through taste, conversations and local craftsmanship.
HVS shares takeaways from the 2026 Lodging Conference: 5% RevPAR growth expected by year-end, but rising costs, debt pressures, and loan maturities are eroding hotel profitability.
Today, Loews Nashville Hotel at Vanderbilt Plaza officially reveals its multimillion-dollar, property-wide transformation, ushering in a new era for the long-established Nashville hotel. Located in the city’s Midtown neighborhood, minutes from Nashville’s entertainment district, Music Row and Vanderbilt University, the hotel’s transformation introduces an elevated guest experience from arrival to departure through reimagined guestrooms, revitalized public spaces, distinctive new dining destinations and enhanced gathering spaces inspired by the city’s warm and creative spirit.
Denū Hotel & Spa, a partnership involving Pacific Hospitality Group, Berger Holdings, and JWG Investments, an affiliate of Sunbelt Holdings, today announces its opening in the heart of Downtown Phoenix, marking the newest addition to Meritage Collection and introducing a design-led upscale urban retreat to the city's evolving downtown landscape. Located steps from the award-winning Phoenix Convention Center and the city's leading arts, culture, sports and entertainment venues, Denū welcomes both visiting professionals and leisure travelers, offering an intentional reset within reach of the city's most active corridors.
Sonesta's new F1RST Meetings Collection spans 25 hotels across Royal Sonesta and Sonesta Hotels Resorts brands, offering up to 500,000 sq ft of combined event space in major U.S. and Canadian markets.
Ireckonu has renewed its Microsoft Solutions Partner designations in Data AI and Digital App Innovation for 2027, confirming enterprise-grade standards for its guest data and AI platform built on Azure.
LodgIQ relaunches its website and repositions as a Hotel Commercial Performance Platform, combining AI-powered RMS and conversational AI to help hoteliers protect margins amid rising labor costs.
Hoxell relaunched its brand at Rimini's Hospitality Day and TTG, repositioning from a task-management tool to a cross-departmental operations platform with agentic AI capabilities.
Thynk's integration with Meetingselect automates RFP-to-proposal conversion for hotels, routing corporate leads and generating real-time e-proposals without manual data entry.
Vingcard's new R-Series door reader supports BLE, NFC, and mobile key technology across non-standard entry points like elevators, parking barriers, and gates, compatible with its Vostio cloud access management system.
Otelier and Avalara have integrated their platforms to automate lodging tax filing, flag PMS rate discrepancies daily, and streamline exemption tracking for multi-jurisdiction hotel operators.
PHAL launched PHAL OS, a modular agentic AI platform covering the full hotel lifecycle, and confirmed a third Top 10 global hotel group mandate within six months of its first client engagement.
GCSTIMES pitches wooden hotel key cards that double as fridge magnets as branded keepsakes for heritage hotels, bridging historic guest experiences with lasting physical mementos.
The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort and Arizona’s premier luxury resort destination, announces the completion of its multi-million-dollar property-wide refresh. Marking a pivotal new chapter in Southwestern hospitality, this comprehensive transformation elevates every facet of the guest stay while honoring the resort's iconic legacy. The extensive renovation encompasses all guestrooms, corridors, and the exclusive Canyon Suites at The Phoenician—including its brand-new villas launched in February of this year—delivering a modernized aesthetic that celebrates the unique Sonoran Desert surroundings and establishes an unmatched standard of contemporary elegance.
The Waldorf Astoria New York reopens after a full renovation, raising the question of whether the 1931 landmark retains its legendary status.
Darryl "Chip" Wade, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group and 2026 IFMA Gold Plate Award winner, will serve as guest lecturer and mentor at Penn State during the 2026-27 academic year.
Incoming Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce chairman-elect argues for a data-driven business vitality index tracking openings, closures, and vacancies to better measure and support local economic health.
Pavilion launches with 20 local vacation rental companies, 5,000+ homes, and a founder-ownership model backed by TZP Group, HPS/BlackRock, Capital Dynamics, and PGIM as primary lender.
Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel and Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum are officially open in downtown Nashville, welcoming guests to a new destination inspired by the life, career and legacy of one of the world’s most beloved entertainers. The opening was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring children whose lives have been enriched by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, honoring Dolly’s enduring commitment to inspiring generations through the power of music, storytelling and books.
Claremont Resort Club's Director of Marketing explains how ghost tour packages, influencer FAM trips, and clean guest data turned a historic property's haunted lore into sold-out October demand.
The Cordish Companies and Bruce Smith Enterprise marked a significant milestone in the construction of Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia during a topping out ceremony for the new gaming, hotel, dining and entertainment destination opening in Central Virginia. The destination is being built on the same site as Live! Casino Virginia, the temporary gaming facility that opened in January.
Trailing Millennials and Early Gen Z, dubbed the "Emerging Experience Generation," represent 78M+ US travelers who prioritize mobile-first tech, social media discovery, authenticity, and locally grounded experiences when choosing hotels.
TRevPAR declined 8.8% vs RevPAR's 6.3% in HotelData's 2025 U.S. sample, illustrating how room-only metrics obscure F&B, spa, parking, and other in-stay revenue trends.
Canary's kiosk and mobile check-in tools helped a 42-room West Virginia ski lodge capture OTA guest contact details and card-on-file data without 24/7 front desk coverage.
On September 30, guests went to sleep at the Grand Bohemian Charleston, and woke up at Hotel Operis. Beginning October 1, 2026, the boutique hotel in the heart of Charleston is entering its next act while continuing its legacy as part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. This evolution, which starts with a new name and builds with an inspired experience, invites guests to discover creativity, culture and the spirit of the Holy City. Updated branding and thoughtful enhancements throughout the property bring the Hotel Operis identity to life, giving guests even more to discover.