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Eivind Hjulstad of Citybox Hotels on Scandinavian Design, Budget Done Right, and Why the Middle Market Is Running Out of Time
Citybox CEO Eivind Hjulstad outlines how a 10-property Nordic budget chain uses Scandinavian design, reception-free operations, and lean cost structures to undercut midscale rivals, with a pipeline set to double revenue in 2-3 years.
Agentic is Booking Travel, But…
The author questions whether agentic AI in travel is ready for real-world disruptions, arguing that booking trips is the easy test and true accountability comes when things go wrong.
By Martin Soler, Partner, Soler & Associates
Latest
How Flanigan's Resort & Spa Boosted Ancillary Revenue by 57% With Canary's GMS
Flanigan's Resort & Spa near Zion National Park achieved a 57% ancillary revenue uplift in its first year using Canary's GMS, with mobile check-in, digital upsells, and smart checkout cutting front desk friction.
Their pricing tool was free to use. The Lauderdale chose Pricepoint anyway.
A 17-room Fort Lauderdale boutique hotel switched from a free pricing tool to Pricepoint, achieving a 12% RevPAR lift while maintaining 80% occupancy.
Eklo Hotels and Apaleo: growing with the group
Eklo Hotels migrated all ten French properties to Apaleo's API-first PMS in five months, recovering over 738 hours of staff time in June 2025 alone through automated reservations, payments, and reporting.
Recent Appointments
View AllOperations & Strategy
Marta Barceló Fontirroig has been appointed as Vice President for EMEA at Barceló Group
Booking Says No Hotel Depends on It. The Data Disagrees. AI Referral Traffic Quadrupled but Stays Under 1%. Citybox Built Nordic Budget Around No Reception.
Wednesday brought hospitality.today rebutting a Booking.com executive's claim that no hotel depends on a single platform, citing HOTREC data showing Booking Holdings controls ~70% of European OTA bookings, the same authors finding AI-referred hotel traffic quadrupled in a year yet remains under 1%, and the Citybox CEO on running reception-free Nordic budget hotels.
Gran Meliá to Make UAE Debut with J1 Hotel in Dubai
Meliá Hotels International, Spain’s leading hotel group and the third largest in Europe, will bring Gran Meliá to the UAE for the first time with the opening of J1 Hotel, a Gran Meliá Hotel, set to open on Dubai’s Jumeirah 1 beachfront in Q4 2027.
Hotel Cala to Debut Along the Tampa Riverwalk January 2027
Hotel Cala, an urban resort overlooking the Hillsborough River along Tampa's iconic Riverwalk, will debut in January 2027, marking a new chapter for one of downtown Tampa's most storied properties. The 281-room property will bring a new destination for locals and travelers to dine, gather, stay and experience the city. Following an extensive transformation by internationally renowned design firm Rockwell Group, Hotel Cala draws architectural and aesthetic inspiration from Tampa's waterfront setting, tropical character and multicultural heritage, including its Italian and Cuban roots.
Your robots may be working, your staff may not
A review of 129 studies finds that hotel robot deployments often succeed operationally while quietly undermining staff engagement, with clear communication, role definition, and supportive leadership as key remedies.
Fall foliage will lift Japan’s hospitality market
Japan hotel rates are rising sharply for the autumn foliage period, with 19 of 22 destinations above annual averages, led by Nagoya (+31%) and Kanazawa (+28%), as domestic demand offsets slowing inbound tourism in 2026.
By Joe Hanly, Writer and Content Creator, Lighthouse
Supplier News
View allAvalora Cloud PBX Completes Integration with Tiger TMS iLink
Avalora's Cloud PBX now integrates with TigerTMS iLink middleware, enabling hotels to sync guest data, housekeeping status, and calling permissions across 250+ hotel systems.
Stayntouch Integrates with Staklio to Streamline Owner Management for Condo Hotels and Resorts With Individually Owned Units
Stayntouch PMS now integrates directly with Staklio to automate bookings, revenue sharing, and settlements for condo hotels and resorts with individually owned rental pool units.
89% of guests want AI working behind the scenes, not running the front desk, Mews finds
A Mews survey of 3,250 travelers finds 89% want AI in a supporting or background role, with humans preferred over AI at all nine guest touchpoints tested.
Ernest, Lighthouse's AI teammate for hotel commercial teams, is now generally available
Lighthouse's AI teammate Ernest, trained on 3 billion daily hotel data points across 80,000+ hotels, is now available globally to hotel groups, chains, and management companies.
UrVenue Honors Hospitality Leaders at Inaugural Hospitality Innovation Awards
UrVenue presented its first Hospitality Innovation Awards at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, honoring Caesars, TAO Group, Circa, Wynn Resorts, and OpenTable during G2E week.
