Chinese AI Booked 800% More Rooms at Spring Festival, U.S. RevPAR Streak Ends After 21 Weeks, Tech Friction Costs More Than Licensing
Friday brought Pertlink's account of Fliggy's AI booking skill live inside Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Honor phone stores with Chinese AI hotel bookings up 800% at Spring Festival, CoStar data showing U.S. RevPAR fell 6.2% in the week ending September 12 as the Labor Day calendar shift ended a 21-week growth streak, and Shiji's argument that hotel technology's true cost is fragmented workflows draining staff time rather than licensing. Highgate and Eternam entering Greece, 1 Hotel Austin opening, and YOTEL's Thailand debut rounded out the week.
The Growing Cost of Technology Friction in Hotel Operation
The article argues that the true cost of hotel technology lies not in licensing fees but in fragmented workflows, manual processes, and disconnected data that drain staff time and limit guest service quality.
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The Future of Wellness and Longevity in Tourism and Hospitality Investment
Industry experts assess wellness and longevity as an emerging hospitality asset class, citing data showing wellness hotels generate double the TRevPAR and longevity travel projected to reach $44bn by 2030.
Aleph Hospitality Announces South Africa Office
Aleph Hospitality opens a Cape Town regional office to oversee its 5 South African properties and drive new hotel development, citing record 10.5 million international arrivals in 2025.
High occupancy but low profit? What your hotel's high season numbers are really telling you
Independent hoteliers are urged to look beyond occupancy rates during peak season and examine profitability by channel, room type, rate plan, and cost structure.
Recent Appointments
View AllIHCL Signs a Taj Hotel in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, today announced the signing of a Taj hotel in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. This is a greenfield project.
U.S. hotel results for week ending 12 September
U.S. hotel RevPAR fell 6.2% for the week ending 12 September 2026, ending a 21-week growth streak as the Labor Day calendar shift drove mid-week year-over-year declines.
Ascott and KDI Group Partner to Bring Experience-Led Social Living Concept, lyf, to Nha Trang
The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a Singapore-headquartered global hospitality company wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment (CLI) has signed a hotel management agreement with KDI Group to launch lyf Nha Trang, marking another important milestone in the long-standing partnership between the two companies.
Bahrain to host the International Tourism Investment Forum 2027 with UN Tourism, under the patronage of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister
Bahrain will host the International Tourism Investment Forum with UN Tourism in January 2027, targeting ministers, investors, and financial institutions to showcase the Kingdom's investment opportunities.
Ennismore and Propreal Capital Partners bring Mama Shelter's playful spirit to Porto, Portugal, with a new signing
Ennismore, the fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company, together with Propreal Capital Partners, a leading real estate investment firm, is delighted to announce the signing of Mama Shelter Porto, bringing the brand's joyful and bold spirit to one of Europe's most vibrant and fast-evolving cities.
Supplier News
View allLaundris Helps Hotel Operators Save Time and Cut Costs With New AI-Powered Assistant
Laundris launched an AI assistant that lets hotel operators query linen inventory data in plain language, delivering instant custom reports and charts at no additional cost to subscribers.
Anana launches AI Workspace for Hospitality Commercial Teams
Anana captures demand intelligence from guest calls, chats, and emails before they become bookings, surfacing structured commercial insights for hotel teams through a five-component AI workspace.
Calistoga 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.
Now Open: 1 Hotel Austin - a Texas-Sized Urban Retreat
1 Hotel Austin, the first Texas property from 1 Hotels, the mission-driven luxury lifestyle brand founded by hospitality visionary Barry Sternlicht, is now open. Set within the 74-story Waterline—the tallest tower in the state—the 252-room hotel introduces an exciting new experience shaped by Austin's landscapes, creative community, and celebrated food scene.
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.
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.
Artotel 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.