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Saturday 26 September

3 updates
Hotels
Skift Feed全球 / United States

Hyatt CEO on Owner Value and Replacing Four Core Hotel Systems

Hyatt Chairman, President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian said at Skift Global Forum that Hyatt has been the largest owner of its own hotels for 67 of its 70 years, shaping a different set of decisions. He said Hyatt replaced four core systems at once — central reservations, property management, revenue management and point-of-sale — delivering 40% savings on the property management system, with Hyatt absorbing the entire cost and passing none to owners. He also said Hyatt's leisure mix rose from about 35% in 2017 to closer to 55% by 2025, driven in part by the $2.7 billion acquisition of Apple Leisure Group during COVID.

Hotels
Skift FeedFrance / United States

Accor CEO Weighs Ennismore IPO and Funding for U.S. Growth

Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin said at Skift Global Forum in New York that Ennismore, its luxury-lifestyle joint venture, needs capital to grow in the U.S. and beyond, but the companies have not decided how to fund it. He called a listing a "very complex decision" with many drawbacks, and said another possibility is that Accor could put more money into it. Accor had given itself until the end of this month to announce a decision on its 62% stake in the joint venture, with analysts valuing Ennismore at $3.4 billion to $5.8 billion in a potential IPO.

Hotels
Hilton Stories RSSCanada / Mexico / Singapore / Saudi Arabia / United States / United Kingdom / Spain / Malaysia

Hilton Opens and Renovates Worldwide This Season: From Kaua'i to Kuala Lumpur

Hilton has announced its seasonal global openings and renovations, spanning multiple brand debuts in new markets: NoMad debuts in Singapore, Waldorf Astoria and Conrad debut in Kuala Lumpur, Curio Collection debuts in Hawai'i, Tapestry Collection enters Baja California, and Curio Collection enters Valencia, Spain. In the U.S., Signia Hilton expands to Naples and Indianapolis, while Apartment Collection by Hilton enters Pittsburgh and Huntsville. Renovations include a $25 million property-wide renovation of Conrad Indianapolis timed to its 20th anniversary. Hilton Honors is running the More Points to Play promotion from Oct. 15 to Dec. 31, 2026.

Friday 25 September

12 updates
OTA / TMC
Skift Feed全球

Airbnb CEO: Rebuilding as an AI-Native Company

At the Skift Global Forum, Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said the company chose to rebuild around AI rather than layer it onto the existing business. He called AI an existential risk to Airbnb and also its growth engine, accelerating growth and share gains from OTAs and hotels. Airbnb shipped over 600 features this year, nearly twice last year's pace, and nearly half of customer service tickets are now handled by AI in 50 languages. Chesky also said Airbnb will launch its own agent and will eventually welcome chain hotels including Marriott and Hilton.

Hotels
Skift FeedLas Vegas / United States

Vacation Ownership Shifts to Experience Access: HGV Runs 3,800 Events a Year

In a Skift Global Forum decision brief, ARDA President & CEO Jason Gamel and Hilton Grand Vacations Senior Executive VP & COO Gordon Gurnik discussed how vacation ownership is shifting from lodging toward experience access. Gurnik said HGV runs about 3,800 experience events a year for roughly 725,000 owners, spanning its F1 Las Vegas Clubhouse, private concerts and the LPGA Tournament of Champions. Gamel said more than 75% of vacation-ownership purchasers are millennials and Gen Z, a younger base driving experience demand. They also noted owners can convert ownership into Hilton Honors points, and pointed to similar experience platforms from Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Westgate Resorts an…

Hotels
IHG NewsroomEast Africa / Nairobi / Kenya

voco debuts in East Africa with all-suite Nairobi airport hotel

IHG's fastest-growing premium brand voco has opened its first East African property, voco Nairobi Airport Suites, featuring 112 suites about eight kilometres from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, with a complimentary 24-hour airport shuttle and proximity to the Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway terminus. The hotel offers four dining venues and 623 square metres of meeting space, including the 235.33-square-metre Mara Hall for 160-180 guests, targeting transit travellers and long-stay executives.