Bartech Launches Smart Minibar Solution Designed Specifically for Short-Term Rentals
Bartech STR uses QR-code-based purchasing and a $9.99/month subscription to let vacation rental hosts offer a hotel-style minibar without PMS integration or item-level tracking.
Influence Society: As AI Reshapes Hotel Marketing, Hotels Need Stronger Brands to Stay Visible and Be Chosen
Influence Society's seventh SOCIETIES report argues that AI is reshaping hotel discovery and content production, making strong, distinctive brand identity more critical than ever for visibility and guest choice.
Italian hotel tech company Blastness accelerates international expansion with launch of BlastnessPay
BlastnessPay, built with Adyen, automates the full hotel payment cycle from booking to reconciliation and is estimated to save a 150-room property over 90 person-days of admin work annually.
From Runways to Residences: The Evolution of Branded Residences, Opportunities and Challenges
Global branded residence supply has tripled in a decade to 900+ developments, with 835 more in the pipeline, as Dubai, Miami, and NYC lead demand and non-hospitality brands reshape the sector.
By Daphne Gezen, Hotel & Branded Residence Advisor, Cayuga Hospitality Consultants
Minor Hotels Expands UAE Portfolio with Anantara Siniya Island Resort & Residences
Minor Hotels announces the signing of Anantara Siniya Island Resort and Anantara Residences Sobha Siniya Island, in partnership with Sobha Al Siniya FZC, a joint venture between Sobha Realty and Umm Al Quwain Properties. The groundbreaking was attended by His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Quwain, underscoring the significance of the development as part of the emirate’s continued growth as a distinctive coastal and tourism destination.
Six Ways to Win Customers for Life
Six strategies for winning lifelong customers, centered on prioritizing retention over acquisition, aligning employees to a clear CX vision, and consistently delivering experiences that earn loyalty.
By Shep Hyken, Customer Service and Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker and Bestselling Author, Shepard Presentations, LLC.
WTTC Global Summit Opens in Malta as European Travel & Tourism Set to Outpace Wider Economy
WTTC forecasts 3.1% Travel & Tourism growth in Europe for 2026, outpacing the wider economy, as 1,000+ delegates gather in Valletta for the 26th WTTC Global Summit.
IHG Hotels & Resorts Signs Hotel Indigo Yogyakarta, Marking IHG Debut in the City
IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world's leading hotel companies, today announced the signing of Hotel Indigo Yogyakarta in partnership with real estate developer PT Raka Eka Makmur. Scheduled to open in 2029, the hotel will mark IHG’s debut in Yogyakarta and further strengthen the company's growing Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio in Indonesia.
IHG Hotels & Resorts Signs voco Vrindavan, Bringing Premium Hospitality to a Leading Pilgrimage Destination
IHG® Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hospitality companies, has signed a management agreement with Vrindam Developers Private Limited for the development of voco Vrindavan. Set to open in Q1 2031, the 130-key hotel will bring voco’s distinctive hospitality experience to Vrindavan, one of Uttar Pradesh’s most prominent pilgrimage destinations, strengthening IHG’s growing premium portfolio in North India. The signing also marks Vrindam Developers Private Limited’s entry into the hospitality sector.
The Rise of Place: Marriott International Reveals Asia Pacific's Future of Food
Marriott's Future of Food 2027 report, covering Asia Pacific ex-China, finds 95% of surveyed properties cite authentic local cuisine as the top trend, with dining spaces, formats, and menus reshaping hotel F&B.
JW Marriott Debuts Its First All-Inclusive Resort with the Opening of JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa
JW Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy's portfolio of over 30 extraordinary hotel brands, today announced the highly anticipated opening of JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa, marking a significant milestone as the brand's first-ever all-inclusive resort worldwide. More than a traditional all-inclusive getaway, the resort introduces JW Marriott's all-immersive approach to luxury hospitality, creating the space and freedom for guests to enjoy each moment fully, without distraction. Rooted in the brand's commitment to well-being, the experience encourages guests to reconnect with intention through enriching culinary experiences, curated wellness rituals, and a profound sense of place along Costa Rica's pristine northern Pacific coast.
Aleph Hospitality Selected to Manage Mövenpick Grand Al Bustan
Aleph Hospitality takes over management of the Mövenpick Grand Al Bustan from 1 July 2026, adding the Dubai landmark to a portfolio that already includes two properties in the same owner's Jewel of the Creek complex.
Coury Hospitality Expands National Portfolio With Management Appointments at THE RIVVY and Marriott Tacoma Downtown
Coury Hospitality, now managing 40+ US hotels after doubling its portfolio in 2025, has been appointed by ACORE Capital to manage THE RIVVY in Chicago and Marriott Tacoma Downtown.
Booking.com says Europe's hotels don't depend on it
A Booking.com executive's claim that no hotel depends on a single platform is rebutted using the same HOTREC study he cited, with Booking Holdings holding ~70% of European OTA bookings.
By Markus Busch, Editor/Publisher, hospitality.today