Knowland Wins 2023 Skift IDEA Award
Knowland | August 10, 2023
2023 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference – Two Days of Expertise and Insight Into Financing, Investment and Technology
Geneva Rinehart | June 13, 2023
Industry Happenings
HFTP Announces February Dates for Inaugural Digital Horizons 360 Symposium, an Exclusive European Event Exploring Emerging Hospitality Technologies
HFTP | September 20, 2023
AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (September 20, 2023) — Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is pleased to announce its new European event: Digital Horizons 360 Symposium (DH360). This invitation-only symposium will span over two-days, February 20-21, at the Palau de Congressos de Palma in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. DH360 is a non-sales event for hospitality leaders to participate in roundtable discussions on the technologies set to have the biggest industry impact in Europe. Co-located with DH360 will be HFTP’s Entrepreneur 20X start-up hospitality technology pitch competition, the first of three in 2024. Created in respon...
HSMAI 2023 Sales Leader Forum Set for November 8, 2023 in Long Beach, California
HSMAI | September 20, 2023
McLean, VA (Sept. 20, 2023) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Sales Leader Forum will take place in Long Beach, CA on Nov. 8, 2023. This year’s event, organized by HSMAI’s Sales Advisory Board, will focus on “Leading the Way,” when it comes to important trends, critical insights, and evolving customers and what they mean for leading hotel sales teams today and in the future. Held annually, the HSMAI Sales Leader Forum completes the series of HSMAI Commercial Strategy events for 2023, following ROC Americas and the Marketing Strategy Conference. The event aims to advance the hotel sales ...
Thailand’s Dusit International Introduces Two New Hotel Brands – ‘Dusit Collection’ and ‘Devarana – Dusit Retreats’
Dusit Internation | September 19, 2023
Bangkok, Thailand, 19 September 2023 – Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has announced the expansion of its esteemed hotel brand lineup with the launch of two new brands: Dusit Collection and Devarana – Dusit Retreats. Building on the strength of Dusit's existing portfolio, which encompasses Dusit Thani (luxury), Dusit Suites (upper upscale), dusitD2 (upscale), Dusit Princess (upper midscale), ASAI Hotels (midscale lifestyle), and Elite Havens (luxury villa rentals), the new brands extend Dusit's reach across the lodging spectrum to deliver fresh and immersive experiences for g...
American Hotel & Lodging Association and Hotel Association of Canada Announce Expansion of Green Key Global Sustainability Certification Program ...
AHLA | September 19, 2023
Green Key Global is the best-in-class sustainability process and practice certification for the hotel and lodging industry, designed by hoteliers, for hoteliers. WASHINGTON (Sept. 19, 2023) – Today, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) have signed a Letter of Intent to form a joint venture company that will own and operate the Green Key Global certification program in the United States and Canada. The announcement, made at the Lodging Conference in Phoenix, represents a pivotal moment for environmental action in the hotel industry. Green Key Global is a North American environment...
U.S. Travel Spend Returns to Pre-Pandemic Levels, Totaling 4% of All Spend
Affinity Solutions | September 13, 2023
New data from Affinity Solutions indicates US travel spend has returned to pre-pandemic levels WHO: Affinity Solutions, the leading consumer purchase insights company. WHAT: Affinity Solutions’ Consumer Purchase Insights, based on actual credit card, debit card and transaction data, observed from January 2019 to June 2023: • Travel purchases rebound: The percentage of unique travel shoppers totaled 11.7% in 2019, with total spend reaching 4.5%. The category saw significant declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, with total spend falling to 2.5% in 2020. The category bounced back in 2022, with unique shoppers reaching 12% and total s...
MGM Resorts International Statement on Cybersecurity Issue
MGM Resorts International | September 13, 2023
Las Vegas, Sept. 12, 2023 — MGM Resorts International (the "Company" or "MGM Resorts") today issued the following statement: "MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting certain of the Company's systems. Promptly after detecting the issue, we began an investigation with assistance from leading external cybersecurity experts. We also notified law enforcement and are taking steps to protect our systems and data, including shutting down certain systems. Our investigation is ongoing, and we are working diligently to resolve the matter. The Company will continue to implement measures to secure its business operations and ...
