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Booking's Commission Is the Cheapest Thing It Takes from You, Luxury Has Confused Abundance with Value, Is Zero Rate Leakage Actually Possible?
Friday closed the week with hospitality.today's argument that Booking's $8.2B deferred hotelier fund makes payout timing a bigger issue than commission rates, Kempinski's CEO on luxury hospitality confusing abundance with value, and a World Panel viewpoint on whether zero rate leakage is operationally achievable. CoStar's upgraded U.S. RevPAR forecast, WTTC's 14.5% Middle East contraction, and a record 11-property day from Kenya to Portugal closed the week.
Booking's commission is the cheapest thing it takes from you
Booking Holdings' merchant model now represents 67% of revenue and holds $8.2B in deferred hotelier funds, making payout timing a bigger financial issue than commission rates.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
Latest
Introducing SAN SONNEA: A New Italian Luxury Hospitality Collection Debuts Across Northern Italy
The Hinteregger family launches SAN SONNEA, a new Italian luxury collection anchored by three Northern Italy properties, including a rebranded Dolomites family resort, a new adults-only lodge, and a Lake Garda hideaway.
Asia Pacific, Excluding China, Hotel Construction Pipeline Reaches Record Highs at the Close of Q2 2026; Plus, New 2028 Forecast
Lodging Econometrics reports APEC's hotel construction pipeline hit a record 2,506 projects and 452,972 rooms in Q2 2026, with India leading at 1,033 projects, up 36% YOY.
Outdated Revenue Tools Become a Portfolio Performance Risk
Argues that Excel-based revenue workflows create costly decision delays across hotel portfolios, and outlines what an effective RMS should deliver in terms of explainability, consolidation, and total cost of ownership.
By Ryan MacLagan, Vice President of Business Development, LodgIQ™
Recent Appointments
View AllRemington Hospitality Builds Centralized In-House Social Media Division Across Portfolio
Remington Hospitality's centralized in-house social media team has generated $3M+ in attributable revenue and a 37:1 return on ad spend across its hotel portfolio since launch.
U.S. hotel results for week ending 1 August
U.S. hotel RevPAR rose 7.3% year-over-year for the week ending 1 August 2026, with Philadelphia and St. Louis leading Top 25 Markets while Las Vegas posted the steepest declines.
HOSPA Professional Development receives Savoy Educational Trust grant to support self-funded learners
HOSPA Professional Development received a Savoy Educational Trust grant to fund scholarships for self-funded learners in finance, revenue management and asset management courses.
CoStar, Tourism Economics upgrade U.S. hotel growth forecast
CoStar and Tourism Economics raised their 2026-27 U.S. hotel outlook at the Hotel Data Conference, lifting RevPAR by 1.6 ppts and ADR by 1.1 ppts, with GOPPAR forecast to rise 4% in 2026.
Either everyone is a VIP or Nobody is
A hotel operations veteran argues that true luxury service means personalizing attention for every guest, not prioritizing one "VIP" at the expense of everyone else.
Supplier News
View allHotel social moves into the boardroom: Hospitality Social Media Summit brings a two-day commercial programme to London this September
A two-day executive programme at Chicago Booth London on 3-4 September 2026, focused on building commercial social media strategies, frameworks, and assets for hospitality brands.
Star-bathing: Finding Wellness Under the Night Sky
Booking.com data shows 62% of travelers consider dark-sky destinations, with star-bathing topping planned activities, creating a niche wellness opportunity for resorts and eco-lodges.
Minor Hotels Accelerates Global Digital Transformation with Oracle Cloud
Minor Hotels has deployed Oracle OPERA Cloud across 106 properties in 59 countries, with the next rollout phase targeting Australia and New Zealand.
Canopy by Hilton Istanbul Taksim partners with IRIS to enhance guest journey with Digital Guest Directory solution
Canopy by Hilton Istanbul Taksim has deployed IRIS's mobile-first Digital Guest Directory, replacing printed materials with a real-time, branded platform accessible via QR codes and in-room TVs.
