The Only Guest Email You Own Is the One She Hands You, 69% Decide on AI Summaries Alone, Branded Residences Get a Reality Check
Wednesday closed the week's guest-ownership thread with the contract clauses behind it. Booking.com's General Delivery Terms limit the guest record to performing the reservation, bar unsolicited marketing outright, and cut off the property's access 30 days after the stay, while Expedia's independent-hotel data agreement lists every permitted use and omits marketing entirely. The only unencumbered record is the address a guest gives a person during the stay. Amadeus research found 69% of travellers are satisfied that AI summaries give them enough to choose without looking further, rising to 87% in India, and two branded-residence pieces landed the same morning with opposite messages. Canadian RevPAR is up 6.5% year to date, and Convene appointed a Chief Product and Technology Officer from Axios.
Five Ways to Eliminate Customer Churn
Hyken argues churn stems from inconsistent service experiences over time, and urges companies to measure it as rigorously as sales to identify and fix the root causes.
By Shep Hyken, Customer Service and Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker and Bestselling Author, Shepard Presentations, LLC.
Latest
IHG Hotels & Resorts Brings Hospitality on the Road With New IHG Racquet Cruiser at the 2026 US Open
IHG returns as official hotel partner of the 2026 US Open with a new complimentary motorcoach experience and Racquet Bar perks for fans and loyalty members.
The Hidden Profit Center Hotels Have Been Ignoring
With U.S. hotel margins compressing for a third consecutive year, the article argues supplier payments represent an untapped profit center via rebates, working capital gains, and AP automation.
By Brian Dass, Founder & CEO, OneJourney
Are AI-powered RFP Responses Really Good For Hotel Group Sales?
The author argues that fully automated AI proposal responses risk commoditizing hotel group sales, pushing buying decisions toward price alone, and urges hotels to keep human touchpoints at the center of the sales process.
By Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, Kennedy Training Network (KTN)
Recent Appointments
View AllOperations & Strategy
Ashley Hardes has been appointed as Director of Rooms at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Accor and Al Qimmah Hospitality expand strategic partnership beyond 4,000 keys with the signing of Novotel Makkah
Accor, a world-leading hospitality group, and Al Qimmah Hospitality, a subsidiary of BinDawood Investment Company, have announced the expansion of their strategic partnership to develop a portfolio of more than 4,000 keys across Saudi Arabia, with a strong focus on Makkah and Madinah, marked by the signing of a new 850-key Novotel in Makkah.
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa Unveils Ūrjā Naturopathy Island
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa unveils ŪRJĀ Naturopathy Island – the next evolution of holistic healing in the Maldives. Named after the Sanskrit word for vitality, ŪRJĀ is a wellness destination with a difference. Its program balances naturopathic principles with scientific expertise, shifting the focus from surface-level relaxation to meaningful restoration.
InterContinental reinforces commitment to restorative travel through extended worldwide partnership with Timeshifter
InterContinental is extending its global deal with jet lag app Timeshifter, giving all guests at its 242 hotels across 70 countries free access to personalised circadian science-based travel plans.
From Real Estate to Lifestyle: The Evolution of Branded Living
Executives from Meliá, Rotana, Wyndham, and STORY Hospitality outline the forces behind branded residences' rise, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE highlighted as top investment markets.
Bill Bensley’s Blueprint for a Bhutanese Hideaway
Pemako Punakha, conceptually designed by Bill Bensley, is Bhutan's first luxury tented villa property and flagship of the country's first Bhutanese-owned luxury hotel group, with rates from $1,800 per night.
BENSLEY and Pemako Hotels
Supplier News
View allDesert Wellness: How Hotels Are Using the Desert in Two Directions
Two models are reshaping desert wellness: immersive cultural programming tied to landscape heritage, and amenity-led propositions that convert remoteness, silence, and darkness into guest benefits.
ExplorUS consolidates six systems into one platform to run hotels, restaurants, retail, camping and marinas across 30 parks nationwide
ExplorUS, operating 200+ U.S. park destinations, will replace six lodging technology platforms with Cloudbeds to unify operations across hotels, restaurants, retail, camping, and marinas.
Stayntouch and Namastay Announce Integration to Power Direct, High-Conversion and Mobile-First Bookings for Independent Hotels
Stayntouch PMS and Namastay's direct booking engine now integrate in real time, enabling independent hotels to offer mobile-first, frictionless checkout while syncing reservations automatically.