Hotels
Pinchain TourismShanghai / China / Beijing / Nanjing / Chengdu / Hangzhou / Xi'an / Qingdao

'3 Days Off for 13' Boosts Holiday Lodging as Huazhu Bookings Rise

With only three working days between Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day in 2026, the '3 days off for 13' leave strategy has created a super-long golden week, pushing the lodging market into an early booking boom. As of September 21, Huazhu Group data showed overall hotel booking rates for September 25 to October 7 rose about 2 percentage points year on year, with room nights up 22%. Top 10 first- and second-tier cities include Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing; top 10 third- and fourth-tier destinations include Luoyang, Yangzhou and Guilin; top 10 county destinations include Jiuzhaigou, Yangshuo and Antu.

Hotels
Hotel Dive FeedIllinois / Georgia / Florida / United States / Chicago

Lodging Lowdown: Highgate Names New CMO, BWH Debuts Extended-Stay Property

Several hotel industry developments this week: Highgate appointed Erica Doyne as chief marketing officer; she brings nearly two decades of hospitality and travel leadership experience, most recently as CMO of Cardinal Financial and previously in marketing executive roles at Hyatt. BWH Hotels opened @HOME by Best Western McDonough in Georgia, a 128-suite extended-stay property marking the brand's first location in the state and Southeast region and its second in the U.S. Separately, more than 7,000 union hotel workers in Chicago voted to authorize a strike, which could become the city's largest hotel strike.

Hotels
China Tourism NewsShanghai

Super Wings Space Base Opens at Shanghai Happy Valley

On September 25 the "Super Wings Space Base" opened at Shanghai Happy Valley. The immersive family-themed area spans 20,000 square meters with five themed zones and more than 20 featured attractions, the latest co-creation between Happy Valley Group and Alpha Group, and a practice of integrating a Chinese theme-park brand with an original Chinese animation IP. Built around a "star-core energy recovery" storyline, it covers themed rides, role-play, interactive installations and themed performances, combining family interaction, immersive experiences, themed dining and merchandise. It is the second site under Happy Valley Group's "urban IP entertainment home" strategy.

Hotels
China Tourism NewsDongcheng District / Beijing

Beijing Qianmen Changxiangli Urban Renewal Project Debuts

On September 24 the Qianmen Changxiangli urban-renewal project on Xixinglong Street in Beijing debuted. Located in the Qianmen East area from Qianmen East Road to Caochang Santiao, it covers about 1.26 hectares across seven clusters and 16 plots, positioned around a "capital lifestyle" concept. Following integrated protection and organic renewal, it retains native courtyard trees and traditional components such as screen walls, old foundations and old doors and windows, using grouting reinforcement to protect distinctive "walnut brick" walls. Leasing focuses on small-and-beautiful designer brands and first-store economy, attracting Beijing and North China debut stores of brands such as Shan…

Hotels
IHG NewsroomUttarakhand / India / Ramnagar

IHG and UHM sign Garner Hotel Jim Corbett in India

IHG has signed Garner Hotel Jim Corbett with United Hospitality Management (UHM) India, Garner's sixth signing in India. Located in Ramnagar, Uttarakhand, near Jim Corbett National Park, the 50-key hotel will be owned by Victorian Corporation and managed by UHM India, with opening scheduled for Q2 2027. Garner has reached 100 open hotels worldwide since its 2023 launch.

Hotels
Hilton Stories RSSCentral America / Caribbean / Costa Rica / Latin America

Hilton's Tapestry Collection Debuts in Central America with Montara Hotel in Costa Rica

Hilton announced the opening of Montara Hotel, the first Tapestry Collection by Hilton property in Costa Rica and Central America. Set in the mountains of Heredia, the hotel has 97 rooms including 38 suites, spans roughly 540,000 square feet of grounds with over 130,000 square feet of built facilities, and sits about 13 miles (20 kilometers) from Juan Santamaria International Airport and downtown San Jose. It offers approximately 12,700 square feet of event space for corporate retreats, social events and weddings, plus a 13,200-square-foot spa. The debut reflects Hilton's continued expansion across the Caribbean and Latin America, where it operates 315 hotels and resorts with a pipeline of…

Hotels
Hospitality TechnologyCanada / North America / India / United States / Chennai

