Future of lodging tips

Michelin began rating hotels this month, starting with 189 properties in France. Yet many of the hotels that received coveted Michelin “keys” didn’t overlap with the list of best-rated hotels at online review sites. What gives?

Wyndham‘s executives saw March 11 as a fresh start for their hotel franchising company – that was the day Choice Hotels abandoned its hostile merger bid.

Blackstone’s real estate division is once again considering selling G6 Hospitality, which owns the Motel 6 and Studio 6 chains, Bloomberg reported Monday.

Marriott and IHG each announced Monday their latest expansion plans in Europe. Marriott set its sights on adding nearly 100 hotels by 2026, while IHG signed a deal to add more than 100 in Germany.

U.S. budget hotels performed less well in the first few months of the year than they did a year ago. Does that weakness signal some U.S. travelers feel a pinch from inflation?

MGM Resorts CEO and president William Hornbuckle made around $38 million in pay in 2023, more than the CEOs of rival casino resort operators Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands, as detailed in recent SEC filings.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts said on Tuesday it had created a new role, chief commercial officer, and had appointed its chief information and distribution officer, Scott Strickland, to fill it.

Marriott Bonvoy last month released a new AI tool meant to help users search for vacation rentals under its Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy brand. 

Marriott Vacations Worldwide on Thursday launched its first collection of timeshares in cities, a sign of growing demand for timeshares beyond traditional resort locations.

Michael Brown, CEO of Travel and Leisure Co., made $8.4 million in total compensation in 2023. That was the highest take-home pay among timeshare company CEOs, according to proxy statements filed last week.

Accor’s hotel tech subsidiary, D-Edge, has acquired LoungeUp as a way to expand its group of products. Price and terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

Hilton held a private presentation for investment analysts at its U.S. headquarters this week and executives presented 223 slides.

Oberoi Group — known for its luxury hotel brands Oberoi and Trident — is quietly developing new hotels close to nature, the company’s top boss revealed on Wednesday.

Marriott’s journey in India began 25 years ago. The company today boasts of over 100 hotels, with another 79 in construction. 

Hyatt has bet big on developing hotels in China despite recent turmoil in the commercial real estate market. Hyatt executives acknowledged the risks Thursday, but explained reasons for optimism.

Hoshino Resorts is small but punches above its weight. It only has 68 hotels, but several of them regularly top the most-recommended lists of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure.

Soho House, a brand offering members’ clubs and hotels, reported Friday that it lost $57 million in the fourth quarter but had seen a significant increase in its membership count.

$3,431: That’s how much it will cost to stay at the new Ritz-Carlton Reserve hotel in Saudi Arabia for a night. The super-exclusive, small key-count resort opens for bookings on May 26, hitting the market with the highest rates in the region.

Hilton will spend $210 million to acquire Graduate Hotels, a hotel brand that builds and runs 33 hotels near U.S. and U.K. universities, it said Thursday. The brand caters to college alumni, students, and communities with hip, nostalgic-themed design and campus-centric amenities.

During the unveiling of the Aman Dubai this week, chairman and CEO Vlad Doronin said it will “probably” be the most expensive hotel in the UAE.

Choice Hotels on Monday dropped its $8 billion hostile takeover bid for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts it launched last October.