Hotel Industry News

PhocusWire's in-depth coverage of the hotel sector, featuring news, analysis, interviews, research and more on B&Bs, hotels, guesthouses and other property types.

The hotel sector is undergoing significant transformation, powered by new technologies, evolving guest expectations, and a renewed focus on direct booking and operational efficiency. PhocusWire delivers the latest hotel industry news, covering the strategies and innovations shaping the future of global hospitality.

Hotel chain developments, hospitality trends, and market shifts

Stay updated on how hotel brands are expanding, restructuring, and embracing digital platforms to elevate the guest experience. From contactless check-in and AI-powered pricing to loyalty evolution and branded residential offerings, our coverage tracks the industry’s response to changing demand and competitive pressure.

recession-proof-hotel-websites
Opinion / Online
Five steps for hotels to recession-proof their websites
By Michael J. Goldrich - The Hotels Network | August 23, 2022
Despite a strong summer, a recession is looming, and hoteliers should prepare their direct channels now. Read More
DOT database
News / Online
DOT launches dashboard for travelers to compare airline cancellation policies
By Robert Silk - Travel Weekly | August 23, 2022
The dashboard’s information will be based upon the commitments made by carriers in their customer service plans. Read More
welcome-break-guestline
News / Technology
My Method: How Welcome Break reduced check-in from four minutes to 45 seconds
By Chris Jones - Guestline | August 22, 2022
Welcome Break Hotels wanted to address the manual, time-consuming and complex check-in and checkout process. Read More
State of Travel Startups 2022: Investors betting on full recovery
News / Startups
State of Travel Startups 2022: Investors betting on full recovery
By Jill Menze | August 22, 2022
Phocuswright's annual State of Travel Startups report finds that investors are betting on a full recovery sooner rather than later. Read More
giancarlo-phocuswright-europe-covid-results
News / Online
VIDEO: A hotelier’s long-term learnings from COVID
By PhocusWire | August 19, 2022
An Italian hotelier provides an update on the impact of COVID at Phocuswright Europe 2022. Read More
booking-citi-travel-portal
News / Distribution
Citi launches new travel platform with Booking.com
By Mitra Sorrells | August 18, 2022
This is just the latest of many announcements in the past year from banks and financial firms launching or updating their travel offerings – a sure sign they see travel as a valued offering for their... Read More
pcw-nyu-tisch-collaboration
News / Startups
NYU Tisch Center, Phocuswright collaborate to advance travel innovation
By Mitra Sorrells | August 18, 2022
The collaboration is part of the Tisch Center's Hospitality Innovation Hub (HI Hub), which launched in 2021 to foster entrepreneurship. Read More
New travel tech fund targets European startups
News / Startups
New travel tech fund targets European startups
By Linda Fox | August 18, 2022
Roch Ventures co-founder discusses why Europe needs a specialist travel tech fund and the high growth potential for travel. Read More
carroll-op-ed-ssi-did
Opinion / Technology
How DID and SSI will transform the travel experience market
By Bill Carroll - Marketing Economics | August 17, 2022
In the next decade, decentralized identifiers and self-sovereign identity will dramatically change travel for consumers, suppliers and intermediaries.    Read More
Cosmopolitan launches travel booking platform targeting Gen Z and millennials
News / Online
Cosmopolitan launches travel booking platform targeting Gen Z and millennials
By Jill Menze | August 17, 2022
With CosmoTrips, the women’s media brand wants to encourage its Gen Z and millennial audience of 62 million to “travel like an editor.” Read More
spotnana-troop-partnership
News / Online
Troop, Spotnana partner to integrate meeting space and travel booking
By Elizabeth West - Business Travel News | August 15, 2022
Troop aims to automate the meeting selection process but has not yet offered its own travel booking extension of that sourcing exercise. Read More
STARTUP STAGE: WayAway sees demand for cash-back membership program amid high inflation
Interview / Startups
STARTUP STAGE: WayAway sees demand for cash-back membership program amid high inflation
By Kathryn Walson | August 15, 2022
WayAway is a price-comparison app that offers a paid-membership plan for consumers to get cash back on travel deals. Read More
Why the hotel chatbot is a must-have for data collection
Opinion / Technology
Why the hotel chatbot is a must-have for data collection
By Elitza Stoilova - Umni | August 15, 2022
With the disappearance of third-party cookies, hotel website chatbots will be critical to the collecting of first- and zero-party data. Read More
agoda-travel-boom-phocuswright-europe
News / Online
Agoda’s Tim Hughes on preparing for the coming travel boom
By Mitra Sorrells | August 15, 2022
"We don’t want to be at the starting line of the COVID travel boom standing still, we want to be racing," says Agoda's vice president of corporate development. Read More
earnings-roundup-ihg-hostelworld-tui
News / Online
Earnings roundup: TUI Group, IHG, Hostelworld
By Mitra Sorrells | August 12, 2022
TUI Group, IHG and Hostelworld all reported strong financial results for the second quarter of 2022. Read More
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