Starbucks Bets on In-House Tech, to Shutter 250 Stores

Starbucks plans to open a technology hub in Chennai, India, in fiscal year 2027, gradually bringing work currently performed by third-party service providers in-house to gain more direct control over technology. Separately, as part of its Back to Starbucks plan, the company will close 250 locations in North America this week, about 1% of its more than 18,000 North American coffeehouses. Starbucks said it carefully reviewed its North America portfolio and identified locations where it cannot consistently deliver the desired experience for customers and partners or where it sees no path to acceptable financial performance. More than 1,000 coffeehouses across the U.S. and Canada have been rede…

Hotels
Hospitality TechnologyHawaii / Auckland / Reno

Castle Resorts Rebuilds Web Platform with AI-First Stack to Unify 5 Reservation Engines

Hawaii-based management company Castle Resorts & Hotels rebuilt its enterprise digital platform, CastleResorts.com, using an AI-assisted development model to aggregate its multi-property portfolio under a single direct-booking architecture. Its core technical approach is a unified booking interface that queries and routes guest searches across five distinct reservation systems spanning 20 properties in Hawaii, Reno and Auckland. The project bypassed traditional software agency models, completing the build in under four months for a low five-figure sum ($10k-$50k range), versus the typical 12-month timeline and high six-figure budget. The platform also structures its architecture and schema…

Hotels
Skift FeedNew York / United States

Hyatt CEO on Lessons From Owning Hotels and the Trend He's Most Excited About

Speaking at the Skift Global Forum in New York City, Hyatt Chairman, President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian addressed hotel owners' pushback over costs and fees, saying the company's response comes down to mindset. He noted that for 67 of Hyatt's almost 70 years the company was the largest owner of its own hotels, so during Covid it faced the same crisis as owners in its portfolio; the estimated break-even occupancy for some larger hotels was about 43%, cut to 22% within six months, after which Hyatt shared the full playbook with its biggest third-party owner, Host Hotels.

Thursday 24 September

10 updates
Hotels
Accor News & StoriesChania / Greece / Vathy / Samos / Athens

Accor's MGallery Collection Opens Nírema Hotel & Spa Samos in Greece

Accor's MGallery Collection opened Nírema Hotel & Spa Samos in September 2026 at the entrance of Vathy on the Greek island of Samos. The property features 72 rooms, including eight suites with private pools, and a private beach. Managed by SWOT Hospitality Management, the hotel draws design inspiration from Samos' winemaking traditions and the philosophy of Pythagoras, offering a signature wine ritual. This opening marks MGallery's fourth property in Greece, with four additional hotels in the pipeline, including in Chania and the wider Athens region.

Hotels
Skift Feed全球

Banyan Group Drops 'Sustainability' for 'Contribution'

At Skift Global Forum 2026, Banyan Group Deputy CEO Ho Ren Yung said the group is talking less about sustainability and more about its contribution to the environment. She said people's eyes gloss over when you say sustainability and climate, and that the term has become overused, especially during events like Climate Week NYC. Banyan Group is reframing its work to re-engage the industry and its guests.

Hotels
Skift Feed全球

Hilton CEO: AI-Driven Project RISE Targets 75-100 Basis Points Owner Margin Improvement

Hilton President & CEO Christopher Nassetta said at Skift Global Forum that the company launched Project RISE in mid-2025, targeting 75 to 100 basis points of owner margin improvement through AI and process redesign. He stressed that AI-driven efficiency should be a recurring program, not a one-off cut, and revealed Hilton scrapped its entire legacy technology stack seven or eight years ago to maintain agility. Nassetta also noted that non-residential fixed investment exceeded 10% in Q2 2026, giving the industry room for structural cost improvements, but the AI infrastructure spending cycle has not yet peaked, with winners and losers expected.

Hotels
Accor News & Stories全球 / France

Accor Scales ALL Concierge Conversational AI

Accor announced on September 24, 2026 that its ALL Concierge conversational AI companion has moved beyond pilot to full-scale rollout, making it the first hospitality group to deploy an end-to-end conversational AI companion at scale. It covers the journey from travel inspiration and hotel comparison to booking management and post-stay support, available 24/7 on ALL.com, the ALL Accor app, WhatsApp and iMessage, in 11 languages, with responses in under a few seconds and seamless handover to human agents. The pilot began in July 2025 and logged more than 1 million guest conversations. Accor also launched The Butler, an AI companion for hotel teams.

