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2026 Is Not About Adding AI to Hotels, World Cup Left 16 Cities Worth of Pricing Lessons, Small Hotels Can Outpace Chains on Tech
Wednesday brought Are Morch's argument that 2026 marks the point where AI becomes hospitality's primary discovery interface rather than an optional tool, Lighthouse's World Cup recap distilling pricing and demand lessons from 16 host cities for hoteliers eyeing 2030, and The Gallivant's GM on how small independents can outmaneuver chains through agile technology. Pertlink's AI cost routing framework, Amsterdam's tax pressure, and pipeline signings from Niseko to Mui Ne rounded out the session.
How AI gives hotel leadership a strategic command center: briefings, training, and sustainability
A five-part series installment outlines three AI agent use cases for hotel leaders: automated performance briefings, dynamic staff onboarding, and real-time sustainability cost tracking.
By Alan Young, VP, Strategy | Hospitality, Infor
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AI is changing hotel search. Is your hotel ready to be recommended?
Cendyn webinar covers how AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini are reshaping hotel discovery, and what content strategies marketers can use to stay visible in AI-generated recommendations.
Apollos Gause in conversation with Rick Posey
Kennedy Training Network Announces Relaunch Of Its Front Desk “Heart of Hospitality” Certification Training Program
Kennedy Training Network relaunches its Certified Heart of Hospitality (CHH) program for front desk staff, updated for 2026, with remote or on-site delivery starting at $199 per person.
World Cup Recap: What hoteliers can learn from the 2026 tournament
Analysis of 2026 FIFA World Cup hotel data across 16 host cities reveals key pricing, supply, and demand lessons for hoteliers preparing for the 2030 tournament.
By Daniel Foreman, Commercial Strategist, Lighthouse
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View AllAAHOA Applauds Pennsylvania Enactment of Human Trafficking Awareness Training Legislation
Pennsylvania's House Bill 1286 mandates human trafficking awareness training for hotel, motel, and short-term rental employees, with refresher training every two years and compliance verification for third-party booking platforms.
Every Company Needs a ‘Reasonable Department’
United Airlines' Bryan Stoller advocates for a "Reasonable Department" mindset that trains employees to use judgment and empathy when customer situations fall outside standard policies.
By Shep Hyken, Customer Service and Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker and Bestselling Author, Shepard Presentations, LLC.
Interconnected hospitality begins long before guests arrive
Sunborn London GM Francisco Ventura cut check-in time from 8 to 1 minute by shifting registration and payments to pre-arrival, freeing staff to focus on genuine guest interactions.
Florencia Cueto Pedrotti, Director, Global Engagement & Sales Enablement, Shiji
Meliá Hotels International strengthens its leadership in Vietnam with a refined beachfront sanctuary in Mui Ne
Meliá Hotels International is proud to unveil the forthcoming Ocaria Retreat Mui Ne, Member of Melia Collection, a newly built, five‑star seaside sanctuary set to become the very first Meliá Collection property in Vietnam. More than a new opening, this project represents a meaningful evolution for the company: the arrival of its fifth brand in the country, strengthening Meliá’s leadership and its vision for continued, purposeful growth in one of Asia’s most promising travel landscapes.
Amsterdam Market Pulse 2026 – A Taxing Time for Damsko
Amsterdam's hotel market faces sustained RevPAR pressure from rising city tax (now 12.5%, potentially 20% by 2031) and a VAT hike to 21%, with €590M in hotel investment recorded across the Netherlands in 2025.
Supplier News
View allWinnow Appoints Two Hospitality Industry Veterans to New Advisory Board
Winnow adds two hotel group CEOs to a new Advisory Board to guide global scaling of its AI food waste platform, targeting over $1 billion in prevented food waste across hotel and resort portfolios.
Mews powers Alexa MGMT's mission to put people back at the heart of Texas hospitality
Alexa MGMT adopts Mews PMS across six Texas boutique hotels to centralize operations, automate payments, and build a scalable tech foundation for portfolio growth.
An Interview with Expedia’s Lauren Cannon on How to Find Your Voice in Hospitality Distribution
Expedia's Lauren Cannon shares how hospitality professionals can build confidence and clarity in distribution roles by focusing on problems over solutions and engaging early rather than waiting for expertise.
Motel One and dailypoint™ expand strategic collaboration
Motel One expands its partnership with dailypoint to deploy CRM and CDP across 110 properties, following a technical migration to Oracle Opera Cloud via OHIP for real-time data integration.
