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.

In The Big Chair - Sean Menke of Sabre
Interview / Distribution
In The Big Chair - Sean Menke of Sabre
By Kevin May | November 16, 2017
  The new boss has been in the job less than a year - but with a wealth of experience in the world of airlines and elsewhere, he knows what needs to be done in areas as varied as NDC, AI and... Read More
india-mumbai
News / Online
VIDEO: Being hyper-competitive in an emerging market
By Kevin May | November 16, 2017
MakeMyTrip has seen it all in its home market of India - but the sector is changing rapidly. Read More
New Expedia report explores rise of “bleisure” travelers
News / Online
New Expedia report explores rise of “bleisure” travelers
By Bernadette Giacomazzo | November 15, 2017
A new study suggests that bleisure trips are on the rise—and hotels can capitalize on the trend. Read More
travel-search-laptop-desk
Opinion / Online
Time for travel search engines to up their game
By Gilad Berenstein - Utrip | November 15, 2017
With the advent of search engines like Google and Yahoo! almost two decades ago, accessing information became incredibly easy. Read More
startup-user-experience
News / Startups
VIDEO: PhocusWire PundIT Show - Episode 4
By Kevin May | November 14, 2017
After a day of pitches from startups, PhocusWire's PundIT Show returns to take the temperature of three delegates at The Phocuswright Conference. Read More
english-gerstner-hafner
News / Technology
VIDEO: English, Gerstner and Hafner - Next Big Thing
By Kevin May | November 14, 2017
A petri dish of testosterone? Three of the leading lights of online travel of the past decade or so gaze into their crystal balls? Read More
airbnb-hammock-family
News / Online
Airbnb usage slowing, OTAs should seize opportunity
By Kevin May | November 13, 2017
Adoption of Airbnb has started to flatten sooner than some analysts have expected, with online travel agencies tipped as likely beneficiaries. Read More
car-travel-mobile
News / Online
Travelers will embrace personalization and AI for a better travel experience
By Bernadette Giacomazzo | November 13, 2017
Google claims that the "friction in travel" makes it ideal for new technology and artificial intelligence-led services to come in and make improvements. Read More
Accor axes independent hotel web strategy
News / Online
Accor axes independent hotel web strategy
By Kevin May | November 10, 2017
It lasted less than two and a half years - Accor's ambitious attempt to create a marketplace for independent hotels is officially at an end. Read More
Google rolls out new hotel search service
News / Online
Google rolls out new hotel search service
By Kevin May | November 10, 2017
Google is tightening its grip on the hotel search marketplace with the roll-out of a new platform this week. Read More
marriott-hotel-thailand
News / Technology
Hotel mega-merger assisted by digital overhaul of 19M words
By Bernadette Giacomazzo | November 9, 2017
The combination of Starwood and Marriott created the world’s largest hotel chain, with multiple areas of the business needing a digital overhaul. Read More
VIDEO: Asia leads the pack of digital travelers
News
VIDEO: Asia leads the pack of digital travelers
By Kevin May | November 8, 2017
India, China and Indonesia have come out on top in a list of countries with the most digitally savvy travelers. Read More
VIDEO: How startups can make a mark (but rarely do)
News / Startups
VIDEO: How startups can make a mark (but rarely do)
By Kevin May | November 8, 2017
It's a tough world out there for travel startups - with failure rates far higher than the number of success stories. Read More
In The Big Chair - Mike Ford of SiteMinder
Interview / Distribution
In The Big Chair - Mike Ford of SiteMinder
By Kevin May | November 5, 2017
  The man who helped get SiteMinder off the ground in 2006 has plenty to say about the direct-booking debate, intermediaries becoming tech vendors and his style as a boss. Read More
travel technology planning
News / Online
Eight technology takeaways to make travel better
By Staff - Web In Travel | October 26, 2017
From opportunity markets to product innovation to new tech, a lot was discussed at the Web In Travel Conference in Singapore. Read More
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