Expedia group, the worldÕs largest online travel company, today announced Guest Review Insights, a new sentiment analysis tool to help hotels manage and improve their online reputation, and as a result, attract more travellers while maximizing guest experiences on property.
Sam Nazarian: sbe to merge with Hakkasan Group
Wall Street is abuzzÊafter billionaire hotel owner Sam NazarianÕs confirmation that he expects to close a giant merger with Hakkasan Group within 60 days that will form a huge hotel, restaurant and nightclub operation headquartered in Las Vegas with a $1 billion valuation.
Online hotel booking scams cost Americans $1.3 billion annually
The American HotelÊand Lodging Association (AHLA) has applauded the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security for taking another step in raising awareness about the prevalence and significant impact of online hotel booking scams on American consumers.
Hilton Garden Inn launches six region-specific hotel prototypes
Hilton Garden Inn has announced a revamped hotel design approach that provides six new, customizable hotel prototype options Ð one for each region of the world where the brand operates. The prototypes are designed for hotel developers seeking to cost-efficiently expand their portfolios while maximizing revenue.
Plans to hire hundreds of Emiratis in hospitality and retail by 2020
From leading heritage tours to greeting hotel guests, hundreds of Emiratis will soon represent the UAEÕs hospitality industry. A new campaign aims to recruit 500 Emiratis for the tourism sector by 2020. Some students have already graduated from hospitality training courses.
Augmented reality start-up aims for cleaner rooms
No hotel owner wants their name bad-mouthed on social media for bed begs, unchanged sheets, dirty toilets, or worse.ÊAugmented reality start-up, AR-Check, hopes to alleviate the nightmares associated withÊdirty rooms.
Marriott International announces new collaboration with career advancement startup Amavitae
Global hospitality leader Marriott International announced it has embarked on a new initiative with career advancement startup, Amavitae. Launched in 2016, Amavitae’s mobile-first career advancement platform addresses the skills and opportunity gaps of a new generation of jobseekers and empowers them to find a career they love.
New sources of Asian investment buying European hotels
The lionÕs share of Chinese and Asian hotel industry capitalÊentering Europe of late has derived from publicly listed conglomerates, notably HNA Tourism Group and Jin Jiang International, but midsize players are trying to make a play in the region, as well.
An electric dinosaur mans the front desk at a JapaneseÊhotel
The latest robot-staffed Henn-na Hotel opened in Japan last week, with an electronic dinosaur manning the front desk and offering concierge services to guests in multiple languages. Operators are confident that park visitors will be OK with this odd new way of lodging.
Dual-brand hotels finding footing internationally
Hotel brand companies are seeing the success of dual-branded properties in the US and looking at international markets for potential new development opportunities. Brands might initially consider the same international markets for dual-branded properties as they would for single-branded hotels.