What’s the Buzz Among Today’s Hoteliers?
Mike Gray | September 12, 2023
By Mike Gray What’s on the minds of hoteliers? What’s keeping them up at night? And what makes travelers happy and eager to return? Some of the best places to have these candid discussions are at the industry’s conferences and events, and this year’s lineup has not disappointed. From AAHOACON and BITAC, to HITEC and The Hospitality Show, I’ve been traveling steadily, attending 13 events since January. Yes, the meetings business is growing, up 30% this year. Additionally, eight out of 10 business travelers expect to take trips to events in the next six months. It’s great to be on the road catching up with industry colleagues ...
Hotel Internet Services Demonstrates Hospitality’s Latest in Guest WiFi and In-Room Entertainment at Independent Hotel Show 2023
Hotel Internet Services, Inc. | September 12, 2023
CLEARWATER, Fla. — September 12, 2023 — Hotel Internet Services (HIS), a full-service provider of internet services and solutions, has today announced its participation as an official exhibitor of the Independent Hotel Show taking place in Miami from September 20-21, 2023. By showcasing its latest industry purpose-built technologies, HIS representatives at booth #126 are set to provide attendees with high-value and up-to-date insight into how they can keep pace with ever-increasing guest demands for faster online connectivity and personalized in-room experiences. As a company specializing in serving the connectivity needs of boutique a...
BDNY Returns to NYC in November With a Curated, Authentic, and Immersive Hospitality Experience
BDNY | September 8, 2023
NEW YORK, NY (September 8, 2023) — Boutique Design New York (BDNY), the leading trade fair and conference for hospitality’s boutique and lifestyle design community, returns to the Javits Center on November 12-13, 2023. This annual, high-energy event connects interior designers, architects, purchasing agents, hoteliers, owners, brands, and developers with innovative manufacturers of hospitality interior products for two days of networking, inspiration, and exclusive insight into today’s boutique and lifestyle hotel trends. BDNY’s bespoke, curated fair experience features more than 650 exhibitors that focus on a selection of exceptional...
HSMAI Expands Presence in Latin America With New Conferences in Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile
HSMAI | September 8, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: McLean, VA (Sept. 8, 2023) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is excited to announce an expansion in Latin America with a new conference series launching this month in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chile. HSMAI chartered its Brazil chapter in 2014 and this expansion is being led by a new Latin American Advisory Board formed in 2022. HSMAI Latam, led by Gabriela Otto, managing director of HSMAI Brazil and now also Latam, aims to support the performance of sales, marketing and revenue management professionals in the hospitality industry. "This significant framework brings the associ...
U.S. Travel Association Welcomes Progress on FAA Chief Nomination
U.S. Travel Association | September 8, 2023
WASHINGTON - U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the nomination of Michael Whitaker as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): “The FAA is long overdue for a permanent leader in this critical role, and we welcome progress toward that end. While this position has remained vacant, aviation policymaking has largely remained at a standstill. The U.S. Senate must work quickly to confirm an administrator and extend vital FAA programs—and Congress must come together to avoid a disastrous government shutdown, which would ...
Host Hotels & Resorts Provides Update on Maui Wildfires and Other Recent Weather Events
HOST HOTELS & RESORTS | September 7, 2023
BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 07, 2023 — Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ: HST) (the “Company”), the nation’s largest lodging real estate investment trust, today provided an update regarding the impact of the Maui wildfires and other recent weather events on its hotels and the communities where they operate. As the largest hotel real estate owner on Maui with a presence for over 20 years, Host Hotels & Resorts shares a deep connection to the island’s people and culture. Lahaina has long been revered as a sacred place and home to some of the island’s most precious historical and cultural assets. The August wildfires touched ev...