Hotels
Skift FeedChina / Asia-Pacific / India / Vietnam

Accor Bets on Asia With Market-Specific Expansion Strategies

Accor is not pursuing a single Asia strategy but several market-specific expansion models. In China, the hotel giant is leaning on H World to help double its footprint to 1,600 hotels. In India, it is looking for new partners. In Vietnam, major developers are driving an unexpected surge in signings. Across the region, conversions and franchising are increasingly helping Accor tap into existing hotel supply. Duncan O'Rourke, Accor's CEO for Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, said China, India and Vietnam are very big for the company, but the development models to capture those opportunities are markedly different.

Hotels
Skift FeedLas Vegas / United States

Barry Diller Withdraws Roughly $18 Billion Bid for MGM Resorts

According to Skift, Barry Diller's People Inc. has withdrawn its proposal to acquire MGM Resorts International, a potential deal valued at roughly $18 billion. People Inc., formerly known as IAC, holds a 27% stake in MGM and had been preparing a bid to buy the remaining shares. Diller, People's chairman and senior executive, commented on the withdrawal. The news concerns Las Vegas casino and resort assets and is relevant to hotel and gaming sector consolidation.

Hotels
Hotel Dive FeedNevada / Las Vegas / United States

Caesars shareholders approve Fertitta Entertainment's $17.6B acquisition

Caesars Entertainment shareholders voted at a special meeting to approve Fertitta Entertainment's acquisition of the resort and casino operator. About 143.28 million shares, or 70.3% of outstanding stock, cast votes, with the majority in favor of advancing the $17.6 billion deal. Fertitta will pay roughly $5.7 billion for Caesars and assume about $11.9 billion of debt. The deal still requires antitrust clearance from the Federal Trade Commission and approvals in each jurisdiction where Caesars has gaming operations, which could take up to 10 months. Shareholders would receive $31 in cash per share if the deal closes by June 26, 2027.

Hotels
Pinchain TourismShanghai / China

China Merchants Bank and Huazhu Club Launch First Co-Branded Credit Card

On September 23, Huazhu Club, China Merchants Bank and Mastercard launched Huazhu Club's first co-branded credit card in Shanghai. The card has no annual fee for the first year and waives the second-year fee after six transactions; everyday spending earns Huazhu Club points redeemable for room charges, and meeting monthly spending targets earns up to 20,000 points plus a Gold membership trial. Huazhu Group has over 1.26 million rooms, ranking fourth globally, and Huazhu Club has over 300 million members with the world's highest member density per room.

Hotels
China Tourism NewsChina / Wuyuan / Shenyang / Fuzhou / Fujian / Xi'an / Shaanxi

Holiday Hotel Bookings Peak as 13-Day Leave Strategy Drives Longer Stays

With only three days between this year's Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, the 'take 3 days off for 13 days' leave strategy has gone viral, pushing hotel bookings into a peak period. Meituan data show Shaanxi's overall culture and tourism bookings rose 50% year on year during the holiday, with hotel and homestay bookings up 49%. Gao Wen, manager of Xi'an Yaman Oriental Courtyard Hotel, said Mid-Autumn was the hottest period, with occupancy near 80% on Sept 25-26, while the National Day peak shifted to Oct 2-3. Platform data show users booking flights to two or more destinations rose 70% year on year. Hoteliers report a rising share of 4-5 night stays, with both average spend and…

Hotels
TravelDaily ChinaGuangdong / Jiangmen / Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Jiangmen Lingnan No.5 Hotel Opens as Lingnan No.5 Brand Enters the Qiaoxiang Market

Jiangmen Lingnan No.5 Hotel officially opened in September 2026, jointly developed by Jiangmen Culture, Tourism and Transport Group and Lingnan Hotels Management Group. Located at No.2 Dizhong Road in the Changdi historic district beside the Jiangmen waterway, the hotel occupies a 1960s building whose Soviet-style structure was retained with an added single-storey arcade. It offers 15 rooms named after Maolong brush calligraphy motifs, plus the Wuhau Zhenwei restaurant, Baisha book bar and No.5 Coffee. It is about 15 minutes' drive from Jiangmen East Station and 25 minutes from Jiangmen Station, with access to Guangzhou and Shenzhen via intercity and high-speed rail.