New Travelport Survey Finds U.S. Consumers Want Greater Clarity and Confidence When Booking Travel
A Travelport/Dynata survey of U.S. consumers finds 46% have abandoned bookings due to complexity, 72% find AI booking stressful, and clear pricing is the top improvement travelers want.
Cloudbeds and Lighthouse deepen integration to connect business intelligence and distribution
Cloudbeds PMS data now flows directly into Lighthouse Performance and Lighthouse Distribution, automating pickup, pace, and channel reporting across single and multi-property portfolios.
Lighthouse and Cloudbeds
Canary Technologies and Host Hotel Systems Announce New Integration for Smoother Hotel Operations
Canary Technologies integrates with Host Hotel Systems PMS, giving hotels in Portugal, Spain and Latin America access to automated check-in, upselling and AI messaging in one connected platform.
Hotel Technology Works Better Together
The article argues that hotel performance depends not on the number of systems deployed but on how well they connect, with POS integration highlighted as a key driver of operational visibility and guest experience.
The Role of Operational Luxury in Hospitality
Operators at luxury properties are prioritizing "operational luxury," investing in behind-the-scenes systems and technology that ensure consistent, frictionless guest experiences at scale.
By David Chioe, Regional Director of Hospitality Sales, APAC, Matrix
GBTA Convention 2026 Unites the Global Business Travel Industry to Connect, Learn, Innovate and Shape the Sector's Future
GBTA Convention 2026 drew 5,500+ attendees from 47 countries at McCormick Place, with the newly released BTI forecasting record global business travel spend of $1.71 trillion in 2026.
Great Plains Announces Opening of Zamara Private, Kenya
Great Plains, the iconic eco-tourism company founded by National Geographic explorer-filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, is delighted to announce the launch of Zamara Private. Now open in Kenya's Maasai Mara, the new private residence from Great Plains forms part of its exclusive Réserve-Collection safari camps.
Zambia Luxury Lodge Collection Launches, Uniting Four of the Country's Leading Luxury Safari Lodges Under One Owner-Led Brand
ZLLC unites Chichele Presidential, Puku Ridge, Lolebezi and Lolelunga under direct owner management from January 2027, with new US and UK sales representation and an active rewilding program including Zambia's first captive-bred lion reintroduction.
The end of beigification: Why travelers are searching for something real
Preferred Travel Group CEO Lindsey Ueberroth joins Revinate's Hotel Moment podcast to discuss why authentic, personality-driven independent hotels are outcompeting branded chains.
Karen Stephens, Chief Marketing Officer, Revinate, Inc.
RIU Hotels reopens Riu Palace Aruba following a comprehensive renovation and introduces Elite Club service
How have the facilities and rooms of Riu Palace Aruba been renovated?
Doug Kennedy’s Next Staff Training Webcast: Technification Is Causing Commoditization: Stand Out Through Humanification
Doug Kennedy's free August 21 webcast covers how over-automation risks brand commoditization, and trains frontline and leadership teams to balance tech with human connection.
IHCL Signs Tree of Life in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu
Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) , India’s largest hospitality company, today announced the signing of a Tree of Life resort in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. This is a greenfield project.
IHCL Signs A Gateway In Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) , India’s largest hospitality company, today announced the signing of a Gateway hotel in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. This is a greenfield project.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Sinaia Cota 1400 brings alpine-inspired design to Romania’s Bucegi Mountains
A 68-room five-star mountain hotel at Cota 1400 in the Bucegi Mountains is now open under the Radisson Blu brand. Set within a historic building dating back to 1939, Radisson Blu Hotel, Sinaia Cota 1400 combines contemporary alpine hospitality, direct access to the cable car and ski slopes, and a premium wellness offering, bringing an internationally branded luxury hotel experience to one of Romania's most iconic mountain destinations.