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.

Online gift cards - a marketing and distribution goldmine for hotels?
News / Online
Online gift cards - a marketing and distribution goldmine for hotels?
By Viewpoints | May 13, 2013
Gift certificates - rarely mentioned in the travel industry as a marketing tool but apparently they are the most-wanted gifts by women and the third-most wanted by men. Read More
Back to basics with hotel search engine optimisation
News / Online
Back to basics with hotel search engine optimisation
By Viewpoints | May 10, 2013
As an online marketing and consulting agency for hotels we get asked a lot of questions regarding SEO and what should be done for the best organic ranking. Read More
How to banish those horrid and low-quality links to a hotel website
News / Online
How to banish those horrid and low-quality links to a hotel website
By Viewpoints | May 7, 2013
Let me ask you something: As a hotel, why would you want links from irrelevant sites pointing to your website? Read More
TripAdvisor steps up process to include more genuine reviews of hotels
News / Online
TripAdvisor steps up process to include more genuine reviews of hotels
By Kevin May | May 7, 2013
User review giant TripAdvisor may be looking to increase the amount of content on its site, but the expansion of a 15-month old system is actually doing more to verify reviews of hotels in the system. Read More
European hotel prices - May to July 2013
News / Online
European hotel prices - May to July 2013
By PhocusWire | May 5, 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
Same-day mobile booking services - now there's a hotel branded app for that
News / Online
Same-day mobile booking services - now there's a hotel branded app for that
By Kevin May | May 2, 2013
Hotels are apparently losing up to 30% of revenue from cuts in commission or merchant fees as a result of the rapid rise of the same-day mobile booking apps in the marketplace. Read More
Was hotel marketing always this complicated? Part Three of Three - The marketer reinvented
News / Online
Was hotel marketing always this complicated? Part Three of Three - The marketer reinvented
By Viewpoints | April 26, 2013
Building a direct revenue channel has become paramount to any other marketing effort. And the hotel website is a critical component to selling room nights, preserving rate, and building market share. Read More
Tnooz-Amadeus FREE webinar - How pre-shopping has changed the travel search experience
Webinars / Online
Tnooz-Amadeus FREE webinar - How pre-shopping has changed the travel search experience
By PhocusWire | April 25, 2013
Gone are the days of walking into a travel agency and saying, "I want to go to Orlando during my Christmas break", then having the agent book the trip based on point-to-point travel to that destination. Read More
Was hotel marketing always this complicated? Part Two of Three - GDS consolidation and rise of OTAs
News / Online
Was hotel marketing always this complicated? Part Two of Three - GDS consolidation and rise of OTAs
By Viewpoints | April 24, 2013
At the onset of the new decade (1990) it became apparent that travel agents were caught in a price battle between the remaining four global distribution systems and the airlines. Read More
Hotel prices in North America - April to June 2013
News / Online
Hotel prices in North America - April to June 2013
By PhocusWire | April 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 North America. Read More
Spotting fakes, trust issues and responding to hotel reviews [INFOGRAPHIC]
News / Online
Spotting fakes, trust issues and responding to hotel reviews [INFOGRAPHIC]
By Kevin May | April 24, 2013
As consumer browsing of online reviews to help select hotels has increased over the years, so have issues around trust, reliability and the age-old question of whether user generated content is genuine. Read More
Was hotel marketing always this complicated? Part One of Three - Birth of the GDS
News / Online
Was hotel marketing always this complicated? Part One of Three - Birth of the GDS
By Viewpoints | April 23, 2013
What was hotel marketing like before the internet? Most marketers would agree these were simpler times. Read More
Penny and Leonard having babies - AKA a smart and beautiful strategy for hotels
News / Online
Penny and Leonard having babies - AKA a smart and beautiful strategy for hotels
By Viewpoints | April 22, 2013
Cast your minds back to the pilot episode of the hugely successful US sitcom The Big Bang Theory, featuring geeky experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter. Read More
Two-thirds of European hotels now offering free wifi to guests
News / Online
Two-thirds of European hotels now offering free wifi to guests
By Kevin May | April 19, 2013
A good sign for those campaigning (or voting with their feet) for free wifi in hotels in recent years, with news that 67% of hotels in Europe are giving wifi as a complimentary service. Read More
Six myths about SEO hoteliers are still believing
News / Online
Six myths about SEO hoteliers are still believing
By Viewpoints | April 9, 2013
Last week I took an informal survey and asked a group of hoteliers we work with what the top SEO questions they often hear. Read More
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