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.

Are blogs REALLY that important to hotels?
News / Online
Are blogs REALLY that important to hotels?
By Viewpoints | January 29, 2013
When I first started writing about hospitality, I was surprised at the number of hoteliers who came to me and said: "I have to have a blog - my SEO is bad without a blog!", or some other variant. Read More
How last minute is last minute? Very last minute, it turns out!
News / Online
How last minute is last minute? Very last minute, it turns out!
By Nick Vivion | January 28, 2013
Statistics proving the procrastinating proclivities of others are always extremely popular - especially for travel marketers looking to capitalize on the "always on" nature of the mobile device. Read More
TripAdvisor launches system for hotels faced with blackmail from guests
News / Online
TripAdvisor launches system for hotels faced with blackmail from guests
By Kevin May | January 28, 2013
It's been part of the user review story for years - hotels worried about customers holding them to ransom with the threat of a bad review unless they get a refund or an upgrade. Read More
Giving a new definition to SEO in the hotel industry
News / Online
Giving a new definition to SEO in the hotel industry
By Viewpoints | January 28, 2013
Most hotels are heavily focused on SEO. It’s the way to stay ahead of the pack, come up higher in search and stand out from the crowd. You know the drill. Read More
European hotel prices - January to March 2013
News / Online
European hotel prices - January to March 2013
By PhocusWire | January 24, 2013
Data trends on cheapest hotel rates as well as median rate for three months of three, four and five star hotels across some of the major cities in Europe. Read More
Travel industry will benefit when real-time interaction in social media finally kicks in
News / Online
Travel industry will benefit when real-time interaction in social media finally kicks in
By Sean O'Neil | January 23, 2013
Graph Search, check-ins, timelines, Twitter, fan pages, reputation management, user reviews, sharing - the list of disciplines and services are endless. Read More
Local intent and Graph Search on Facebook - joy or not for hotels?
News / Online
Local intent and Graph Search on Facebook - joy or not for hotels?
By Viewpoints | January 22, 2013
It seems that Facebook’s new Graph Search could be poised to be a true threat to Google, Yelp and Foursquare. Read More
Proactively managing online reputation works for hotels - so here is how you do it
News / Online
Proactively managing online reputation works for hotels - so here is how you do it
By Viewpoints | January 21, 2013
Many hoteliers today view reputation management as a reactive discipline of monitoring reviews and social media and responding to reviews in a way that ensures customer know that they care. Read More
HotelTonight continues European invasion, targets Germany and Switzerland for late-hotel bookings
News / Online
HotelTonight continues European invasion, targets Germany and Switzerland for late-hotel bookings
By Kevin May | January 21, 2013
After establishing its first base outside of North America in London in June last year, HotelTonight is turning its attention to the expanding across mainland Europe. Read More
TripAdvisor tests hotel metasearch service - now the fun really begins
News / Distribution
TripAdvisor tests hotel metasearch service - now the fun really begins
By Kevin May | January 15, 2013
User review giant TripAdvisor is finally doing what pretty much everyone involved in the hotel sector expected it to do years ago - consumer metasearch for its vast portfolio of properties. Read More
Where does your hotel tax money in the US go? [INFOGRAPHIC]
News / Online
Where does your hotel tax money in the US go? [INFOGRAPHIC]
By Kevin May | January 14, 2013
As online travel agencies come under the microscope again for how they pay (or not) their local taxes when contracting hotels, some might wonder what impact those taxes actually have. Read More
Hello, Social Media Butler - a $47,000 hotel assistant to help share Barack Obama inauguration
News / Online
Hello, Social Media Butler - a $47,000 hotel assistant to help share Barack Obama inauguration
By Kevin May | January 14, 2013
In what would normally be filed under "More money than sense", one US hotel has created an eye-watering deal costing $47,000 which includes a Social Media Butler. Read More
Cutting out the noise to get the full travel story - but now what do we call it?
News / Online
Cutting out the noise to get the full travel story - but now what do we call it?
By Viewpoints | January 11, 2013
Six years ago - still a mathematician at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne - I had to organize a conference trip to Poland. Read More
Faktum - you will have never seen a hotel website like this before
News / Online
Faktum - you will have never seen a hotel website like this before
By Kevin May | January 11, 2013
At a brief first glance, Faktum Hotels looks like any other of the image-heavy, well-designed hotel websites kicking about on the internet these days. Read More
And then there were three - TripAdvisor quietly adds more tour and activity suppliers
News / Online
And then there were three - TripAdvisor quietly adds more tour and activity suppliers
By Kevin May | January 10, 2013
If tours and activities are the next big thing in online travel, then TripAdvisor is taking note - by adding a third supplier of products in recent weeks in the form of Viator. Read More
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