Sustainable Hotel Credentials: The Practical Starting Point for Spatial Identity in Hospitality
GCSTIMES outlines how sustainable hotel key cards, verified under ISO 14064/14068, can reduce carbon footprint while doubling as unified guest identity tools for access, payment, and personalization.
Winnow Solidifies Asia-Pacific Leadership Through Acquisition of Regional Food Waste Technology Player Lumitics
Winnow acquires Singapore-based Lumitics, gaining deployments across 20+ countries in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, and access to deeper regional hospitality relationships with Accor, Hyatt, Marriott and Four Seasons.
We Asked More Than 80 Hotel Teams What It’s Like to Work With TTI. Here’s What I Learned.
TTI shares survey results from 80+ hotel teams across brands like Marriott and IHG, with 90%+ giving 5-star ratings, highlighting responsive support as the top differentiator.
By Steve Blidner, Founder & CEO, TTI Technologies
Kollective Completes Initial Data Collection for the Boutique Hotel AI Index
Kollective's Boutique Hotel AI Index analyzed 28,600 AI-generated responses across ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, and Copilot to reveal how these platforms recommend boutique hotels across 100 destinations.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Announces Signing of Fairmont Niseko
World-renowned luxury hospitality brand, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, part of the leading hospitality group Accor, in partnership with J -Will Partners Co., Ltd. today announced the development of Fairmont Niseko, Japan, a new 165-key Fairmont property slated to open in early 2028.
IHG’s voco Brand Debuts in Queenstown, New Zealand
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), developer, owner and asset manager Pro-invest Group and operator Connect Hospitality today announce the opening of voco Queenstown, marking the completion of the repositioning of the former Holiday Inn Express & Suites Queenstown into IHG's premium upscale voco brand.
The Camry Guest Experience
A new AI cost framework argues hoteliers should route tasks between cheap open-weight and premium closed models based on unit economics, not vendor loyalty.
By Terence Ronson, Founder & Managing Director, Pertlink Limited
Centara Accelerates Luxury Growth with The Launch of Its Second Centara Reserve
Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand's leading hotel operator, today announced the launch of Centara Reserve Krabi, the second property under its award-winning luxury Reserve brand, scheduled to open in December 2026 following a multi-billion-baht development. The opening represents the next chapter of the company's long-term premium growth strategy, strengthening its position in the luxury hospitality sector while supporting Krabi's emergence as one of Asia's most desirable quiet luxury destinations.
2026 Is Not About Adding AI to Hotels
As AI-driven conversational interfaces replace traditional search, hotels must prioritize data consistency and machine-readable credibility over SEO rankings to remain recommendable.
By Are Morch, Digital Transformation Coach for Hotels, Are Morch, Digital Transformation Coach
How small hotels can use technology to outpace chains
The GM of The Gallivant, a MICHELIN-key boutique hotel in East Sussex, explains how independents can outmaneuver chains using agile tech stacks, AI tools, and fast iteration cycles.
196+ forum Munich: 24 hotels from eleven countries compete for the European “Hotel Property Award 2026”
24 hotels from 11 European countries are competing for the Hotel Property Award 2026, with the ceremony set for 7 October at Hotel Bayerischer Hof Munich.
Should Hotels Abandon Google Search Because of Zero-Click, Wholesalers Aren't Worried About AI, APAC Hotel Investment Up 54%
Tuesday opened with a World Panel viewpoint asking whether zero-click search makes Google marketing obsolete for hotels, hospitality.today's argument that wholesalers are structurally unbothered by AI booking agents, and JLL data showing APAC hotel investment volumes up 54% to $6.8 billion in H1 2026. Lighthouse eclipse pricing data, Curacity on earned media as the only AI-proof distribution strategy, and openings from Mykonos to Shanghai rounded out the session.
Introducing HSMAI Europe Pop-Up
HSMAI Europe launches a new member benefit called Pop-Up: short-notice, small-group gatherings for senior commercial leaders to discuss timely industry topics across European cities.
Hotel Equities Named Operator of the New SLS Punta del Este, Opening Early 2029
Hotel Equities (HE), a best-in-class hospitality operator, announces a hotel management agreement with Grupo Ginevra-GNV for the operation of SLS Punta del Este, a new Accor-branded luxury hotel and residential development opening in early 2029. The agreement marks Hotel Equities' first project in Uruguay, extending the company's Caribbean & Latin America (CALA) presence into South America.