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.

fuel-leisure-vacation-planning
News / Online
Influential travel sites for booking not always the big players
By Linda Fox | July 19, 2019
Online travel agents might be spending billions on marketing yet very few make the cut when it comes to sites used to choose a hotel. Read More
airbnb-instant-book-2
News / Online
Airbnb reaches seven out of ten properties available for instant booking
By Kevin May | July 18, 2019
The figure is a sizeable jump from 2016, when just one in three of Airbnb's properties could be secured straight away. Read More
Travelstop raises $3M for business travel expense tools
News / Technology
Travelstop raises $3M for business travel expense tools
By Kevin May | July 16, 2019
The company's pre-Series A round is being led by Accel with Strive and previous investor SeedPlus also included in the group of investors. Read More
Q&A: Hospitality tech guru Dave Berkus on disruption, exec mistakes and Amazon
News / Technology
Q&A: Hospitality tech guru Dave Berkus on disruption, exec mistakes and Amazon
By Mitra Sorrells | July 16, 2019
Dave Berkus, creator of one of the earliest property management systems, discusses technology lifecycles, the risk of hacking, tech giants and travel, his advice for entrepreneurs and travel executive... Read More
TripAdvisor still inspires booking confidence, new study shows
News / Online
TripAdvisor still inspires booking confidence, new study shows
By Jill Menze | July 16, 2019
Despite cries of fake content infiltrating reviews sites, travelers are still turning to TripAdvisor ahead of booking trips, a new study shows. Read More
India, part 2: Investors express optimism as travel market grows
News / Startups
India, part 2: Investors express optimism as travel market grows
By Mitra Sorrells | July 15, 2019
For the second piece in our series on India, we talk to some of the country's travel industry investors and entrepreneurs to understand the opportunities and challenges of the market. Read More
Life House 100M real estate equity investment
News / Startups
Life House hotel chain and tech provider secures $100M investment
By Mitra Sorrells | July 12, 2019
Boston-based Blue Flag, an investment, real estate development and branding firm that has a collection of hotels in its portfolio, is behind the deal. Read More
Startup Stage Tryps Tech
Interview / Startups
STARTUP STAGE: Tryps.Tech is digitizing tour and activity distribution for the Middle East
By Mitra Sorrells | July 12, 2019
Tryps.Tech is an online distributor of more than 14,000 tours, activities, attraction tickets, airport lounge access, events and transfers in 130 countries, focused on serving Middle East travelers. Its... Read More
Authorities bare teeth on travel data breaches for second time, announce large fine for Marriott
News / Online
Authorities bare teeth on travel data breaches for second time, announce large fine for Marriott
By Linda Fox | July 10, 2019
ICO, the information authority, plans to fine Marriott International more than £99 million for the data breach it reported last year. Read More
Few "travel innovations" get the thumbs up by corporate travelers on the go
News / Technology
Few "travel innovations" get the thumbs up by corporate travelers on the go
By Linda Fox | July 10, 2019
Research from CWT reveals how much business travelers like the technology they use versus how much they use it. Read More
hotel-metasearch-marketing-channel-2
Opinion / Distribution
How metasearch became the most important marketing channel in travel
By Pablo Delgado - Mirai | July 10, 2019
Six years on from their early phases, metasearch engines now dominate, exceeding investment in other ads in 2017 and growing even faster ever since. Read More
Travelport brings in ex-Sabre exec Greg Webb to replace CEO Gordon Wilson
News / Distribution
Travelport brings in ex-Sabre exec Greg Webb to replace CEO Gordon Wilson
By Kevin May | July 9, 2019
In his most recent role, Webb spent just a year as senior vice president and general manager for hospitality at Oracle. Read More
Forget tech - Hoteliers are struggling with the law
From Our Partners / Technology
Forget tech - Hoteliers are struggling with the law
By Renee Robbie - SiteMinder | July 8, 2019
This September, another European standard known as PSD2 (the second Payment Services Directive) and requiring Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) will come into play, changing online payments as we... Read More
India, part 1: A vast travel opportunity, now led by digital
News / Online
India, part 1: A vast travel opportunity, now led by digital
By Mitra Sorrells | July 8, 2019
For part 1 in our month-long look at India we explore the overall travel market and implications of the country's growing, young and socially-active population. Read More
Industry innovation: Insider perspectives on how to make hospitality better
Opinion / Technology
Industry innovation: Insider perspectives on how to make hospitality better
By Voyager HQ | July 5, 2019
While it’s certainly not guaranteed that the hospitality industry will maintain its decade-long period of growth, technology continues to be a vital part of the story. Read More
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