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.

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
The travel industry can be absurd, so don't add to the suck factor - do something crazy instead
News / Online
The travel industry can be absurd, so don't add to the suck factor - do something crazy instead
By Sarah Kennedy Ellis | January 9, 2013
It was like a breath of fresh air and a punch in the face all at the same time, if that’s possible. Read More
Room 77 takes $30M injection, Expedia involved, as meta arms race heats up
News / Online
Room 77 takes $30M injection, Expedia involved, as meta arms race heats up
By Sean O'Neil | January 3, 2013
Room 77 has closed $30.3 million in Series C financing with participation by Expedia, with total capital raised at $43.8 million. The US startup's metasearch tool is merely a year old. Read More
Can hotels chill out when it comes to multi-device websites?
News / Online
Can hotels chill out when it comes to multi-device websites?
By Viewpoints | January 3, 2013
Imagine for a second that someone is trying to make a hotel reservation for the same evening, but has already left the house so all they can use are mobile devices. Read More
GDS news from Travelport, Amadeus, Sabre, Abacus - December 2012
News / Online
GDS news from Travelport, Amadeus, Sabre, Abacus - December 2012
By PhocusWire | December 31, 2012
Product news, releases, projects and more from the global distribution systems during December 2012 - all here, in one easy read. Read More
Middle East hotel prices - December 2012 to February 2013
News / Online
Middle East hotel prices - December 2012 to February 2013
By PhocusWire | December 19, 2012
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 the Middle East. Read More
TipAdvisor or even StripAdvisor - TripAdvisor does not care who has a fondness for its name
News / Online
TipAdvisor or even StripAdvisor - TripAdvisor does not care who has a fondness for its name
By Kevin May | December 17, 2012
Picking names that are close to those of other brands often ends in tears (or at least lawyers trousering some money), but user review giant TripAdvisor appears to have a relaxed attitude to it all. Read More
How to love the Doctor Evil of the hotel world
News / Online
How to love the Doctor Evil of the hotel world
By Viewpoints | December 17, 2012
In previous years, European tour operators would book entire hotels so they could accommodate the passengers on their planes. Read More
Google tests Flight Explorer platform to bring inspiration into the search equation
News / Online
Google tests Flight Explorer platform to bring inspiration into the search equation
By Kevin May | December 13, 2012
It's been a while since Google did one of its "experiments" around its Flight Search - but this latest one is quite a departure from what has come before it. Read More
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