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.

MakeMyTrip revenue and bookings up more than 25%, operating losses down more
News / Distribution
MakeMyTrip revenue and bookings up more than 25%, operating losses down more
By Mitra Sorrells | May 21, 2019
Operating losses have decreased and revenue and bookings are up for India's largest online travel agency, MakeMyTrip. Read More
VIDEO: Rethinking the entry of Google in travel
News / Online
VIDEO: Rethinking the entry of Google in travel
By Kevin May | May 20, 2019
A series of spiky (angry, even) tweets and comments during conferences over the years - that's been the mainstay of one critic of Google's role in travel. Read More
VIDEO: Airbnb plays down competition, says it welcomes new entries into home-sharing
News / Online
VIDEO: Airbnb plays down competition, says it welcomes new entries into home-sharing
By Jill Menze | May 16, 2019
Speaking at Phocuswright Europe, Airbnb managing director of EMEA Jeroen Merchiers claimed: “We’re not obsessed with any individual company.” Read More
CEO interview Almundo Juan Pablo Lafosse
Interview / Distribution
In The Big Chair - Juan Pablo Lafosse of Almundo
By Mitra Sorrells | May 16, 2019
The Almundo CEO talks the power of offline, the company's strategy compared to Expedia and Booking and much more. Read More
TripAdvisor adds safety features to reviews
News / Technology
TripAdvisor adds safety features to reviews
By Linda Fox | May 15, 2019
TripAdvisor has added new features to the platform enabling travelers to find reviews that include information around safety-related incidents. Read More
How Google helped unpack the stress from modern travel
Opinion / Online
How Google helped unpack the stress from modern travel
By Finnbar Cornwall, Google UK | May 15, 2019
Working with Hostelworld, which offers backpackers access to tens of thousands of lodgings around the globe, Google has been assessing the challenges that come with modern travel. Read More
What we’ve learned from tracking more than 280M online bookings
From Our Partners / Online
What we’ve learned from tracking more than 280M online bookings
By SaleCycle | May 13, 2019
Over the past year, we have tracked more than 280 million online bookings and abandonments from their airline and travel clients. This is what we found out. Read More
angie-acquires-roxy-guest-tech
News / Technology
Angie takes over rival Roxy in guest room tech consolidation
By Linda Fox | May 13, 2019
Angie Hospitality acquires the assets of Roxy, a rival in the hotel guest room technology space. Read More
PhocusWire Article 4_800x400-01
From Our Partners / Technology
On a strong growth curve, independent hotels look to personalization to sustain success
By Diane Merlino | May 10, 2019
As revenue growth for independent hotels continues to outpace branded properties, many are turning to personalization of the guest experience as a key strategy.  Read More
Bookings slightly up, revenue slightly down for Booking Holdings in Q1 2019
By Mitra Sorrells | May 9, 2019
Revenue was down but gross bookings were up for Booking Holdings in the first quarter of 2019, including a more than 10% increase in room nights sold. Read More
Why network performance monitoring is critical to the hospitality industry
Opinion / Technology
Why network performance monitoring is critical to the hospitality industry
By Adam Edwards - AppNeta | May 9, 2019
For hoteliers, it's not just about delivering Wi-Fi technology to guests: Connectivity also plays a major role in driving the success of major brands throughout the hospitality industry from an... Read More
TripAdvisor sees experiences and restaurant revenue up as investment continues in new areas
News / Distribution
TripAdvisor sees experiences and restaurant revenue up as investment continues in new areas
By Linda Fox | May 8, 2019
TripAdvisor reports a slight decrease in revenue for Q1 2019 while revenue for its experiences and restaurants units is up almost a third. Read More
Amadeus closes in on €1.5B in revenue during Q1 of 2019
News / Distribution
Amadeus closes in on €1.5B in revenue during Q1 of 2019
By Kevin May | May 8, 2019
Amadeus secured revenue of over €1.4 billion in the first quarter of this year, following an increase of 15% over the same period in 2018. EBITDA up by 11%, too. Read More
Why Europe is a microcosm of wider trends in online travel
News / Online
Why Europe is a microcosm of wider trends in online travel
By PhocusWire | May 7, 2019
Three broad trends illustrate the prowess of the region in the current online travel scene - but, equally, demonstrate how fragile the growth of the sector can be when one particular brand or market... Read More
Latin America part 1 overview
News / Online
Latin America, part 1: Mobile, social drive travel forward despite lingering challenges
By Mitra Sorrells | May 6, 2019
For the first piece in our series on Latin America, we explore some of the region's characteristics impacting the travel industry. Read More
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