Google's DMA Changes Have Already Cut Direct Booking Clicks by 30%, Is First-Party Guest Data a Myth?, The Broadmoor Generated $1M in Direct Revenue from Follow-Up Calls
Thursday brought Cayuga Hospitality Consultants documenting up to 30% cuts in free direct booking clicks for European hotels since Google's DMA-driven search changes, a World Panel viewpoint on whether first-party guest data is genuinely achievable or an industry aspiration, and The Broadmoor's documented $1M in direct revenue generated over three months purely from proactive follow-up calls to guests who didn't book. Banyan Group's 26-hotel Africa acquisition, UN Tourism's downgraded 2026 forecast, and 12 property announcements closed the session.
Employee Use of Design Thinking to Address Customer Complaints
A structured guide applying Design Thinking's five stages to help hotel employees evaluate brainstormed ideas and develop testable solutions for reducing guest complaints.
Latest
Order Me a Room
Fliggy's open-source "flyai" travel skill is now live in Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO and Honor native skill stores, enabling AI-driven bookings without a user ever opening the Fliggy app, just as Chinese AI orders surged 800% during Spring Festival.
YOTEL To Make Thailand Debut in Cloud 11 – Bangkok's Newest Creative Landmark
YOTEL, the global hospitality brand known for its design-led, tech-enabled hotels, is set to make its debut in Thailand with the opening of YOTEL Bangkok Sukhumvit in October. The cutting-edge 250-key property is located within the impressive Cloud 11 development, which is a brand new creative landmark in Bangkok’s South Sukhumvit district, in the south-east of the city.
Hotel Gyms or Wellness Hubs? Reframing Fitness as a Hospitality Asset
The article outlines why traditional hotel gyms fall short for today's health-conscious guests and details how wellness hubs, with multi-zone design and diversified revenue models, can unlock higher ancillary income and brand value.
Recent Appointments
View AllArtotel Group Supports the Development of Sports Tourism Assets in West Java, Indonesia
Artotel Group CEO backed plans to convert four West Java sports complexes into integrated sport tourism and wellness destinations, speaking at Indonesia Sports Summit 2026.
Pivot selected to manage the Hutton Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee, a Tribute Portfolio by Marriott Hotel
Pivot, Davidson Hospitality Group's lifestyle vertical, will manage the 246-room Hutton Hotel in Nashville's West End, which features a music venue, recording studios, and a new spa.
The Clayfield - Niagara-on-the-Lake’s new boutique hotel joins The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced the opening today, in the heart of Canadian wine country, of The Clayfield, a one-of-a-kind boutique wine-and-wellness hotel inspired by its setting in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Highgate and Eternam Enter Greece with Joint Acquisition of Zafolia Hotel Athens
Highgate and Eternam's Alcyon Hospitality Europe fund jointly acquired the 191-key Zafolia Hotel Athens, marking Highgate's first Greece entry, with full renovation planned.
Managing historic properties with confidence
Champneys Eastwell Manor GM James McComas shares how he manages a 500-year-old Grade II listed hotel, balancing sinkholes, specialist maintenance, mixed guest audiences, and commercial growth.
Supplier News
View allCalistoga Spa Hot Springs switches to Mews after 20–years on the same system
Calistoga Spa Hot Springs replaced a 20-year-old system with Mews PMS and RMS, achieving 50% online check-in adoption aided by on-site staff onboarding.
Unlocking Longevity: When the Key Card is an Invitation to Move
The piece argues hotels can foster longevity through self-initiated movement by repurposing the key card as a symbolic invitation to explore destinations on foot, by bike, or on the slopes.
Apaleo has announced a partnership with EHL Hospitality Business School
Apaleo becomes the first official industry partner for EHL's Human-Centered Digitalization specialisation, embedding guest speakers, site visits, and capstone projects into the Master's in Hospitality Management.
Folio Partners with M3 to Deliver a Connected Procure-to-Pay Experience for Hotel Finance Teams
Folio and M3 have launched a bi-directional integration connecting procurement, invoice automation, and accounting, with hotels able to go live within 24 hours of M3 provisioning access.