Desert Wellness: From Blue Therapy to Beige
The "beige therapy" trend reframes desert destinations as wellness propositions built around silence, darkness, and vastness rather than conventional spa-and-golf resort amenities.
HotelKey Accelerates Self-Check-In Kiosk Deployments Following Standout Success in Initial Properties
HotelKey is scaling its self-check-in kiosk across U.S. properties, with NSR Hotel Group adopting it across 20+ G6 locations, citing 2,000+ annual labor hours saved per property.
FCS Solutions Launches FCS1 IRGS to Connect Guest Requests Directly with Hotel Operations
FCS1 IRGS is a browser-based, no-app solution letting hotel guests request services via QR code, routing each request directly to operational teams to reduce missed requests amid staffing pressures.
If Guests Pay for Access, Shouldn't the Access Credential Show It?
The article argues that premium-tier hotel access credentials like key cards should reflect the value hierarchy guests pay for, using materials and design to reinforce exclusivity at every touchpoint.
BirchStreet Appoints Christopher Haydon as Chief Executive Officer
Christopher Haydon, former President of SAP Procurement Solutions, takes the CEO role at BirchStreet as the hospitality procurement platform expands its AI capabilities.
Highline Hospitality Partners Acquires Dual-Branded AC Hotel and Element San Antonio Riverwalk
Highline Hospitality Partners acquires its 20th and 21st hotels, bringing its portfolio to 21 properties, over 5,500 rooms, and ~$1.7B in assets under management.
AHLA Foundation Names Jagruti Panwala as 2026 Peggy Berg Castell Award Recipient
Jagruti Panwala, President and CEO of Wealth Protection Strategies and AHLA Executive Committee member, will receive the award at The Lodging Conference 2026 in Phoenix on October 7.
AHLA Foundation and AH&LA
HVS Canadian Lodging Outlook Quarterly 2026-Q2
HVS and CoStar report Canadian hotel RevPAR grew 4.0% in 2025 and is up 6.5% year-to-date, driven by domestic travel, Chinese tourism, and a favourable exchange rate luring U.S. visitors.
Beyond the Brand Premium: Assessing Value in Branded Residences
HVS argues that branded residence success depends on buyer demand depth, competitive positioning, and independent feasibility analysis, not brand affiliation alone.
By Katy Black, Senior Vice President at HVS Denver, HVS
Radisson RED coming to downtown Sydney in 2029
Radisson Hotel Group is pleased to announce the signing of Radisson RED Sydney Haymarket, a 328-room, new-build lifestyle hotel set to open in 2029. Located in the vibrant southern end of Sydney’s Central Business District, the hotel will bring Radisson RED’s bold, playful, and social approach to hospitality to one of Australia’s most dynamic urban precincts.
The email you want is the one she gives you for a reason
Hotels receive OTA guest emails for operational use only, but an address given directly by a guest during their stay is unencumbered by platform restrictions and is the only record the hotel truly owns.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today
Nelson Sardelli, and the Night the Eagles Nest Nearly Came Down
A nostalgic excerpt from "The Lobby Boys" recalls rooftop cabaret acts and an unplanned acoustic disaster caused by a flamenco troupe performing on bare wooden floors.
It’s not about the booking – it's about everything that came before it.
Data from the Travel Dreams 2026 report, covering 500 hoteliers and 6,000 travelers, shows shortlists form before the booking page, making AI visibility and early-journey presence the top priority for 2026.
By Javier Campo, SVP, EMEA, Amadeus Hospitality
Why most hotel guest directories are outdated and how to improve them
Digital guest directories, accessible via QR code without an app, reduce front desk load, enable real-time promotions, and drive ancillary revenue across dining, spa, and local experiences.
By Kate Fuller, Head of Marketing, IRIS
Inside and Out: Hampton Inn by Hilton South Plainfield-Piscataway Reveals it's All New Look
Buffalo Lodging Associates, LLC is pleased to announce the completion of a major renovation at the Hampton Inn by Hilton South Plainfield-Piscataway, a 5-story, 107-room hotel located at 205 New World Way in South Plainfield, New Jersey. The renovation has greatly enhanced both the guest rooms and public spaces, bringing a fresh, modern design that blends vibrant colors with practical functionality. Notable improvements include a redesigned lobby with contemporary hues, new furniture, updated flooring, and fresh wall treatments. The exterior also received a facelift, with a complete repainting and new patio furniture. The fitness center offers new state-of-the-art equipment and updated flooring. In addition, all guest rooms have been fully remodeled, showcasing updated bathrooms, fixtures, tile, carpeting, furniture, bedding, and artwork.