Doug Kennedy Announces Next Topic in His Webcast Training Series: Train Your Team to Use the Language of Hospitality
Doug Kennedy | September 6, 2023
Complimentary Registration Sponsored By Travel Outlook, Better Talent, and Track Hospitality Software Kennedy Training Network Inc. (KTN) announced today the topic for Doug Kennedy’s next training webcast, which this month features a hospitality theme: Train Your Team To Use The Language of Hospitality, scheduled for Monday, September 11 from Noon – 12:40pm. REGISTER HERE According to Doug, “Interpersonal communication is always a challenge, especially in the lodging industry where we are dealing with different dialects and cultural differences. Plus, since the product is an emotionally based experience, language can sometimes tr...
Paramount Lodging Advisors’ New Building Mural Brings Playful Energy to Old Town
Paramount Lodging Advisors | September 5, 2023
Chicago, IL—Paramount Lodging Advisors (PLA) has partnered with Chicago local artist, Eric Lee to create an expansive mural for the firm’s headquarters located in Old Town. The piece titled Caution: Bridge Out is described as a trompe l'oeil encounter between Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. Lee utilized the three-story building to create a three-dimensional story of the infamous foes, Wile E. Coyote, and Roadrunner – transporting the onlookers into the story; in the desert itself with the vibrant use of color, shading, light and space. “After being in the hospitality business for almost two decades with our companies, Atira ...
Hotel Groups Celebrate Second Annual National Hotel Employee Day
AHLA | September 1, 2023
WASHINGTON (Sept. 1, 2023) – Leaders of top hotel industry groups, including the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers, and the Latino Hotel Association today released the below statements on the second annual National Hotel Employee Day. “Employees are the lifeblood of every hotel, and we created National Hotel Employee Day to help thank America’s nearly two million hotel professionals for their incredible service and dedication,” said AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers. “Today and throughout the year, ...
Today Is National Hotel Employee Day
AHLA | September 1, 2023
WASHINGTON (Sept. 1, 2023) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today recognized National Hotel Employee Day. AHLA and the National Day Calendar established National Hotel Employee Day in 2022 to honor the nearly two million employees who work in the hotel industry. It is observed annually on September 1. This year, National Hotel Employee Day comes as hotels across the nation are working to quickly fill nearly 100,000 open hotel jobs, according to Indeed. To attract more talent, hotels are offering current and prospective employees near-historic wages, better benefits, and more flexibility than ever before. America�...
Proposed DOL Overtime Changes Would Harm Hotels, Hurt Workers
AHLA | August 31, 2023
WASHINGTON (Aug. 31, 2023) – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President & CEO Chip Rogers is speaking out today after the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposal to increase the minimum salary threshold for employees to qualify as salaried executive, administrative, and professional employees (and therefore exempt from overtime pay requirements) under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The proposal also would automatically update the threshold every three years. This would be the second increase imposed by DOL in less than 5 years. Employees who fail to qualify for the FLSA’s “white collar” exemption mu...
Choice Hotels International Announces Executive Appointments and Organizational Structure Evolution
Choice Hotels® | August 30, 2023
Moves Position Company for Future Growth Following Radisson Americas Integration ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 30, 2023 — Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) today announced key executive appointments that position the company for continued future growth following its acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas and the successful integration of its nine brands onto Choice's world-class central reservation system. "Choice has always been a growth company, and that growth is now accelerating," said Choice Hotels International President and CEO Patrick Pacious. "We are a stronger company than we were just a year ago. Choice's increased sco...
Visiting Loved Ones May Drive Tourism Recovery
PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management | August 29, 2023
Whilst many tourists travel to experience new places, cultures and activities, others are visiting friends and relatives (VFR). VFR travel showed remarkable resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many expats and immigrants returning to their countries of origin to weather the storm with loved ones. However, little is known about how pandemic-associated travel constraints were experienced by VFR tourists. Dr Pearl Lin of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, working with co-researchers from Macao, have constructed an impressive new framework to pinpoint the travel constraints experien...