HotelData.com H1 2026 Labor Report Shows Improved Productivity as Demand and Wages Rose
Based on ~5,000 U.S. hotels, HPOR fell 3.1% (Full Service) and 3.5% (Select Service) in H1 2026 year over year, helping drive GOP margins up 3.6 points despite rising wages.
Apaleo and IDeaS Announce Expanded Integration With Advanced Revenue Controls
The expanded integration connects Apaleo's API-first PMS with IDeaS' AI-powered platform, automating two-way data flows for pricing, forecasting, overbooking, LOS, and LRV decisions in real time.
Shakira’s Madrid residency drives hotel bookings up 15% and prices up 20%
SiteMinder data shows Shakira's 12-night Madrid residency has pushed hotel bookings up 14.8% and ADR to €339, a 19.7% increase, with domestic bookings surging 65% year over year.
Stayntouch Earns Hotel Tech Report’s Highest Level of Global Customer Support Certification
Stayntouch achieved a perfect 34/34 score for Level 4 Global Customer Support Certification from Hotel Tech Report, covering 24/7 multilingual support, onboarding, and NPS tracking.
The Best Time to Build a Lender Relationship is Before You Need One
A 30-year hotel operator and Live Oak Bank share why proactive lender communication, early refinancing prep, and strong management credentials are critical to protecting asset value.
The surf park resort surge: Market momentum, development trends and attendance growth
HLA analysis finds North America now leads global surf park development, with most projects anchoring mixed-use resorts, but warns that capital intensity, seasonality, and market specificity separate viable investments from enthusiasm.
What is Ontology for Hotel AI?
A practical explainer on ontology as an AI concept for hotels: structuring rooms, staff, tasks, and SOPs into a connected data layer that enables meaningful operational optimization.
International tourism holds steady with 0.4% growth in first half of 2026 as Middle East conflict and rising costs weigh on momentum
UN Tourism's World Tourism Barometer reports 690 million international arrivals in H1 2026, with full-year growth now forecast at 1-2%, down from the earlier 3-4% projection due to Middle East conflict and inflation.
How Supercity Aparthotels chose the PMS
SuperCity Aparthotels MD Philip Houghton discusses the brand's move to Oracle Opera Cloud PMS to support UK expansion, alongside Oracle's David Hayward on digital transformation for independent hotels.
Hotel budgets are changing. Here’s what you can’t ignore
As AI, rising OTA costs, and data quality pressures reshape hotel marketing, hoteliers are urged to build flexible budgets that prioritize direct revenue, clean guest data, and connected digital experiences.
The Zetter Collection Expands into Europe, Debuting The Zetter 717 Amsterdam
The Zetter Collection announces plans to expand beyond the UK for the first time with the opening of The Zetter 717 Amsterdam in Early 2027. Occupying a historic canal house on Prinsengracht in Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed Canal District, the boutique 24 bedroom, five-star property will bring The Zetter’s distinctive, characterful approach to one of the city’s most recognisable neighbourhoods.
Banyan Group Announces Acquisition of Newmark Hotels & Reserves, Adding 26 Hotels, Lodges, and Reserves Across Seven African Countries
Banyan Group acquires a majority stake in Africa-focused Newmark Hotels & Reserves, adding 26 properties across 7 countries and expanding its global portfolio to nearly 130 hotels.
Fat Badger Group returns to BWH Hotels GB with seven Yorkshire properties
Seven Fat Badger Group hotels in Yorkshire rejoin BWH Hotels GB under the BW Premier Collection brand, gaining global distribution, loyalty access, and revenue support while retaining their individual identities.
Byrknes Ocean Resort to Open in 2027, Joining Nordic Hotels & Resorts
A new hotel and leisure complex, Byrknes Ocean Resort, is currently under construction in Norway. At the mouth of the Sognefjord, the coming 77-room resort will open up a stretch of coastline to the world, complete with dining, meetings and wellbeing. The hotel is scheduled for completion in autumn 2027.