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.

Lighthouse scoops up Hotelrank.ai to help hotels with AI visibility
News / Technology
Lighthouse scoops up Hotelrank.ai to help hotels with AI visibility
By Linda Fox | May 28, 2026
Lighthouse said the deal provides “a measurement layer into its Connect AI solution, giving hotels the ability to manage their appearance, ranking and performance” across AI travel platforms. Read More
Are you buying growth or paying for bookings you'd get anyway? What the data shows
From Our Partners / Online
Are you buying growth or paying for bookings you'd get anyway? What the data shows
By John Matson, Propellic | May 27, 2026
New benchmark data from Propellic shows when travel brands should scale paid media, where ROAS breaks down and why weak attribution can hide true growth. Read More
Why hoteliers should not vibe code their own software
Opinion / Technology
Why hoteliers should not vibe code their own software
By Jordan Hollander - HotelTechReport | May 27, 2026
HotelTechReport.com co-founder Jordan Hollander argues that while AI coding tools can support hotel operations, building proprietary core systems is a distraction from revenue-driving... Read More
Airbnb recruits VP of hotels amid category expansion
News / Online
Airbnb recruits VP of hotels amid category expansion
By Linda Fox | May 26, 2026
D’Amico previously spent 18 years at Booking.com rising to VP and managing director for EMEA. Read More
Mews partners with Uber to bring ride booking into hotel operations
News / Distribution
Mews partners with Uber to bring ride booking into hotel operations
By Cathy Walsh | May 26, 2026
The integration will allow hotels to book, track and bill Uber rides through the Mews platform, as hospitality companies look to expand guest services and ancillary revenue opportunities. Read More
Spain’s Digital ID rollout goes live as hotels remain cautiously optimistic
News / Technology
Spain’s Digital ID rollout goes live as hotels remain cautiously optimistic
By Marisa Garcia | May 26, 2026
Spain’s Digital ID rollout is reshaping hotel check-in and guest registration as operators navigate fragmented systems and slow adoption.  Read More
3 key takeaways from Google I/O 2026
News / Technology
3 key takeaways from Google I/O 2026
By Matthew Parsons | May 21, 2026
New agentic AI features unveiled at Google I/O 2026 could reshape how travelers search, shop and book trips, increasing pressure on travel brands to become machine-readable and agent-accessible. Read More
Airbnb's updates build towards wider personalization and community ambitions
News / Online
Airbnb's updates build towards wider personalization and community ambitions
By Linda Fox | May 20, 2026
Airbnb's AI-driven app updates and additions to Services and Experiences point to its wider strategy. Read More
PhocusWire's travel tech news briefs: Emburse, Agoda, NextTrip and more...
News / Technology
PhocusWire's travel tech news briefs: Emburse, Agoda, NextTrip and more...
By PhocusWire | May 15, 2026
Keep up with all the latest people, partner and product news from around the global travel industry. Read More
Ixigo launches travel app with conversational booking and agentic AI
News / Technology
Ixigo launches travel app with conversational booking and agentic AI
By Cathy Walsh | May 14, 2026
The app includes natural language trip planning through Ixigo’s AI assistant TARA and AI-powered tools for flight alerts, boarding passes and post-booking support. Read More
TikTok formalizes in-app travel bookings with Booking.com, Expedia, Trip.com among partners
News / Technology
TikTok formalizes in-app travel bookings with Booking.com, Expedia, Trip.com among partners
By Morgan Hines | May 12, 2026
TikTok GO brings in-app travel booking to 200 million U.S. users, compressing the path from video discovery to reservation. Read More
Why travel is the new battleground for bank loyalty
From Our Partners / Distribution
Why travel is the new battleground for bank loyalty
By Dakota Smith, HTS | May 12, 2026
Travel rewards are reshaping bank loyalty as consumers seek more value, flexibility and ways to offset rising trip costs through credit card travel portals. Read More
Hotel groups mull app versus AI-ready strategies
News / Technology
Hotel groups mull app versus AI-ready strategies
By Linda Fox | May 11, 2026
In the past week Wyndham unveiled a ChatGPT app while Choice Hotels unveiled a series of internal AI tools. Read More
Agentic commerce in travel: Who wins, who loses and what to do about it
Opinion / Technology
Agentic commerce in travel: Who wins, who loses and what to do about it
By Mario Gavira | May 11, 2026
Mario Gavira argues that travel companies face sharply different levels of exposure to agentic AI disruption, with loyalty, unique inventory and human expertise emerging as key defenses. Read More
Amadeus reports Q1 revenue, operating profit increases
News / Distribution
Amadeus reports Q1 revenue, operating profit increases
By Linda Fox | May 8, 2026
The company said its growth slowed in March because of the conflict in the Middle East adding that the short-term future is hard to call.  Read More
The Phocuswright Conference 2026