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.

yanolja expands hospitality
News / Technology
South Korea’s Yanolja looks to Tesla to expand hospitality market
By Yeoh Siew Hoon - WiT | January 26, 2022
By digitizing and connecting spaces and testing NFT and metaverse technologies, Yanolja wants to expand the travel and hospitality market to $3,000 billion. Read More
siteminder-channel-report-2021
News / Distribution
Airbnb gaining share in hotel distribution analysis
By Mitra Sorrells | January 24, 2022
According to SiteMinder, Airbnb increased the share of bookings it drives for hotels, while new distribution channels entered the mix in 2021. Read More
wit-japan-north-asia-roundup-22
News / Online
North Asia waits patiently for travel rebound
By Yeoh Siew Hoon - WiT | January 24, 2022
Web in Travel founder and editor Yeoh Siew Hoon provides a roundup of the news from WiT Japan & North Asia 2022. Read More
tui-group-greece-sustainability
News / Online
TUI and Greece launch sustainable tourism initiative
By Mitra Sorrells | January 21, 2022
Known as the Rhodes Co-Lab, the effort will include the development and testing of solutions on the island that could then be shared more broadly, as well as the creation of a think tank. Read More
expedia-group-2022-travel-value-index
News / Online
Travelers willing to pay more, use loyalty points for trips in 2022
By Jill Menze | January 20, 2022
An Expedia Group report reveals Gen Z travelers have the most loyalty points stockpiled for trips. Read More
The consumer trends seeping into the travel industry
News / Online
The consumer trends seeping into the travel industry
By Linda Fox | January 20, 2022
According to a Euromonitor report, consumer attitudes have shifted in areas like climate and flexibility, impacting how and where they book travel. Read More
sonder-public-listing1
News / Online
Sonder debuts on public markets
By Mitra Sorrells | January 18, 2022
Sonder has closed its business combination with Gores Metropoulos II and is trading under the symbol SOND. Read More
marriott-partners-ori
News / Technology
Marriott partners with robotics startup to reimagine guest rooms
By Jill Menze | January 18, 2022
As part of the hotel’s new Marriott Design Lab, Marriott is partnering with Ori to create flexible and multi-functional guest rooms. Read More
STARTUP STAGE: Staypia uses AI to give travelers maximum discount on hotels
Interview / Startups
STARTUP STAGE: Staypia uses AI to give travelers maximum discount on hotels
By Jill Menze | January 18, 2022
Staypia searches for the lowest price for 3.16 million hotels and beats that by as much as 30% more in discount. Read More
Even top hotel brands need to improve distribution and marketing performance in 2022
From Our Partners / Distribution
Even top hotel brands need to improve distribution and marketing performance in 2022
By Dori Stein - Fornova | January 17, 2022
In such turbulent COVID times, it will come as little surprise that hotels are struggling to find their feet when it comes to optimizing their distribution. Read More
Origin raises $5M for membership-based trip-planning app
News / Startups
Origin raises $5M for membership-based trip-planning app
By Jill Menze | January 14, 2022
Origin's travel curators have local expertise and use machine learning to help travelers find, plan and book their trips, including flights, accommodation and experiences. Read More
VIDEO: How hotel marketing tactics are shifting
News / Distribution
VIDEO: How hotel marketing tactics are shifting
By PhocusWire | January 12, 2022
PhocusWire talks to Peter O'Connor, professor of strategy at the University of South Australia, on hotels are nurturing direct bookers and how distribution is swinging back in favor of OTAs. Read More
phocuswire-pulse-loyalty-tokens
News / Technology
VIDEO: How DeFi tokens can reinvent travel loyalty
By PhocusWire | January 11, 2022
Coras CEO Mark McLaughlin explains how blockchain-based tokens can solve problems inherent in existing loyalty programs. Read More
Tourism startup LynKey launches NFT solutions for travel experiences
News / Startups
Tourism startup LynKey launches NFT solutions for travel experiences
By Jill Menze | January 11, 2022
LynKey aims to connect people with property tech and smart tourism experiences from resorts and cruises with NFTs and metaverse AR and VR solutions. Read More
startup-stage-katanox
Interview / Startups
STARTUP STAGE: Katanox aims to simplify hotel distribution
By Mitra Sorrells | January 10, 2022
Katanox is focused on opening hospitality distribution to enable hotels to capture more direct bookings through multiple channels and to provide more choice for travelers. Read More