World Travel Awards Winners Unveiled at Ceremony in Saint Lucia
World Travel Awards | August 28, 2023
The finest travel brands from across the Caribbean and the Americas have been unveiled at a glittering Gala Ceremony in Saint Lucia. The industry elite travelled from across the region to the paradise island for the World Travel Awards (WTA) Caribbean & The Americas Gala Ceremony 2023 to find out who amongst them had been crowned best of the best. The red carpet evening, hosted at Sandals Grand St. Lucian, marked the opening leg of the WTA’s landmark 30th anniversary Grand Tour 2023 – a global search for the finest travel and tourism organisations. Winners on the night included Jamaica, which saw off a tough field to emer...
U.S. Travel Honors Destination Marketers With Mercury, Destiny Awards at ESTO 2023
U.S. Travel Association | August 28, 2023
WASHINGTON — U.S. Travel Association announced recipients of the 2023 Destiny and Mercury Awards at the 39th annual Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) conference, held August 19-22 in Savannah, GA. “These awards—the only of their kind to recognize excellence in travel and tourism marketing campaigns at the city and state level—are a best-in-class showcase of creativity reflecting the unique travel destinations of our country,” said Nan Marchand Beauvois, Senior Vice President of Membership and Industry Relations at the U.S. Travel Association. “Congratulations to this year’s Destiny and Mercury award w...
INTELITY, McLaren Technologies to Attend NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Expo in Sydney
INTELITY | August 24, 2023
During the two-day event, the companies will highlight the latest updates to the INTELITY platform Sydney, Australia (August 24, 2023) - INTELITY®, provider of hospitality’s leading guest experience and staff management platform, and McLaren Technologies announced today that it will attend NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Expo at the ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre in Sydney, Australia, from August 31 to September 1. As the largest annual exhibition for connecting suppliers with decision-makers from hotels, motels, and other hospitality establishments, NoVacancy delivers the latest trends and ideas, and brings together key buyers and in...
IDeaS Wins Three Human Capital Management Excellence Awards From the Brandon Hall Group
IDeaS | August 24, 2023
Leading provider of revenue management software recognized for best practices in the dedicated enablement of client training programs and internal curricula designed to enhance learning and development MINNEAPOLIS—Aug. 24, 2023—IDeaS Revenue Solutions, the world’s leading provider of automated revenue management software and services, won three coveted Brandon Hall Group Human Capital Management (HCM) Excellence Awards, including gold for Best Advancement in Learning in the Flow of Work and bronze for Best Learning Team and Best New Hire Onboarding Program. The 2023 Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards™ recognizes best pract...
IHG Hotels & Resorts Launches IHG LIFT Program to Drive Growth Opportunities for Diverse Owners
IHG | August 23, 2023
More than $30 million committed to help unlock paths to hotel ownership ATLANTA (August 23, 2023) – IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, today introduced IHG LIFT, an owner growth program focused on creating more hotel development support for historically under-represented groups within the hospitality industry, and further diversifying IHG’s hotel owner community. The company’s new program will help unlock common barriers to hotel ownership among these groups and empower diverse owner-entrepreneurs for success. IHG will commit more than $30 million over the next five years to support...
1
Industry Happenings
2
Technology
3
Operations
4
All Things Independent
5
Appointments/People on the Move
Today's News
PPDS Launches New Philips Professional Soundbar Bringing Powerful Audio Experiences to Hotel Rooms With Philips Mediasuite TVs
Travel Outlook Partners With MosaicVoice To Bring the Power of Artificial Intelligence to the Hospitality Industry’s Leading Call Center
Operto Accelerates PMS Connectivity With Hapi Integration Platform
Federal Government Shutdown Would Cost U.S. Travel Economy $140 Million Per Day According to U.S. Travel Association Analysis
As the first news aggregate for the hotel industry, Hotel-Online is the industry’s must-read daily news source for everything hotel curated for busy professionals. Sign up today for industry news delivered to your inbox.